Bipartisan Buzz?

There is a buzz, we might even call it a bipartisan buzz.

Last week, our DC leaders were able to take two giant steps forward. First, the House and Senate leaders were able to forge a bipartisan agreement to prevent child sex trafficking, increase adoptions, and improve child support collections. Second, the Senate passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (H.R. 803) by a whopping 95-3. It still has a ways to go, but it actually looks like there is going to be a reauthorization.

Although WIOA is not going to solve the youth unemployment crisis, there are a number of improvements. Below is the summary from CLASP:

• Expand the definition of out-of-school youth to encompass young people ages 16 to 24 who are not attending school, have dropped out of school, and face extensive barriers to work and to completing their education. In addition, Title I targets 75 percent of youth funds to provide services for out-of-school youth.
• Address cumbersome eligibility issues that can make it difficult for local areas to develop comprehensive, cross-system approaches to serve youth who are most in need. Title 1 does so by expanding the definition of low-income individuals to include those who receive or are eligible to receive free or reduced-price school lunches and adding an expansive definition for individuals with a barrier to employment. Title I also incorporates a special rule that allows young people living in high-poverty areas to be deemed eligible for services.
• Require a minimum percentage of youth funds (20 percent) to support work experiences for low-income and vulnerable young people.

The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 4980), has some powerful elements to improve services for youth in child welfare. Here is the summary from the Ways and Means Committee:

Title I: Protecting Youth at Risk of Sex Trafficking

• Requires state child welfare agencies to identify, document, and determine appropriate services for children in foster care or who are otherwise involved in the child welfare system who are victims of child sex trafficking or at risk of becoming victims;
• Requires state child welfare agencies to promote "normalcy" for youth in foster care so these children can more easily participate in age appropriate social, scholastic and enrichment activities;
• Allocates $3 million per year starting in 2020 to states to support foster youth's participation in activities, such as by paying youth sports team fees or the cost of getting a driver’s license;
• Ends “Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement” (APPLA) for foster youth under age 16, thereby ending the practice of deeming young children as expected to age out of foster care; for tribal youth, this change is effective after three years;
• Requires states to regularly review the permanency goal for children over the age of 16 with an APPLA designation and ensure such youth are able to engage in age-appropriate activities;
• Requires children age 14 and older (down from age 16) to be involved in their case planning, including by consulting with trusted adults of the child’s choosing;
• Requires states to provide children in foster care with a list of their rights.
• Requires states to provide children who emancipate after being in foster care for at least 6 months with (1) a birth certificate, (2) a social security card, (3) health records and insurance information and (4) a driver’s license or state ID. 

If this bipartisan buzz keeps growing, perhaps new opportunities will grow to tackle the youth unemployment crisis and maybe even a re-authorization of ESEA? We can only hope.