Podcasts about grandfamilies

Click here to send us a topic idea or question for Weekend Wisdom.Why is kinship care important, and what are some of the challenges? Our guests are Gregory Jones, a granddad raising five grandkids from birth to now ranging in age from 9 to 12; Ana Beltran, an attorney, and director of the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center; and Erica Burgess, a social worker with over 25 years of experience in child welfare, specializing in kinship care.In this episode, we discuss:How common is kinship care throughout the US—both formal (child welfare involved) and informal?Grandparents raising grandkids or aunts and uncles raising nephews and nieces is often complicated and comes with a mix of challenges and blessings.What are some of the blessings?What are some of the challenges? Managing the relationship between the caregiver and the parents.What are some common challenges in this relationship?What are some common boundaries that need to be set in kinship care?Lack of preparation and training for raising kids who have experienced trauma, neglect, prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs, etc.Lack of financial support.How can social workers and child welfare professionals make sure that kinship caregivers get the full extent of financial support?Access to resources. What are some typical resources that kinship caregivers should ask about and that child welfare agencies should consider providing?We see a significant variance between jurisdictions in social workers and child welfare professionals in the embrace of placing children with relatives.Why are some social workers hesitant to place kids with relatives?From an ethical perspective, why must social workers open their minds to looking for kin first when removing a child from their parents?Placing children with kin rather than the state taking custody. (Hidden foster care/kinship diversion)Legal considerationsEthical considerations with the hidden foster.Great resources:Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network: A National Technical Assistance Center Grandfacts: State Fact Sheets for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising ChildrenNCKinshipFamilies.org - Legal Permanency Options for NC Kinship Families websiteFree Kinship Legal Clinic Kinship Caregivers and the Child Welfare Systemhttps://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-kinshi/Online Kinship Support Group - email tracy@creatingafamily.orgSupport the showPlease leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content: Weekly podcasts Weekly articles/blog posts Resource pages on all aspects of family building

Generations United released our 11th annual State of Grandfamilies & Kinship Care report on September 19, 2024. This report, “Pathways to Success: K-12 Education Support for Kinship and Grandfamilies,” discusses how about 2.5 million children in grandfamilies and kinship families are impacted by educational challenges and actionable recommendations to improve their school support and services. Our goal is to enhance academic outcomes and build a stronger future for these children. Visit www.gureport.org to read the full report.Highlights include:Key findings from the 2024 report Conversations with caregivers, a school administrator, and advocates Insights into our interactive report websiteInformation on the upcoming release of the toolkit offering practical strategies and tools for professionals in the field created by the Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network.Speakers:Donna Butts, Executive Director, Generations UnitedJason B. Allen, National Director of Partnerships, National Parents Union (Moderator)Michael Robert, Ed.D., Superintendent, Osborn School District, Phoenix, ArizonaVictoria Gray, Caregiver, ArizonaLaurie Tapozada, Caregiver, Rhode IslandSpecial thanks to Humana Foundation for their partnership in developing the video shared during the event and to Centene Corporation for their support.Support the show

It often begins with a knock at the door in the middle of the night. A child, or multiple children, need immediate care. Their parents have been deployed, incarcerated, are sidelined by substance abuse or mental illness. This is when grandparents, other relatives and family friends step up at a critical moment. These adults, who take on caregiving for conservatively, 2.5 million children in America, have no legal standing. They are not legal guardians or adopters. And there is no single entity that funds, studies, or resources these families. There is, however, extensive data on the outcomes of children who stay within their families versus navigating the cultural and emotional dislocation of traditional foster care. On this episode of Power Station, Ana Beltran, a consummate changemaker, introduces us to Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Center, the nonprofit she leads. The Center provides technical assistance to individuals, government agencies and nonprofits that serve grandfamilies, tackling challenges, from enrolling children in school when no parent is present, to filing for Child Tax Credits. She notes that federal policymaking is catching up to the moment. U.S. HUD is accepting proposals now for grandfamilies-oriented affordable housing. A community to support and celebrate.

Generations United released our 10th annual "State of Grandfamilies" report on November 8, 2023.  The report, Building Resilience: Supporting Grandfamilies' Mental Health and Wellness, outlines the reasons grandfamilies have mental health concerns yet have more trouble accessing mental health services and supports for both children and their caregivers due to lack of availability, lack of legal authority, and limited understanding of grandfamilies' needs among providers, cost, stigma, and ageism. This situation has been exacerbated by Covid-19, racial violence, and opioid use, the report found. Children who have faced traumatic loss or traumatic situations which led to them growing up in families without their parents are particularly susceptible to experiencing mental health concerns. Additionally, gaps in America's social safety net make it harder for these children to receive the care they need. This event highlighted the key facts, findings, and recommendations from the report and included poetry and spoken word from grandfamilies and a powerful conversation with members of grandfamilies and Dr. Joseph Crumbley about the importance of mental health. The discussion contains information related to mental health and wellness. It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This conversation and the referenced report may contain sensitive or distressing material. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please seek immediate help from a qualified mental health professional or contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing “988” on your phone.Speakers:Donna Butts, Executive Director, Generations UnitedSonia Emerson, Child Welfare and Social Justice Advocate, ChildFocus Partners Brittney Barros, Youth Advocate, Michigan Angela Clements, Generations United GRAND Voice, Wisconsin Dr. Joseph Crumbley, Trainer, Consultant, and Therapist Bob Ruble, Generations United GRAND Voice, California Special thanks to The Brookdale Foundation Group for making this report and event possible, and to Centene Corporation for their valuable support.Read the report: https://www.gu.org/resources/building-resilience-grandfamilies-mental-health-and-wellness/Support the show

Families come in all shapes and sizes. None of them are perfect, but some are faced with more challenges than others.This week we are discussing Grandfamilies, the families with the grandparents parenting their grandchildren. The statistics on Grandfamilies are thought-provoking: 2.3M grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren via “kinship care”Approximately 1M grandparents raising grandchildren are 60 years of age or older, with the average age being 67One-third of grandchildren living with grandparents via kinship care are younger than 6 years oldThese numbers tell us that Grandfamilies live in your neighborhood and ours. These families are everywhere when we open our eyes to see them. But what do these families need and where can they go to find resources? And how can we support them?Join us for this inspiring episode as we unpack all of this and more with Leslie Navarro, the proud grandparent of Isaac, age 15, and Isaih, age 13. Leslie's story will open. your eyes to the struggles that these families face and leave you inspired by her resiliency. Show Notes:Interactive map to find resources in your state and county::https://www.grandfamilies.org/State-Fact-Sheets When Grandparents Are Called To Parent – Again. AARP.org/bulletinMarch, 2023: Generations United: Offers a variety of information and resources for grandparents raising grandchildren.Grandfamilies.org: Provides legal resources and policy information for grandparents raising grandchildren.AARP Grandfamilies Guide: Offers a comprehensive guide related to seeking services. Includes information about how grandparents can obtain assistance from a variety ofprofessionals and organizations.  The website also offers a searchable listing of supportgroups.AARP Grandfamily Resources List of public and private resources for grandparents raising grandchildren.  Topics include education, childcare and children's special needs, family challenges, finances, health, housing and safety, legal, support, and work.For information and community for grandparents, go to: www.raisingyourgrandchildren.com 

They talk about what a grand family or a kinship family is, and how Generations United works to bring generations together instead of isolating them. In the United States, there are more than 8 million children living in households that are headed by grand-parents. The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Grandfamilies and Kinship Families with Chelsi Rhoades (Ep 36) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

In this episode, Emma Case, Planning and Advocacy Specialist at the Senior Alliance, talks to Chelsi Rhoades, Public Policy and Advocacy Coordinator at Generations United, a national nonprofit group that helps support grandfamilies and kinship families. They talk about what ...Read More The post Inside The Senior Alliance: Grandfamilies and Kinship Families with Chelsi Rhoades (Ep 1.36) appeared first on The Senior Alliance.

An increasing number of children are being raised, not by their parents, but by their grandparents. Over 13,000 grandparents are responsible for raising their grandkids in Utah. Dr. Moses Dixon from the Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging joins Boyd to discuss how we can better support grandparents who face a myriad of challenges bringing up their grandkids. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. is battling a years-long, devastating opioid epidemic. Last year saw 79,770 reported opioid-involved drug overdose deaths, a 1.5 percent decrease from the previous year, according to data from the CDC.Nevertheless, the opioid crisis has upended traditional family structures. Many parents have died from overdosing, become incarcerated, or are otherwise unable to care for their children due to substance abuse.As a result, more and more children are being raised primarily by their grandparents in what are known as grandfamilies.Grandfamilies face unique challenges, as caregivers contend with stigma, dwindling income, deficits in technological savvy, and health issues related to aging.What kind of support do grandfamilies need to raise successful children? We explore how the opioid crisis is affecting grandparent caregivers with a panel of experts.Want to support 1A? Give to your local public radio station and subscribe to this podcast. Have questions? Find out how to connect with us by visiting our website.

