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| Happy Holidays NACHSA Members! |
Federal Update: The House adjourned last week and the Senate followed suit a few days ago. Before the 113th Congress ended, it adopted a federal fiscal year (FFY) 2015 spending bill which, as a general rule, level funds most health and human services programs. Block grants such as the Social Services Block Grant, the Community Services Block Grant and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program all escaped cuts that were proposed in earlier administration or congressional drafts. And, first-time funding of $4 million was appropriated for the Elder Justice Act to provide competitive grants to states to test and evaluate innovative approaches to prevent and respond to elder abuse.
The new Congress will convene on January 6, 2015. At the top of the list is health legislation needed to avoid a 21 % cut to Medicare physician payment rates which expire on March 31, 2015 and continuing funding past that date for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program. Before that time, the House and Senate will consider ways to stop the Obama executive order on immigration via the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill which expires February 27, 2015.
The budget process for FFY 2016 will also begin, with the adoption of a House-Senate budget resolution much more likely, given GOP control of both houses. The budget resolution sets a broad budget blueprint for the House and Senate committees to follow when crafting the actual spending measures. Since it is a blueprint, the resolution does not go to the president for his signature. The Obama Administration is expected to submit its budget on February 3, 2015, but that date has slipped in recent years, given the lack of final action by Congress on spending bills until months into the new FFY.
Marilina Sanz Retires from NACo: Marilina Sanz has announced that she is retiring from the National Association of Counties at the end of the year. A long time friend of NACHSA's and tireless advocate for county human services programs, Marilina has worked with mayors, elected county officials and human services professionals throughout her distinguished career to advance the needs of local communities. She intends to keep involved by pursuing other personal and professional interests and some NACHSA members may hear from her directly. In the meantime, she may be reached at marilina1@cox.net
NACHSA Dues Are Due!: 2015 is right around the corner, and with the new year comes the NACHSA dues. To save time and resources, notices are sent electronically via these e-Alerts. Don't delay, please pay today by clicking here to access the form.
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| Human Services Resources |
3 Resources on New Law, Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act: The National Conference of State Legislatures has published this brief outlining the child welfare provisions in the law signed by the President early this fall. The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) released a new brief focusing on how states can meet the "reasonable and prudent parent standard" requirement of H.R.4980 as part of their responsibility to promote normalcy, healthy development and well-being for all youth. And, HHS sent this letter to child welfare administrators last week on the mandatory credit checks now expanded to youth 14 and older beginning on September 29, 2015.
Court Strikes Down Drug Tests for Florida Welfare Applicants: Earlier this month, A federal appeals court struck down a 2011 Florida law requiring drug tests for people seeking welfare benefits even if they are not suspected of drug use. The three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in Atlanta, ruled that the law, one of the strictest in the country, was an unreasonable search because Florida officials had failed to show a "substantial need" to test all people who applied for welfare benefits. Read more here.
White House Issues Fact Sheet on Foster Youth Initiatives: This fact sheet was released earlier this month last week by the Vice-president's office. It outlines a number of initiatives that the federal government has undertaken for foster youth.
SNAP Categorical Eligibility: This state-by-state chart from USDA summarizes states' use of broad-based categorical eligibility under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Two-Generation Approach Report Released: A new KIDS COUNT policy report makes the case for improving the prospects of families by addressing the needs of parents and their children simultaneously. Creating Opportunity for Families: A Two-Generation Approach describes the Annie E. Casey Foundation's two-generation approach, which recommends ways to help equip families with what they need to thrive by connecting them to early childhood education, job training, and other tools to achieve financial stability and break the cycle of poverty.
EITC Uptake by County: The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) plays a major role in the U.S. safety net. In 2011, 27.9 million low- and middle-income families received it. Prepared by the Tax Policy Center, this map demonstrates what share of taxpayers claimed the EITC in 2012 in each county.
Children Affected by Methamphetamine Brief 2014: This brief summarizes the experiences, lessons learned, and outcomes of the collaborative efforts of the Children Affected by Methamphetamine (CAM) federal grant program (October 2010 - September 2014). The brief provides an overview of the grant program, grantees and key implementation lessons learned, and also highlights the CAM program's interim safety, permanency, recovery and well-being outcomes for the 1,850 families served during the first three years of the grant. A number of counties participated. A copy of the brief can be downloaded here.
NACo Podcast: Creating Trauma-Informed Counties: Nearly one in three children aged 12 to 17 have experienced two or more traumatic events. Counties across the country are not only addressing childhood trauma, but are creating trauma-informed communities. Hear from Wilson County, N.C. and San Diego County, Calif. to learn why and how they are creating a trauma-informed culture in their counties. Click here to listen.
Webinar: Building TANF and WIOA Partnerships: Save the date for a webinar sponsored by HHS entitled "Building TANF and WIOA Partnerships to Improve TANF Recipient Employment Outcomes: Lessons Learned from TANF/WIA Coordination. It is scheduled on Thursday, January 15, 2015 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. Registration will be available in early January and interested stakeholders may submit questions to HHS beforehand. Please submit any questions you may have to Damon Waters by January 9, 2015 at damon.waters@acf.hhs.gov. |
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Tom Joseph
National Association of County Human Services Administrators
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