Momnibus CARE for Moms Act 

Giving birth in America is more dangerous than it should be. Black and rural mothers bear the heaviest risk. Congress answered: the CARE for Moms Act.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST
1. Why postpartum Medicaid must stretch from 60 days to 12 months
2. How doulas and midwives expand the maternal health workforce
3. Mobile obstetric units bringing care to rural maternity deserts
4. Training that targets implicit bias and racial care disparities
5. Ripple effects for schools, employers, and justice-involved moms
6. Which "Moms Act" bills are law, and which are still moving

Senate Bill 2846 of the 118th Congress, Community Access, Resources, and Empowerment for Moms, builds on the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act and the Helping MOMS Act. This episode traces its three fronts: coverage, workforce, and access. Learn what mandatory oral health benefits, perinatal quality collaboratives, and hospital obstetric-unit closure notices mean for families. See how upstream health equity eases pressure on the justice system, why children thrive when mothers stay covered, and what the PUMP Act and WIC extensions ask of administrators. Then follow the money: $35 million a year, fiscal 2024 through 2028, and the tangle of similarly named bills still in motion.

Learn more about Momnibus CARE for Moms Act by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/26/momnibus-care-for-moms-act/

SOCIAL & WEB LINKS
Kidlaw Official Website - https://Kidlaw.org

PODCAST LINKS
Buzzsprout Link:
https://kidlaw.buzzsprout.com

Apple Link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kidlaw/id1896798336

Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/show/033liLtlloBnXvjIJac6Z3?si=cbfc7e412df24c3c

CONTACTS
[email protected] - Mary Coogan, Esq. - Host of Let's Talk Kids | CEO of ACNJ
[email protected] - Nina Peckman, Esq. - Staff Attorney
[email protected] - Viggo Jabon - Multimedia Specialist at ACNJ
[email protected] - Maxine E Carter - Producer

#MaternalHealth,#CAREforMomsAct,#BlackMaternalHealth,#Momnibus,#PostpartumMedicaid,#Doulas,#Midwives,#RuralHealth,#MaternalMortality,#HealthEquity,#MaternityCareDeserts,#Kidlaw,#ACNJ

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney.

The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.

Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.

A cheerleader's angry Snapchat reached the Supreme Court and redrew the line between a school's authority and a student's private voice.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST

1. Why one off-campus Snapchat post produced a landmark 8-1 ruling
2. How Tinker's substantial disruption test applies beyond the campus
3. Three features that give off-campus speech greater protection
4. When schools may still act: bullying, threats, school computers
5. What changed for administrators, parents, and students afterward
6. Where courts are still drawing the digital discipline line in 2026

In 2017 a Pennsylvania freshman missed the varsity squad, vented in a weekend snap from a convenience store, and lost her junior varsity spot for a year. Four years later her case reached the nation's highest court. Justice Breyer's majority opinion held that a district's regulatory power shrinks sharply once a student steps past the schoolhouse gate: districts rarely stand in loco parentis after hours, cannot supervise a child around the clock, and share a democratic interest in shielding unpopular views. We walk through the reasoning, the exceptions that survived, and the heavy burden now carried before disciplining anything posted on a student's own time.

Learn more about Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L. 2021 by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/04/mahanoy-area-school-district-v-b-l/

SOCIAL & WEB LINKS
Kidlaw Official Website - https://Kidlaw.org

PODCAST LINKS
Buzzsprout Link:
https://kidlaw.buzzsprout.com

Apple Link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kidlaw/id1896798336

Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/show/033liLtlloBnXvjIJac6Z3?si=cbfc7e412df24c3c

CONTACTS
[email protected] - Mary Coogan, Esq. - Host of Let's Talk Kids | CEO of ACNJ
[email protected] - Nina Peckman, Esq. - Staff Attorney
[email protected] - Viggo Jabon - Multimedia Specialist at ACNJ
[email protected] - Maxine E Carter - Producer

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney.

The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.

