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January 23, 2015
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Volume XXXIX No. 3
Thank you for reading This Week in Washington. In each issue you will find
summaries of relevant events and APHSA's analysis behind them. More
simply, you will learn about the event, whether it is a policy letter, new
regulation or key appointment, and what it means to you.
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Resources
Obama Calls for Child Care Support in State of the Union Address
President Obama stressed the need for additional child care support Tuesday when
he gave his penultimate State of the Union address.
Several times during his speech, the president mentioned the importance of
investing in high-quality early childhood programs and raised the need to help all
working families with young children afford child care.
"In today's economy, when having both parents in the workforce is an economic
necessity for many families, we need affordable, high-quality child care more than
ever," Obama said. "It's time we stop treating child care as a side issue, or as a
woman's issue, and treat it like the national economic priority that is for all of us."
Building from previous early childhood initiatives, the president is proposing a new
plan, released this week, for bolstering the economy and expanding the middle class.
The plan includes tripling the maximum child care tax credit to $3,000 per child,
creating a new innovation fund to help states design programs to better serve
families facing unique challenges in finding quality child care, and making new
investments in the Child Care and Development Fund to help eligible families afford
quality child care.
More details on the president's new early childhood plan can be found here.
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Senators Introduce Bill to Repeal ACA
Twenty-two Republican senators introduced a bill this week to repeal the Affordable
Care Act's (ACA) individual insurance mandate.
Tell us your story!
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The bill, titled the American Liberty Restoration Act (S. 203), would strike
provisions in the ACA requiring individuals to purchase health insurance. Senate
Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Health, Education, Labor
initiative, innovation or change that is
showing great results? Is there an
innovation your agency has come up
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workforce strategies that have made a
difference in your agency? Have you
reengineered your processes to be more
effective and efficient? Would other
agencies benefit from hearing about it?
We want to hear about it! Contact
Melissa Kanaya at [email protected]
to learn more
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and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) led the bill's
introduction.
The individual insurance mandate went into effect in 2014. Individuals who didn't
purchase health insurance in 2014 will face a fine of $95 or 1 percent of their income,
whichever is more. For the 2015 tax filing season, that penalty will increase to $325
or 2 percent of income, whichever is more.
"Forcing Americans to purchase insurance goes against our nation's history of
individual liberty. This legislation strikes Obamacare's individual mandate and
restores the freedoms outlined in the Constitution," Hatch said in a statement.
"Washington should continue to work towards finding a way to equip patients with
the tools needed to obtain access to health insurance, but not in a way that attacks
the spirit of the Constitution and our treasured history of limited government."
The question of whether the ACA allows people who buy insurance on the federal
exchange to receive subsidies will be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in the King
v. Burwell case. The Court is set to hear arguments in the case March 4.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama promised to veto any legislation
that takes away health insurance coverage. It is unlikely that either the House or
Senate has the votes to override a veto of the bill should that happen.
CRS Report on Low-income Program Spending
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report titled Federal Benefits
and Services for People with Low Income: Programs and Spending, FY2008FY2013
The report identifies benefit levels for targeted low-income individuals during fiscal
years (FY) 2008-2013. The report does not discuss social insurance programs such
as Social Security, Medicare, or Unemployment Insurance, but includes only
programs with an explicit focus on low-income people or communities.
Key findings include the following:
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No single label best describes all programs with a low-income focus, and no
single trait characterizes those who benefit. Programs are highly diverse in
their purpose, design, and target population.
Total federal spending on low-income programs rose sharply between FY
2008 and FY 2009 as the Great Recession took hold. Spending ultimately
peaked in FY 2011, dropped in FY 2012, and edged up again in FY 2013.
Total low-income spending in FY 2013 totaled $744 billion, significantly
higher than the FY 2008 level of $561 billion but below the FY 2010 level of
$750 billion. Peak spending over the six years was $764 billion in FY 2011.
Health care is the single largest category of low-income spending, accounting
for nearly half of the total, and drives overall trends. The single largest
program within the health category is Medicaid. Cash aid and food assistance
are the next largest categories, with food assistance seeing the largest growth
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over the six year period. Other categories (in descending size) are education,
housing and development, social services, employment and training, and
energy assistance.