If you are raising a grandchild with ADHD, you are not alone in your joys — or struggles. Caroline Mendel, Psy.D., shares evidence-based strategies for managing routines, behavior, screen time, and more.

 All parents have the same goal of raising healthy kids, but there are family uniquenesses we can all learn from. Lisa Kennedy, who advocates for grandfamilies in the state of Pennsylvania, shares her understanding of this diverse family structure. Look for resources like these in your state - Pennsylvania Kinship Care,Pennsylvania Caregiver Support, Grandparents Raising Grandkids Resource Guide and listen to as Lisa describes and offers guidance for grandparents and us all.  Send any questions or comments about this episode or podcast to WhatParentsAreSaying@gmail.comThis podcast is brought to you by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The views expressed here are not necessarily those of SAMHSA or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For questions or comments about this podcast, please contact WhatParentsAreSaying@gmail.com.

 Listen as Charlotte, a grandmother raising her grandson, joins us to share specifics about returning to the role of primary caregiver. There is much to learn from her personal experience and wisdom around a topic that affects many families.  If you have any questions or comments about this episode or podcast, please send them to WhatParentsAreSaying@gmail.comThis podcast is brought to you by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The views expressed here are not necessarily those of SAMHSA or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For questions or comments about this podcast, please contact WhatParentsAreSaying@gmail.com.

This episode begins the conversation on Hey, Boomer to start to find the opportunities for the generations to build bridges of understanding. There are so many reasons the generations are separated, which has caused misperceptions, blaming and shaming, going both ways. We are at time when solutions to things like climate change, mental health, the high cost of education, longer lifespans would benefit from co-generational collaboration. The older generation has experience with social change and could provide wisdom and time. The younger generations have the technology save and energy to bring to finding solutions. Age segregation also contributes to ageism going both ways. When we are not exposed to multiple generations, we do not understand them. We make assumptions about what it means to be older and what it means to be younger.My hope, with expanding the vision of Hey, Boomer to include intergenerational and co-generational conversations, is to meet the needs of all generations to feel useful, to make a difference and live a life of purpose.Here are the links to the Organizations Mentioned in this EpisodeBridge Meadows in Portland, ORPemberton Park for Grandfamilies in Kansas City, MissouriCoGenerate.orgGenerations Over DinnerBridging Differences PlaybookIntergenerational ConversationsBecoming a Better MentorThird ActElderaBig & MiniSages & SeekersCivic SaturdayThanks so much for listening.Please Subscribe on Apple Podcast, Stitcher , Google Podcast. or SpotifyFollow us on Facebook and

To best serve older adults and increase the age-friendliness of your community, it is important to ask for and record information from older adults on a variety of topics. Collecting resident input provides valuable insight on how the public feels about community issues. This information can guide strategic decisions and priorities for your community. Engaging the community strengthens relationships, promotes transparency, and helps inform leaders on seniors' actual needs. Furthermore, consistent data collection over time provides insights into shifting preferences, trends, and other needs within a community. However, persons aged 50 and above are less likely to complete surveys. Today we pleased to welcome back Tauhric Brown, President and CEO of CICOA Aging and In-Home Solutions to talk about the power of senior voices in surveys and what can be done to better engage those voices. Generations United Website: https://www.gu.org/ To find state fact sheets and support groups in your area: https://www.grandfamilies.org/ Email Tina: tina@joyshouse.org Learn more about Joy's House: www.joyshouse.org See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Children living with relatives increased 51% between 2000 and 2010.  In 2010, 1700 children were placed with relatives after being removed from their parents. The most recent census tells us that number is not going down.  Being placed with Kin/relatives vs. foster care has a number of benefits: Minimizes trauma Increased permanency Better overall well being Preserves cultural and community identity Promotes lasting connections Children's Service Society of Utah (CSS) is an organization that empowers families and caregivers through services that support the safety and well-being of children. Grandfamilies is a support, advocacy, educational and crisis intervention program of the Children's Service Society. The program was created in 2002 to meet the growing needs of individuals and/or families that are caring for a relative's child. Our focus is to provide information and support to these families so that the needs of safety and permanency for the children in these families can be met. Their services include: Crisis intervention Adult educational support groups Children's support groups Links to community resources Drug and alcohol prevention services for children To learn more about the Grandfamilies program, click here Utah Foster Care also has resources for Kinship Families. 2022 Kinship Town Hall Topic: The impact of trauma in kinship families Date: Tuesday Sept 20th Time: 5:00-7:00PM Location: Children's Service Society of Utah, 655 E 4500 S, ste 200, SLC, 84107

Grandparents step into parents' shoes when necessary. Grandfamilies are presented with unique challenges.Millions of children across the United States are being raised by their grandparents.Grandparents have always played a role in children's lives, but their involvement in raising the children has increased in the past twenty years. Their involvement can go beyond serving as a sitter or providing care while the parents are working.Grandfamilies are often formed under stress. Grandparents typically step in as primary caregivers because of a crisis. Relearning how to parent in modern times with today's challenges means a learning curve for grandparents.Listen as Dr. Andrew Adesman joins Melanie Cole, MS, in this encore episode from January 2019 to discuss how grandfamilies are formed and resources available to families to manage the new commitment and responsibilities these grandparents have.

Grandparents step into parents' shoes when necessary. Grandfamilies are presented with unique challenges.Millions of children across the United States are being raised by their grandparents.Grandparents have always played a role in children's lives, but their involvement in raising the children has increased in the past twenty years. Their involvement can go beyond serving as a sitter or providing care while the parents are working.Grandfamilies are often formed under stress. Grandparents typically step in as primary caregivers because of a crisis. Relearning how to parent in modern times with today's challenges means a learning curve for grandparents.Listen as Dr. Andrew Adesman joins Melanie Cole, MS, in this encore episode from January 2019 to discuss how grandfamilies are formed and resources available to families to manage the new commitment and responsibilities these grandparents have.

WVPB's Us & Them introduces us to an unusual cultural divide, one that exists within families. It's a generation split that comes when chemical addiction prevents parents from raising their children. Millions of U.S. households have become “grandfamilies,” a new kind of family structure. This generational Us & Them divide, puts pressure on aging adults and spotlights underlying financial issues that cause a strain between parents and their adult children. West Virginia and other Appalachian states are at the epicenter of this trend and West Virginia has created a unique support program called “Healthy Grandfamilies.” It's a training program designed to support grandparents when they become caregivers the second time around. This episode originally aired in February 2020 and was recently honored with journalism's national Edward R. Murrow award.

On this West Virginia Morning, COVID-19 concerns, an ethics investigation and the sounds of summer. You will also hear an excerpt from the Us & Them episode “Grandfamilies of the Opioid Crisis.”

