© Children’s Justice & Advocacy Resource Center. All Rights Reserved.
PO Box 396
Bernville, PA 19506
610-488-5059

ALERTS and UPDATES:

1. Infants and the Opioid Epidemic: Leveraging Coordination, Data, and Leadership
   Thursday, September 15, 2016 • 9:30 a.m. – Noon
   
   Materials from the September 15th forum:
   
   
   Presenters Slides
   • ( pdf ) - Michael Cull, PhD is the Deputy Commissioner for Child Health for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services.
   • ( pdf ) - Cathleen Palm, Founder C4CJ
   • ( pdf ) - Michael Warren, MD, MPH, FAAP serves as the Deputy Commissioner for Population Health in Tennessee and is the President-elect for the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs.
   • ( pdf ) - Jude White is the Executive Director of the Tennessee Governor’s Children’s Cabinet, Office of the Governor and Office of the First Lady
   
   Follow up notes - ( pdf )
2. C4CJ was asked to testify before the House and Senate policy committees as they examine trends and look to identify solutions about the “growing drug epidemic and how it is impacting communities.”
   • Read C4CJ’s testimony Pennsylvania’s “Drug Epidemic”
     and the Impact on Children.
   • C4CJ identified some “Initial Solutions” at the August 15th hearing.
3. Congress praised for including Infant Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act in final CARA bill
4. Advocates urge Senators Casey and Toomey to act immediately on the Family First Prevention Services Act and the Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act
5. PA Congressional delegation urged to support the Plan of Safe Care Improvement Act now included in the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act
6. Governor Wolf and PA Legislative Leaders urged to prioritize pregnant women and infants impacted by the opioid epidemic.

7. March 29^th Roundtable

   The Center for Children's Justice joined by retired Pennsylvania Congressman James Greenwood hosted a two-part roundtable on March 29, 2016 to spotlight the impact of the opioid epidemic (and other parental substance use disorders) on infants and young children.

   Part One of the March 29th roundtable resulted in shared learning between subject-matter experts on substance-exposed infants and young children impacted by parental substance use disorders with members of Pennsylvania's Congressional delegation.

   Part Two focused on the policies, strategies and priorities of Pennsylvania state-level departments with presentations from the Departments of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Health, Human Services as well as the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency and the Children's Roundtable Initiative through the Office of Children and Families in the Courts.

   The event spotlighted the challenges and opportunities to improve the safety, well-being and permanency of substance-exposed infants and other young children impacted by parental substance use disorders. It also served as a forum for diverse stakeholders to call on Governor Tom Wolf and legislative leaders to create a time-limited intentionally charged task force.

   Materials that were shared during/
   post the roundtable are available below:

   1. Background on the impact on children in Pennsylvania
   2. Contact information for the presenters and in-person participants
   3. Power point slides from the presentations
   4. Follow up information related to subject matter discussed in the roundtable
   5. History of the Plan of Safe Care provision within the
      federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)
   6. Insight into the current federal legislation advancing in the
      U.S. House and Senate on CAPTA's Plan of Safe Care Provision
   7. Pennsylvania's heroin and opioid 'epidemic' jeopardizes early childhood
   8. Urging Senators Casey and Toomey to lead on Family First Act