Most low-income spending (82 percent in FY 2013) is classified in budgetary
terms as "mandatory" (or "direct"), which means the amount spent is a
function of eligibility and payment rules established by Congress in
authorizing laws. Congress determines the amount spent for the remaining
"discretionary" programs through the annual appropriations process.
Four programs accounted for 65 percent of low-income spending in FY 2013,
and 10 programs made up 82 percent. Medicaid alone contributed 39 percent
of the total. In addition to Medicaid, the top four include the Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI),
and the refundable portion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
The disabled receive the single largest share of federal low-income spending,
based on an analysis of spending for the top 10 programs in FY 2011. The
disabled received almost a third of such spending, primarily for health care
and secondarily for cash aid. Working families with children received the
next largest share of spending (including from the EITC and Additional Child
Tax Credit), followed by the elderly. The bulk of spending for low-income
elderly was in the health category. Less than 12 percent of total low-income
spending in FY 2011 went to families with nonelderly nondisabled adults who
were not working.
A copy of the full report can be found at www.crs.gov.
House Appropriation Committee Announces Labor, Health and
Human Services Subcommittee Members
* Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK)
* Mike Simpson (R-ID)
* Steve Womack (R-AR)
* Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN)
* Andy Harris (R-MD)
* Martha Roby (R-AL)
* Charlie Dent (R-PA)
* Scott Rigell (R-VA)
* Rosa DeLauro, (D-CT), Ranking Member
* Nita Lowey, (D-NY)
* Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
* Barbara Lee (D-CA)
* Mike Honda (D-CA)
Resources
ACF Names Rachel Schumacher as New OCC Director and
Shannon Rudisill as Associate Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Early Childhood Development
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently announced Rachel
Schumacher as new director for the Office of Child Care (OCC). Schumacher replaces
Shannon Rudisill, who has served as OCC director for about five years.
The new OCC director has been tasked with continuing and building on current
federal initiatives to improve the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)
program. Prior to her new position, Schumacher was an independent early
childhood consultant and senior fellow in Child Care and Early Education at the
Center for Law and Social Policy. She has an extensive background in early
childhood policy and research. Her expertise is centered on identifying and
advancing strategies to improve the lives of young children and their families by
strengthening early childhood systems and programs.
Rudisill assumes her new role as associate deputy assistant secretary for Early
Childhood Development. She will build on ACF's vision of an integrated early
childhood system involving Early Head Start, Head Start, child care, home visiting
and other related programs. ACF states that it will continue to pursue an agenda
ensuring that all children receive high-quality, comprehensive early childhood
services and will work across policies and programs to increase coordination and
alignment.
DOE and HHS Release Policy Statement on Expulsion and
Suspension Practices in Early Learning Settings
During December's White House Summit on Early Education, Health and Human
Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell and Education Secretary Arne Duncan issued a
joint policy statement and set of recommendations to assist states and public and
private local early childhood programs in preventing and limiting expulsions and
suspensions in early learning settings.
This is a part of a series of federal actions aimed to address this issue and more
broadly, improve school climates and discipline practices across the education
spectrum. This statement follows the release of the 2014 Guidance Package
developed by the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, providing
recommendations and resources for K-12 settings.
The policy statement presents data from a 2006 study titled "Preschool and Child
Care Expulsion and Suspension: Rates and predictors in one state" by W.S. Gilliam
and G. Shahar. This study shows that in these settings, about "39% of preschool
teachers reported expelling a child in the past year." In addition, "experts have
suggested that rates are high because early education is voluntary, many programs
do not have established policies, and often these programs have less infrastructure
and workforce support than do public schools or more structured early education
programs, like Head Start."
The statement lists several policy and program considerations for states and other
entities to adopt. The policy statement and joint letter can be found at on the ACF
site.
CJJR Announces 2015 Certificate Programs and Webinar Series
On January 21, the Center for Juvenile Justice Reform (CJJR) announced its 2015
Certificate Program dates and five-part webinar series.