FHA Federal Fair Housing Act

Where you live shapes your school, your safety, your future. The Federal Fair Housing Act decides who gets to live where — and who gets turned away.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST
1. The seven protected classes and what each one actually covers
2. Illegal acts: refusals, false vacancies, unequal terms, harassment
3. How disparate impact works, and why Inclusive Communities limits it
4. Why families with children under 18 are a protected class
5. FHA duties for campus and school-managed student housing
6. HUD's 2026 move to rescind its discriminatory effects rules

The FHA reaches rentals, sales, lending, appraisals, insurance, and advertising, covering private, public, and government-assisted housing alike. This broadcast traces enforcement from HUD's administrative track to DOJ pattern-or-practice suits and private federal lawsuits carrying a two-year statute of limitations. It explains post-1991 design and construction standards, reasonable accommodations and modifications, and the Bostock-driven reading of sex discrimination. It also examines advocacy testing, algorithmic bias in tenant screening, appraisal bias, state layers such as New Jersey's criminal-history limits, and a 25-point homeownership gap that has not closed.

Learn more about The FHA Federal Fair Housing Act by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/02/20/fha-federal-fair-housing-act/

SOCIAL & WEB LINKS
Kidlaw Official Website - https://Kidlaw.org

PODCAST LINKS
Buzzsprout Link:
https://kidlaw.buzzsprout.com

Apple Link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kidlaw/id1896798336

Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/show/033liLtlloBnXvjIJac6Z3?si=cbfc7e412df24c3c

CONTACTS
[email protected] - Mary Coogan - Host of Let's Talk Kids | CEO of ACNJ
[email protected] - Viggo Jabon - Multimedia Specialist at ACNJ
[email protected] - Maxine E Carter - Producer

#FairHousingAct,#FHA,#HUD,#HousingDiscrimination,#FamilialStatus,#DisparateImpact,#ReasonableAccommodations,#TenantRights,#DisabilityRights,#Redlining,#AppraisalBias,#AlgorithmicBias,#AffirmativelyFurtheringFairHousing,#HousingPolicy,#CivilRights,#Kidlaw,#ACNJ,#ChildAdvocacy,#StudentHousing,#EqualAccess

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney.

The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.

Your Rights to Attend School in New Jersey

A parent hears "We can't enroll your child." In New Jersey, that answer is almost always wrong. School is a right, not a privilege — and the law spells out exactly what a school can and cannot do.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST
1. Who has the legal right to attend NJ public schools
2. Where children can enroll, including affidavit students
3. What schools cannot use to deny enrollment
4. Documents schools are legally barred from requiring
5. The step-by-step process for enrolling a child in NJ
6. Immunization rules and provisional admission options
7. How to appeal a denied enrollment decision
8. Special protections during domestic violence or family crisis
9. Rights guaranteed to students experiencing homelessness
10. Language access rules and where to find free legal help

Every school-aged child in New Jersey has a legal seat waiting for them, but too many families are turned away by mistake. This broadcast breaks down the exact statutes, regulations, and court decisions that protect a child's right to enroll — no matter their housing situation, immigration status, or missing paperwork.

We walk through who qualifies, where a child is entitled to attend, and the specific documents a district can and cannot demand. We cover immunization grace periods, the appeal process when a district says no, and the strong protections available to students facing family crisis or homelessness under the McKinney-Vento Act.

Whether you're a parent, guardian, caregiver, or advocate, this guide translates dense legal language into clear, actionable steps — so every child can walk through the schoolhouse door.

Learn more about Your Rights to Attend School in New Jersey by visiting
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/23/your-rights-to-attend-school-in-new-jersey-a-simple-guide/

SOCIAL & WEB LINKS
Kidlaw Official Website - https://Kidlaw.org

PODCAST LINKS
Buzzsprout Link:
https://kidlaw.buzzsprout.com

Apple Link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kidlaw/id1896798336

Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/show/033liLtlloBnXvjIJac6Z3?si=cbfc7e412df24c3c

CONTACTS
[email protected] - Mary Coogan - Host of Let's Talk Kids | CEO of ACNJ
[email protected] - Nina Peckman, Esq. - Staff Attorney
[email protected] - Viggo Jabon - Multimedia Specialist at ACNJ
[email protected] - Maxine E Carter - Producer

#NJEducationLaw,#SchoolEnrollment,#StudentRights,#NewJerseyLaw,#McKinneyVento,#HomelessStudents,#PlylerVDoe,#SpecialEducation,#AffidavitStudents,#SchoolDistrict,#EducationRights,#ACNJ,#KidLaw,#ImmigrationStatus,#FamilyCrisis,#DomesticViolence,#Immunizations,#EnrollmentAppeal,#FreeLegalAid,#KnowYourRights,#EducationAdvocacy,#NJSchools

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney.

