ACF News

Today, the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Administration for Native Americans (ANA) announced the recipients of the Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance supplemental grant award through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). ANA awarded approximately $20 million to a total of 210 grant recipients. ARP funding will assist Tribes and Native organizations as they seek to ensure the survival and continuing vitality of Native American languages.

HHS Secretary's statement marks the 40th anniversary of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

The Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) and Administration for Native Americans (ANA) and StoryCorps today announced the release of the Voices of Freedom archive.  The archive elevates the voices of nearly 100 survivors who have experienced human trafficking and allied professionals who are devoted to ending it.

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing COVID-19 response efforts, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will invest more than $1.6 billion from the American Rescue Plan to support testing and mitigation measures in high-risk congregate settings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and detect and stem potential outbreaks. This includes funding for local domestic violence shelters and tribal shelters supportive services for survivors of domestic and dating violence.

The Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently awarded $10.9 million to nine child support agencies to develop 11 programs that educate teens and young adults about the financial, legal, and emotional responsibilities of parenthood.

Recently, President Joe Biden announced the release of $39 billion in child care relief funds to help stabilize child care providers and support for families that need help affording child care. “We are thrilled to see New Mexico’s bold investments in families by leveraging child care funding from the American Rescue Plan Act,” said ACF Acting Assistant Secretary JooYeun Chang. “The Biden-Harris Administration has invested $39 billion in new child care funding because we know that we cannot build back better without putting children and families first. New Mexico’s announcement shows how these resources can make a real difference for children, families, and child care providers.

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Office of Head Start (OHS) at the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is awarding $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) funds to Head Start programs nationwide. These funds will help more than 1,500 local Head Start programs build back to fully operational, in-person comprehensive services this fall.  This funding comes right in time for summer programming for nearly one third of Head Start programs across the country, and also supports vaccination of Head Start staff and families. 

Today the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) engaged with grantees, families, and community partners to recognize Child Tax Credit (CTC) Awareness Day. Starting July 15 and through the end of the year, most families will receive a monthly payment of $300 per child under 6 and $250 per child ages 6-17. The IRS has launched a simplified online tool which will allow families not automatically enrolled in the program because they did not have to file taxes last year to receive the Child Tax Credit. Families can also visit ChildTaxCredit.gov to learn more about this important benefit.

A series of public service announcements (PSAs) encouraging active fatherhood was released today by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The PSAs were created by ACF, the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, and the Ad Council and highlight the diverse experiences of four real dads whose stories touch on tough topics like addiction and immigration and how each shares a commitment to being there for their kids through parenting highlights and challenges.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), released $994.5 million from the Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund (PEAF) to assist needy families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. States, the District of Columbia, tribes operating a Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and all five U.S. territories were eligible to receive funds; all but one of these 131 eligible entities requested funds and received their maximum allotments.