On January 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a dramatic freeze on roughly $10 billion in federal child care and family assistance grants for five states — California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York — over alleged fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars in state-administered programs. HHS’s Administration for Children and Families (ACF) notified the governors of the five states that access to key funding streams is now restricte

If you’ve spent any time working in child welfare, behavioral health, or foster care policy, you’ve probably heard the phrase “unintended consequences.”  Few issues illustrate that better than the quiet conflict between two federal laws that are both supposed to help children in foster care—but, in practice, are working against each other. At the center of the problem is a long-standing Medicaid rule called the Institution for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion  and how it appli

As the federal government shutdown continues to drag on, millions of families are facing the loss of vital food assistance. Unless funding is restored, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—the nation’s largest anti-hunger initiative—will run out of money as early as November 1st. SNAP Funding Set to Expire by End of October According to a notice issued by the the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) on October 10, states ha

When most people think of the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics, they picture packed stadiums, thrilling victories, and moments of athletic...

A caution sign at the US Capitol building in Washington, D.C A government shutdown could begin on Wednesday. Every time a potential...

It's not necessary to spend years on Capitol Hill to know that the word "lobbyist" carries a negative connotation. And as a social worker...

Time is ticking as Congress has just 31 days to come together on a spending bill that will fund the Federal Government. Last week I met...

UPDATE: On  Tuesday January 28th, U.S. District Judge Loren L. AliKhan ordered an administrative stay . The administrative stay, prompted...

Having almost ten years of experience in federal immigration policy, predicting the extent of changes to our current immigration system...

In 2021, Congress resurrected a process previously known as earmarks, or funds set aside for a particular program or project. Referred to...

With experience in both roles as a hill staffer and an advocate for federal policy reforms, I can attest that there are common (and...

House Ways and Means Committee, Title IV-B Reauthorization Package On July 24, the House Ways and Means Committee advanced two pieces of...

Tips for reaching across the aisle