Raising children surely is difficult but raising a child for the second-time around might be even harder. Grandparents nationwide are stepping into the role of a second-time parent in their later years. In the next couple of weeks, we are going to discuss the many kinds of families. Let's dive in and broaden our understanding of what other people are going through. One of these kinds of families is called “Grandfamilies.”Joining us today is Beth Tyson, author of the book “A Grandfamily for Sullivan” where she tells a story that will help the new generation on how to cope and understand why their grandparents are now caring for them. This is a very crucial resource for families broken apart by mental health issues.Beth Tyson is the director of Beth Tyson Trauma Care where they offer trauma-informed mental health education to parents, teachers, medical professionals, and other community service providers. Beth is a children's book author, who published a book for grandchildren being raised by their grandparents due to loss, abuse, or neglect. Her book is available on Amazon. She is also a public speaker and advocate for those impacted by childhood trauma. In this episode, we cover:What are Grandfamilies?What are the various situations or reasons on why a child goes to the grandparents' care?How does a grandparent be prepared for this emergency situation?What are the elements of Trust and Safety in the daily life of a child?On seeking support from the communitiesBeth's inspirations and thoughts in writing her book “A Grandfamily for Sullivan” Helpful Links: Beth Tyson - Author of “A Grandfamily for Sullivan”, available on AmazonFacebook | Instagram | Twitter | Linkedin | NewsletterAdam Walker-Parker - Illustrator of the book “A Grandfamily for Sullivan”Grands Stepping Up - a non-profit corporation dedicated to assisting grandparents/kinship guardians who are raising their grandchildrenRachel Lehmann-Haupt - Talks about “Dosies” or donor siblings, reproductive Tech and How It's Changing UsRobin's Nest - Organization in helping the youthEmotiminds - a group for caregivers and professionals who would like to learn tools and best practices for psychological development and what we can do to increase emotional resilience within our families.Find Rosebud Woman on Instagram as @rosebudwoman and Christine on Instagram as @the.rose.woman Listen, Like, Share & Subscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Youtube See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In March 2021, a year after the official beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fully Democratic Party controlled Congress sent President Joe Biden their version of a COVID relief bill to sign, a bill that was rejected by the entire Republican Party. In this episode, examine the new law in detail to learn how it could help you and to judge whether this new law was something you would have liked your representatives in Congress to support. Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish via Patreon (donations per episode) Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank’s online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Episodes CD213: CARES Act - The Trillions for COVID-19 Law CD161: Veterans Choice Program American Rescue Plan Outline House vote 1 House vote 2 Senate vote Text The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 TITLE I - COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY Subtitle A - Agriculture Sec. 1001: Food Supply Chain and Agriculture Pandemic Response Appropriates $4 billion for food purchases and grants for food suppliers to protect their workers from COVID Sec. 1002: Emergency Rural Development Grants For Rural Health Care Appropriates $500 million for "emergency pilot program" grants to impoverished rural communities to help them distribute vaccines with infrastructure and staffing, give them medical supplies, reimburse them for lost revenue. The program has to be in operation by mid-August 2021. Sec. 1005: Farm Loan Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Provides "such sums as may be necessary" for the Secretary of Agriculture (Tom Vilsack) to give "socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers" payments covering "up to 120% of the outstanding indebtedness" as of January 1, 2021, which will pay off loans they received from the Farm Service Agency or Commodity Credit Corporation and loans guaranteed by the Department of Agriculture. "Socially disadvantaged farmers" are farmers or ranchers who "have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities." Subtitle B - Nutrition Sec. 1101: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Extends food assistance benefits provided by the Coronabus from June 30, 2021 to September 30, 2021 and appropriates an additional $1.15 billion. Sec. 1103: Additional Funding For Nutrition Assistance Programs Provides $1 billion in food assistance benefits to be split among the territories, which they will have until September 30, 2027 to use. Sec. 1105: Improvements to WIC Benefits Allows, but does not require, the Secretary of Agriculture to increase the amount of WIC benefits by $35 until July 11, 2021, if requested by the states. Appropriates $490 million. Sec. 1108: Pandemic EBT Program The Family's First Coronavirus Response Act said that during 2020 and 2021, if a school is closed for more than 5 consecutive days under a public health emergency designation, families of children who are eligible for free or discounted school lunches will be able to get benefits valued at least as much as the school meals, to be distributed via the food stamp program, with money on EBT cards. This changes the dates so that it's valid "in any school year in which there is a public health emergency declaration" or "in a covered summer period following a school session" which will allow the state to continue the benefits for 90 days so that kids can continue to receive the meal credits during the emergency summers. TITLE II - COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, LABOR, AND PENSIONS Subtitle A - Education Matters Part 1 - Department of Education Sec. 2001: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund Appropriates over $122.7 billion, which can be used through September 30, 2023, for grants to the states. 90% of the money has to be given to local education agencies, including charter schools. 20% of the money needs to be used to address learning loss, via summer programs and extended school days and school years. The rest of the money can be spent at the local agencies discretion for activities they're already authorized to use Federal tax money for and to fund measures needed to protect students and staff from COVID. Any money not used must be returned to the Secretary of Education after one year. Sec. 2002: Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools Appropriates $2.75 billion, which can be used through September 30, 2023, for private schools that "enroll a significant percentage of low-income students and are most impacted by the qualifying emergency." Sec. 2003: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund Appropriates $39.5 billion, which can be used through September 30, 2023, for colleges and universities. Part 2 - Miscellaneous Sec. 2021: National Endowment for the Arts Appropriates $135 million for the National Endowment for the Arts Sec. 2022: National Endowment for the Humanities Appropriates $135 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities Sec. 2023: Institute of Museum and Library Services Appropriates $200 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services Subtitle B - Labor Matters Sec. 2101: Funding for Department of Labor Worker Protection Activities Appropriates $200 million, with half of that going to OSHA. Only $5 million is required to be spent on "enforcement activities related to COVID-19 at high risk workplaces" Subtitle C - Human Services and Community Supports Sec. 2201: Child Care and Development Block Grant Program Appropriates almost $15 billion, which has to be used before September 30, 2021, for the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program, which gives money to states for child care for low income families with children under the age of 13. States are authorized to provide child care funding to health care employees, emergency responders, and "other workers deemed essential" regardless of their income levels during the emergency period. Sec. 2202: Child Care Stabilization Appropriates almost $24 billion for states to give to child care providers, regardless of any other federal money they have received. The grant will be determined by the child care provider's operating expenses and can be used to pay for employee salaries, benefits, and recruitment; rent or mortages; PPE and training; and mental health support for children or employees. Subtitle D - Public Health Sec. 2301: Funding for COVID-19 Vaccine Activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Appropriates $7.5 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to plan, prepare for, promote, distribute, administer, monitor, and track COVID-19 vaccines. Sec. 2302: Funding for Vaccine Confidence Activities Appropriates $1 billion, that does not expire, for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for activities "to strengthen vaccine confidence in the United States" in order to "improve rates of vaccination throughout the United States" Sec. 2303: Funding for Supply Chain for COVID-19 Vaccines, Therapeutics, and Medical Supplies Appropriates a little over $6 billion, which does not expire, "for necessary expenses with respect to research, development, manufacturing, production, and the purchase of vaccines, therapeutics, and ancillary medical products" to prevent and respond to COVID and "any disease with potential for creating a pandemic." Sec. 2305: Reduced Cost-Sharing Expands subsidies for health insurance provided by the Affordable Care Act to anyone who has been approved for unemployment insurance in 2021, and their subsidy level will be determined as if they didn't make more than 133% above the poverty level, regardless of actual income. This makes them eligible for the most general subsidy levels, which reduces their out-of-pocket limit by two-thirds and the insurance provider must pay 90% of health care costs. Subtitle E - Testing Sec. 2401: Funding for COVID-19 Testing, Contact Tracing, and Mitigation Activities Appropriates $47.8 billion, which does not expire, to "detect, diagnose, trace, and monitor SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 infections". This money must be used to implement a national testing and contract tracing strategy, provide technical assistance to states, "support the development, manufacturing, procurement, distribution, and administration of tests", which includes the supplies needed for those tests, PPE, and "the acquisition, construction, alteration, or renovation of non-federally owned facilities." Sec. 2402: Funding for Sara-COV-2 Genomic Sequencing and Surveillance Appropriates $1.75 billion for genomic sequencing, analytics, and disease surveillance, which will identify mutations and survey their transmission in our communities. This money can be used to "award grants for the construction, alteration, or renovation of facilities to improve genomic sequencing and surveillance capabilities at the State and local level." Sec. 2403: Funding for Global Health Appropriates $750 million to combat COVID "and other emerging infectious disease threats globally" Subtitle F - Public Health Workforce Sec. 2501: Funding for Public Health Workplace Appropriates $7.66 billion, which does not expire, to fund the creation and expansion of local public health workforces. The money will be granted to states who will then fund the wages and benefits for individuals hired to be contract tracers, community health workers, epidemiologists, laboratory personnel, communications and policy experts who are employed by the government or a non-profit, which can be public or private. Subtitle G - Public Health Investments Sec. 2601: Funding for Community Health Centers and Community Care Appropriates $7.6 billion, which does not expire, for grants for community health centers, which can be used for vaccine distribution, testing and contact tracing, to hire health care workers, and for community outreach. This money can be used to reimburse community health centers that they provided for COVID response sine January 31, 2020. Subtitle H - Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Sec. 2701: Funding for Block Grants For Community Mental Health Services Appropriates $1.5 billion, that must be spent by September 30, 2025, for states to give to mental health service providers. Sec. 2702: Funding For Block Grants For Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse Appropriates $1.5 billion, that must be spent by September 30, 2025, for states to give to substance abuse treatment providers. Subtitle K - Ratepayer Protection Sec. 2911: Funding for LIHEAP Appropriates $4.5 billion, that expires on September 30, 2022, for payment for energy expenses of low income families. Subtitle L - Assistance for Older Americans, Grandfamilies, and Kinship Families Sec. 2921: Supporting Older Americans and Their Families Appropriates over $1.4 billion for COVID related expenses of senior citizens. TITLE III - COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS Subtitle A - Defense Production Act of 1950 Sec. 3101: COVID-19 Emergency Medical Supplies Enhancement Appropriates $10 billion, available until September 30, 2025, to use the Defense Production Act for "the purchase, production (including the construction, repair, and retrofitting of government-owned or private facilities as necessary)" for distributing medical supplies and equipment to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting on September 30, 2022, the money left over can be used for any activity "necessary to meet critical public health needs of the United States, as determined by the President. Subtitle B - Housing Provisions Sec. 3201: Emergency Rental Assistance Appropriates over $21.5 billion (on top of the $25 billion provided by the Coronabus), available until September 30, 2027, for grants to states that will be used to pay rent, utilities and "other expenses related to housing incurred due, directly or indirectly," to COVID for up to 18 months. People who qualify for unemployment benefits, had their income reduced, are low income, or can demonstrate that they are at risk of homelessness. The payments will be made directly to the landlord until the landlord does not agree to accept the payment, in