Adoption

APHSA has assembled a development and drafting team consisting of a diverse group of state, local and national stakeholders that have begun rewriting the compact. The new compact will provide a better framework for ensuring timely placement of children across state lines and the suitability of prospective placements, and the provision of needed support services. A rewrite of the compact is expected to be completed by December 2004, but no later than March 2005.

More information is available on the AAICAMA web site.

Child Care

Affiliate Information

• National Association of State Child Care Administrators (NASCCA)
• NASCCA 2003 Annual Meeting
  • Quality Initiative: Informal Providers and Early Learning
    • State Survey Results and Analysis
    • "Informal Child Care Provider Management and Support," state model presentation by Bonnie Murray’s (Georgia)
    • "In Home/Relative Care In Massachusetts," state model presentation by Janet McKeon (Massachusetts)
    • "Enhancing Family, Friend and Neighbor Care: the Research Case for Public Investment," research presentation by Richard Brandon (University of Washington)
    • "Family, Friend and Neighbor Care: What Research Shows," research presentation by Toni Porter (Bank Street College of Education)
  • Creating Effective Strategies for Reaching Agreed Upon Outcomes
    "Same Goals – Many Roads: Developing a Common Outcome-Based Framework," presentation by Suzanne Sennett (New York)
  • Reauthorization Update

Recent News

• Child Care and Development Fund Reauthorization:
  Side by Side of House and Senate Bills
  (9/16/03)
• Report Released on State Child Care Quality Initiatives
  (11/13/02)

Policy Positions

• Crossroads: Child Care
• Resolution on Child Care Data Collection Addendum (March 2002)
• Resolution on Child Care Transfer Rules Addendum (March 2002)

Child Support

Recent News

• OCSE Dear State Child Support Director Letter on the Implementation of the $25 Annual Fee in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) (5/3/06)
• APHSA Medical Child Support Fact Sheet (03/06)
• Deficit Reduction Act Child Support Distribution Changes Incorporated into the Social Security Act (02/06)
• Budget Reconciliation Act: Changes to the Child Support Section (IV-D of the Social Security Act) (01/06)
• Impact of Proposed Reduction in the Administrative Match Rate on State Child Support Enforcement Systems (01/06)
• Child Support Incentive Earned Revenues, House Proposal Will Impact Effectiveness of Program (01/06)
• Dear Colleague Letter on Child Support from Senators Olympia Snowe, Herb Kohl, John Cornyn (11/16/05)
• Changes to Title 11 of the U.S. Code that relate to the enforcement of child support as identified in the Bankruptcy Abuse and Prevention and Consumer Protection Act- S.256 within Title 2, Subtitle B “Child Support Priority”. (04/05)
• Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005, Child Support Title (04/05)

Policy Positions

• Crossroads: II

Child Welfare

National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators (NAPCWA)

• See www.napcwa.org
• Workforce Data Collection for Human Service Agencies
• Report From the 2004 Child Welfare Workforce Survey

Recent News

• Funding the Work: Community Efforts to End Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
• Bringing Systems Together: A Report from NAPCWA’s Symposium
• Missing Children: Being Prepared When the Media Calls
• National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators Releases Guidelines for Public Child Welfare Agencies Serving Children and Families Experiencing Domestic Violence.
• Report from the Child Welfare Workforce Survey: State and County Data and Findings
• The Child Welfare Workforce Challenge: Results from a Preliminary Study
• Recommendations Regarding APHSA's Child Welfare Workforce Study
• Connecting Child Protective Services and Substance Abuse Treatment in Communities : A Resource Guide

Title IV Waiver Program

• Cornerstone Consulting Group presents Child Welfare Waiver Watch, a multi-year project designed to monitor the progress of the Title IV-E waiver program.
• Cornerstone Consulting Group presents A Review of the Four Child Welfare IV-E Waivers Related to Substance Abuse Services In Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Illinois.
• Cornerstone Consulting Group presents Title IV-E Waiver Program: What The Evaluations Are Telling Us.

