Policy

Alliance Win for Families

Governor Signs Bill Providing Relief for Families Who Accept Placement Prior to Resource Family Approval

We prepared this letter for caregivers to understand whether they are eligible for this critical relief and what they can expect.  On March 13, Governor Brown signed AB 110, which includes an immediate solution to funding relatives and non-related extended family members who accept placement of a child prior to being approved as a resource family. The bill …

Governor Signs Bill Providing Relief for Families Who Accept Placement Prior to Resource Family Approval Read More »

Major victory on childcare may help more families step up to care for children in foster care

Today the governor approved $31 million in the state budget to create the Emergency Child Care Bridge Program. With this funding, counties will be able to provide caregivers and parenting youth with immediate access to up to six months of crucial child care services. In addition, caregivers will receive the assistance of navigators to help find …

Major victory on childcare may help more families step up to care for children in foster care Read More »

Proposed Federal Budget Cuts Would Endanger Vulnerable Families and Children in Foster Care

We’re out of the woods for the time being on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, but for vulnerable children and families, plenty of threats remain on the horizon. Unraveling the safety net, as these cuts promise to do, will put more children at risk of entries into foster care and, for those who …

Proposed Federal Budget Cuts Would Endanger Vulnerable Families and Children in Foster Care Read More »

What Does the Election of Trump Mean for Children and Families?

Angie Schwartz Policy Director What does the election of Donald Trump and the momentum of a Republican-dominated Senate mean for the vulnerable children and families for whom we advocate? That is the question at the forefront of my mind as I try to process the results of this election. We must prepare for years of …

What Does the Election of Trump Mean for Children and Families? Read More »

Federal Family First Act (H.R. 5456) A Step Backwards for California’s Foster Children

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) and Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) joined Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (R-OR) in introducing the Family First Act, which ostensibly allows states to utilize federal funds for preventative and supportive services while also limiting when federal funds can …

Federal Family First Act (H.R. 5456) A Step Backwards for California’s Foster Children Read More »

California Child Advocates for Change Releases Two Policy Briefs to Help Inform Federal Child Welfare Reforms

California Child Advocates for Change is a coalition of legal and child welfare advocacy organizations, including the Alliance for Children’s Rights, that provide direct legal services to thousands of children, youth and families each year who are affected by the foster care systems. The lived experience of at-risk children and families informs both the direct …

California Child Advocates for Change Releases Two Policy Briefs to Help Inform Federal Child Welfare Reforms Read More »

From Research to Practice: Study on Economic Well-Being of Kin Caregivers Helps Inform Practice and Policy Change in California

A recent study published by the University of California Berkeley School of Social Welfare surveyed the economic well-being of kin and non-kin caregivers in order to better understand the similarities and differences of these two groups of caregivers and the impacts of those characteristics on their caregiving. The study examined characteristics of kin and non-kin …

From Research to Practice: Study on Economic Well-Being of Kin Caregivers Helps Inform Practice and Policy Change in California Read More »

Legislative Update 2015

AB 423: Enhancements to the Approved Relative Caregiver Program AB 423 is a clean-up bill that addresses the state’s new Approved Relative Caregiver Program. AB 423 will ensure that families start receiving CalWORKs benefits immediately upon the placement of the child(ren) into their home by requiring counties to initiate the funding. This will ensure that …

Legislative Update 2015 Read More »