which case the household can receive the money. All eligible grantees (states and territories) must be given at least 40% of their payments by May 11 States and territories can use up to 15% of the money for administration Unused money will begin to be returned and redistributed starting on March 31, 2022 Sec. 3202: Emergency Housing Vouchers Appropriates $5 billion, available until September 30, 2030, for emergency housing vouchers (Section 8) to people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or escaping a domestic violence or human trafficking situation. Prohibits families from getting another voucher after their voucher expires starting on September 30, 2023. Sec. 3205: Homelessness Assistance and Supportive Services Program Appropriates $5 billion, available until September 30, 2025, for "tenant-based rental assistance", development of affordable housing, housing counseling, and individual shelters than may be converted to permanent housing. Eligible people include people who are homeless, at risk of homelessness, escaping a domestic violence or human trafficking situation, or veterans and their families if the veteran meets one of the other criteria. These services can be contracted out and the government "shall" enter into contracts "that cover the actual total program costs and administrative overhead" Sec. 3206: Homeowner Assistance Fund Appropriates over $9.9 billion, available until September 30, 2025, for a new Homeowner Assistance Fund. The fund will make payments "for the purpose of preventing homeowner mortgage delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures, loss of utilities... of homeowners experiencing financial hardship after January 21, 2020." Assistance will include payments of mortgages, payments to take a loan out of forbearance, principal reduction, facilitating interest rate reductions, payments for utilities and internet service, insurance, and homeowner association fees. 60% of the money given to states has to be used to help homeowners at or below the median income level for their household size or the median income level for the United States, whichever is greater. The rest of the money has to go to "socially disadvantaged individuals". The states must receive their payments by April 25. If a state does not request payments by that date, that state will become ineligible for payments and the money will be divided among the other states. Subtitle C - Small Business (SSBCI) Sec. 3301: State Small Business Credit Initiative Appropriates $10 billion to bring back a program last used after the 2008 global recession to support small businesses recovering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. $1.5 billion must be spent on businesses owned and controlled by "socially and economically disadvantaged individuals" This includes privately owned businesses owned 50% or more by "socially and economically disadvantaged individuals" Publicly owned businesses with 51% or more of the stock owned by "socially and economically disadvantaged individuals" Institutions where a majority of the board, account holders and the community are "socially and economically disadvantaged individuals". "Socially and economically disadvantaged individuals" are two different legal categories, but the "economically" disadvantaged group comes from the "socially" disadvantaged group. "Socially disadvantaged individuals" are those who have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice or cultural bias because of their identity as a member of a group without regard to their individual qualities. $500 million must be spent on businesses with fewer than 10 employees, which "may" include independent contractors and sole proprietors. Subtitle D - Public Transportation Sec. 3401: Federal Transit Administration Grants Appropriates almost $30.4 billion, available until September 30, 2024, for... Over $26 billion: Urbanized area formula grants For capital projects, planning, job access and reverse commute projects and operating costs for public transportation facilities and equipment in cities with fewer than 200,000 people. Over $1.6 billion: Fixed guideway capital investment grants, For rail, ferry, and bus public transportation systems that increase the capacity of the route by at least 10%. Over $417 million: Formula grants for rural areas. For planning for rural areas, public transportation capital costs, public transportation facilities and equipment, joe access and reverse commute projects, and private providers of public transportation services. The grants cover 80% of the net project cost. $50 million: Grants for enhancing the mobility of seniors, "For public transportation projects designed, and carried out to meet the special needs of seniors and individuals with disabilities when public transportation is insufficient, inappropriate, or unavailable." The money is allowed to be used for operating expenses beginning on January 20, 2020, including payroll, operating costs due to lost revenue, purchase of PPE, and the administrative leave of personnel due to service restrictions. Increases the government's share of the costs from 80% to 100%. Prohibits money paying for route planning to be used to privatize a public transportation service. TITLE IV - COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS Sec. 4001: Emergency Federal Employee Leave Fund Appropriates $570 million, available through September 30, 2022, for up to 600 hours of paid leave for full time employees, capped at $2,800 for each bi-weekly paycheck, for employees that have to quarantine, who have COVID, is caring for a family member with COVID, or is getting vaccinated or is sick from getting the vaccination. Eligible employees include executive branch employees, USPS employees, and working people in the DC court system. Eligibility ends on September 30, 2021. Sec. 4005: Federal Emergency Management Agency Appropriation Appropriates $50 billion, available until September 30, 2025 for FEMA for "major disaster declarations" Sec. 4006: Funeral Assistance For the COVID emergency declared on March 13, 2020 "and for any subsequent major disaster declarations that supercedes such emergency declaration", FEMA funds "shall" be paid for 100% of disaster-related funeral expenses. Sec. 4007: Emergency Food and Shelter Program Funding Appropriates $400 million, available until September 30, 2025 for FEMA's emergency food and sh TITLE V - COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP Sec. 5001: Modifications to Paycheck Protection Program Adds non-profit organizations with fewer then 500 employees per location to the eligibility list for forgivable PPP loans. They can be eligible if they receive up to 15% of their money from lobbying activities and that amount was less than $1 million during the tax year that ended prior to February 15, 2020. Adds "internet only periodical publishers" who are "assigned a North American Industry Classification System code of 519130" to be eligible for forgivable PPP loans if they have fewer than 500 employees per physical location. Appropriates an additional $7.25 billion to the PPP program Sec. 5002: Targeted EIDL Advance Appropriates $15 billion, which does not expire, for the Small Business Administration to make loans to businesses with fewer than 300 employees in low income communities. Sec. 5003: Support for Restaurants Appropriates $28.6 billion for restaurants, food stands, food trucks, caterers, bars, tasting rooms, including locations inside of airports. Does not include chains that had more than 20 locations on March 13, 2020, or publicly traded companies. $5 billion of that is reserved for businesses that made less than $500,000 in 2019. The maximum amount of each grant is $10 million, and no more than $5 million per physical location. The amount up to those caps of the grants is the amount of the business's pandemic related revenue loss. Valid for expenses from February 15, 2020 through at least December 31, 2021. The Administrator of the Small Business Administration can extend that until no later than March 11, 2023. Sec. 5005: Shuttered Venue Operators Appropriates an additional $1.25 billion, that doesn't expire, to the Coronabus grant program for live performance venues. Reduces the grant amounts by any amount of PPP money that was received on or after December 27, 2020. TITLE VII - COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION Subtitle A - Transportation and Infrastructure Sec. 7101: Grants to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation Appropriates almost $1 billion to Amtrak's Northeast Corridor and $730 million to Amtrak's national network, available until September 30, 2024 for coronavirus related expenses. Sec. 7102: Relief for Airports Appropriates $8 billion, available until September 30, 2024 for airports. No more than $800 million can be used to pay the rent and required minimum payments of airport concessions operators. To qualify for the funding, airports have to retain 90% of the number of employees they had on March 27, 2020 until September 30, 2021, unless granted a waiver due to environmental hardship. Subtitle B - Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Sec. 7202: Payroll Support Program Appropriates $3 billion, available until September 30, 2023 for a new program that pays airplane manufacturers for some payroll expenses if they have "significant operations in, and a majority of its employees" in the United States, if they have laid off at least 10% of their workforce or experienced a 15% or more loss of revenue. Businesses that got money from the CARES Act or PPP program are ineligible. Subtitle C - Airlines Sec. 7301: Air Transportation Payroll Support Program Extension Appropriates $14 billion for airlines and $1 billion for contractors conditioned on their agreement not to furlough anyone or reduce pay for workers before September 30, 2021, not buy back their own stock or pay out dividends before September 30, 2022, and limit executive pay. Subtitle D - Consumer Protection and Commerce Oversight Sec. 7402: Funding for E-Rate Support for Emergency Educational Connections and Devices Appropriates over $7.1 billion, available through September 30, 2030 to reimburse elementary and high schools and libraries for new telecommunications equipment and services including wi-fi hotspots, modems, routers, and connection devices. TITLE VIII - COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS Sec. 8002: Funding Availability for Medical Care and Health Needs Appropriates $14 billion in additional funding, available until September 30, 2023 for the "Veterans Community Care program" Sec. 8007: Prohibition on Copayments and Cost Sharing for Veterans During Emergency Relation to COVID-19 Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from charging any co-pay or cost sharing for health care received by a veteran, and any co-pays and cost sharing already charged must be reimbursed, for the period between April 6, 2020 and September 30, 2021. Appropriates an additional $1 billion, available until spent. TITLE IX - COMMITTEE ON FINANCE Subtitle A - Crisis Support for Unemployed Workers Part 1 - Extension of CARES Act Unemployment Provisions Sec. 9011: Extension of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Extends unemployment benefits through September 6, 2021 and extends the total number of eligible weeks from 50 to 79. Part 3 - Department of Labor Funding for Timely, Accurate, and Equitable Payment Sec. 9032: Funding for Fraud Prevention, Equitable Access, and Timely Payment to Eligible Workers Appropriates an additional $2 billion, available until fully spent, to the Secretary of Labor to detect and prevent fraud and ensure the timely payment of unemployment benefits. Part 4 - Other Provisions Sec. 9042: Suspension of Tax on Portion of Unemployment Compensation For taxpayers whose gross income for "any taxable year beginning in 2020" is less than $150,000 and whose unemployment payments were less than $10,200, that income will not be taxable. Subtitle F - Preserving Health Benefits for Workers Sec. 9501: Preserving Health Benefits for Workers People who lose their employer paid health insurance due to being laid off or having their hours reduced can elect to have COBRA (a continuation of their health insurance) paid for by the government, which will provide tax credits to the employer who will pay the premiums. This applies between April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. Subtitle G - Promoting Economic Security Part 1 - 2021 Recovery Rebates to Individuals Sec. 9601: 2021 Recovery Rebates to Individuals Provides $1,400 per person stimulus checks to people making less than $75,000 per year, with a phase out up to $100,000 per year. No checks are allowed to be issued after December 31, 2021. They check amounts will be determined based on either 2019 or 2020 tax filings, whatever the government has on file. Appropriates over $1.4 billion. Part 2 - Child Tax Credit Sec. 9611: Child Tax Credit Improvements for 2021 For 2021, for taxpayers living in the United States will get a $3,000 payment for each child ages 6-18 and $3,600 for each child under the age of 6. The payments will be reduced for individuals who make more than $75,000 and couples who make more than $150,000. Payments will be made between July 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. Part 3 - Earned Income Tax Credit Sec. 9621: Strengthening the Earned Income Tax Credit for Individuals with No Qualifying Children Doubles the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit for qualified taxpayers for 2021 who don't have children, increasing the maximum credit from $538 to $1,500. To qualify, you have to live in the United States at least half the year and have investment income below $10,000. People who make more than $21,430 as a single person or $27,830 jointly are not eligible. Part 4 - Dependent Care Assistance Sec. 9631: Refundability and Enhancement of Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit For 2021, eligible taxpayers can get up to 50% of up to $8,000 in childcare costs (capped at $16,000 for multiple children under the age of 12) reimbursed via a refundable tax credit. The credit phases out for families with income higher than $400,000 per year. Part 5 - Credits for Paid Sick and Family Leave Sec. 9641: Payroll Credits Provides a 100% refundable tax credit for employers that provide paid sick leave, capped at $511 and 10 days per quarter. Provides a 100% refundable tax credit for employers who provide family leave, capped at $200 per day and $12,000 total. Sec. 9642: Credit for Sick Leave For Certain Self-Employed Individuals Allows self employed