Top Trump Health Officials Announce New Funding for Opioid Addiction Treatment to Prevent Foster Care Removals 

https://imprintnews.org/top-stories/top-trump-health-officials-announce-new-funding-for-opioid-addiction-treatment-to-prevent-foster-care-removals/270780

Youth Voice:

Holding Grief With the Will to Live

https://imprintnews.org/youth-voice/holding-grief-with-the-will-to-live/270504

My Motivation is To Make Foster Youth’s Lives Better

https://imprintnews.org/youth-voice/my-motivation-is-to-make-foster-youths-lives-better/270485

By Sabrina Anderson

We are living through extraordinary and uncertain times. Since the presidential election, it has felt like an unrelenting tide of challenges, each demanding our attention, our energy, and our conviction. The days of passivity are behind us, and for good reason. While these times are undeniably difficult, it is also shaping a more resilient and determined community of leaders, providers and advocates. We are meeting families and serving youth with a creativity that rises to meet the moment.

The Need for Peer Advocacy in Every System | The Imprint

LINTHICUM, MD — The National Adoption Association (NAA) has been recognized with a 2025 Power of Associations Summit Award by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for its successful Ujima Collective, a national systems change program.

A Researcher Took an Inside Look at Psychiatric Drug Prescribing for Foster Youth and One State’s Attempts at Oversight: Here’s What She Learned

By Michael Fitzgerald

A recent investigation by The Imprint, Medicated in Foster Care: Who’s Looking Out?, revealed that states have failed to adequately monitor the use of psychiatric medication on foster youth. Dozens of young people with histories of trauma described how their pain and anguish was muffled but not healed by a broad category of drugs known as psychotropics, many of which cause long-lasting and harmful side effects.

https://imprintnews.org/top-stories/a-researcher-took-an-inside-look-at-psychiatric-drug-prescribing-for-foster-youth-and-one-states-attempts-at-oversight-heres-what-she-learned/262001

The Value of Work Integrity: Empowering Former Foster Youth Through Responsibility and Purpose

By Tori Hope Petersen

The recent legislative changes within President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending cuts package introduce work requirements to maintain eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Despite efforts to exempt them, these new rules apply to former foster youth. 

While controversial, these requirements can serve as a catalyst for teaching foster youth the necessary, lifelong value of hard work and responsibility, potentially guiding them toward stability and purpose. 

https://imprintnews.org/opinion/empowering-foster-youth-through-responsibility/262545

Resource centers serving families are expanding in Minnesota, due to investments in foster care prevention that state lawmakers committed to in 2023.

Kids shouldn’t have to do that math of “what’s worse: the abuse, or losing your siblings?,” writes Puppet Mills.

What saved me wasn't the system. It was when I finally found mentors and programs rooted in cultural healing and faith, writes Timothy Evans.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at long last released annual data from the Adoption and Foster Care Reporting and Analysis program, or AFCARS. While the standard PDF version of the report is available, this year also included the launch of a new dashboard for AFCARS.

https://imprintnews.org/youth-services-insider/deep-dive-new-federal-foster-care-data/261418

Having a Bad Day in Foster Care? Peers in New York Are Just a Phone Call Away

State and local officials have created a ‘warmline’ for New York foster youth, connecting callers with young people who have shared similar hardships and can offer help.BY SUSANTI SARKAR

https://imprintnews.org/top-stories/having-a-bad-day-in-foster-care-peers-in-new-york-are-just-a-phone-call-away/261174

Texas Lawmakers To Decide on Expanding College Tuition Benefit for Foster Youth

A bill introduced by Rep. John Lujan is among several child welfare bills before the Legislature, along with efforts to expand mental health care. BY SARA TIANO

https://imprintnews.org/top-stories/texas-lawmakers-to-decide-on-expanding-college-tuition-benefit-for-foster-youth/260655

https://www.casey.org/flexible-funding-strategies/

Child protection agencies increasingly are using economic and concrete support strategies to address families’ basic needs and keep children safe with their families. A growing body of research shows that economic and concrete supports can prevent family separation, decrease time to permanency for children who have been removed from their parents, decrease the risk of subsequent abuse or neglect, and enhance child and family well-being.

Motivational Interviewing: A Primer for Child Welfare Professionals

https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/motivational-interviewing-primer-child-welfare-professionals/

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a strengths-based, evidence-based communication method professionals can use to support families involved in the child welfare system.

Protective Factors Approaches in Child Welfare

https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/protective-factors-approaches-child-welfare/

Doing Things Differently: Moving from the Challenge to the Change

National Child Abuse Prevention Month recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect. Prevention services and supports developed by this collaboration can help parents, other caregivers, and communities protect children and strengthen families.

https://www.childwelfare.gov/preventionmonth/

In Home Services to Strengthen Children & Families

Most children involved with the child welfare system are not separated from their families but instead receive services while living at home. These child welfare "in-home services" are designed to strengthen and stabilize families that come to the attention of child protective services (CPS).