The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.

NJ Charter Schools 2026 NJ A-5936_S-4713 and A-5935_S-4716

Thirty years without a serious overhaul. In January 2026, New Jersey rewrote its charter school law, and accountability will never look the same.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST
1. Why NJ's 1995 Charter School Program Act needed a full rewrite
2. How a random lottery replaces selective admissions screening
3. What a student placement liaison does and why it matters
4. Why new for-profit and virtual charter schools are now banned
5. New contract, budget, and ethics rules boards must follow
6. How ten-year renewals reward high-performing schools

On January 16, 2026, Governor Phil Murphy signed A-5936/S-4713 and A-5935/S-4716 into law as P.L. 2025, chapters 276 and 277. Together they impose stricter operating standards: public posting of budgets, contracts, salaries, and board minutes; training and residency rules for trustees; annual IRS Form 990 filings from Charter Management Organizations; and thirty days of public notice before amending leadership contracts. The Commissioner of Education gains expanded power to review, place on probation, or revoke charters. Students gain guaranteed re-enrollment, weighted lotteries for diversity, and access to NJSIAA athletics. Some provisions took effect immediately; others phase in over three years.

Learn more about Charter Schools 2026 NJ A-5936_S-4713 and A-5935_S-4716 by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/09/nj-a-5936-s-4713-and-a-5935-s-4716/

SOCIAL & WEB LINKS
Kidlaw Official Website - https://Kidlaw.org

PODCAST LINKS
Buzzsprout Link:
https://kidlaw.buzzsprout.com

Apple Link:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kidlaw/id1896798336

Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/show/033liLtlloBnXvjIJac6Z3?si=cbfc7e412df24c3c

CONTACTS
[email protected] - Mary Coogan - Host of Let's Talk Kids | CEO of ACNJ
[email protected] - Viggo Jabon - Multimedia Specialist at ACNJ
[email protected] - Maxine E Carter - Producer

#CharterSchools,#NewJersey,#NJEducation,#A5936,#S4713,#A5935,#S4716,#PhilMurphy,#EducationLaw,#SchoolAccountability,#PublicEducation,#NJEA,#CharterReform,#StudentRights,#SchoolBoards,#EducationPolicy,#NJSIAA,#SchoolTransparency,#Kidlaw,#ACNJ

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney.

The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.

CAPTA Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act

Every child deserves to grow up safe. When abuse or neglect threatens that promise, one 1974 federal law decides who steps in—and how. Meet CAPTA.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST
1. How CAPTA funds prevention, investigation and treatment nationwide
2. Why national definitions of abuse and neglect matter in every state
3. How mandated reporting built today's child protective services
4. The role of Guardians ad Litem and CASA volunteers in court
5. What schools and administrators must do under CAPTA protocols
6. How reauthorizations are shifting CAPTA toward public health

Passed in 1974, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act remains the backbone of America's child protection system. This broadcast breaks down its four pillars—grants, national standards, reporting guidelines, and data collection through NCANDS and the Child Welfare Information Gateway—then follows their impact into courtrooms, classrooms, and communities. See how multidisciplinary teams speed response, how therapeutic services treat trauma rather than merely documenting it, and why advocates now push prevention first, evidence-based care, and answers to emerging crises like opioid exposure. A living law, still evolving, still promising a safer childhood for every child.

#CAPTA,#ChildAbusePrevention,#ChildWelfare,#MandatedReporter,#ChildProtectiveServices,#CPS,#GuardianAdLitem,#CASA,#FosterCare,#SchoolAdministration,#ChildSafety,#NCANDS,#ChildAdvocacy,#ChildProtection,#FamilySupport,#TraumaInformedCare,#Kidlaw,#LetsTalkKids,#ACNJ

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney.

The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.