Disabilities

Information is available on the Center for Workers with Disabilities Web Site.

Food Stamps

American Association of Food Stamp Directors

• Web Site

Policy Positions

• APHSA Joins Anti-Hunger Groups in Calling for Higher Food Stamp Benefits, More Simplification (02/26/07)
• APHSA Testimony to the Senate Committee on Agriculture: The Role of Federal Food Assistance Programs in Family Economic Security and Nutrition
• Crossroads II: New Directions in Social Policy Food Stamp Program

State Food Stamp Innovations Catalog

• Download [429 kb] - (7/25/2006)

Infotech

IT Solutions Management for Human Services (ISM)

• Web Site
• 2006 Conference Information

Recent News

• APHSA-ISM Alerts

Policy Positions

• Crossroads: New Directions in Social Policy
  Information Technology 03/01

Interstate

In July 2004, APHSA assembled a development and drafting team consisting of a diverse group of state, local and national stakeholders to rewrite the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). In addition, a number of subcommittees were formed and have made recommendations regarding specific provisions of the new compact. The new compact, the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children provides a better framework for ensuring timely placement of children across state lines and the suitability of prospective placements, and the provision of needed support services.

ICPC Subcommittee Reports

• Private and Independent Adoptions
• Intercountry Adoptions
• Final Decision Making Subcommittee
• ICPC and Armed Service

ICPC Issue Papers

• APHSA and the Rewrite
• Comparing Uniform Laws and Interstate Compacts
• The New Interstate Compact for The Placement Of Children Administration & Governing Structure

ICPC Rewrite Background Materials

• Discussion Document--ICPC Coverage (June 2004)
• ICPC Rewrite Charter--Development and Drafting Team (June 2004)
• ICPC Policy Resolution: Reform of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (March 28, 2004)
• ICPC Task Force Report (March 2004)

Summary of ICPC DDT Meetings

• Meeting I-(July 20-22, 2004)
• Meeting II-(Oct 5-7, 2004)
  

Social Services Block Grant (SSBG)

Recent News

• House Appropriations Committee Rejects SSBG Cut
  On June 14, the House Appropriations Committee marked up their FY 2007 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education spending bill. The panel rejected the administration’s proposal to cut the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) by $500 million, and instead chose to fund the program at its present level of $1.7 billion. On June 6, APHSA and the National Conference of State Legislatures had submitted a letter to Appropriations Committee leadership strongly opposing the SSBG cuts.
• Joint APHSA and National Conference of State Legislatures Letter to Appropriators (06/06/06)
• Dear Colleague from Rep. McDermott, Ways and Means Committee Human Resources Subcommittee Ranking Member (02/09/06)
• Social Services Block Grant Coalition Sign-on Letter to Budget Committee (03/28/06)
• Grassley Reverses $500 Million Cut in Social Services Funding, Including $5 Million for Iowa Press Release (03/9/06)
• Emergency SSBG Funds Released to States
  During his February 8 testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, HHS Secretary Leavitt announced that emergency SSBG funds included in the FY 2006 Defense Appropriations Act have been released to states. The one-year, $550 million allotment will be distributed to states affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma, and Rita. The funding formula will be based on the number of FEMA enrollees from each of the storms in a state multiplied by the percentage of individuals in poverty in the state. Enrollees from Hurricane Katrina will be double-weighted. The funds can be used by states to meet any of the goals of the SSBG as well as for construction and health services. The states receiving the largest allocations are Louisiana ($220,901,534), Mississippi ($128,398,427), Texas ($87,951,690), Florida ($53,808,916), and Alabama ($27,852,254). A list of all the grants is available here. (02/09/2006)

Fact Sheets/Background

• APHSA Fact Sheet
• HHS, Office of Community Service FY 2004 Social Services Block Grant Report (with State charts)