individuals to receive a tax credit for sick day related to COVID-19 from April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021, including getting tested, quarantining, illness, and getting the vaccine. The number of days is capped at 10 and its capped at $200 per day. Sec. 9643: Credit For Family Leave For Certain Self-Employed Individuals Allows self employed individuals to receive a refundable tax credit for family leave for COVID-19 testing, illness, or vaccines. It's capped at 60 days and $200 per day. Part 6 - Employee Retention Credit Sec. 9651: Extension of Employee Retention Credit Provides employers who had to partially or fully close during 2021 with a refundable tax credit up to 70% of the wages they pay to their employees capped at $10,000 per employee per quarter. Part 7 - Premium Tax Credit Sec. 9661: Improving Affordability by Expanding Premium Assistance for Consumers Increases the amount of money the government will pay towards the health insurance premium of low income individuals. People with incomes at or below 150% of the poverty level ($19,320 for individuals) can get coverage with no monthly premiums. Lifts the cap on the income level of individuals eligible for subsides, so now everyone is eligible and no one will pay more than 8.5% of their income towards health insurance premiums. This is only applicable for 2021 and 2022. Part 8 - Miscellaneous Provisions Sec. 9671: Repeal of Election to Allocate Interest, Etc. on Worldwide Basis Repeals a tax benefit for corporations that would have become effective in 2021. Sec. 9672: Tax Treatment of Targeted EIDL Advances COVID relief money provided via the Small Business Administration's program for restaurants will not count as gross income for tax purposes. Sec. 9673: Tax Treatment of Restaurant Revitalization Grants COVID relief money provided via the Small Business Administration's program for small businesses, nonprofits, and venues will not count as gross income for tax purposes. Sec. 9675: Modification of Treatment of Student Loan Forgiveness Student loan forgiveness amounts will not be included in gross income from 2021 through 2025. Subtitle H - Pensions Subtitle I - Child Care for Workers Sec. 9801: Child Care Assistance Appropriates over $3.5 billion for grants to states and territories for child care assistance. Subtitle J - Medicaid Sec. 9811: Mandatory Coverage of COVID-19 Vaccines and Administration and Treatment Under Medicaid From March 11, 2021 until one year after the COVID emergency is declared over, Medicaid must pay for COVID testing, treatment, and vaccines free of out of pocket charges. Subtitle K - Children's Health Insurance Program Sec. 9821: Mandatory Coverage of COVID-19 Vaccines and Administration and Treatment Under CHIP From March 11, 2021 until the first day of the quarter after the one year anniversary of the COVID emergency being declared over, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) must cover COVID testing, treatment, and vaccines with no cost sharing requirements. The Federal government will pay 100% of the costs to the states. Subtitle M - Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Sec. 9901: Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Appropriates $219.8 billion, available through the end of 2024, for states, territories, and tribal governments to "mitigate the fiscal effects stemming from the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)". The money can be spent on "assistance to households, small businesses, and nonprofits, or aid to impacted industries such as tourism, travel, and hospitality" and "premium pay (up to $13/hour, capped at $25,000) to eligible workers... performing such essential work" and "for the provision of government services to the extent of the reduction of revenue... due to the COVID-19 public health emergency" and "to make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure." The money can NOT be used to offset a reduction in revenue caused by a tax cut or to deposit into pension funds. Appropriates over $130 billion, available through the end of 2024 for metropolitan cities ($45.5 billion), nonentitlement units of local government ($19.5 billin), and counties ($65 billion) to "mitigate the fiscal effects stemming from the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)" for the same purposes with the same conditions placed upon the states (see above). Appropriates $10 billion, available until fully spent, for states, territories, and tribal governments to "carry out critical capital projects directly enabling work, education, and health monitoring, including remote options." Each state will get at least $100 million. Appropriates $2 billion, available until September 30, 2023, for counties and tribal governments for "any governmental purpose other than a lobbying activity." Subtitle N - Other Provisions Sec. 9911: Funding For Providers Relating to COVID-19 Appropriates $8.5 billion, available until fully spent, for health care providers for "health care related expenses and lost revenues that are attributable to COVID-19. Health care providers must apply and can't double dip for the same expenses that have already been reimbursed or are supposed to be reimbursed some other way (for example, via insurance.) The money can be used for expenses derived from new construction of temporary structures, leasing property, purchasing medical supplies, hiring new workers and their training, and others. TITLE X - COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS Sec. 10003: Global Response Appropriates over $8.6 billion, available until September 30, 2022, for international health programs "to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus". $3.75 billion will go to the State Department for "the prevention, treatment, and control of HIV/AIDS" in order to mitigate the impact on these programs from impacts of the coronavirus and support recovery from them. The vast majority of this money will be for "a United States contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria" $3.09 billion will go to USAID for COVID-19 relief that "shall include support for international disaster relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction, for health activities, and to meet emergency food security needs." $930 million will be for "activities to address economic and stabilization requirements resulting from" coronavirus. $905 million will go to USAID and "shall include a contribution to a multilateral vaccine development partnership to support epidemic preparedness." Sec. 10004: Humanitarian Response Appropriates $500 million, available until September 30, 2022, to carry out the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act, but the money can't be used to resettle refugees in the United States. Sec. 10005: Multilateral Assistance Appropriates $580 billion, available until September 30, 2022, which "shall include support for the priorities and objectives of the United Nations Global Humanitarian Response Plan to COVID-19 through voluntary contributions to international organization and programs administered by such organizations." TITLE XI - COMMITTEE ON INDIAN AFFAIRS Sec. 11001: Indian Health Service Appropriates over $6 billion for the Indian Health Service for COVID-19 related expenses. Sec. 11002: Bureau of Indian Affairs Appropriates $900 million for the Bureau of Indian Affairs for tribal housing improvements, welfare services and water deliveries. Sec. 11003: Housing Assistance and Supportive Services Programs for Native Americans Appropriates $750 million for housing assistance for native American communities. Sec. 11005: Bureau of Indian Education Appropriates $850 million for the Bureau of Indian Education, available until fully spent. Articles/Documents Article: Monthly Child Tax Credit Payments Start July 15th. Here's What You Need to Know, By Christine Hernandez, winnie, May 21, 2021 Article: Applying for rental assistance isn't easy. Here's what you need to know, By Annie Nova, CNBC, May 20, 2021 Article: Facing Hurricane and Wildfire Seasons, FEMA Is Already Worn Out, By Christopher Flavelle and Zolan Kanno-Youngs, New York Times, May 20, 2021 Article: As GOP-run states slash jobless aid, the Biden administration finds it has few options, By Tony Romm and Eli Rosenberg, The Washington Post, May 20, 2021 Article: FEMA Launches Program to Compensate Funeral Expenses During Pandemic, By Stephanie Steele, NewsRadio 610 Kona, May 18, 2021 Article: Judge Allows National Eviction Moratorium To Remain In Force While Feds Appeal Ruling Tossing It, By Nicholas Reimann, Forbes, May 18, 2021 Article: How to get $9,000 in federal assistance for COVID-related funeral expenses, By James T. Mulder, AL, May 12, 2021 Article: Struggling Renters Need More Federal Aid, By Alieza Durana and Carl Gershenson, The American Prospect, May 12, 2021 Article: Lockheed-Backed Reps Lobby Against F-35 Spending Cuts, By David Moore, Sludge, Brick House, May 12, 2021 Article: Loans Online – Black farmer loan forgiveness challenged, By Andrew Solender, Forbes, May 11, 2021 Article: Senate Republicans Move To End $300 Unemployment Checks After Bad Jobs Report, By Andrew Solender, Forbes, May 11, 2021 Article: Republicans Are Still Waging War on Workers, By Paul Krugman, The New York Times, May 10, 2021 Article: U.S. Chamber of Commerce blames weak jobs report on enhanced unemployment benefit, kicks off lobbying effort, By Thomas Franck and Brian Schwartz, CNBC, May 7, 2021 Article: National Eviction Moratorium Thrown Out by Federal Judge, By Andrew Ackerman and Brent Kendall, The Wall Street Journal, May 5, 2021 Article: Who is eligible for Earned Income Tax Credit for childless workers?, By Greg Heilman, as, May 3, 2021 Article: Sid Miller sues over farm aid program, saying it discriminates against whites, By Chuck Lindell, Austin American-Statesman, April 27, 2021 Article: Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller sues, claims American Rescue Plan discriminates against white farmers, By Drew Knight, KVUE, April 27, 2021 Article: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM BEFORE YOUR CHANCE TO GET IT RUNS OUT, By Jamie Smith Hopkins, The Center for Public Integrity, April 25, 2021 Article: USDA Details Plan for Debt Payments to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers, By Chris Clayton, Progressive Farmer, DTN, Ag Policy Blog, April 15, 2021 Article: HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE FUND, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, April 14, 2021 Article: New $3,000 child tax credit to start payments in July, IRS says, By Carmen Reinicke, CNBC, April 13, 2021 Document: FAQS ABOUT COBRA PREMIUM ASSISTANCE UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021, Department of Labor, April 7, 2021 Article: Exclusive: Nearly 7 million uninsured Americans qualify for free health insurance, By Dylan Scott, Vox, April 1, 2021 Article: This Fast Food Giant Bragged About Killing $15 Minimum Wage, By David Sirota, Andrew Perez and Walker Bragman, Newsweek, March 27, 2021 Document: Pension Provisions in the American Rescue Plan of 2021, U.S. Congressional Research Service, March 18, 2021 Article: Congress Repeals Worldwide Interest Expense Allocation, By Amanda Pedvin Varma, Lauren Azebu, Steptoe, March 17, 2021 Article: House Democrat Jared Golden Defends Voting Against 'Wasteful' $1.9T Relief Bill, By Benjamin Fearnow, Newsweek, February 27, 2021 Article: FEMA Supporting Vaccination Centers Nationwide, FEMA, February 26, 2021 Article: Veterans Community Care Program: Improvements Needed to Help Ensure Timely Access to Care, U.S. Government Accountability Office, September 28, 2020 Article: How a 1960s communist exposed the funeral industry’s greed, By Matt Reimann, Timeline, July 11, 2016 Article: The F-35 Is About to Get A Lot Cheaper. Sort Of., By Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, July 11, 2016 Additional Resources Poll @JenBriney Twitter Allocation for States Allocation for Metropolitan Cities Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG), First Five Years Fund The American Rescue Plan, The White House Federal Poverty Level (FPL), Healthcare.gov New, lower costs on health insurance! Enroll now, Healthcare.gov US Chamber of Commerce, OpenSecrets.org Lobbyist Profile: Robert L Livingston, OpenSecrets.org Lobbyist Profile: Michael Mukasey, OpenSecrets.org Client Profile: US Chamber of Commerce, OpenSecrets.org Industry Profile: Food & Beverage, OpenSecrets.org Sound Clip Sources McConnell: I hope EVERY REPUBLICAN votes against American Rescue Plan, Forbes, YouTube, March 3, 2021 Rep. Kurt Schrader explains his vote against $1.9T coronavirus relief bill, KGW, March 1, 2021 "A Payoff For Pelosi": Kevin McCarthy Slams Spending Items In $1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan, Forbes, YouTube, May 1, 2021 Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Across the U.S., more than 2.7 million children are growing up in grandfamilies — families in which grandparents, other adult family members, or close family friends are raising children.Generations United, with support from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, created a brief and national comparison chart, Adoption and Guardianship for Children in Kinship Foster Care, which focuses on adoption and guardianship for children in kinship foster care, so that these children can exit foster care into permanent families. In this episode, Ana Beltran, co-director of the National Center on Grandfamilies, is joined by Generations United's GRAND Voice Network Members Ms. Genia LaRese Newkirk and Mr. Keith Lowhorne. Ms. Newkirk took guardianship of her niece, Nadia, after becoming licensed as a foster parent.  Ms. Newkirk had never met Nadia before and didn’t know about her.  They were not offered North Carolina’s Guardianship Assistance Program because the state limits their program to children age 14 and older, and Nadia is about 8 years old. Mr. Lowhorne, with his wife, adopted three grandchildren from foster care in Alabama:  Kayren, about age 7; Kaiser, about age 6; and Harper about age 4.Ms. Newkirk and Mr. Lowhorne talk about the options offered and not offered to them when they decided to keep the children in their lives out of the foster care system.Ana offers resources for families in this situation. Show resourcesAdoption and Guardianship for Children in Kinship Foster Care: https://www.gu.org/resources/adoption-and-guardianship-for-children-in-kinship-foster-care/Generations United: www.gu.orgThe National Center on Grandfamilies: www.grandfamilies.org Support the show (https://generationsunited.wufoo.com/forms/support-generations-united/)