New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS) released key findings from its annual "ACS Prevention Family Experience Survey". Over 2,100 participants participated with 93 percent stating the services helped them achieve their goals and they were happy with the services provided. ACS provides a network of over 100 community-based providers programs over NYC with over 31,000 children from 15,000 families receiving prevention services each year at no cost. 

Virginia Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) of Northern Virginia and Northern Virginia Family Service (NFVS) announce merger. Through this merger NFVS will expand its family programs which includes Healthy Families, Early Head Start, Head Start and Youth Initiatives, with the addition of SCAN's CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) services and Family Programs. 

NY - Family Courts discuss how to decrease overwhelming resources and being under-resourced. Advocates estimate approximately $60 million more per year is required in funding. Other reforms such as setting a cap on cases of family court attorney's is also being discussed.

NY - Federal civil rights lawsuit outlines the difficulties of a mom being reported to Child Protective Services at the hospital due to a prescribed medication used to manage opioid addiction. The lawsuit cites discrimination and how all patients who test positive for certain substances are automatically reported to Child Protective Services.

US: Human Right Campaign highlights the power of acceptance for LGBTQ+ youth in child welfare during National Adoption Month. 30% of youth in foster care identify as LGTBQ+.

TX: Though this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, support and gains are waning in local and state efforts to prevent delinquency and juvenile incarcerations. Instead, what can the juvenile justice system learn from the child welfare system and its recent reforms.

Week of February 5, 2024.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: D.C. sent $10,800 to dozens of new moms. Here's how it changed their lives. (Includes audio) (May require subscription)

February 01, 2024

In 2022, the D.C. government announced a pilot program that offered 132 new and expecting low-income mothers $10,800 over the course of a year -- no strings attached -- intended to assess how unconditional cash payments could improve their families' outcomes and economic mobility. Facilitated by the nonprofit Martha's Table, the $1.5 million Strong Families, Strong Futures pilot was limited to families in Wards 5, 7 and 8, which contain some of the District's poorest neighborhoods. The city's program was based on similar successful cash-transfer pilots that have now been modeled in at least 100 U.S. jurisdictions and drew 1,553 applications in just three weeks, requiring a lottery system to winnow down the final group. All 132 mothers had to choose whether they wanted 12 monthly payments of $900 or the entire amount immediately in a lump sum, a unique feature of D.C.'s pilot. Here is how their lives were changed.

IOWA: Trans advocates cheered a victory. Day later, Iowa governor files bill to change how they're recognized (May require subscription)

February 02, 2024

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has proposed a bill that would define "man" and "woman" in Iowa Code. The bill would require transgender Iowans list both their sex assigned at birth and their post-transition sex on their driver's license and birth certificate. Reynolds filed House Study Bill 649 Thursday, a day after transgender Iowans and LGBTQ and civil rights advocates and allies flocked to the Capitol to protest a bill that would have changed the way transgender Iowans are protected under the Iowa Civil Rights Act. The bill, which would have eliminated gender identity as a protected class under Iowa's Civil Rights Act and instead add to the act's covered disabilities gender dysphoria, died in a House subcommittee Wednesday as hundreds of Iowans cheered in the hallway outside.

See also: House Study Bill 649.

MICHIGAN: How Michigan counties are stepping up to meet youth mental health needs

February 06, 2024

Over the past several years, Michigan's community mental health agencies have been stepping up with a number of initiatives to help fill the gap in mental health services for youth. A perception attributes the national youth mental health crisis to the COVID pandemic of 2020, but truth be told, Michigan experts believe the crisis had started prior to that, with the pandemic exacerbating the situation.

Child Welfare in the News is a collection of news stories from across the country, and the world, on key topics related to child welfare. The included articles do not imply endorsement of any view expressed in a resource and may not reflect the opinions of Child Welfare Information Gateway, the Children's Bureau, or staff. For more information, please read our About Child Welfare in the News.

We are always eager to get your feedback or to know how you are using Child Welfare in the News. To comment on this service, contact cwn@childwelfare.gov.

New Mexico’s Children, Youth & Families Department (CYFD) has created the Indian Child Welfare Act Court. This court is committed to ensuring that the Indian families and their tribes are benefitting from the protections of the ICWA and the Indian Family Protection Act (IFPA) and the New Mexico Children’s Code.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that clarifies nondiscrimination rules on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The department’s Administration for Children and Families would pursue a new rule making to “clarify that state child welfare agencies must ensure LGBTQI youth are treated in a safe and appropriate manner.”

Legislation update from Voice for Adoption advocacy can be found here.

Update from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation can be found here.

Michigan is considering SB 137 and SB 138 to extend the necessary aid to children under the jurisdiction of tribal courts by amending the state Guardianship Assistance Program (GAP). This program allows the state to compensate eligible family members or close family friends who take on the caregiver role for a child after that child has been removed from their parents’ care as finding permanent placement for Native children outside of their homes is extremely difficult without financial support.

