what’s new?

The Children’s Bureau has released the new Program Instruction ACYF-CB-PI-22-02 which provides guidance to Tribes on requirements for submission of the:

• Third Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR) to the 2020-2024 Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP) for the Title IV-B, subpart I – Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program, the title IV-B, subpart 2 MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) Program; and the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (Chafee) and the Education and Training Vouchers (ETV) Program; and
• The CFS-101 Forms and Instructions.

 The APSR to apply for federal fiscal year 2023 funding is due to Children’s Bureau Regional Offices by June 30, 2022.

 Please direct any questions to the appropriate Children’s Bureau Regional Office.

• Program Instructions
• Attachment A – Tribal Allotments
• Attachment B – Instructions for Completing the CFS-101 Forms
• Attachment B – CFS-101 Forms
• Attachment C – ETV Chart
• Attachment D – Certification of Tribal Population Under Age 21

The Children’s Bureau has released the new Program Instruction ACYF-CB-PI-22-02 which provides guidance to Tribes on requirements for submission of the:

• Third Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR) to the 2020-2024 Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP) for the Title IV-B, subpart I – Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program, the title IV-B, subpart 2 MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) Program; and the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood (Chafee) and the Education and Training Vouchers (ETV) Program; and
• The CFS-101 Forms and Instructions.

 The APSR to apply for federal fiscal year 2023 funding is due to Children’s Bureau Regional Offices by June 30, 2022.

 Please direct any questions to the appropriate Children’s Bureau Regional Office.

• Program Instructions
• Attachment A – Tribal Allotments
• Attachment B – Instructions for Completing the CFS-101 Forms
• Attachment B – CFS-101 Forms
• Attachment C – ETV Chart
• Attachment D – Certification of Tribal Population Under Age 21

The Office of Family Assistance is seeking grant application reviewers for our upcoming Tribal TANF-Child Welfare Funding Opportunity Announcement.

Read the Recruitment Flyer.

Dear colleagues in the child welfare workforce,

I am writing to acknowledge the incredible work you are doing under conditions of unparalleled difficulty, and to offer my sincere thanks for your ongoing efforts to help meet the needs of some of our country’s most vulnerable families and children during this crisis and every day.  I appreciate that many of you are dealing with significant challenges in your personal lives  as you seek to balance responsibilities and adjust the way we do our work during these challenging times.  I am also mindful that some of you have been affected directly by the virus in your personal and family lives.  Please know our thoughts in the Children’s Bureau are with you, your families and friends. 

Your work is more important now than ever and it is making a difference in the lives of children and families.  People who care about other people come through when needed most and I’m hearing remarkable stories of child welfare directors, investigators, social workers, attorneys, judges, service providers, resource families and others going the extra mile during this time of need– demonstrating unparalleled generosity and creativity.  I am also reminded by many in the field every day that the challenges you are facing are enormous.

We are doing, and will continue to do, everything we can at the federal level to make sure you have the tools and resources to serve children and families in the most effective ways while staying safe and healthy yourselves, now and in the future.     

I could not be more inspired or encouraged by the responses all of you have helped make possible since the public health crisis began.  I believe we can come out of these uncertain times with important learning and adaptations that will benefit families for years to come.

Thank you for all that you do for children and families.

Stay well,
Jerry

HHS’ ACF Children’s Bureau Associate Commissioner, Jerry Milner, urges child welfare leaders to work with emergency management and public health leaders to have child welfare staff and service providers classified as level 1 emergency responders in order to aid in obtaining PPE, where appropriate, for the required contact with vulnerable children and parents. He also shares that a letter to state Governors was distributed, signed by HHS Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan, encouraging Governors to consider designating child welfare workers and child service providers in your state as level 1 emergency responders, in order to increase access to personal protective equipment (PPE)

Read the Letter from Jerry Milner.