Grandparents raising grandkids or aunts and uncles raising nephews and nieces is often complicated and comes with a mix of challenges and blessings. What are the unique issues that kinship caregivers face and what do they need to succeed. We talk about these issues with LaNette Jacobs, an aunt raising her two nephews; Marla Galvan, a licensed clinical social worker and Foster Care Strategic Consultant for Child Welfare Information Gateway; Dr. Ali Caliendo, the Executive Director of Foster Kinship, a nonprofit support of kinship families in Nevada; and Jaia Lent, the Deputy Executive Director at Generations United where she provides direction for the National Center on Grandfamilies.In this episode, we covered:Kinship care, also often called grandparent care or grandparent-led families, is used to care for children whose parents are unable. And while we will often use the term grandparent, we fully recognize that it is often aunts, uncles, cousins, and sometimes other siblings that are stepping up to care for these children. Kinship care can be permanent or temporary, financially subsidized or not, formal or informal. Kinship care at its best helps to maintain family connections and cultural traditions that can minimize the trauma of family separation. Grandparents raising grandkids or aunts and uncles raising nephews and nieces is often complicated and comes with a mix of challenges and blessings.There is often a blurred line between being a family member and assuming responsibility for a relative's children. Is your role the grandparent or the parent and if parent, to whom is your first allegiance—to your child or your grandchild.It’s also a blessing. It’s a do over, a chance to be fully involved in a child’s life again and make a difference in the next generation.Why is raising your grandkids different from raising your own kids the first time around?Understanding emotions. Guilt, shame, anger, distrust, loss, loneliness, grief. And these feelings are often felt by both the parent and the kinship caregiver.Managing boundaries.CommunicationBeing honest about your needs and the kids needsPutting the children’s needs first.How to help with reunification?Try to show empathy towards the challenges that the parents are struggling with. Don’t put down birth parents, especially in front of the kids.Assure children that their parents love them.Tell parents that you know that they love their child.Don’t put the children in the middle.Make visits a conflict free zone—if possible.Have adult conversations on working out disagreements away from the kids.Support change in the parents.Support groups.Not financially prepared for the addition of kids.Parenting kids who’ve experienced trauma.Legal resources to be in the best position to advocate for the child.This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:· Weekly podcasts· Weekly articles/blog posts· Resource pages on all aspects of family building Support the show (https://creatingafamily.org/donation/)

