ACF News

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announced a new proposed rule that will help more families access the child care they need and better support child care providers in the essential work they do for communities across the country. The proposed rule will lower costs for families, increase financial stability for providers, and reduce paperwork for families trying to access subsidies.

A new series of public service announcements (PSAs) have been created for this Father’s Day to highlight fatherhood involvement.  The PSAs were developed by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the Ad Council and the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse (NRFC).

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), released the results of an internal audit of its Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) sponsor vetting and placement processes for unaccompanied children. The audit found that ORR adhered to its program policies and procedures designed to meet or exceed statutory requirements in the placement of unaccompanied children with a vetted sponsor.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced today it has renamed the Office of Child Support Enforcement to the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS). This change reflects the program’s commitment to serving the whole family and promoting family self-sufficiency. The program will continue offering a vast range of services, including enforcement remedies, and will continue to partner with child support agencies and others to encourage parental responsibility so children receive reliable support from both parents.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the launch of a $1 million Children and Youth Resilience Challenge. The HHS Children and Youth Resilience Challenge will fund innovative community-led solutions to promote resilience in children and adolescents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters.  

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration of Children and Families (ACF), announced an additional $8.2 million to support the first-ever federally funded diaper distribution program for low-income families.

The Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) and Administration for Native Americans (ANA) are committed to strengthening our partnerships with tribal governments.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), announced the release of $375 million in Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) funding to help reduce poverty through community-based programming. This funding is the third installment of CSBG funding for states, territories, and tribes in FY23 to support services that alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty and brings the total CSBG funding released this fiscal year to more than $750 million.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a joint letter to governors to encourage state and local governments to use federal funding to take actions to reduce and remove lead in drinking water in early care and education settings, like elementary schools and child care facilities. 

The Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through, Office of Head Start (OHS) is announcing the return of the National Head Start Fellowship Program. The highly competitive leadership opportunity for local Head Start program staff and the early childhood sector provides a unique opportunity to gain first-hand national policy and programmatic experience by working in ACF’s Washington, DC office for one year.