To the extent permitted by law, and in accordance with 45 CFR §75.102(a), this memorandum provides short-term relief for administrative, financial management, and audit requirements under 45 CFR Part 75 (the HHS implementation of 2 CFR Part 200), Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, without compromising Federal financial assistance accountability requirements.

View the Information Memorandum.

• Child-Parent Psychotherapy
• Family Behavior Therapy – Adolescent
• Family Behavior Therapy – Adult
• Family Behavior Therapy – Adult with Child Welfare Supplement
• Homebuilders
• Solution Based Casework

Learn more about all programs and services reviewed by the Clearinghouse. 

Dear Tribal and Urban Indian Organization Leaders:

I want to thank you for continuing to join us on our weekly COVID-19 Federal update calls with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services, bureaus of Indian Affairs, Indian Education, and FEMA to discuss COVID-19.  This week’s call will specifically highlight FEMA’s role and its continued coordination with HHS and the Indian Health Service to ensure that tribal needs are understood and met.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it will provide $80 million in funding to tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations to support our nation’s response to COVID-19. 

On March 18, President Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act into law providing $64 million to support the cost of COVID-19 testing across the Indian health system.  Additionally, IHS will receive $70 million from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, appropriated in the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act. These funds are available to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

The IHS is seeking input on funding from tribal and urban stakeholders. We will hold an all tribes call from 5-6 pm ET today. Details for the call are posted here. We will hold an urban confer virtual session on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 from 12-1pm ET as part of the National Council on Urban Indian Health Virtual Conference.

The public health threat posed by COVID-19 is very high, both globally and to the United States.  This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. As we’ve said previously, we expect to see additional cases in the U.S.  We must be vigilant in our efforts to slow the spread of infections among within the communities that we serve. We continue to work closely with tribal, state, and local partners, as well as with other public health partners.

We continue to receive many requests for resources, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and testing supplies.  We encourage you all to make requests through your normal supply channels.  When the President declared a federal emergency last week it activated FEMA to be the lead agency for response. While we work closely with FEMA we know that you have many questions. FEMA will be joining us on Thursday for the call.

Please continue to check cdc.gov/covid19 for the latest information.

In addition to the above resources, please see the list below.  We look forward to more discussion and communication in the days ahead.  Please know that we are doing everything we can to raise the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives.  

COVID-19 related updates from across HHS

ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: HEAD START

Program Closure: In response to COVID-19, the Office of Head Start is advising grantees to coordinate with local health authorities and implement their existing policies and procedures related to closure of Head Start and Early Head Start centers during infectious disease outbreaks. Closure of centers in areas heavily impacted by COVID-19 is an important element of containing and limiting its spread. Many Head Start and Early Head Start programs are following the lead of school systems and local health authorities and closing centers. If program operations are impacted by the coronavirus, please reach out to your ACF Regional Office to inform them of any programmatic changes.

Wages and Benefits: In recognition of the unique circumstances associated with COVID-19, OHS is directing programs to continue to pay wages and provide benefits for staff unable to report to work during center closures necessary to address COVID-19. This additional emergency response flexibility is important to ensure critical grants management activities can continue during closures. It will help ensure staff are ready and able to return to work as soon as it is possible to resume operations. This flexibility remains in effect through April 30, 2020 unless further extended by OHS.
 
Additional Flexibilities: The guidance from ACF-HS-IM-19-01 General Disaster Recovery Flexibilities can be applied to programs impacted by COVID-19. Public health emergencies can also form the basis of a disaster declaration.
 
