Congressional Research Service Reports - 22 Matching Results

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The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant: An Overview

Description: This report provides a nontechnical introduction to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The report briefly describes the history of cash assistance and how the "welfare reform" debates led to the creation of TANF; TANF financing; the TANF cash welfare programs and; other TANF benefits, services, and activities.
Date: November 5, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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State Considers Amendment to Protect Human Life at Any Stage of Development

Description: This legal sidebar discusses a proposal in North Dakota that would amend the state constitution to address the right to life. If adopted, the North Dakota constitution would state: "The inalienable right to life of every human being at any stage of development must be recognized and protected."
Date: October 30, 2014
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Runaway and Homeless Youth Act: Current Issues for Reauthorization

Description: This report discusses the Runaway and Homeless Youth program, which is authorized by the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, and funds organizations throughout the country to provide services to youth who have run away and/or experience homelessness.
Date: October 23, 2014
Creator: Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Child Welfare and Child Support: The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (P.L. 113-183)

Description: This report begins with an overview and topical summary of the provisions of the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 4980), which seeks to ensure that child welfare agencies are responsive to particular issues for children and youth in foster care or those who otherwise have contact with the child welfare system. The report follows this with a review of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimate for H.R. 4980 and the legislative origins of the enacted bill.
Date: October 16, 2014
Creator: Stoltzfus, Emilie; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L. & Solomon-Fears, Carmen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Child Care and Development Block Grant: Background and Funding

Description: This report discusses the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), which provides subsidies to assist low-income families in obtaining child care so that parents can work or participate in education or training activities.
Date: September 17, 2014
Creator: Lynch, Karen E.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Child Welfare: An Overview of Federal Programs and Their Current Funding

Description: This report begins with a review of federal appropriations activity in FY2014 as it relates to child welfare programs, including the effect of the automatic spending cuts, known as sequestration. The bulk of the report provides a short description of each federal child welfare program, including its purpose and recent (FY2012-FY2014) funding levels.
Date: September 16, 2014
Creator: Stoltzfus, Emilie
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Special Immigrant Juveniles: In Brief

Description: This report provides a brief explanation of the statutory basis of special immigrant juvenile (SIJ) status and how it has evolved. It also presents statistics on the number of children who have applied for and received SIJ status since FY2005. The report concludes with a discussion of the applicability of SIJ status for unaccompanied alien children.
Date: August 29, 2014
Creator: Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unaccompanied Children from Central America: Foreign Policy Considerations

Description: This report examines policy considerations for Congress in response to the recent influx of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) from Central American countries being apprehended at the U.S. border. The report also discusses current policy framework and the Obama Administration's diplomatic response.
Date: August 28, 2014
Creator: Meyer, Peter J.; Seelke, Claire Ribando; Taft-Morales, Maureen & Margesson, Rhoda
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unaccompanied Alien Children: An Overview

Description: This report opens with an analysis of the data of the recent surge in UAC crossing the border. It then discusses current policy on the treatment, care, and custody of the population. The processing and treatment of UAC is detailed, with a discussion of each agency that is involved with the population. The report then discusses both Administrative and Congressional action to deal with the current crisis. As this issue is still emerging, the report concludes with a series of questions related to … more
Date: July 28, 2014
Creator: Seghetti, Lisa; Siskin, Alison & Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Eligibility and Benefit Amounts in State TANF Cash Assistance Programs

Description: This report describes state the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) financial eligibility rules and maximum benefit amounts. The report discusses cash assistance benefit amounts for needy families that are not automatically adjusted for inflation by the states, and have lost considerable value in terms of their purchasing power over time.
Date: July 22, 2014
Creator: Falk, Gene
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unaccompanied Alien Children--Legal Issues: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report addresses the questions regarding the number of children arriving at the United States southern border, their reasons for coming to the United States, and current and potential responses of the federal government and other entities to their arrival
Date: July 18, 2014
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Garcia, Michael John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Child Tax Credit: Current Law and Legislative History

Description: This report provides an overview of the child tax credit under current law, as well as a legislative history of this tax benefit, which helps explain its purpose and current structure.
Date: July 17, 2014
Creator: Crandall-Hollick, Margot L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unaccompanied Alien Children: Potential Factors Contributing to Recent Immigration

Description: This report begins by describing the recent surge in unaccompanied child apprehensions. It discusses several factors widely associated with out-migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The report then discusses three broad factors that may be attracting migrants to the United States: economic and educational opportunity, family reunification, and U.S. immigration policies. It concludes with caveats on the attribution of causes to this situation.
Date: July 3, 2014
Creator: Kandel, William A.; Bruno, Andorra; Meyer, Peter J.; Seelke, Clare Ribando; Taft-Morales, Maureen & Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unaccompanied Alien Children--Legal Issues: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Description: This report addresses the questions regarding the numbers of unaccompanied alien children involved, their reasons for coming to the United States, and current and potential responses of the federal government and other entities to their arrival.
Date: June 27, 2014
Creator: Manuel, Kate M. & Garcia, Michael John
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unaccompanied Alien Children: An Overview

Description: This report discusses the immigration problem regarding the number of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) arriving in the United States borders. The report discusses the scope of the problem, current policy challenges, and the processing and treatment of the UAC apprehended.
Date: June 23, 2014
Creator: Seghetti, Lisa; Siskin, Alison & Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Unaccompanied Alien Children: An Overview

Description: This report discusses the immigration problem regarding the number of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) arriving in the United States borders. The report discusses the scope of the problem, current policy challenges, and the processing and treatment of the UAC apprehended.
Date: June 13, 2014
Creator: Seghetti, Lisa; Siskin, Alison & Wasem, Ruth Ellen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Homelessness: Targeted Federal Programs and Recent Legislation

Description: This report describes existing federal programs that provide targeted assistance to homeless individuals and families, and discusses federal efforts to end homelessness. It also contains tables that outline funding levels for various related programs.
Date: February 3, 2014
Creator: Perl, Libby; Bagalman, Erin; Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L.; Heisler, Elayne J.; McCallion, Gail; McCarthy, Francis X. et al.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Child Support Enforcement: Program Basics

Description: This report discusses the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program that was enacted in 1975 as a federal-state program (Title IV-D of the Social Security Act) to help strengthen families by securing financial support for children from their noncustodial parent on a consistent and continuing basis and by helping some families to remain self-sufficient and off public assistance by providing the requisite CSE services.
Date: January 27, 2014
Creator: Solomon-Fears, Carmen
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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International Parental Child Abductions

Description: This report discusses the applicability of the Hague Convention and current U.S. laws, both civil and criminal, which seek to address the quandary of children abducted by parents to foreign nations.
Date: January 27, 2014
Creator: Smith, Alison M.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Vulnerable Youth: Background and Policies

Description: This report first provides an overview of the youth population and the increasing complexity of the transition to adulthood for all adolescents with a discussion of the concept of "disconnectedness," as well as the protective factors youth can develop during childhood and adolescence that can mitigate poor outcomes. Further, the report describes the evolution of federal youth policy and provides a brief overview of current federal programs targeted at vulnerable youth, and discusses the challen… more
Date: January 13, 2014
Creator: Fernandes-Alcantara, Adrienne L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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