In episode four, Just Science sat down with Bonnie Dunn, Co-Director of the West Virginia Healthy Grandfamilies Project, to discuss a free initiative that provides information and resources to grandparents who are raising one or more of their grandchildren. Although they aren’t a regular topic in the conversation surrounding the opioid epidemic, children are a population that are often impacted by substance abuse. Incarcerated, addicted, or deceased parents can force children into foster care or alternative family structures. As a product of a grandparent-led household, Bonnie Dunn is keenly aware of the needs and value of these alternative family structures. Now, she serves as the Co-Director of the West Virginia Healthy Grandfamilies Project. Listen along as discusses the Healthy Grandfamilies Project, kinship care, and the need for similar programs in this episode of Just Science. This season is in collaboration with the Bureau of Justice Assistance Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program funding to respond to illicit substance use and misuse in order to reduce overdose deaths, promote public safety, and support access to services. This season is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence.

One of the underreported aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the economic and…

One of the underreported aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the economic and…

Older people are the most vulnerable to COVID-19. That’s a challenge when people in their 60s, 70s and 80s are full time caretakers for grandkids. The opioid epidemic has made more than 2.5 million children nationally part of a ‘Grandfamiliy,’ a household headed by someone over 60. Social distancing isn’t an option when grandparents are tending to diapers, making meals and overseeing homework full time. Some are even essential workers. And COVID has only exacerbated opioid addictions and deaths. Through it all, families are still coming together to give their kids a home.

FASD Hope is a podcast series about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), through the lens of parent advocates with over eighteen years of lived experience.  On this fourth episode of FASD Hope, Podcast Host, Natalie Vecchione, interviews Dr. Glenda Clare, Founder of the Fragile Families Network and "It Takes More Than Love" project. Dr. Clare is an advocate for grandfamilies, those families that are created when grandparents or other family members raise a child of a relative, who is unable or unwilling to parent.Dr. Clare shares how both her professional and lived experience led her to advocating for grandfamilies. In this enlightening episode, Dr. Clare and Natalie discuss the following topics: defining grandfamilies, why grandfamily awareness is such an important issue, challenges that grandfamilies face in raising their grandchildren, how substance abuse often plays a role in a child or teen going to live with grandparents / relatives, the impact of FASD on grandfamilies and how we can bring FASD awareness and better support grandfamilies. "...For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me,"  - Matthew 25:35-36 Resources-Dr. Glenda Clare, Fragile Families Network and "It Takes More Than Love"drclare@fragilefamiliesnetwork.comFacebook Group - "It Takes More Than Love"  FASD Hope -http://www.fasdhope.com/Facebook - @fasdhope1Instagram - @fasdhopePinterest - @fasdhope1 

National Geographic 2021 Almanac (0:00:00) We all could use a breath of fresh air at this point. National Geographic is providing us with just that. Their 2021 Almanac is full of beautiful pictures and information that will refresh all of our adventuring hearts. Susan Tyler Hitchcock is a nonfiction writer specializing in science, nature, and history. She wrote the 2021 almanac. She joins us today.   Increasing Attachment in Grandfamilies (0:16:42) Contemporary society has come a long way from the picket-fences and nuclear family composed of mom, dad, and their 2.8 children of the 1950's. Family households are structured in myriad ways that were rare, if found at all, in the early to mid 20thcentury. In fact, the fastest growing household structure in the US are grandparent headed families, or grandfamilies. However, grandfamilies come with their own circumstances and challenges that are unique to this family unit. Here to discuss what grandfamilies are, how grandfamilies can increase and strengthen bonds within their family unit, and ways in which those outside a grandfamily unit can help to support grandfamilies is Beth Tyson, therapist, trauma-responsive coach, and children's book author.   How You Say It (0:52:46) We've all heard that first impressions are important. And when we think about the very first moment we interact with someone, how we dress or what we say are usually our greatest concerns. But new studies suggest that it doesn't always matter what we say but how we say it. Tone of voice, dialect and accent among other things all contribute to how people perceive us. Here to tell us a little bit more about the science behind how we say things and how that impacts first impressions and perceptions is Katherine Kinzler, professor of psychology and author of How You Say It.   Mini Book Club: Political Dystopian Fiction (1:12:15) Rachel Wadham, of BYU Radio's Worlds Awaiting, talks with Lisa and Richie about the best political dystopian fiction books that are actually worth reading. To find a list of her recommendations, find The Lisa Show on Instagram and Facebook.   Sharenting (1:28:50) As parents, we feel so proud of our kids and their accomplishments that we often can't wait to post about them. Ranging from our toddler taking their first step to our baby going off to college, and everything in between, we flood the internet with the details of our kids' lives. But do you ever stop to think about the affect it has on our kids' safety? Harvard lawyer and author of the book Sharenthood, Leah Plunkett, joins us to talk about how our tendency to over-share about our kids can actually undermine them in more ways than one.

Susan Tyler Hitchcock teases this years new almanac, Beth Tyson explains the value of grandfamilies, Katherine Kinzler talks about the way we talk, Rachel Wadham gives book recommendations, Leah Plunkett discusses oversharing as parents.

Foster parents are encouraged in our classes to interact with relatives of the children in their care. But how do you handle that relationship and why is it important? Hear from a kinship provider, who’s also been a foster parent and from a representative of Utah’s Kinship Coalition, which is holding a free Kinship Town Meeting on September 24 th. Want to learn more about becoming a foster parent... Source

Robyn Wind-Tiger is a member of Generations United's GRAND Voices network, which is a select group of grandparents and other relative caregivers from across the country. Our GRAND members serve as strategic partners to inform policies and practices affecting grandfamilies and help reveal family strengths, needs and service gaps. They provide Guidance and feedback on Generations United’s resources and advocacy on behalf of grandfamilies. In this episode, Robyn discussed with Generations United's Executive Director Donna Butts how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting Native American families, which are often multigenerational. She also talks about the importance of passing down culture, tradition and information to future generations and how racial inequity impacts those efforts. Donna highlighted a new Generations United resource, American Indian and Alaska Native Grandfamilies: Helping Children Thrive Through Connection to Family and Cultural Identity. It's one of two upcoming Generations United toolkits featuring grandfamilies-related content on the racism, bias and injustice in the juvenile justice system, policing and courts and how it impacts Black and Brown boys, men, their families and those who care about them. Visit gu.org after July 22 to access those resources. Support the show (https://generationsunited.wufoo.com/forms/support-generations-united/)

Chemical addictions and the opioid crisis have divided millions of U.S. families. An addicted parent can abandon responsibilities to their children. When a grandparent steps in to help, it creates a new kind of family structure. Some call it a grandfamily. Addictions can create a generational Us & Them divide in a household. It also spotlights underlying financial issues that cause a strain between parents and their adult children.West Virginia and other Appalachian states are at the epicenter of this trend. But there’s a new effort called “Healthy Grandfamilies.” It’s a training program designed to support grandparents when they become caregivers the second time around.