Program Options and Hours of Program Operations: In the event of a disaster, OHS will allow any grantee in or near the affected area to serve impacted or displaced children in any program option or options without obtaining advance approval. This applies to a conversion of a program segment, such as a center, to another program option so programs can accommodate as many children as possible. This time-limited exception to required procedures for obtaining OHS permission to convert services to a different program option as a “change to the scope or objectives of a program” under 45 CFR §75.308(c)(1)(i) is based on the need for programs to act quickly in response to a large-scale and widespread emergency situation in order to ensure children’s safety and well-being. Also for the remainder of the current school year, significantly affected programs may add or reduce hours or days of program operations without obtaining prior approval as long as the changes can be justified. Finding creative ways to reach out and serve these families is encouraged. Grantees are required to notify their Regional Office of the actions taken as soon as it is practical using the Head Start Enterprise System (HSES) correspondence.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION 
Managing & Recognizing Stress: The outbreak of COVID-19 may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.  Sharing the facts about COVID-19 and understanding the actual risk to yourself and people you care about can make an outbreak less stressful.  When you share accurate information about COVID-19 you can help make people feel less stressed and allow you to connect with them.  Learn more about taking care of your emotional health.  Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations.  How you respond to the outbreak can depend on your background, the things that make you different from other people, and the community you live in.  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746. (TTY 1-800-846-8517)

Resources for Parents and Caregivers: Children and teens react, in part, on what they see from the adults around them. When parents and caregivers deal with the COVID-19 calmly and confidently, they can provide the best support for their children. Parents can be more reassuring to others around them, especially children, if they are better prepared.  There are many things you can do to support your child: Take time to talk with your child or teen about the COVID-19 outbreak. Answer questions and share facts about COVID-19 in a way that your child or teen can understand.  Learn more about helping children cope.

Resources for Responders and Providers: Responding to COVID-19 can take an emotional toll on you. There are things you can do to reduce secondary traumatic stress (STS) reactions:  Acknowledge that STS can impact anyone helping families after a traumatic event; and learn the symptoms including physical (fatigue, illness) and mental (fear, withdrawal, guilt).  Learn more tips for taking care of yourself during emergency response.

Resources for Persons Released from Quarantine: Being separated from others if a healthcare provider thinks you may have been exposed to COVID-19 can be stressful, even if you do not get sick. Everyone feels differently after coming out of quarantine. Some feelings include:  Sadness, anger, or frustration because friends or loved ones have unfounded fears of contracting the disease from contact with you, even though you have been determined not to be contagious; and guilt about not being able to perform normal work or parenting duties during quarantine.  Children may also feel upset or have other strong emotions if they, or someone they know, has been released from quarantine. You can help your child cope.

Below is a listing of General Resources to Aid You in Finding Information:
White House Task Force Website: www.Coronavirus.gov
CDC Website with the most up-to-date information: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
Indian Health Service coronavirus website
FEMA’s guidance related to the tribal recipient/subrecipient assistance process pursuant to the nationwide COVID-19 emergency.

Information for Healthcare Providers, First Responders, and Research Facilities:

• Information for Healthcare Professionals
• Resources for State, Local, Territorial and Tribal Health Departments
• Resources for Healthcare Facilities
• Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Patients with COVID-19 or Persons Under Investigation in Healthcare Settings
• Information for Laboratories
• Resources for First Responders
• Guidance for Public Health Professionals Managing People with COVID-19 in Home Care and Isolation Who Have Pets or Other Animals
• FAQs and Considerations for Patient Triage, Placement and Hospital Discharge
• Guidance for Homeless Shelters
• Guidance for Hemodialysis Facilities
• CMS: Information on COVID-19 and Current Emergencies
• CMS: Guidance for Hospice Agencies
• CMS: Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act Requirements and Implications Related to COVID-19
• CMS: FAQs for State Survey Agency and Accrediting Organizations
• EPA: Disinfectants for Use Against COVID-19

Information for Families and Households:

• Information on COVID-19 for Pregnant Women and Children
• Interim Guidance for Household Readiness
• Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations for U.S. Households
• Guidance for Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in Homes and Residential Communities
• FAQ: COVID-19 and Children
• EPA: Disinfectants for Use Against COVID-19

Thank you for your leadership and your partnership, for the benefit of the patients that we serve.

Respectfully,

RADM Michael D. Weahkee, MBA, MHSA
Assistant Surgeon General, USPHS
Principal Deputy Director, IHS