Building Values Based Families

You spent a lifetime building a family around your values. Now a courtroom decides whether those values are allowed to stand. Here's how to make sure they do.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST
1. Why incentive trusts protect wealth and where courts strike them down
2. How Shapira and Feinberg define legal "dead hand control"
3. The three tools that guide heirs without overreaching
4. Where parental rights end and the state's power begins
5. Mahmoud v. Taylor and the fight over classroom opt-outs
6. Contracts that protect LGBTQ+, chosen, and surrogacy families

Values-based families, whether faith-driven, cultural, or progressive, collide with public law at predictable pressure points. This broadcast maps them: estate conditions that judges enforce versus those they void, custody disputes where "best interests of the child" meets religious conviction, vaccine and gender-affirming care fights between divorced parents, and the patchwork protecting non-traditional households. You'll learn why letters of wishes, no-contest clauses, co-parenting and cohabitation agreements, second-parent adoptions, healthcare powers of attorney, and pre-birth parentage orders turn belief into enforceable instruments. Your values are the blueprint; the law is the building code.

Learn more about Building Values Based Families by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/02/18/values-based-families/

#EstatePlanning,#IncentiveTrust,#FamilyLaw,#CustodyBattle,#ParentalRights,#ValuesBasedFamily,#DeadHandControl,#BestInterestsOfTheChild,#MahmoudVTaylor,#LGBTQFamilies,#SecondParentAdoption,#Surrogacy,#CoParentingAgreement,#Kidlaw

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney.

The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.

NJSBR (S1034) New Jersey Siblings' Bill of Rights

She's the person who's known you the longest—not a parent, not a spouse. For thousands of foster kids, losing that person isn't rare. It's routine. New Jersey just made it a right.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST
1. Why siblings are the longest relationship most people have
2. How many foster children are separated from a sibling
3. NJ numbers: over half of kids in care have a sibling in care
4. The real reasons siblings get split up (it's rarely malice)
5. How foster youth themselves wrote this law from scratch
6. The unanimous vote that made it Chapter One of 2023
7. The right to be placed together or as close as possible
8. The right to regular visits, transportation, and phone access
9. Why visits can no longer be used as a behavioral punishment
10. Who actually enforces these rights when no lawsuit exists

This law wasn't written by lobbyists. It was written by twenty-four foster youth who told the state the one thing they wanted wasn't money, it was their brothers and sisters. That request became Senate Bill 1034, passed without a single dissenting vote, and signed into law as Chapter One of 2023.

The New Jersey Siblings' Bill of Rights guarantees more than good intentions. It mandates joint placement whenever possible, guaranteed visitation with transportation included, annual updated contact information, and a voice in each other's adoption and custody decisions. Perhaps most striking: sibling visits can never be revoked as punishment.

Research backs the instinct. Children placed with siblings face fewer disruptions, lower anxiety, and better long-term outcomes. New Jersey now places the vast majority of sibling groups together, proof that a right written by kids who lived the loss can actually change what happens next.

Learn more about NJSBR (S1034) New Jersey Siblings' Bill of Rights by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/02/27/njsbr-s1034-new-jersey-siblings-bill-of-rights/


SOCIAL & WEB LINKS
Kidlaw Official Website - https://Kidlaw.org

PODCAST LINKS
Buzzsprout Link: 
https://kidlaw.buzzsprout.com

Apple Link: 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kidlaw/id1896798336

Spotify Link: 
https://open.spotify.com/show/033liLtlloBnXvjIJac6Z3?si=cbfc7e412df24c3c
 
CONTACTS
[email protected] - Mary Coogan - Host of Let's Talk Kids | CEO of ACNJ
[email protected] - Nina Peckman, Esq. - Staff Attorney
[email protected] - Viggo Jabon - Multimedia Specialist at ACNJ
[email protected] - Maxine E Carter - Producer

#NJSBR,#SiblingsBillOfRights,#FosterCare,#NewJerseyLaw,#ChildWelfare,#SiblingBond,#FosterYouth,#KidsLaw,#ACNJ,#LetsTalkKids,#S1034,#ChildPlacement,#FamilyReunification,#YouthAdvocacy,#FosterCareReform,#SiblingRights,#ChildWelfarePolicy,#NJLegislature

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney.

The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.

