Topics |
Sources |
Description |
Funding |
Alaska,
Arkansas
Florida
Kentucky,
Missouri,
North Carolina,
Tennessee,
Utah
|
Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Utah have included pandemic relief in their appropriation bills. This includes accepting the federal CARES act, increasing funding for child welfare agencies and other social services.
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Funding |
Arizona |
Arizona Complete Health has awarded 22 nonprofit organizations and health-care providers across the state COVID-19 relief grants ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 each, for a total of $285,000. Award recipients include rural community hospitals, peer and family run organizations, social service organizations, child welfare nonprofits, suicide prevention programs and others that offer hope and help to Arizonans. |
Background Checks,
Emergency placements,
Workforce
|
California Governor's Office |
June 19th, 2020 - The governor signed an executive order extending a number of waivers to allow for flexibility in the emergency placement of foster youth and ensure that foster youth have access to critical programs and technology by verifying foster care status for foster youth and wards of the juvenile court whose cases are pending; permit In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program caseworkers to continue their work caring for older adults and individuals with disabilities; and allow the California Department of Justice to develop procedures to perform name-based background checks to ensure there is no delay processing employment for critical sectors, such as health care services and care and support for vulnerable populations, including developmentally disabled persons. |
Safety
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Child Welfare Information Gateway
|
State child welfare agency website responses to COVID-19.
|
Workforce,
Substance use disorders,
Visitation, Reunification
|
The Chronicle of Social Change
|
As the coronavirus continues to spread, the Chronicle of Social Change solicited information from stakeholders in the field of child welfare, including youth, parents, foster and adoptive parents, caseworkers, probation officers, judges and others about how the spread of coronavirus is affecting those systems’ ability to function. The responses are captured in this article, Coronavirus: What Child Welfare Systems Need to Think About.
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Childcare
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Illinois Governor's Office
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Effective April 1st, all essential workers in health care, human services, essential government services, and essential infrastructure now qualify for the state's Child Care Assistance Program. The state will cover most of the cost of care provided by emergency child care centers and homes.
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Childcare
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Michigan Governor's Office
|
April 29, 2020 – The Governor announced a $130 million investment to create the Child Care Relief Fund to provide grants for child care providers. Providers must reduce their weekly rates for families by 10 percent, and provide care for the children of essential workers.
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Workforce
|
National Governor’s Association
|
Information and links to state executive orders that list state child welfare and child protection agencies as essential government functions that are to remain in operation during the current coronavirus pandemic. States include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut (services needed to ensure the continuing operation of government agencies and the provision of goods, services or functions necessary for the health, safety and welfare of the public), Delaware (social assistance), District of Columbia, Guam (residential facilities and shelters for children), Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, New York (human services), North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. |
Courts
|
National Center for State Courts
|
State court activities. Includes a webinar on how to establish remote hearings in response to COVID-19.
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Courts
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National Council of Family and Juvenile Court Judges
|
Various state dependency and juvenile court responses to COVID-19.
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Workforce
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New Jersey Legislature
|
NJ S 2374 - Concerns family leave benefits; expands the definition of family leave and family temporary disability leave to include an event of a state of emergency declared by the Governor and an epidemic of a communicable disease, including coronavirus disease.
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Workforce
|
New York Legislature
|
NY S 7506 - Expands the definition of family leave and family temporary disability leave to include an event of a state of emergency declared by the Governor and an epidemic of a communicable disease, including coronavirus disease. Specifically mentions foster children in the definition.
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Background checks, Visitation
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North Carolina Legislature
|
NC HB 1037 – Waives certain background check and visitation requirements in accordance with federal recommendations.
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Workforce
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Pennsylvania Legislature
|
PA H 360 – Extends the deadline for recertification for employees having contact with children, adoptive and foster parents.
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Workforce,
Foster care providers |
Tennessee Department of Children Services
|
The Tennessee Department of Children Services (DCS) created a COVID-19 webpage that provides information specific to DCS staff, foster parents and private providers.
|
Workforce,
In-home services,
Visitation
|
Utah Department of Child and Family Services
|
The Utah Department of Child and Family Services developed a COVID-19 Reference Guide for their workforce in conducting child protection services.
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Visitation
|
Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families
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For child welfare visitation, DCYF staff are strongly encouraged to conduct a simple assessment prior to making home visits or having visits to the offices. The department also provided guidance for home visiting programs.
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