PUBLIC POLICY and CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
Joint Activities of the Alliance for Children and Families and United Neighborhood Centers of America

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2008 Public Policy Agenda

Past advocacy and policy features.

New Voices at the Civic Table

Mission-Based Advocacy Toolkit

Washington Staff

Joint Alliance/UNCA Public Policy Committe
 

Analysis 
 

 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH                                            

Reauthorization of SAMHSA: Highlights from the legislative draft released in December 2007 by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. (Updated January 17, 2008)

The Mental Health in Schools Act of 2007: A comparative analysis of bills to expand school-based mental health services. The House largely improves on the Senate version, but removes the Senate's preferred requirement that grant applicants must partner with community-based organizations or community-based programs involved in mental health. (December 12, 2007)

Mental Health Parity in SCHIP: The House and Senate-passed SCHIP bills both have been portrayed as ensuring parity for mental health services. However, while the House bill improves upon current law, it falls short of full parity. (August 28, 2007)

Mental Health Parity Act (S. 558): A general summary and analysis of legislation pending before the Senate that, if enacted, would increase parity between the coverage of mental health and addiction treatment and other medical treatment in group health insurance plans. (July 18, 2007)

Proposed Federal Law Would Expand Mental Health Coverage Provided Under New York’s ‘Timothy’s Law’: S. 558 would extend parity to at least 7.1 million New Yorkers, more than a third of the state’s population, who are enrolled in plans not currently covered by New York’s recently-enacted mental health parity law, Timothy’s Law. (July 18, 2007)

 EDUCATION                                                              

Sustaining Quality After-School Programs: A legislative proposal to sustain quality after school programs by making 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grants renewable on a competitive basis. (February 11, 2008)

Strengthening After-School and Tutoring Programs in No Child Left Behind: A summary of key recommendations for strengthening after-school and supplemental educational services as Congress considers the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. (Updated January 22, 2008)

Expanded Learning Time: A comparative analysis of Congressman Donald Payne’s Expanded Learning Time Demonstration Act and Congressman George Miller’s Expanded Learning Time Demonstration Program in the House discussion draft for reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. Both proposals authorize funding to increase the amount of time students spend in school. (January 18, 2008)

 T-FELAS Act: The Teaching Fellows for Expanded Learning and After-School Act of 2007, or 'T-FELAS Act (S. 778), introduced by Senators Kennedy and Burr, would provide fellowships to up to 10,000 recent college graduates and graduates of accredited two year institutions to support after-school and expanded learning programs. (December 10, 2007)

Supplemental Educational Services (SES) And No Child Left Behind: The House discussion draft of NCLB contains a number of proposed changes for supplemental educational services (SES) for students in low performing schools. While some of these changes are positive, the proposal to limit funding to so-called "high-priority" schools would hurt children in schools that do not qualify. (November 5, 2007)

Improving 21st Century Community Learning Centers: Alliance and UNCA recommendations to Congress for improving the 21st CCLC program during reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. (September 14, 2007)
 

 CHILD WELFARE                                                    

The Improved Adoption Incentives and Relative Guardianship Support Act: (S. 3038) would extend and reauthorize the Adoption Incentives program until 2013, as well as help provide federal reimbursement to states for payments made to legal relative guardians raising children who would otherwise be in foster care. (June 26, 2008)

Fostering Connections to Success Act: A summary and analysis of bipartisan legislation (H.R. 6307) introduced by Reps. Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Jerry Weller (R-IL) that, if enacted, would be the most significant child welfare legislation passed in years. (June 19, 2008)

Economic Recovery in Health Care Act of 2008:  S. 2819, a bipartisan bill introduced by Sen. Rockefeller (D-WV), Sen. Snowe (R-ME) and Sen. Kennedy (D-MA), would delay implementation of seven administration-sponsored Medicaid regulations. It would also provide targeted fiscal relief to states through a combination of raising the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate and providing targeted grants. (May 23, 2008)

Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008: Report by the House Education and Labor Committee on H.R. 5876. (May 22, 2008)

Invest in KIDS Act:  A summary and analysis of the Invest in KIDS Act (H.R. 5466), introduced by Rep. Jim McDermott, chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support, which has primary jurisdiction over child welfare issues in the House. (February 26, 2008)

Child Welfare Reform - Issues and Recommendations: An overview of the Alliance for Children and Families and United Neighborhood Centers of America’s child welfare legislative priorities for 2008. (January 15, 2008)

Aging Out of Foster Care:  S. 1512, introduced by Senator Boxer (D-CA) in May 2007 would provide continued federal funding through Title IV-E of the Social Security Act for foster care services to children aged 18-21. States would have discretion in determining the upper age limit of youth qualifying for foster care services. This is an important first step in providing for “aging out” youth. (December 4, 2007)

Tribal Child Welfare in Washington State: Washington state provides an estimated $6.5 million in foster care services to Native American children, but services provided through tribes are severely under-funded. The Tribal Foster Care and Adoption Access Act of 2007 (S.1956), introduced by Sen. Max Baucus, would increase tribal access to federal funding in the state of Washington. (October 23, 2007)

Tribal Foster Care and Adoption Access Act of 2007: S. 1956, introduced by Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)would provide tribal communities direct access to Title IV-E funding for foster care services for the first time. (September 13, 2007)

Kinship Caregiver Support Act: The Kinship Caregiver Support Act, introduced in both the House (H.R. 2188) and the Senate (S. 661), would provide assistance to relatives who become the legal guardians of children in foster care. The legislation would help transfer custody of up to 20,000 children now in foster care from the state to relatives willing to assume legal guardianship (June 21, 2007)