WPR Work Participation Rate TANF

A hidden number quietly controls benefits for millions of American families. It's not the jobless rate you hear on the news, it's the WPR, and missing it can cost states millions.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST

1. What the WPR is and why it differs from the labor force rate
2. How TANF work targets work: 50% and 90% thresholds
3. Why WPR only counts hours, not real economic outcomes
4. How the Caseload Reduction Credit shrinks state targets
5. Penalties states face for missing WPR requirements
6. How WPR reshapes fair hearings and administrative law
7. Effects on child welfare, poverty, and foster care rates
8. Real benefits and risks for children in TANF families
9. How WPR pressures ripple into school administration
10. Major 2025 reforms under the Fiscal Responsibility Act

The Work Participation Rate (WPR) is a federal TANF performance measure requiring states to engage a set percentage of welfare recipients in documented work activities. It's a process metric, counting hours, not earnings, employability, or wellbeing. States that miss their targets face reduced federal block grants, starting at five percent and climbing with continued noncompliance.

Beyond the welfare office, WPR pressure reshapes state law. It drives full-family sanctions, clogs administrative fair hearings, and pushes caseload restrictions that deepen poverty, increase neglect cases, and complicate family law. Schools absorb the fallout too, as sanctioned families face housing and food instability, student mobility, and chronic absenteeism.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 is now rewriting these rules, resetting the Caseload Reduction Credit baseline to 2015 and tightening minimum benefit thresholds, changes that will make WPR compliance far harder for states starting in fiscal year 2026.

Learn more about WPR TANF Work Participation Rate by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/12/wpr-tanf-work-participation-rate/


SOCIAL & WEB LINKS
Kidlaw Official Website - https://Kidlaw.org

PODCAST LINKS
Buzzsprout Link: 
https://kidlaw.buzzsprout.com

Apple Link: 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kidlaw/id1896798336

Spotify Link: 
https://open.spotify.com/show/033liLtlloBnXvjIJac6Z3?si=cbfc7e412df24c3c
 
CONTACTS
[email protected] - Mary Coogan - Host of Let's Talk Kids | CEO of ACNJ
[email protected] - Nina Peckman, Esq. - Staff Attorney
[email protected] - Viggo Jabon - Multimedia Specialist at ACNJ
[email protected] - Maxine E Carter - Producer

#TANF,#WPR,#WelfareReform,#WorkParticipationRate,#SocialSafetyNet,#PublicPolicy,#FamilyLaw,#ChildWelfare,#PovertyPolicy,#WelfareToWork,#FiscalResponsibilityAct,#CaseloadReductionCredit,#SchoolAdministration,#Advocacy,#KidLaw,#ACNJ,#SocialServices,#LegalPolicy,#EconomicMobility,#EquityInPolicy,

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney.

The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.

AFCARS Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System

Hundreds of thousands of children are in foster care right now. One federal data system quietly tracks what happens to every one of them: AFCARS.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST

1. What AFCARS is and why Congress mandated it back in 1986
2. Who must report, what they report, and the twice-yearly deadlines
3. Inside the files: 66+ foster care and 37+ adoption data elements
4. How courts use the data in permanency and parental rights cases
5. Why schools now link K-12 records to foster care placement data
6. The 2024 ICWA rule, its 2028 start date, and penalties for errors

Behind every data point is a child. AFCARS is the primary federal source for national foster care and adoption statistics, and the Children's Bureau uses it to assess state performance, calculate adoption incentives, and decide where the money goes. This broadcast breaks down how case-level reporting shapes courtroom decisions, drives trauma-informed practice in schools, and arms advocacy groups pressing for kinship care, faster permanency, and honest accounting of racial and economic disparities. We also trace the shifting rules — expanded in 2016, narrowed in 2020, restored and strengthened in 2024 — and what states stand to lose when the numbers are wrong.

Learn more about AFCARS Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System by visiting:
https://kidlaw.org/2026/03/14/afcars-adoption-and-foster-care-analysis-and-reporting-system/


#AFCARS,#FosterCare,#ChildWelfare,#Adoption,#ICWA,#IndianChildWelfareAct,#TitleIVE,#ChildrensBureau,#PermanencyPlanning,#KinshipCare,#FamilyCourt,#ChildAdvocacy,#FosterYouth,#AgingOut,#SchoolStability,#ChildWelfareData,#Kidlaw,#ACNJ

Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice.

This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney.

The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.