September 25, 2020
Greetings!
This week, we mourn the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Nominated to the bench in 1993, Justice Ginsburg spent the past 27 years as a champion of equal rights both from the majority and in dissent. She has become a cultural icon and her impact on the lives of Americans has been immeasurable. We honor her memory and her legacy of advancing equality and will continue to do the same through our work at APHSA. In RBG's words:"Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you."
APHSA is growing - check out our recent job openings in our Career Center, including listings for a SNAP E&T Project Manager, Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator, Organizational Effectiveness Consultant, and Data and Technical Assistance Specialist/Analyst. The positions are based in Arlington, VA, but remote work requests will be considered.
Our next Leadership Corner series session is upcoming - "My Journey from Boxing Ring to Boardroom: 5 Essential Virtues for Life and Leadership," with Héctor Colón, on October 14. Our Experience NSDTA 360 early registration rates end soon for the National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA) conference and the award opportunities are closing today; nominate your agency or yourself! Our Experience AAHHSA 360 early registration rates are ending soon for the American Association of Health & Human Services Attorneys (AAHHSA) conference. Check out the events section below for details. Stay tuned for additional upcoming virtual events in the months ahead!
Legislative Updates
House Passes Continuing Resolution with Essential Nutrition Components

On Tuesday night, the House passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the federal government through December 11. The Senate is expected to pass the bill in the next few days. The House bill includes $8 billion for nutrition support, including an extension of Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) through FY 2021, and an expansion to children in child care. The bill also includes a provision that all administrative costs of the program be covered by the federal government. In addition, the bill includes key waiver extensions for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Child Nutrition programs. The resolution also extends the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program from November 30 to December 11, allowing first quarter payouts to be made to the programs during that time.
Child and Family Well-Being
House Passes Bill to Protect Native American Children From Abuse

On September 21st, the House passed the American Indian Child Protection Act. The bill authorizes three programs aimed at improving the prevention, investigation, treatment, and prosecution of family violence, child abuse, and child neglect involving Native American children and families. The programs were originally a part of the 1990 Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act but were never funded - under this Act, programs are fully funded until 2026. The bill moves on to the Senate for consideration.

Employment and Economic Well-Being
USDA Extends WIC Waivers

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service announced that the waivers for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are now extended for the duration of the national public health emergency. These waivers allow WIC agencies to continue to operate remotely while serving pregnant women, children, and mothers.
Public Charge Rule Re-Imposed

After the new Public Charge rule was announced in 2019 and implemented in early 2020, it was blocked in late July by a federal judge after worries it would discourage immigrants from seeking medical care during the pandemic and increase the spread of COVID-19. However, subsequent orders have put the rule back into effect, stating that all future and pending green card applications filed after February 24, 2020 would be subject to the public charge test.

California Approved for Additional D-SNAP

California was originally approved for the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) on August 14, following the incident of wildfires, and the state has continued to expand their program. Most recently California was approved to issue mass replacements of nutrition benefits to 83 zip codes across the state as a result of both wildfires and power outages.
Department of Labor Awards $32 Million in Workforce Information Grants

The U.S. Department of Labor awarded a total of $32,000,000 in Workforce Information Grants to States (WIGS) for use by states to support the development, management, and delivery of workforce and labor market information. The data that states produce and disseminate are published on state websites and accessible by workforce development programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Employment and Training Program (SNAP E&T), across the state.

The Congressional Budget Office Releases Report on the Short and Long-term Impact of Pandemic Related Legislation

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report assessing the short- and long-term impact of four major pieces of pandemic-related legislation passed earlier this year. The CBO found that legislation, including the CARES Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, provided financial support to households, businesses, and state and local governments that offset part of the deterioration in economic conditions brought about by the pandemic. The legislation also adds approximately $2.3 trillion to the deficit in fiscal year 2020.

Upcoming APHSA Virtual Events
APHSA Leadership Corner Series: Conversations to Spark Inspiration and Innovation

Join us virtually for our next session — "My Journey from Boxing Ring to Boardroom: 5 Essential Virtues for Life and Leadership," featuring Héctor Colón. There are five essential virtues that influenced Héctor Colón’s path from being bullied – to the boxing room – to the boardroom. These virtues have transformed him into the person and Servant CEO he is today. In his presentation, you will experience Héctor’s provocative, touching and inspirational story. You also will learn how the 5 essential virtues can change you as a person and a leader too.

