Federal Connections
Current Policy Opportunities
EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
State applications for the $500 million federal Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) competitive grant competition are due October 19, 2011. CSSP recently released a brief that identifies 10 objectives for expanding Strengthening Families that states can consider including within their RTT-ELC applications - Opportunities for Strengthening Families in the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge.
Related links:
- For the RTT-ELC application, visit the U.S. Department of Education’sEarly Learning Challenge website.
- View joint comments to ED on the RTT-ELC opportunity from CSSP and the National Alliance of Children’s Trust and Prevention Funds.
CHILD WELFARE
Administration on Children, Youth and Families: Protective Factors are a Core Component of Well-Being. ACYF is focused on improving the well-being of children and families in the child welfare system, and has incorporated the Strengthening Families Protective Factors as a core component of well-being. State and community Strengthening Families leaders can use ACYF’s focus on well-being as a platform for initiating conversations with child welfare partners about how Strengthening Families is aligned with federal priorities.
- Find more details on ACYF’s new focus in a presentation by ACYF Commissioner Bryan Samuels, available from the National Resource Center for Child Protective Services.
- See “Other Resources” below for summaries of five discretionary grant opportunities (now closed) that demonstrate how ACYF has incorporated the Protective Factors into its programming.
HOME VISITING
CSSP recently released a brief describing how the Protective Factors framework is relevant for state home visiting plans and how it can be integrated: Connecting Strengthening Families with Home Visiting Strategies
Strengthening Families and Communities: 2011 Resource Guide, a CSSP and Department of Health and Human Services' Children's Bureau project that features statistics, tools to build awareness and tip sheets for parents and caregivers.
Call to Action to Help Maltreated Infants and Toddlers
CSSP, with long-time partners, released this collective vision of important steps that can and should be taken in policies, programs and practices to better address the developmental needs of infants and toddlers who come to the attention of the child welfare system.