Press Releases & Testimony

Our united voice and strong relationships with legislators, policy makers, and key stakeholder partners at the state and federal levels amplify our members' voices and advocate for effective change. 

Below, you’ll find recent press releases we’ve released and testimony we and our member agencies have shared to shape state policy and create more responsive services and public support for children and families in Wisconsin.

2023

May

• Release: WAFCA Recognizes Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day – Calling for Action
• Informational Testimony Senate Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse Prevention, Children and Families 

April 

• Action Alert - Contact Legislators on State Budget Priorities (sample email text to copy/paste)

March 

• Informational Testimony Assembly Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention 

February

• Release: WAFCA Supports a State Budget that Improves the Continuum of Supports for Children and Families 
• Memo: Family First Prevention and Services Act Informational Hearing 

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2021

• Making Pre-adoption Training Formats More Accessible — SB 294 (October 14, 2021)
• Testimony

• Support for SB 294, which sought to make the adoption process more accessible by allowing for live virtual training of those completing pre-adoption training requirements as an alternative to in-person attendance.

• Creating a Foster Parents Bill of Rights — AB 412 (October 13, 2021)
• Testimony
• A recommendation for an amendment to AB 412 which sought to establish a foster parents’ bill of rights in the State of Wisconsin. WAFCA’s proposed amendment required that the bill of rights be produced through collaboration between the Department of Children and Families, relative and fictive caregivers, and associated child welfare agencies rather than through state statute to avoid confusion between current law and administrative rules and allow for more frequent reviews and updates.
• Improving the Accuracy of Reports of Child Sexual Abuse and Out of Home Care — AB 423 (October 13, 2021)

• Testimony
• Support or AB 423, which aimed to ensure increased accuracy of  information published about those serving children in out-of-home care (OHC) and incidents of sexual abuse of a child, allowing for a better understanding of the prevalence of issues in OHC facilities (so they may be addressed) and the quality protection and care provided in our systems.
  

• Support for Children and Families in the Biennial Budget 2021-23 (April 28, 2021)

• Memo
• Support for key Initiatives in Governor Tony Evers’ proposed budget with the potential to lift up families and strengthen the human services ecosystem across the state’s private and public sector.
  

• Qualified Residential Treatment Programs — SB 161 (April 27, 2021) 

• Testimony
• Support for SB 161, which would allow the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to certify a congregate care setting, such as a shelter care facility, group home, or residential care center for children and youth (RCCs), as a Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP)—providing a more robust continuum for Wisconsin youth needing placement and a way for Wisconsin to continue claiming Title IV-E federal match on some of the costs associated with out-of-home care placement.
  

 2020

• Governor Signs Bill Expanding Mental Health Consultation to Parents (February 6, 2020)
• Press Release
• Details regarding the statewide expansion of school-based mental health services initiated by Governor Tony Evers signing of Act 88 as well as WAFCA’s statement about how the act affects its members and those they serve.

• The Case Against Prohibiting the Disclosure of Certain Child abuse and Neglect Reports—SB 610 (January 22, 2020)
• Testimony 

• Opposition to SB 610, which sought to prohibit the disclosure of specific child abuse and neglect records to individuals and agencies responsible for making.

2019

• Certification of Qualified Residential Treatment Programs—AB 643 (December 18, 2019)
• Testimony 

• Support of AB 643, which would permit the Department of Children and Families to create a certification fora Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP) in current congregate care settings such as a shelter care facility, group home, or residential care center for children and youth.

• Wisconsin Enacts New Law to Support Homeless Youth‚—AB 52 (November 20, 2019)
• Press Release
• Details regarding Governor Tony Evers’ signing of AB 52—which allows 17-year-olds who are unaccompanied and homeless to contract for admission to a shelter facility or transitional living program—and how the bill forwards the work of WAFCA members.

