May 22, 2020
Greetings!
Our latest blog post is from APHSA child welfare fellow, Kristen Torres and looks at policy response for older and transition age foster youth during this challenging time. You can continue to access our COVID-19 related resources including our policy analysis and a collection of federal guidance  here .

This Memorial Day weekend, we hope you are able to take some well-deserved time to relax and recharge. We honor our past military heroes and thank all of those who have served. With the words of JFK: "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."
Employment and Economic Well-Being
USDA Plans to Appeal Court Decision for ABAWD Work Requirements
In March, a federal judge blocked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) from moving forward with the new final rule for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) that was set to take place on April 1, 2020. The USDA has announced their plan to appeal this court decision.

CBO Releases Interim Economic Projections for 2020 and 2021
This week the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report with economic projections post COVID-19. The CBO estimates that the U.S.’s gross domestic product will decline by 11% in the second quarter of 2020 and that there will be 26 million fewer people employed.

FNS Continues to Approve States for P-EBT and the SNAP Online Purchasing Pilot
Since the announcement of Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, 34 states have had their plans approved, with several more that are in the approval process. P-EBT is a new program that issues supplemental nutrition benefits to households with children that would have otherwise received a free- or reduced-price meal from their school. In addition to the 6 states that were previously participating in the Online Pilot Program for SNAP, 13 other states have been approved since the pilot was opened. Currently, most states are only able to use Walmart and Amazon as online grocery retailers, but states are actively looking to bring on smaller retailers as well.

Comment Period for Proposed SNAP E&T Rule Extended to June 17
The Food & Nutrition Service (FNS) has extended the public comment period for the proposed rule, “Employment and Training Opportunities in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program”, which was published March 17, 2020. The original comment period was scheduled to end on May 18, 2020 but has been extended. No other changes were made to the proposed rule.

The Department of Labor Awards Dislocated Worker Grants
Last Friday the Department of Labor (DOL) announced seven awards of Dislocated Worker Grants (DWG) to six states: Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Montana, New Jersey and Tennessee. These DWGs are funded under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act out of a pool of $345 million for DWGs established in response to Coronavirus.

FNS Releases Quality Control Q&A
Last month the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) released a blanket waiver that allows Quality Control to waive all review for March, April, and May 2020. The Q&A document includes the time frame for the waiver, the report requirements, and more.

From Our APHSA Partners
COVID-19 and State Child Care Assistance Programs: Immediate Considerations for State Lead Agencies
This fact sheet from The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) describes key provisions, considerations, and action steps for how state child care agencies can make the most of resources provided through the CARES Act. By understanding the resources provided through the law and taking immediate steps, state child care leaders can ensure that the assistance included in the CARES Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) reaches the child care field as quickly as possible and helps stabilize access to child care for families who need it now and in the future.

Leading with Race to Reimagine Youth Justice: JDAI’s Deep-End Initiative
The Annie E. Casey Foundation recently released this report, an overview of site-based work to dramatically reduce youth incarceration, especially for youth of color. They share strategies for public systems to safely and significantly reduce youth confinement, pushing systems to rethink who needs to be in facilities in the first place. The Deep End Initiative builds on Casey’s flagship juvenile justice reform movement, Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), which focuses on front-end reforms. 

Upcoming Webinars
APHSA Webinar: Communications & Outreach
Join us for presentations and Q&A with Kaira Esgate, CEO of America's Service Commissions, who will discuss the benefits of partnering with your state service commission to better serve your community during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Nick DeSarno, Director of Digital and Policy Communications for the Public Affairs Council, who will discuss strategies for crisis communication and working with the media.

Tuesday, May 26, 2:00-3:00 PM EST
2Gen COVID-19 Webinar Series: Building a Response for the Future
Join the Aspen Institute for a series of webinars to learn more about what we can do today to build a stronger, equitable future for children and the adults in their lives. This series will tap the insights, expertise and resources of the Ascend Network, the Ascend Fellows, parents, and policy partners so that we all can become smarter on how best to assist families during this economic freefall. We will examine how new solutions, anchored in the 2Gen approach, can build and improve long term outcomes that stabilize the health, economic, and education of families as they seek to recover and move forward from the COVID-19 crisis.

Tuesday, May 26, 3:00-4:00 PM EST
Thursday, May 28, 9:30 AM-12:30 PM EST
Tuesday, June 30, 3:00-4:00 PM EST
COVID-19: Navigating Public Health Emergency Legal Responses Underlying Re-opening State/Local Economies
Join the Network for Public Health Law for a webinar that will focus on emerging constitutional and other legal and policy challenges to state and local efforts to re-open their economies, despite concerns of public health officials and health care practitioners over the potential for significant impacts on communal health.

Thursday, May 28, 1:00-2:00 PM EST
Older Workers and COVID-19: The Harsh Economic Realities
Join SCEPA's Retirement Equity Lab (ReLab) and The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) to learn about the harsh economic effects that COVID-19 is having on some of our most vulnerable workers: older workers. The nation’s top experts on older workers, racism, and retirement will have a discussion on the current state and possible fate of this oft-overlooked subset of the American workforce.

Thursday, May 28, 2:00-3:00 PM EST
APHSA Webinar - Expanding Social Services: Using Data to Enhance Benefit Processing During the COVID-19 Crisis
State agencies need to quickly and accurately identify individuals and families that are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to ensure well-being despite the health crisis. Join experts from the Tennessee Department of Human Services, Change & Innovation Agency, Equifax and APHSA to learn how to utilize data, technology, and available federal funds to best support your community during this challenging time.
 
Thursday June 11, 2:00-3:00 PM EST
Conference Updates
We continue working to ensure our members and partners have meaningful ways to connect with each other throughout the year despite our uncertain times. Taking all factors into consideration, including the health and well-being of everyone, stay-at-home orders and mass gathering restrictions across the nation, we have decided to move both the National Staff Development and Training Association ( NSDTA ) conference and the American Association of Health and Human Services Attorneys ( AAHHSA ) conference to  virtual events. More details will be forthcoming.

As we continue to plan for the IT Solutions for Human Services ( ISM ) conference, we are carefully weighing all options, including opportunities in which we would incorporate content from the fall conferences we are unable to hold this year. These recently  cancelled  conferences include: The National Association for Program Information and Performance Measurement ( NAPIPM ) Education Conference and the American Association of SNAP Directors ( AASD ) / National Association of State TANF Administrators ( NASTA ) Education Conference. We will provide more details on the status of this event as we continue to explore all possible avenues while also closely monitoring public health guidance. Read our full message regarding fall events  here .
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.