The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization. CWLA holds up the vision of an America in which families, neighborhoods, communities, organizations, and governments work together to ensure that all children have the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong. As the nationally recognized standard-setter for child welfare services, CWLA provides direct support to agencies that serve children and families, improving the quality of the services they provide to more than nine million children every year. Headquartered in Washington, DC, CWLA has regional offices in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and Northern Virginia.
CWLA’s legislative priorities include:
Medicaid—CWLA will advocate for continued access to targeted case management and rehabilitative services – as well as other Medicaid services - within the child welfare system, opposing any efforts that would result in reduced benefits and restricted eligibility for low-income children, youth, and families.
Mental Health Care Services—CWLA strongly supports the allocation of more federal resources dedicated to research and services for all children and families, including children in out-of-home care so they can receive the mental health services they need and deserve to live healthy, productive lives. In order to accomplish this, CWLA advocates several courses of federal legislative action, including increasing funding for the Community Mental Health Performance Partnership Block Grant, the Children’s Mental Health Services Program, and the provision of first-time funding for the Mental Health and Child Welfare Services Integration program, which would address the serious needs of children and adolescents in the child welfare system as well as the needs of youth at risk for placement in the system.
Teen Pregnancy—Youth in foster care are at significant risk for teen pregnancy. CWLA believes that the state, having assumed the role of parent, has a vital responsibility to ensure that youth in foster care receive adequate information on pregnancy prevention. CWLA supports increasing funding for the Title X family planning program, while maintaining its status as a categorical federal program, as well as funding for comprehensive, accurate sexuality health education in communities and schools.
If you are interested in advocating for the policies and practices supported by the Child Welfare League of America, please contact trush@docsfortots.org.
