NCALP Weekly News Summary

April 19, 2013

If you are unable to access the links on this page click here. Follow us: ADOPTION NATIONAL: “States Line Up in Favor of Federal Adoption Law” By: Megan Kinnard As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear the Baby Veronica case surrounding the issue of the adoption of Native American children and the Indian Child Welfare Act, more than a dozen states and 23 current and former members of Congress have filed briefs supporting the law. The 18 states that have signed onto a brief supporting the federal law are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. Additionally the federal government, as well as more than a dozen child welfare organizations, has filed amicus briefs backing the law. Associated Press, April 14th, 2013 For Full Article Click Here   FOSTER CARE NATIONAL: “Affordable Care Act Rules Differ for Former Foster Kids” By: Deena Zaru While many young adults are now covered by the Affordable Care Act and are able to remain on their parents' insurance until age 26, the rules are different for those who grew up in the foster care system. All foster children are provided with health care coverage as long as they are wards of the state. Currently, when these children turn 18 and age out of the system, they instantly lose their health care coverage. On January 1, 2014, the law will change and will extend Medicaid coverage for former foster youth until they reach 26, as long as they were in foster care and enrolled in Medicaid until the age of 18. However, this coverage will only be available to the foster youth in the state where they were originally in foster care. CNN Health, April 17th, 2013 For Full Article Click Here   CHILD WELFARE MARYLAND: “Juvenile Justice Reforms: Worth the Wait” By: Becky Wagner Gov. Martin O’Malley will sign three bills into law focusing on stopping the transfer of youths into the adult justice system. One of the laws mandates limited incarceration for non-violent offenses and creates a task force to make recommendations regarding existing exclusionary offenses that automatically result in adult charges for youth. A recent fiscal analysis by Advocates for Children and Youth found that more than $1 million per year could be saved by shifting children under 14 into alternatives to detention such as electronic monitoring, day and evening reporting centers, shelter care, and treatment foster care. Baltimore Sun, April 16th, 2013 For Full Article Click Here   FOSTER CARE CONNECTICUT: “Bill Gives Intern Preference to Foster Kids” By: Associated Press A new bill making its way through the General Assembly would give former foster children, between the ages of 18 and 24, preference for receiving state agency internships. These internships would provide valuable experience and assistance 24 percent of foster children report having no means of income throughout their first two years out of foster care. The bill waits the final stage of action in the House of Representatives. SFGate.com, April 18th, 2013 For Full Article Click Here   FOSTER CARE/Child Welfare NATIONAL: “Immigration Bill Includes Protections for Families Broken Up By Deportation” By: Seth Freed Wessler The comprehensive immigration reform bill, released early this morning by a group of eight Senators, both Republicans and Democrats, includes provisions to reunite families separated by immigration detention and deportation. It also includes protections to keep U.S. citizen children from entering foster care if their parents are deported or detained and to protect deportees from losing parental rights. Once parents are deported and their children are in foster care they are often treated as non-entities, as if they have abandoned their children. Colorlines, April 17th, 2013 For Full Article Click Here   The preceding are summaries of adoption/child welfare law news articles prepared by The National Center for Adoption Law & Policy. These summaries are provided for your information only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center. We strive to print news that reflects the diversity of our readership and a variety of viewpoints and approaches to child welfare issues. While we may not agree with a position taken, we believe in the critical importance to our constituents of impartial reporting.