ACF News

The Office of Head Start (OHS) at HHS’ Administration for Children and Families will bring together leaders from school districts and Head Start programs from across the country on June 24 and 25 to address the need for better coordination between Head Start and K-12 education. Comprehensive early childhood education like Head Start programs can prepare children for kindergarten, but children’s continued success requires the support of teachers and leaders in their next school environment.  

The 21st National Conference on Child Abuse & Neglect brings together more than 2,000 child welfare staff, child maltreatment prevention partners, parents and community members from around the country, to explore strategies that promote healthy child development and well-being.

Fourteen child support agencies will soon begin testing digital marketing approaches that will help engage parents to make child support payments and encourage child support involvement through a new demonstration grant project.

The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) awards 18 grant projects, totaling more than $4.8 million to help preserve Native languages.

Under order of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, the departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Homeland Security (DHS), and Justice (DOJ) have been reunifying alien minors under 5 years old who are currently in the custody of HHS with adults who have been in the custody of DHS.

The mission of ORR and the Unaccompanied Alien Children program is to place the minors in our custody as expeditiously as possible with a parent, close relative, legal guardian, or other sponsor that has been vetted to ensure that they can provide a suitable environment for the minor

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Health and Human Services (HHS) have a process established to ensure that family members know the location of their children and have regular communication after separation to ensure that those adults who are subject to removal are reunited with their children for the purposes of removal. The United States government knows the location of all children in its custody and is working to reunite them with their families.

New public service advertisements (PSAs) launched today by the Children’s Bureau at HHS’ Administration for Children and Families, in partnership with the Ad Council, AdoptUSKids and Forsman & Bodenfors, highlight the importance of adopting teens from foster care, sharing the many “firsts” families may experience when adopting a teen from foster care.

Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan issued the following statement regarding the upcoming Congressional tours of the Unaccompanied Alien Children facilities