Policy and Practice August 2016

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August 2016 Policy&Practice 39
honored Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
and Ron Wyden (D-OR) as co-recipi-
ents of the 2016 Peter Forsythe Award
for Excellence in Public Child Welfare.
Senators Hatch and Wyden (Chair
and Ranking Member, Senate Finance
Committee) were honored for their
unwavering commitment to children
and families and their bipartisan
efforts on child welfare legislation: leg-
islation to increase federal investments
in prevention and early intervention,
advance policies on the appropriate
out-of-home placements, and other
child welfare services and supports.
NAPCWA Submits
Comments on the AFCARs
ICWA Supplemental Notice
APHSA and its affiliate, the National
Association of Public Child Welfare
Administrators (NAPCWA), submitted
comments on the Supplemental Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) on
the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis
and Reporting System (AFCARS).
Issued in April, the SNPRM proposed
that states collect and report certain
information on American Indian/
Alaska Native (AI/AN) children
for whom the Indian Child Welfare
Act (ICWA) applies and to collect
meaningful information about their
experiences (with child welfare). The
comments reaffirmed support for
the administration’s commitment to
better understand the experiences
of AI/AN children. Given the antici-
pated significant amount of new data
elements in the final AFCARs rule, we
also requested a staged and phased
implementation period to ensure
systems build capacity (workforce) and
infrastructure (technology upgrades)
and resources for successful compli-
ance with the final rule. NAPCWA will
continue to work with federal partners
in finalizing changes to AFCARS and
addressing the unique needs of AI/AN
children and families.
NAPCWA Co-Hosts National
Webinar on Comprehensive
Child Welfare
Information Systems
Earlier this summer, APHSA and
NAPCWA joined the Administration
on Children, Youth, and Families com-
missioner and the Children’s Bureau
for a national webinar on the final
rule for state child welfare informa-
tion systems (CCWIS). Greg Rose,
NAPCWA Immediate past president
and deputy director of the California
Department of Social Services, and
Christina Crayton, APHSA’s assistant
director, of Policy and Government
Affairs, provided welcoming, intro-
ductory, and contextual remarks
on the release, noting appreciation
for adopting APHSA recommenda-
tions and the focus on supporting
state modernization. Commissioner
Rafael López reaffirmed the admin-
istration’s commitment to leveraging
technology to improve work with
children and families. A recording
of the webinar and all related infor-
mation can be found at ACF’s “State
and Tribal Information Systems”
page at
programs/cb/research-data-technology/
state-tribal-info-systems.
Visit the NAPCWA website for addi-
tional information at .
org/content/NAPCWA/en/home.html.
NASCCA Comments
on Child Care and
Hotline Submission
In April the National Association
of State Child Care Administrators
(NASCCA) submitted comments to
the Administration for Children and
Families in response to the Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking on the Child
Care National Website and Hotline.
The Child Care and Development Block
Grant Reauthorization Act of 2014
authorized the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services to create
a national website to connect parents
to information about child care and a
national hotline to allegations of health
and safety violations and child abuse.
NASCCAmembers noted support
of the use of technology to educate
stakeholders and consumers and to
facilitate better informed decision-
making. NASCCAmembers also voiced
concerns, however, about the poten-
tial barriers and challenges in use of
a national hotline to report suspected
violations or abuse and neglect. Data
collection procedures, report transfers,
reporter confidentiality, and other
factors must be considered if the state
or local reporting process is superseded
(and allegations are sent and captured
through a federal portal). The comment
letter can be found at .
org/content/NASCCA/en/home.html.
NASCCA Continues
Member Outreach and
Engagement through
Regional Calls
This past summer, NASCCA hosted
a series of regional calls to connect
members across federal regions to
exchange knowledge, strengthen peer
connections and identify strategies to
assist states with implementing the
new child care development block
grant. Participants on the regional calls
discussed emerging APHSA initiatives,
including our new “Center”* platform
and informed NASCCA’s objectives for
the remainder of 2016 into 2017. The
affiliate’s primary objectives are to
advance NASCCA policy and practice
initiatives (by informing sound policy
development), support child and
family well-being (through quality
child care and early learning program);
support emerging approaches such
as Two-Generation efforts (that focus
on building parental/caregiver skills
and healthy child development), and
continued implementation of the Child
Care and Development Block Grant.
Visit the NASCCA website for addi-
tional information at .
org/content/NASCCA/en/home.html.
* The National Collaborative for
Integration of Health and Human
Services, the Center on Child and
Family Well-Being, and the Center for
Employment and Economic Well-Being
are APHSA’s three “collaborative centers.”
These platforms are creative teams of
members and partners organized around
the impact areas identified in our Pathways
initiative to (1) develop and advance
influence campaigns for policy change;
(2) elevate innovations and solutions;
(3) develop tools and guidance for the
field; (4) leverage our organizational
effectiveness practice to strengthen
the drivers of general organizational
readiness, continuous improvement, and
performance; (5) shape and spread key
messages using framing science; and (6)
test and refine emerging applications.
Christina Crayton is the assistant
director of Policy and Government
Affairs at APHSA.