Children’s Bureau

The Imprint interviews Aysha Schomburg, the first Black head of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Aysha Schomburg, one of President Joe Biden's top child welfare officials issued a goodbye message this month, indicating she will depart the administration

Across the country, state and county child welfare systems are trying to deal with the Coronavirus pandemic, balancing concerns for the safety of the almost 700,000 children who go through the foster care system with the health of the child welfare workers who make visits to make sure they’re alright.

In late 2018, the U.S. Children’s Bureau opened up the federal tap for an oft-underfunded corner of the child welfare system: legal counsel for parents, or children, involved in dependency court cases. 

The U.S. Children’s Bureau is overseeing the $500 million transition fund approved this year to help states prepare and implement the Family First Prevention Services Act, a major overhaul of child welfare funding.

In a world where “social distancing” has become a necessary practice and the primary preventative measure for reducing the spread of coronavirus, we must remember that children in foster care and their families have already been “distanced” from each other.

On Thursday, March 19, Jerry Milner of the federal Children’s Bureau is teaming up with former foster youth and tech entrepreneur Sixto Cancel to co-host a virtual town hall inviting foster youth to contribute to the fight against the coronavirus. 

As coronavirus continues to impact Americans on all fronts – from toilet paper shortages to event cancellations and school closings – the frontline caregivers for many of the country’s foster youth have suddenly been caught off guard.

The Utah Department of Human Services (DHS) announced yesterday that it is the first state to receive approval from the federal Children’s Bureau for its Family First Prevention Services Act plan.