Advancing a More Just and Equal System

At the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), one of our guiding principles is that everyone should be treated fairly and with dignity. In service of that, we sought feedback on people's experiences with the systems designed to serve them in their moment of need. People confirmed what the data demonstrated: some people were not getting a fair chance. During the course of the Biden-Harris Administration, we made a commitment to use all the tools at our disposal to address inequities and advance a more just and fair system.

Disparities are often a sign that a system isn't treating people with impartiality. For example, child welfare data demonstrated that some groups were overrepresented compared to the general population. Recent data from Alaska shows that Alaska Native children are 18.2% of the general population in Alaska but in that child welfare system, they are over 50% of the reported victim population. This disparity is not limited to Alaska, as Alaska Native and Native American children are disproportionately represented in child welfare systems across the country. The overrepresentation of indigenous children in child welfare across the country represented a pressing challenge to understand why these disparities existed and what actions we could to take to address them. Similarly, data showed that LGBTQI+ youth were disproportionately overrepresented in child welfare and in youth homeless shelters, and they faced poorer outcomes while in the system compared to their peers. One survey (PDF)revealed that 32 percent of older foster identified as LGBTQI+, which is higher than the general population.

As part of our response to these disproportionalities, we made intentional policy decisions that would support affected youth, parents, and communities. At a nationwide level, we reinstated the collection of data elements related to the Indian Child Welfare Act, a law explicitly to address the disproportionate number of Native children being removed from their homes. Similarly, we finalized a nationwide regulation that clarifies that LGBTQI+ youth in the child welfare system must be given access to a designated placement that is free of harassment, mistreatment, and abuse and is supportive of their identity.

Similarly, we made programmatic decisions that increased resources in underinvested communities. We provided tribes with the autonomy to decide which children would be eligible for Head Start and child care subsidies. We held convenings and listening sessions dedicated to advancing family acceptance of LGBTQI+ youth. We piloted a youth homelessness project in Alaska where youth who were at risk could receive direct cash assistance to prevent a crisis. At an institutional level, we also required senior leaders to attend tribal consultations in Indian Country to facilitate direct conversations with tribal leaders and to see firsthand the effects and consequences of our policy choices.

As part of our commitment to a more fair and just system, we took a hard look at who got to be at the decision-making table. One of the hallmarks of this Administration became embedding people with lived experience into all facets of our decision-making. We formalized youth advisory councils, hired people with lived experience, and compensated folks who had received ACF-funded services for offering their input. We knew that in order to be successful we would need a workforce that represented the full spectrum of talent. For example, if we were going to dig deep to understand why Native families were experiencing disparities, it made sense to hire people from those communities and increase the hiring flexibilities so they could remain a part of their communities while becoming a part of our workforce.

We also sought to increase and diversify our award recipients. We realized that our Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) were deterring many qualified organizations from applying to and qualifying for awards. Previously ACF NOFOs included many unnecessary requirements and complexities. There were some organizations doing tremendous work in our communities helping families that were being shut out because of bureaucracy, not because of merit. In response, ACF began a concerted effort to simplify our NOFOs and the application process, as a whole. Through ACF's SimplerNOFOs pilots, we made NOFOs more accessible by reducing burdens when applying for grants and expanding opportunities for potential applicants. We achieved an average reduction of 52.7% in word count; 38.0% decrease in sentence length; 3.25-point drop in reading level and a 13% decrease in time applying. We also increased the training and technical assistance provided to organizations before they even applied, including providing planning grants to increase an organization's administrative capacity.

There is much work left to be done to ensure that all families are being treated fairly and with dignity. We hope that the groundwork we laid will prove to be a solid foundation for generations to come.

ACF Prioritizes Investments in Prevention