June 2006Vol. 7, No. 5Five States Awarded New Child Welfare Waivers
California, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, and Virginia are the latest recipients of child welfare waivers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The waivers provide States with greater flexibility in their use of Federal title IV-E foster care dollars so that they can develop and evaluate innovative programs to keep children safe from abuse and neglect, support families in addressing problems that place their children at risk, and help children in foster care return safely to their own homes or find other permanency options.
The new waiver demonstrations in California, Florida, and Michigan will focus on making greater investments in early intervention services, intensive in-home services, and other supports to families to protect children and prevent them from being removed from home. The projects also will help children already in foster care to return home in a safe and timely manner or, when this is not possible, to move more quickly to a new permanent family.
Two other newly approved waiver demonstrations will enable Iowa and Virginia to use Federal foster care funds to pay monthly subsidies to families who assume legal guardianship of children who would otherwise remain in the custody of the State. Families and children participating in these demonstrations will qualify for additional services such as support groups, respite care, and recreational activities for children and families.
Iowa was also approved for a second waiver demonstration to implement a managed care project focused on providing intensive case planning and services to youth ages 11-16 who are either in or at risk of entering group care. This demonstration seeks to provide services and supports to maintain youth with special service needs in their own homes.
To read the full press release on the new waivers, visit the Administration for Children and Families website:
www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2006/five_child_welfare_waivers_April_6.htm
For more information on Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Projects, visit the Children's Bureau website:
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/programs_fund/index.htm#child
Related Items
Children's Bureau Express wrote about Federal waivers in the following articles:
- "Recovery Coaches for Parents With Substance Abuse" (current issue)
- "Flexible Funding for Innovative Programming" (November 2005)
- "HHS Approves Child Welfare Waivers for Indiana and Arizona" (September 2005)
- "Children Find Permanence in Subsidized Guardianship" (December 2004/January 2005)
- "More Flexible Child Welfare Funding May Improve Child Outcomes" (June 2004)
- "Flexible Funding Demonstration Projects Show Promise" (September 2003)