• WAFCA Testimony on Adoption Task Force Proposals (October 29, 2019)
• Testimony
• Commentary on proposals seeking to improve Wisconsin’s foster care and adoption system: AB 559, AB 561, AB 564, AB 563, AB 562, and AB 566.
• WAFCA Welcomes New Associate Director Emily Coddington (September 6, 2019)
• Press Release

• Announcement of WAFCA Associate Director Emily Coddington’s appointment.

• Support for Children and Families in 2019-21 Biennial Budget (June 27, 2019)
• Memo

• Support for key Initiatives in Governor Tony Evers’ proposed budget with the potential to lift up families and strengthen the human services ecosystem across the state’s private and public sector, specifically AB 56.

• WAFCA Announces Leadership Transition, New Executive Director Kathy Markeland (June 21, 2019)
• Press Release

• Announcement of WAFCA Executive Director Kathy Makeland’s appointment; Kathy formerly served WAFCA as Senior Policy Analyst and Associate Director.

• Clinical Consultation for Students—AB 192  (May 22, 2019)
• Press Release

• Details of a State Capitol Hearing during which WAFCA member agencies spoke in support of AB 192, which would continue Medicaid-funded consultation services for students. 

• Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (May 9, 2019)
• Press Release
• In recognition of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day (observed nationally), a list of recommended steps for improving children’s mental health in Wisconsin.
• Expanding Home Visiting in Wisconsin (February, 18, 2019)
• Joint Memo

• Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Nurse-Family Partnership, and WAFCA’s statement encouraging legislators to invest $10 million in the 2019-21 state budget to double the number of families served by Wisconsin’s evidence-based Family Foundations Home Visiting Program (FFHV)

• WAFCA Ideas for increasing access to health services and growing the behavioral health workforce (January 17, 2019)
• Memo
• Recommendations issued to Governor Tony Evers and Secretary Andrea Palm of the Department of Health Services regarding opportunities to change policies and practices to improve the quality and availability of behavioral health services (recommendations made following the issuance of Executive Order #3 last week regarding the Healthy Communities Initiative).

2018

• WAFCA Urges Congressional Delegation to Keep Kids in Families (June 27, 2018)
  
  

• 3rd Annual Growing School Mental Health Conference - June 22, 2018  (June 18, 2018)

• Advancement of Youth Justice Reform—AB 660 (January 25, 2018)
  
  
• Tuition Remission for Former Foster Youth —AB 777 (January 18, 2018)
  
  
• Limited Release of Mental Health Information—AB 782 (January 17, 2018)
  
  
• Foster Forward Proposals (January 17, 2018)
  
  
• Notification of School regarding Foster Care Placement—AB 780 (January 11, 2018)
  
  

2017

• Prevention Focus in Task Force Recommendations (October 24, 2017)
  
  
• WAFCA Applauds Expansion of Mental Health Access (October 24, 2017)
  
  
• Budget Advances Key Initiatives for Family Services and Student Mental Health (September 21, 2017)
  
  
• Joint Finance Committee Action to Support Student Mental Health (August 29, 2017)
  
  
• Changes to Coverage Policy and Prior Authorization Requirements for Behavioral Treatment (August 18, 2017)
  
  
• The Value of Investment in Family Stability (July 27, 2017)
  
  
• Speaker's Task Force on Foster Care (June 28, 2017)
  
  
• Joint Finance Committee Advances School-Based Mental Health (May 25, 2017)
  
  
• BadgerCare Reform Draft 1115 Demonstration Waiver Amendment (May 19, 2017)
  
  
• Refundable Tax Credit for Youth in Transition—AB 239 (April 18, 2017)
  
  
• Protect Medicaid to Protect Wisconsin Families (March 1, 2017)

• Governor's Budget Promising for Children and Families (February 9, 2017)

2016

• Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (May 5, 2016)

• Passage of Bill to Expand Access to Mental Health Services in Schools—AB 664 (February 19, 2016)
  

2015

• Joint Finance Supports Sound Financial Policies for Child and Family Serving Agencies (May 22, 2015)
  
  

• Joint Finance Approves Increasing Support for Adoptive Families (May 15, 2015)