The state of Virginia’s Professional Treatment Foster Care (PTFC) is designed to meet the unique needs of children with significant emotional, behavioral, medical, and mental health needs transition from residential treatment facilities. The Bair Foundation is one of three select agencies who will provide specialized training and weekly therapeutic support to parents.

Legislation update from Voice for Adoption advocacy can be found here.

Update from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation can be found here.

California Senate Bill 9 aims to extend foster youth age by five years making it the first state in the nation to offer housing, financial and caseworker support to youth through age 26 in order to prevent homelessness.  This legislation is now backed by a group of Superior Court judges as well as the California Judges Association.

Montana House bill 317 introduces protections for American Indian Children by ensuring they are placed close to their respective tribe and reservation. This would the federal Indian Child Welfare Act into Montana law. This bill will need to pass the full House before progressing to the Senate.

Legislation update from Voice for Adoption advocacy can be found here.

Update from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation can be found here.

Montana Supreme Court has ruled that the Indian Child Welfare Act applies to third party custody arrangements in which a Native American parent allows the courts to place their child in the care of a family member.

Nevada Legislature is set to consider several bills in the upcoming 2023 session. Assemblywoman Shea Backus has drafted a bill to protect the Indian Child Welfare Act in Nevada if it gets overturned federally.

Legislation update from Voice for Adoption advocacy can be found here.

Update from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation can be found here.

Michigan is failing to provide quality education to its youth in foster care, by delaying their graduation by years or leaving them so frustrated they drop out of school. Michigan’s child welfare system says they have no way to oversee the quality of education at facilities like group homes and institutions.

Pennsylvania policy analysis group is calling for Congress to bring back the expanded tax credit to be included in the end-of -year package. Which will help boost millions of families above the federal poverty level. The expanded program could assist over 600,000 children in Pennsylvania.

Legislation update from Voice for Adoption advocacy can be found here.

Update from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation can be found here.

The California Tribal Families Coalition (CTFC) announced that is it assembling the best and most innovative minds in tribal social services and Indian Child Welfare practice to create a new think tank to defend protections for Indian children, families and tribal sovereignty. This Institute will address the issues raised by the Brackeen v Haaland case being heard by the US Supreme Court.

New York City is looking to leverage data to strengthen social services. Data analytics can offer more informed, preventive, efficient, effective and humane social services.Data tools can assist city agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide financial counseling, support families , provide early automated warning systems or linking databases to ensure one individual in contact with one city agency is enrolled in other programs and services they are eligible for.

Legislation update from Voice for Adoption advocacy can be found here.

Update from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation can be found here.

Texas Montgomery County Child Protective Services and MOCA are partnering to provide advanced digital account platform featuring virtual cards for youth in foster care. This ensures safe and secure access to the youth by distributing the cards directly to them.

US – National Partnership for Child Safety (NPCS) is announcing major milestones in implementing a safety culture across child welfare systems. These milestones include the implementation of a system-focused critical incident review process, the launch of the NPCS Data warehouse to facilitate data sharing across jurisdictions, the development of a data dictionary, on-going peer-to-peer learning opportunities, and preliminary discussions about how to integrate community voice and those with lived experience.

Legislation update from Voice for Adoption advocacy can be found here.

Update from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation can be found here.

In McLean County, Illinois, is exploring the possibility of a Family Treatment Court to assist families with multiple issues by bringing together a range of social service agencies into one courtroom. Partners for the new court could include public health, mental health and substance agencies, DCFS and other child welfare advocates.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), AdoptUSKids, and the Ad Council released new public service announcements (PSAs) to encourage prospective parents to adopt teens from foster care.

Legislation update from Voice for Adoption advocacy can be found here.

Update from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation can be found here.

In Cincinnati, Found Village's goal is to fill in the gap to help kids aging out of foster care. In addition, Found Village helps provide resources and mentor teens who've been through the court and foster care systems, they're currently helping about 60.

In Wisconsin, at the University Eau Clair, students who were in foster care as kids, or who identify as homeless will be received aid.  A $70,000 grant from the UW System will be given to the school's Fostering Success program in order to help those students.

Legislation update from Voice for Adoption advocacy can be found here.

Update from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation can be found here.

In the New York, Bronx area, a nonprofit, Catholic Guardian Services, will be able to work with and provide to foster young adults up to age 26. Due to increased city funding, Catholic Guardian Services will be able to offer services to them. The city has nearly doubled its budget for its Fair Futures program. Fair Futures, a coalition of child welfare agencies, nonprofits, foundations, advocates, and young adults working together for youth in foster care, will receive $30 million in FY2023, up from $13.5 million, according to the budget agreement announced by Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council earlier this month.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services awards scholarships to 72 college-bound current and former youth in care at lunch and ceremony in their honor at the Wyndham Springfield City Centre. DCFS Scholarship Program recipients receive up to five consecutive years of tuition and academic fee waivers to be used at participating Illinois state community colleges and public universities and a monthly grant of $1,273 to offset other expenses and a medical card.

Legislation update from Voice for Adoption advocacy can be found here.

Update from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation can be found here.