NACHSA and NACo submit congressional testimony, write letters to Congress on pending legislation, comment on federal regulations and publish reports on emerging issues.

Recent studies and federal regulations of importance to county human services administrators include:

Child welfare coalition members are circulating a letter to be sent to Congress to take action in September to promote permanent families for children and youth in foster care through adoption and relative guardianship, support older youth preparing to leave care, and offer first time protections and assistance to American Indian children.  Click here for a one page summary.

Landmark child welfare legislation has been adopted in the House and was pending in the Senate in mid-July. One-page summaries have been prepared by the Pew Kids Are Waiting project of the Fostering Connections to Success Act (H.R. 6307), adopted unanimously by the House and a similar Senate bill, the Improved Adoption Incentives and Relative Guardianship Support Act (S. 3038).

Research released by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in June 2008 demonstrate the benefits of kinship caregiver arrangements compared to non-relative foster care. Click here to view the study. The PowerPoint presentation made at the briefing may be accessed here.

Support for the Kinship Caregiver Support Act is gaining momentum. A letter to Congress is being circulated to organizations to sign. Click here for a summary of the bill and a Senate Dear Colleague letter.

The Partnership for Children Act is one recent piece of legislation which would reform a part of the foster care financing system. Click here to view a summary.

NACHSA testified on TANF and Child Support in 2007. Click here to view the testimony. A state-by-state chart detailing how each state has dealt with the TANF time limits may be accessed here.

NACHSA has prepared a summary of the President’s FY 2009 budget which may be viewed here.

Click here to view a summary prepared by NACHSA of health and human services activity in 2007 and an outline what may occur in 2008.

The Center for Law and Social Policy has released state fact sheets on child welfare funding.  Click here to see how your state compares.