Responding to COVID-19 A Webinar Series Presented

Updates and Clarifications Department of Labor (DOL) guidance around Emergency Paid Sick Leave and Emergency FMLA. Clarified key terms and provides information around record keeping. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/06/2020-07237/paid-leave-under-the-families-first-coronavirus-response-act
DOL updates question and answer pages for the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, COVID-19 and Fair Labor Standards, and COVID-19 and FMLA https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic
DOL updates posters employers must display and posts Q & A regarding postings: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic<br>

Updates and Clarifications DOL webinar around Families First Coronavirus Response Act: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/Pandemic/FFCRA_webinar.pdf
IRS to launch online tool to track stimulus checks: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments
American Heart Association Guidance: https://cpr.heart.org/-/media/cpr-files/resources/covid-19-resources-for-cpr-training/english/covid19-statement_card-extensions_update-33120.pdf?la=en&hash=03D83E0348F2B47BA97012D68BFE237F89311E2D<br>

Guidance April 10, ACF issued guidance around the changes in the Children’s Bureau’s plans for conducting Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews (IV-E Reviews) and National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD) Reviews.
“For the foreseeable future,” all scheduled IV-E Reviews, NYTD Reviews and review preparation activities will be postponed
Q & A around the used of Family Violence and Prevention Services Act (FVPSA) https://www.acf.hhs.gov/fysb/news/faqs-on-allowable-use-of-fvpsa-funds-during-the-covid-19-public-health-emergency<br>

Guidance CDC issues new guidance regarding essential employees returning to work. The new guidelines will allow critical workers who have been exposed go back to work as long as they are asymptomatic and follow conditions like taking their temperature before going to work, wearing a face mask at all times and practicing social distancing at work as much as possible. Under the old guidance, employees were told to stay home 14 days. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/critical-workers/implementing-safety-practices.html<br>

Stimulus Funds Directed to Colleges April 9, Secretary DeVos announced $7 billion to be released for colleges and universities to help students in financial distress because of the coronavirus. As part of the CARES Act, these funds direct schools to give students money to cover expenses such as food, housing, technology, childcare and health care.
Public colleges and universities will receive the most amount of emergency grant funds at $4.5 billion, while private nonprofits will get about $1.2 billion, and for-profit schools will receive more than $500 million<br>

COVID-19 and Child Welfare Cases April 9, American Bar Association (ABA) Webinar, featuring Dr. Jerry Milner, Associate Commissioner. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/events_cle/program-archive/covid-child-welfare/
Article https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/child-welfare-2/family-is-a-compelling-reason/42119
Supreme Court has again delayed oral arguments for the April timeframe.<br>

Senate Unveils Heroes Fund $25,000 pandemic pay for essential frontline workers

https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Heroes%20Fund%20FINAL%204.7.20.pdf<br>

Looking at Package 4 What is included in the current discussions?
Child welfare, small businesses, larger nonprofits
FFTA has circulated several letters related to child welfare issues to be considered in package 4: https://8d4423aa-ca00-43b9-b7fd-96d7d923616b.filesusr.com/ugd/1c1829_56799d7215c040ffaf56dc9f92dbfaab.pdf?index=true ; https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsR-h1jP-oIVmCUc21L7Iv3Wfg_2bNwqx4waWELNmMLdF16A/viewform<br>

How is the crisis effecting your agency? Last week, we polled attendees around administrative changes taking place as a result of the pandemic. Here is what we found;
Over half of the agencies who responded have seem some form of furlough, layoff, downsizing as a result of the ongoing crisis.
All agencies who responded are in some form utilizing telehealth and work from home options
Next week we will have a panel of agency leaders from across the Nation discussing these important topics as they related to all agencies<br>

Questions From Members When you register each week, you also can submit a question. Some of those from last week included;
How have states relaxed regulations around licensure?
What are other agencies doing to recognize resource parents? Care package suggestions/ideas?
What are other agencies using for telehealth to ensure confidentiality during video sessions?<br>

Resources DOL Temporary Rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/06/2020-07237/paid-leave-under-the-families-first-coronavirus-response-act
DOL Q & A, postings: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic
DOL webinar: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/WHD/Pandemic/FFCRA_webinar.pdf
CDC revised guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/critical-workers/implementing-safety-practices.html<br>

Resources ABA webinar: https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/events_cle/program-archive/covid-child-welfare/
Chronicle of Social Change article: https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/child-welfare-2/family-is-a-compelling-reason/42119
Heroes Fund: https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Heroes%20Fund%20FINAL%204.7.20.pdf
AHA guidance: https://cpr.heart.org/-/media/cpr-files/resources/covid-19-resources-for-cpr-training/english/covid19-statement_card-extensions_update-33120.pdf?la=en&hash=03D83E0348F2B47BA97012D68BFE237F89311E2D<br>

Treva JohnsonPublic Policy DirectorFamily Focused Treatment Assocation tjohnson@ffta.org
www.ffta.org<br>