ACF News

The Children’s Bureau at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) published the FY 2020 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). The newly released data indicates the number of children in foster care decreased for the third consecutive year, to an estimated 407,000 at the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2020. The number of children waiting to be adopted also fell in FY 2020 to 117,000. The FY 2020’s decrease is more than double that of FY 2019’s decrease, 1.8 percent and 4.7 percent respectively. And while the FY 2019 numbers of adoptions reached an all-time high, the FY 2020 adoption number totaled 57,900.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and Office for Civil Rights (OCR), announced actions to further civil rights and equal opportunity for all people, irrespective of their sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion. HHS through OCR and ACF reestablished its commitment to furthering nondiscrimination and upholding the law by rescinding inappropriate, overly broad waivers issued by the prior Administration.

Each year, the Children’s Bureau at ACF recognizes individuals, families and organizations who have demonstrated excellence in making contributions to providing permanency for children in foster care through the Adoption Excellence Awards. The 2021 awardees were honored at the virtual event today in the HHS Great Hall, featuring ACF Acting Assistant Secretary JooYeun Chang, and ACF’s Associate Commissioner of the Children’s Bureau Aysha Schomburg.

Acknowledging the important role that dads play in their children’s lives, the HHS Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Responsible Fatherhood campaign has partnered with the Ad Council and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on a new, heartwarming public service advertisement (PSA) to promote and support fatherhood involvement.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office of Community Services (OCS) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announced awarding $3.37 billion in relief funds through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help low-income individuals and families afford home heating costs this winter and cover unpaid utility bills. These funds will also help families make cost-effective home energy repairs. Along with $4.5 billion in LIHEAP funds in the American Rescue Plan Act released in May, the historic level of resources available to grantees will help mitigate the impact felt by families from rising home energy prices this winter.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), is awarding a total of $797.5 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their children. The funds will cover COVD-19 testing, vaccines, mobile health units, and other support for domestic violence services programs, as well as increase support for sexual assault service providers and culturally specific services. Combined with grants from May, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested nearly $1 billion of ARP funds in Family Violence Prevention and Services Programs this year. These historic investments build on President Biden’s commitment throughout his public service as a champion of efforts to end domestic violence, including his authorship of the Violence Against Women Act.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Native Americans (ANA) presented 75 Tribes and Native organizations with $19.9 million in fiscal year 2021 grant funding last week. Each year, ANA seeks to improve the social and economic well-being of Native Americans by providing discretionary grant funding for community-based projects, as well as training and technical assistance, to eligible tribes and Native organizations across the United Sates, Guam, American Samoa and the Northern Marian Islands.

HHS’ Office of Community Services (OCS) kicked off Community Economic Development Month by announcing more than $14.6 million in new grant awards to support 20 Community Economic Development (CED) projects. These new grants will create more than 600 new jobs in low-income communities to help improve the livelihoods of workers and the communities in which they are located. In support of OCS’s mission to address the causes and consequences of poverty, increase opportunity and economic security of individuals and families, and revitalize communities, 75 percent of the jobs created under each grant will be reserved for an individual with low income, and each grant recipient will also provide support services to address barriers that low-income individuals may face in obtaining and maintaining employment.  

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today unveiled a joint resource guide  (PDF) to help people in rural and Tribal communities increase access to child care services.    

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, announced the award of approximately $3.7 million in supplemental funds to the 23 existing Tribal MIECHV grantees on September 4, 2021. These funds are a direct result of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding passed to support recovery efforts of tribes in the United States.