Mar 7, 2014
By Shadi Houshyar, Vice President, Child Welfare Policy, First Focus, and Carrie Fitzgerald, Senior Policy Advisor for Health, First Focus On February 19, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett submitted his Healthy Pennsylvania Medicaid Waiver proposal to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sebelius. While the proposal affirms Pennsylvania’s commitment to ensuring access to coverage for all...
Mar 5, 2014
By Shadi Houshyar, Vice President, Child Welfare Policy, First Focus Yesterday, the White House released President Obama’s FFY 2015 budget proposal. Though some historical tables will be released later this month, the proposal released yesterday highlights several new initiatives important to children, including one specifically aimed at improving behavioral health outcomes for foster children. Foster youth...
Jan 22, 2014
The Honorable Ernestine Gray is the Chief Judge for Orleans Parish Juvenile Court in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has served the people of New Orleans as a juvenile court judge since 1984. The SPARC team interviewed Judge Gray for this podcast in January 2014, focusing on her insights on opportunities for progress on child abuse...
Jan 16, 2014
By Shadi Houshyar, Vice President, Child Welfare Policy for First Focus Stories about abused and neglected children who, for one reason or another, were time and again failed by the adults and systems entrusted to care for and protect them are common. Every day, we hear stories of children who had one too many unsubstantiated...
Jan 13, 2014
Signed into law on March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) makes a number of improvements to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), helping millions of Americans access affordable health coverage. Thanks to the ACA, beginning on January 1, all youth who turned 18 in foster care between 2007 and 2013 are...