State - Specific SSBG Reports

• Arizona: Pima Association of Governments (PAG) Title XX Plan for FY 2006-2007
• Arkansas: FY 2006 SSBG Manual
• California: FY 2005 SSBG Post-Expenditure Report
• Florida: SSBG Coalition FY 2003 Fact Sheet
• Hawaii: Title XX Social Services Block Grant FFY 2007 Intended Use Report
• Illinois: SSBG 2006 Program Manual
• Iowa: Social Services Block Grant Pre-Expenditure Report - July 1, 2005 To June 30, 2006
• Maine: Social Services Block Grant Program Plan Report - October 1, 2006 - September 30, 2007
• Michigan: Title Xx SSBG Plan Fiscal Year 2005-2006
• Minnesota: SSBG Intended Use Report Fiscal Year 2006-2007
• Mississippi: SSBG Webpage
• Nebraska: State SSBG Webpage | 2005-2006 SSBG Plan
• New Jersey: Chapter 123 Social Services Programs For Individuals and Families Subchapter 1. SSBG Provisions
• Nevada: Social Services Block Grant, Title XX Intended Use Report - July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006
• New York: Local Commissioners Memorandum, SFY 2005-06 Social Services Block Grant (Title XX) Allocations
• North Carolina: SSBG (Pre-Expenditure Report) Fiscal Year 2006-07
• North Dakota: Social Service Block Grant Pre-Expenditure Report - October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007
• Ohio: Final Comprehensive Title XX Social Services Plan 2006
• Oklahoma: Title XX Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) Report of Intended Expenditure Federal Fiscal Year (FFY)-2007 (Oct. 1, 2006 through Sept. 30, 2007)
• Oregon: SSBG Report of Intended Use For Federal Fiscal Year 2007 -October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007
• Pennsylvania: Pre-Expenditure Report for the 2006-2007 Social Services Block Grant
• Pennsylvania: SSBG Coalition Fact Sheet
• Wisconsin: SSBG Information
• West Virginia: Report On Intended Expenditures For The Title XX Social Services Block Grant - July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006

Policy Positions

• Crossroads: The Social Services Block Grant

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Recent News

House Appropriations Committee FY 2007 Spending Bill
On June 14, the House Appropriation’s Committee marked up their Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education FY 2007 spending bill. The legislation had been slated for House floor action the week of June 21 but was pulled from the calendar. Debate of the bill is now expected to be scheduled after the November elections. The committee has not identified funding levels for TANF program in their present documentation, but as a “mandatory” program it is assumed that without mention, it is funded at its present level. The subcommittee did not follow the administration’s budget that also extended supplemental grants to states through FY 2010; the Deficit Reduction Act extended these grants only through FY 2008. The administration’s proposal also added $232 million to the Contingency Fund in order for it to be funded at $2 billion. (6/14/06)

• National Governors Association and APHSA TANF Letter and Recommendations to Secretary Michael Leavitt (03/2004)
• APHSA Comparison of the Deficit Reduction Act Provisions on TANF, Child Care, Child Support and Child Welfare to Present Law (03/2004)
• S.1932, Title VII TANF, Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Enrolled as Agreed to or Passed by Both House and Senate) (03/2004)

September 21, 2005 TANF Emergency Response and Recovery Act Becomes Law, P.L. 109-68
On September 21, the President signed H.R. 3672 into law. The legislation allows states to use TANF funds for any fiscal year to provide any benefits or services under the state program to families affected by Hurricane Katrina. It also allows states serving evacuees with short-term, emergency assistance to draw from the TANF contingency fund. States would not be required to pay a match or meet the 100 percent maintenance-of-effort (MOE) requirement to access the contingency fund. For states to qualify for reimbursement for payment of these short-term cash benefits to evacuees, the evacuee may not be receiving cash benefits from the home state. It also provides grants for up to a 20 percent increase in TANF funds for Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. Certain requirements and penalties associated with TANF time limits and work requirements for the three affected states would be waived.

Policy Positions

• Crossroads: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families