Boris Johnson equals Trump win, Bengals v Patriots, Grandfamilies, USMCA and the Flu

Raising children is hard. Raising a child in your retirement years might be even harder. But that's the reality for more than 70,000 Arizona grandparents. Issues of addiction, incarceration, and mental illness are leaving many Americans unable to care for their kids, so more and more grandparents nationwide are stepping into the role of second-time parent. These "grandfamilies" face emotional, financial, and legal hurdles. But many grandparent caregivers also discover rewarding relationships and say they wouldn't have it any other way. Let us know what you think. Please take our survey (https://heararizona.org/survey). Support the show: https://secure.kjzz.org/alleg/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=ZHEARAZ&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHECK=W1alwZiIWu1G791DoDhWGuzWDeZ%2BeA1M See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Raising children is hard. Raising a child in your retirement years might be even harder. But that's the reality for more than 70,000 Arizona grandparents. Issues of addiction, incarceration, and mental illness are leaving many Americans unable to care for their kids, so more and more grandparents nationwide are stepping into the role of second-time parent. These "grandfamilies" face emotional, financial, and legal hurdles. But many grandparent caregivers also discover rewarding relationships and say they wouldn't have it any other way. Support the show.

Across the United States, more than 2.65 million children live in grandfamilies — families in which grandparents, other adult family members or close family friends are raising children – with no parents in the home. Frequently, these families come together at a moment’s notice. In an instant, the home of the new grandfamily is inadequate for their suddenly expanded household.A new report from Generations United, A Place to Call Home: Building Affordable Housing for Grandfamilies, found less than one in three eligible grandfamilies receive housing assistance and details the housing challenges these families face.In this episode, Generations United's longtime Special Advisor and the report's author Ana Beltran is joined by Olivia Chase, a Generations United GRAND Voice Network Member. They discuss our new report and the benefits of affordable housing for grandparents and other relative caregivers raising children. Support the show (https://generationsunited.wufoo.com/forms/support-generations-united/)

Grandparents step into parents' shoes when necessary. Grandfamilies are presented with unique challenges.Millions of children across the United States are being raised by their grandparents.Fight colds and flu with Hydralyte. Rapid and complete hydration, suitable for all ages and doctor recommended. Use code “hydrakid” to save 30% - sponsor Grandparents have always played a role in children’s lives, but their involvement in raising the children has increased in the past twenty years. Their involvement can go beyond serving as a sitter or providing care while the parents are working. Grandfamilies are often formed under stress. Grandparents typically step in as primary caregivers because of a crisis. Relearning how to parent in modern times with today’s challenges mean a learning curve for grandparents. Listen as Dr. Andrew Adesman joins Melanie Cole, MS, discuss how grandfamilies are formed and resources available to families to manage the new commitment and responsibilities these grandparents have.Sponsor: Fight colds and flu with Hydralyte. Rapid and complete hydration, suitable for all ages and doctor recommended. Use code “hydrakid” to save 30%

Grandparents step into parents' shoes when necessary. Grandfamilies are presented with unique challenges.Millions of children across the United States are being raised by their grandparents.Fight colds and flu with Hydralyte. Rapid and complete hydration, suitable for all ages and doctor recommended. Use code “hydrakid” to save 30% - sponsor Grandparents have always played a role in children’s lives, but their involvement in raising the children has increased in the past twenty years. Their involvement can go beyond serving as a sitter or providing care while the parents are working. Grandfamilies are often formed under stress. Grandparents typically step in as primary caregivers because of a crisis. Relearning how to parent in modern times with today’s challenges mean a learning curve for grandparents. Listen as Dr. Andrew Adesman joins Melanie Cole, MS, discuss how grandfamilies are formed and resources available to families to manage the new commitment and responsibilities these grandparents have.Sponsor: Fight colds and flu with Hydralyte. Rapid and complete hydration, suitable for all ages and doctor recommended. Use code “hydrakid” to save 30%

Kathryn interviews pediatrician Andrew Adesman MD, author of “The Grandfamily Guidebook: Wisdom and Support for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.” There are 65 million grandparents in the US, many of whom are the sole caretakers of their grandchildren. Dr. Adesman, a board-certified physician, explores the main pitfalls of raising a family for the second time around. He has been recognized repeatedly as a 'Top Doctor' by New York Magazine, Newsday and many other publications. Kathryn also interviews humorist Dana Bowman, author of “How to Be Perfect Like Me”. From the moment their children are born, mothers are under tremendous pressure to be ‘perfect'. For moms who struggle with alcoholism, parenting can prove to be especially challenging. Bowman candidly details these struggles in her new book, offering comic relief and encouragement to moms seeking a coping mechanism for the day-to-day expectations and monotonous schedules of family life.

Kathryn interviews pediatrician Andrew Adesman MD, author of “The Grandfamily Guidebook: Wisdom and Support for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.” There are 65 million grandparents in the US, many of whom are the sole caretakers of their grandchildren. Dr. Adesman, a board-certified physician, explores the main pitfalls of raising a family for the second time around. He has been recognized repeatedly as a 'Top Doctor' by New York Magazine, Newsday and many other publications. Kathryn also interviews humorist Dana Bowman, author of “How to Be Perfect Like Me”. From the moment their children are born, mothers are under tremendous pressure to be ‘perfect'. For moms who struggle with alcoholism, parenting can prove to be especially challenging. Bowman candidly details these struggles in her new book, offering comic relief and encouragement to moms seeking a coping mechanism for the day-to-day expectations and monotonous schedules of family life.

It's something that's always been around -- grandparents raising their grandchildren when something happens to the parents. But as the opioid epidemic ravages more and more families across the country, the number of Grandfamilies is on the rise. This is a story about three of those families, and what is being done to give them the help they need. KYW Newsradio's Molly Daly (@ThisMollyDaly)  joins the podcast to talk about Grandfamilies. KYW Newsradio's Charlotte Reese (@creese28)hosted and produced this episode of Scroll Down. KYW Newsradio's Tom Rickert (@teerick) is Scroll Down's executive producer. You can follow the podcast on Twitter at @ScrollDownPod. Thanks for listening!

More of Montana's grandparents are now raising their grandchildren. Dr. Keith Anderson, Professor at the University of Montana explains what's behind this increase in kinship care and how to best support families. We have a lot of resources for this episode, see below for what was mentioned in our conversation. Kinship Caregivers - https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-kinshi/ Generations United - http://www.gu.org/ State of Grandfamilies - https://dl2.pushbulletusercontent.com/uhDY7UgdGYnOod6G7VFkdKnuzE3yALmr/17-InLovingArms-Grandfamilies.pdf Grandfacts: Montana http://www.grandfamilies.org/Portals/0/State%20Fact%20Sheets/Grandfamilies-Fact-Sheet-Montana.pdf   Grandfamilies.org - www.grandfamilies.org Montana Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Project  http://www.montanagrandparents.org Audio Transcript

Kathryn interviews educational psychologist and character expert Michele Borba EdD about her book “UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World”. Parents want to raise empathetic, kind, compassionate children who will go on to achieve great success and enjoy true happiness. But why do studies find that kids today are 40% less empathetic than they were thirty years ago? Dr. Borba is a regular NBC TODAY contributor and is featured on CNN, Dr. Phil, Dateline, NBC Nightly News, and Dr. Oz. Kathryn also interviews University of Missouri doctoral candidate Karen Traylor-Adolph about the dynamics of grandfamilies and raising kinship children. More than 2.2 million children are being raised by their grandparents, other relatives or loved ones. Added financial strains caused by this living arrangement and subsequent legal issues create challenges and often push these “grandfamilies” into poverty.

Kathryn interviews educational psychologist and character expert Michele Borba EdD about her book “UnSelfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World”. Parents want to raise empathetic, kind, compassionate children who will go on to achieve great success and enjoy true happiness. But why do studies find that kids today are 40% less empathetic than they were thirty years ago? Dr. Borba is a regular NBC TODAY contributor and is featured on CNN, Dr. Phil, Dateline, NBC Nightly News, and Dr. Oz. Kathryn also interviews University of Missouri doctoral candidate Karen Traylor-Adolph about the dynamics of grandfamilies and raising kinship children. More than 2.2 million children are being raised by their grandparents, other relatives or loved ones. Added financial strains caused by this living arrangement and subsequent legal issues create challenges and often push these “grandfamilies” into poverty.