This Children’s Bureau report presents national data about child abuse and neglect known to child protective services agencies in the United States during federal fiscal year 2020. The report includes data on affected children, fatalities, perpetrators, and services.

The Fathers and Continuous Learning in Child Welfare (FCL) project sought to improve placement stability and permanency outcomes for children by engaging their fathers and paternal relatives. FCL implemented a methodology known as the Breakthrough Series Collaborative, a continuous learning methodology. The second of a three-part series, this podcast reviews strategies implemented in Los Angeles County, California. Topics discussed include the value community organizations provided in Los Angeles County's improvement team, how Los Angeles County's actions and thoughts diminished the importance of fathers and paternal families and the steps the agency took to change its processes and mindsets, and why the improvement team felt it needed the courage to act "intentionally and unapologetically" to implement meaningful change.

This Office of Family Assistance brief discusses the potential for the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund (PEAF) to support needy families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and by unusually high heating costs this winter. The brief is presented in a question and answer format and addresses:

• Why are energy costs higher than normal? 

• How has COVID-19 impacted energy security for low-income families?

• How can the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund help?

• How can PEAF be used to help families with energy costs? and

• How can grantees strategically use remaining PEAF allocations along with other federal funds?

This brief supports kinship families and the professionals who assist them with comparing caregiving options. It provides a broad, national overview to help caregivers make informed decisions about the pathways to pursue. The brief also notes how different caregiving options look at the state, tribal, territorial, and local levels.

This toolkit tracks the steps the federal government has taken to implement new resources and administrative changes within human services and education programs authorized by:

• The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA)
• The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act)
• The Continuing Appropriations Act of 2021
• The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021
• The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) 

Agencies highlighted in the toolkit are the Administration for Children and Families, the Administration for Community Living, the Food and Nutrition Service, the U.S. Department of Education, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Communications Commission.

The Office of Family Assistance has awarded and overseen federal funding for four cohorts of healthy marriage (HM) and responsible fatherhood (RF) grant programs (2006-2011, 2011-2015, 2015-2020, and 2020-2025). The HM grantees promote healthy marriage and relationships through eight legislatively authorized activities, such as marriage and relationship education and development of skills for job and career advancement. RF grantees’ legislatively authorized activities promote responsible parenting, healthy marriage, and economic stability. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief shares what was learned after visits with grantees about factors that have helped or hindered successful implementation of the 2015-2020 cohort of grantees, focusing on approaches to staffing programs and working with partners.

The Fathers & Families Coalition of America will host its 23rd Annual National Conference as a hybrid event from March 8 to March 11, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. The conference will feature a Roundtable Series covering child support, engaging families, child welfare, disparities in education, and local to national policy impacting practices; 10 Workshop Strands; and Fireside General Sessions. Also included are credential or certificate programs and networking opportunities. Conference registration includes a fee for in-person and virtual participants.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is soliciting applications for the Fiscal Year 2022 Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Grant Program. Funding is intended for tribal entities that do not have prior experience with implementing evidence-based home visiting models, performance measurement systems, and continuous quality improvement activities.

Grant funds will support 63-month grants between ACF and federally-recognized Indian tribes (or a consortium of Indian tribes), tribal organizations, or urban Indian organizations. The grants will support activities including conducting needs assessments, developing infrastructure, providing home visiting programs, and strengthening early childhood systems of support. The anticipated project start date is July 1, 2022. Applications are due April 15, 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated housing instability for families with low incomes and created an even greater need for affordable, stable housing. Two-generation programs, which strive to end intergenerational poverty by supporting both parents and children living in the same household to improve life outcomes for the whole family, are one model of effective collaboration to increase housing stability. This blogpost, based on research on multiple two-generation partnerships, identifies four key elements to using two-generational programs to promote housing stability.

Do you lead, work in, or know of an employment and training program that integrates financial capability interventions into its services? Financial capability interventions include:

• Financial education
• Financial coaching
• Financial counseling
• Credit counseling
• Or access to emergency savings programs, safe and affordable financial products, asset-building programs, or tax preparation assistance

MEF Associates and its subcontractor, the Urban Institute, in partnership with the OPRE, invite nominations of employment and training programs to participate in a survey to better understand how financial capability interventions are delivered in the context of employment and training (E&T) programs serving adults with low incomes. This survey is being conducted as part of the Integrating Financial Capability and Employment Services project.

Self-nominations or nominations of others are both welcome. Nominations can be sent to IntegratedFinCap@mefassociates.com. Please include the name of the program and contact information, if known.