All programs will be held at Georgetown University's Hotel and Conference Center
in Washington, DC. Prior to each, CJJR will host a webinar focused on topical issues
related to the program. The webinars are free and open to the general public. Dates
are to be announced.
The 2015 Certificate Program dates and titles with links for additional information
are: Youth in Custody, July 6-10, 2015; Multi-System Integration, October 29November 4, 2015; Reducing Racial & Ethnic Disparities, August 3-7, 2015; School
Justice Partnerships, September 28-October 2, 2015; and Juvenile Diversion,
December 15-18, 2015.
To support participation in these intensive learning opportunities, applicants will be
able to apply for tuition subsidies through the Center for Coordinated Assistance to
the States (CCAS). Click here to learn more about the certificate programs.
ACF Releases PI on CCDF Reauthorization Effective Dates
On January 9, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) through the
Office of Child Care (OCC) released a Program Instruction (CCDF-ACF-PI-2015-02)
outlining the effective dates within the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act
of 2014 (P.L. 113-186) for state and territorial Lead Agencies administering the
CCDF program.
P.L. 113-186 reauthorizes the CCDBG Act for five federal fiscal years and makes
significant changes to the program requirements within the CCDF statute. The law
adds new provisions on health and safety standards, works to streamline child care
income eligibility policies on subsidy, and improves the overall quality of early
learning and after school programs.
This new guidance will be the first of a series of documents that ACF will soon
release to assist states with implementation of the new reauthorization law. The
Program Instruction list the effective dates on various requirements in table format.
This includes timelines on requirements related to minimal quality spending, quality
set-aside for infants and toddlers, criminal background checks, inspection reports
and licensing and regulatory monitoring; it also includes the ACF report on state
compliance with "priority for services" within the statute.
The Program Instruction can be located at on the ACF site.
SIF Funding Opportunities Now Available
On January 21, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
announced that the Social Innovation Fund's (SIF) fifth funding competition is now
live.
The SIF's portfolio represents $229 million in federal grants and more than $516
million in non-federal match commitments.
SIF is a key White House initiative and program of the CNCS that is designed to
unite public and private resources to evaluate and grow innovative communitybased solutions that have evidence of results in low-income communities in three
priority areas: economic opportunity, healthy futures, and youth development.
The 2015 SIF grant competition will provide approximately $40 million to eligible
grant-making institutions. Each 2015 selected grant maker will be awarded $1
million to $10 million annually for five years. In addition, approximately $11 million
will be available for the continuation of existing grants.
The Notice of Intent deadline is February 20, 2015. The application deadline is
March 17, 2015, at 5 p.m. ET.
For additional information about this grant competition and instructions on how to
apply, please visit nationalservice.gov/SIF.
To learn more, please visit CNCS's 2015 Notice of Funding Availability page. It
contains the Notice as well as resources to help with development and submission of
an application. In addition, CNCS has a call scheduled for Thursday, February 26,
2015, at 3:00 p.m. to have any remaining questions answered. The call-in number is
(866) 906-0123 and passcode is 5842429.
News Clips
Child Care/Child Abuse
Obama Launches $80B Child Care Push
Expanding Access to High Quality Child Care for Low-Income Families
Childcare Workers' Pay Remains Stagnant, Study Shows
Adoption & Foster Care
Overhauling The Foster Care System: A Conversation With Dr. Karen BaynesDunning
Older Children Overlooked for Adoption
Experts Predicting Tougher Tax Season Thanks to New Healthcare Legislation
Health and Mental Health Care
Experts Predicting Tougher Tax Season Thanks to New Healthcare Legislation
Republicans Move to Kill Health Reform Law's Individual Mandate
States Will Get More Money for School-Based Health Services
SNAP/Food Stamps
Bill Would Impose Restrictions on Welfare Programs TANF, SNAP
Ariz. Lawmaker Says No to Food Stamps for Fast Food
TANF
Wis. Governor to Propose Drug Tests for Medicaid, Food Stamps
Mo. Proposes New Welfare Restrictions
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