The Family Room Blog

Mitigating Labor Trafficking in Public Health Supply Chains

We renew our commitment to raising awareness and mitigating the risks of forced labor, human trafficking, and other forms of exploitation in public health supply chains.

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Mental Health Resources for Human Trafficking Survivors and Allies

On World Mental Health Day, we recognize the importance of providing all individuals who have experienced trafficking and allies access to trauma-informed mental health resources.

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Adding inclusivity to our history: Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2021

This blog post is a first-hand account of Acting Commissioner, Michelle Sauve’s understanding of Columbus day being changed to Indigenous People’s Day and why the shift is important.

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October is Head Start Awareness Month!

Head Start programs partner with families to help America’s children succeed in school and in life. Serving more than a million children from birth to 5 each year, Head Start programs are integral contributors to the human services ecosystem in almost every community. The Head Start program is an investment in a child, a family, and a community.

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Regional Partnership Grants Improve the Safety and Well-being of Children

During National Recovery Month this September, ACF recognizes the importance of prevention and treatment for mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorders and celebrates the providers, community members, children, and families who work together to show that recovery is for everyone.

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This Labor Day, It’s Time to Fairly Compensate the Early Childhood Workforce

As we prepare to celebrate Labor Day, I think about our under-appreciated early childhood workforce and everything they have been doing for our nation’s children. Recently I heard a child care provider say, “We’re already not valued because this is a profession run by women, and we are not taken seriously. This is society’s work. This is America’s work right?”

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The Rural Community Development Program Celebrates “Building Resilience Faster” During World Water Week 2021

This week, we celebrate 2021 World Water Week, a week-long event dedicated to developing concrete solutions to the world's greatest water-related challenges. The international event, with a focus this year on “Building Resilience Faster,” was created to leverage knowledge and convening power to strengthen water governance for a just, prosperous, and sustainable future.

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25th Anniversary of TANF

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the enactment of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. In August of 1996, TANF replaced the decades-old Aid to Families with Dependent Children program. TANF provides a flexible block grant with fixed funding and gives states, territories, and tribes wide latitude in the design of their work and cash assistance programs and in the use of TANF funds for services for children and families.  This has led to a wide range of services, benefit levels and eligibility requirements across states. The TANF statute also eliminated the federal entitlement to cash assistance, set a time limit of 60 months on the receipt of federally funded cash assistance, and requires states to engage 50 percent of all families in work activities or potentially face a monetary penalty.

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NCCAN goes virtual for the first time

Wrap up of the National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect Conference held virtually on July 24-27, 2021.

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