Policy Announcement / Memoranda
This letter from the Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau provides program instruction and announces changes to allow videoconferencing for monthly caseworker visits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter also identifies changes in the Child and Family Services Review Program Improvement Plans, Title IV-E Eligibility Reviews, flexibility for conducting child abuse and neglect investigations by state and local child protective services agencies, and other legislative and regulatory flexibilities.
March, 2020
Stakeholder Resource
This webinar has been postponed and will be rescheduled at a later date. Updates will be forthcoming via the Peer TA website and weekly newsletter.
March, 2020
Stakeholder Resource
The Children’s Bureau at the Administration for Children and Families has shared links to directly related resources on COVID-19 for child welfare workers and the clients they serve. Information available includes guidance on procurement for personal protective equipment, casework visit requirements during COVID-19 response, conducting effective remote hearings in child welfare cases and court improvement programs to assist dependency courts, and postponement of Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility reviews.
March, 2020
Stakeholder Resource
The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration has presented a set of resources and guidance for workforce development entities. These resources include updated requirements on grants management and performance reporting for all U.S. Department of Labor-funded programs.
March, 2020
Webinar / Webcast
This recorded webinar from the U.S. Department of Labor covers unemployment compensation requirements and issues for persons and employers affected by COVID-19. Recorded on March 17, 2020, the webinar offers states guidance on: determining whether a person affected by COVID-19 is unemployed and able to work, available for work, and actively seeking work; examples for assessing unemployment compensation; employer charging and the issues facing unemployment insurance fund solvency; eliminating the waiting week before benefits can be issued; and promoting short-time compensation.
March, 2020
Stakeholder Resource
This post provides the most up-to-date information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about ways to prevent COVID-19 at home and in the community and answers frequently asked questions. There is also a set of resources about how to discuss COVID-19 with young children and how community- and faith-based organizations can get prepared to address service needs.
March, 2020
Fact / Tip Sheet
This fact sheet offers tips, guidance, and resources on how grandfamilies can stay healthy, informed, and connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include practicing excellent hygiene, accessing food and medicine, accessing technology, staying connected, talking with kids about coronavirus, managing anxiety and stress, resources and activities for children at home, and back-up planning.
March, 2020
Report
This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report assesses initial findings of Paycheck Plus, a refundable tax credit program for low-income workers without dependent children. The report examines the effect of this demonstration program among low-wage earners in Atlanta by evaluating the effect of a bonus payment on employment rates, earnings, and income on a pre-tax and post-tax basis. The report also identifies the effect of the bonus by gender, level of disadvantage, and earnings of study participants before entering the study.
March, 2020
Dataset
This dataset identifies monthly TANF Contingency Fund awards by state for Fiscal Year 2019, as of July 15, 2019. The table lists each of the 16 grantee states (including the District of Columbia), the number of months for which contingency funds were applied, the October 2018 awards, the November 2018 awards, the March 2019 awards (covering December 1 thru March 31, 2019, delayed due to a lapse in federal appropriations), and the July 2019 awards (pro-rated apportionment for April 1, 2019 thru July 31, 2019, awarded in July after TANF was extended through September 30, 2019).
March, 2020
Fact / Tip Sheet
This guide from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network provides information to parents and caregivers on how the COVID-19 outbreak might affect their families both physically and mentally and how to help them cope. Information is provided on: COVID-19 cause and its transmission, preventative strategies, steps families can take to be better prepared, including information and communication strategies and awareness of community resources and emergency contacts, how to reduce families’ risk, and ways to help families cope with stress including suggestions for parent and caregiver self-care.
March, 2020