State legislatures are an ever-changing landscape. Some states cram in a year of policy into short sessions, and the membership is constantly turning over. It can be a tough environment for child welfare issues to find traction, even with widespread concern over increases in foster youth and shortages in foster homes.
One national organization is taking a crack at embedding more state houses with legislators poised to take the lead in this arena. The National Conference of State Legislatures convened its first ever Child Welfare Policy Fellows group this month, an initiative aimed at raising the level of political leadership on family preservation, foster care and adoption in the state house.
The group of 18 state legislators and three legislative staffers gathered in Denver in mid-July for the first of several planned sessions this year. Another in-person meeting is planned for later in the year, as well as at least two remote webinar sessions.
[For more on this story by John Kelly, go to https://chronicleofsocialchang...e-legislatures/31783]
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