HHS Guidance

The U.S. Children's Bureau released a letter for child welfare legal and judicial leaders on Friday, March 27 addressing priority court hearings, parent-child visitation and family time, access to services, and compelling reasons to refrain from filing a TPR petition after a child has been in care for 15 months.

This letter outlines new policy changes to allow videoconferencing for monthly caseworker visits due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to changes related to program improvement plans, title IV-E reviews, and more. 

This letter outlines changes to two formula grant opportunities: extending the application deadline for kinship navigator program funding and eliminating the application requirement for Family First Prevention Services Act Transition Grants. These changes are intended to ease administrative burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Provides Children’s Bureau guidance on Stafford Act Flexibility for the fingerprint-based criminal record check and monthly caseworker visits be in the child’s residence requirements. 

Letter which describes existing flexibilities in the title IV-E program that may help agencies better serve children, youth, and families during the COVID-19 pandemic including enhanced foster care maintenance payment (FCMP) rates; modifying foster family home licensing standards; temporary absences from title IV-E foster care placements;  re-entry into foster care after age 18; hazard pay for child welfare agency caseworkers; option to provide Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood Program (Chafee Program) services until age 23.