If you missed any of our earlier events or may have experienced technical issues, you can access here.

Wednesday, October 14, 1:00-2:15 PM EDT
Experience NSDTA 360: New Directions Conference Registration & Awards

The National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA) will be holding Experience NSDTA 360, a two-day virtual event where we will share our collective work on supporting human services staff in response to the national pandemic. Early registration rates end September 29.

October 6-7, 2020
The NSDTA Recognition Awards are open for submission. Awards will recognize outstanding individuals and or initiatives which are helping advance the delivery of health and human services practices or programs to staff. The deadline for awards is September 25.
Experience AAHHSA 360: Conference Registration

The American Association of Health & Human Services Attorneys (AAHHSA) will be holding a two-day virtual event to facilitate the exchange of information between attorneys and promote pragmatic innovation in the field of H/HS services. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits will be available with live and on-demand sessions. Group discounts are available. Early registration rates end October 6.

October 20-21, 2020
Upcoming Webinars
APHSA Webinar - Improving Transition Strategies for Young Parents Aging Out of Foster Care – Spotlight on Georgia

Join us along with Third Sector and representatives from Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) to hear about their efforts to engage young parents to better understand how to design programs (or align existing efforts) to support their needs through strategic coordination between child welfare agencies and the Office of Family Independence. DFCS will share some of the key insights gained that are shaping their efforts to better support young parents.

Wednesday, September 30, 4:00 PM EDT
APHSA Webinar - Family Well-Being and Child Welfare Services Against the Backdrop of COVID-19

Join us with the National Association for Welfare Research & Statistics (NAWRS) and HHS leaders to discuss COVID-19 effects on Child Welfare services. In the spring and summer of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic brought school closures and stay-at-home orders, followed by reports that calls to child maltreatment hotlines were decreasing dramatically. In this webinar, panelists will share research findings about maltreatment reports and substantiations, describe how some systems have responded to changes brought on by the pandemic, and discuss the role of the child welfare system now and into the future.

Monday, October 5, 2:00 PM EDT
APHSA Webinar - Improving Economic Stability for Young Parents – Spotlight on Kentucky & Massachusetts

Join us along with Third Sector and representatives from the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), and the Kentucky Department of Family Support (DFS) to hear how they are working to better meet the needs of young parent families through TANF-funded programs. Examples will include place-based adjustments, cross-agency coordination, and gathering ongoing feedback from participants to inform program improvements. The Kentucky Works Program will share how they are working to establish participant and frontline staff “feedback loops” to better understand the needs of young parents in order to identify more enhanced, targeted TANF funded services to promote economic stability. MA DTA will share their new approach to using TANF funding in flexible and effective ways to support young parents through their Young Parents Program.

Thursday, October 15, 1:00-2:00 PM EDT
APHSA Webinar - Insights for Community Action Agencies (CAAs): Designing Better Programs to Support Young Parent Families

Join us along with representatives from the National Community Action Partnership, Third Sector and the Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council (WEOC) from South Carolina to discuss the importance of elevating young parent families as a priority population and the importance of leveraging a 2Gen approach within Community Action Agencies. A key topic will include how to measure program performance to achieve 2-gen outcomes using ROMA in conjunction with on-going young parent and provider feedback.

Monday, October 19, 12:00-1:15 PM EDT
APHSA Webinar - “If I Knew Then What I Know Now…” COVID-19 Lessons Learned and Planning for the Future

Join us with Maximus for a review of COVID-19 impacts. In an effort to better understand how the pandemic has impacted governments, and to facilitate the sharing of experiences and insights, Maximus conducted a survey of state and county leaders. In this interactive webinar, we reveal the results of the survey and discuss possible implications with our panel of state and county leaders. Join us to listen, learn, and share your insights in this data-driven, peer group discussion. 

Thursday, October 22, 3:00-4:15 PM EDT
APHSA Career Center - Post Your Open Positions Today

APHSA serves as a clearinghouse for job opportunities throughout the health and human services (H/HS) field. Employers reach a wide audience of candidates looking for careers in H/HS and job seekers will find a bevy of opportunities throughout the country.