Welcome to the latest issue of The Connection, APHSA’s newsletter offering updates and resources pertaining to employment and economic well-being, child and family well-being, and H/HS integration.

We have a new job opportunity for an Associate Director to manage the day-to-day work of the National Electronic Interstate Compact Enterprise (NEICE) project, a data exchange system used across state lines for adoption, foster care & child placements. We welcome your applications to join our team, or please share with your network!

Participate in some friendly competition, get healthy and win prizes by joining the APHSA Wellness Challenge! This year’s Challenge will be run in 3 Sessions spanning our upcoming APHSA Conferences, yet attendance is not required. Compete with your peers & colleagues in 1, 2, or all 3 sessions. Earn Bonus Steps by scanning the sponsor CGI QR code on the CGI website. Competition ends on Thursday, November 18. Learn more here.

The Urban Institute has updated their State-by-State Guide to the 2020-21 Pandemic EBT Program to include state plans for children under 6 and summer P-EBT. This tracker can be used to see trends in P-EBT plans across states, as well as includes summaries of P-EBT in each state.

Unpacking Data Use in State TANF Agencies, August 27, 2021 - a new report from Chapin Hall and The TANF Data Collaborative, summarized the national landscape of how TANF agencies use data and identifies areas of success and opportunities for growth.

NCCP Early Childhood Profiles - The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) has updated its Early Childhood Two-Generation State Policy Profiles, which provide a state and national two-generation view of current policies affecting children birth to age 8.

White House Webinar: What Human Services Agencies Need to Know about the Child Tax Credit - APHSA, the National Association of Counties (NACo), and the National Association of County Human Services Administrators (NACHSA).

The Role of Racial Equity in SNAP-Ed Part 1: Bringing Racial Equity into the Conversation, ASNNA Race, Health + Social Equity Committee.

Spotlight on Alabama - APHSA, Alabama Network of Family Resource Centers (ANFRC), and the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR).

We were featured in Ascend at the Aspen Institute's report - State of the Field: Two-Generation Approaches to Family Well-Being. The report shares 10 yrs of 2Gen accomplishments, breakthrough insights & 28 recommendations to advance practice, policy & systems change. Check out our contribution on page 15 as an example of 2Gen innovation and impact!

OCC Proposes Data Collection on ARP Stabilization Grants - The Office of Child Care (OCC) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is proposing to collect data for a new collection on American Rescue Plan (ARP) Stabilization Grants, seeking provider level data. The data collection will provide information on the numbers and characteristics of child care providers receiving ARP stabilization grants. Comments are due by September 20.

State Approaches to Extending Chafee Services to Age 23: Insights to Inform a Learning Agenda, September 2021- This study from the Urban Institute examines why states chose or did not choose to extend Chafee services to age 23. Using a sample of nine states that had extended Chafee services and nine states with extended foster care that had not extended Chafee Services, this study describes the challenges associated with the extension of foster care. It highlights the scope of eligible services for older adults youth adults that are covered under the extension.

Medicaid Expansion Narrows Maternal Health Coverage Gaps, But Racial Disparities Persist, September 2021 - This study from the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute examines the effect of Medicaid expansion on maternal and infant health. Also, this study sheds light on the disparities in Medicaid coverage between racial and ethnics groups within states, both in states that have expanded or rejected Medicaid expansion. Lastly, this report discusses the numerous alternatives that federal policymakers consider to close the coverage gap for uninsured child-bearing mothers.

How Some States Use Title IV-E Foster Care Funding for Family-Based Facilities that Treat Substance Use Disorders, September 2021 - This report from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), with support from Mathematica, details how states use Title IV-E funding to support family-based substance abuse treatment.

Conference - Child Welfare Virtual Expo 2021 - Advancing Racial Equity in Child Welfare - Capacity Building Center for States and the Children's Bureau.

Webinar - From Conversations to Relationships: Engaging Teens in Permanency Planning - Welfare Information Gateway and Children's Bureau.  

Webinar - Dear Black Male - Child Welfare League of America (CWLA).

National Research Conference on Early Childhood 2022 - Administration for Children and Families (ACF).

The $5 million Democratizing Our Data Challenge initiative is accepting proposals for innovative data product ideas to support collaboration among and across state agencies and partner organizations, such as new data linkages, dashboards and portals, data models, APIs, or code repositories, using data hosted in the Coleridge Initiative’s Administrative Data Research Facility (ADRF). An informational webinar will be hosted September 15 and 29. Letters of intent are due by October 20.

Implications of the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Resolution on Family and Safety-Net Policy, September 2, 2021 - This report from the American Enterprise Institute

Lessons Learned Delivering Remote Services to Job Seekers with Low Incomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic, August 4, 2021 - This brief from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation examines how three organizations that had been implementing work readiness and education and training services changed how they implemented those services in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief describes the adaptations the organizations made and highlights lessons learned.

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), this resource from Results for America details how State and local governments can leverage their ARPA dollars with five

important provisions in the ARPA guidance to advance economic recovery, economic mobility, and racial equity.

SPARK 2021 Virtual Learning Experience - Convening leaders from across the human services ecosystem to create a unified, intrepid, just, and purposeful network - Alliance for Strong Families and Communities.