The Administration for Children's Services has a new vision for preventive services

A mother and daughter sitting in the woods.

A mother and daughter sitting in the woods. Shutterstock

The Trump administration is looking to make it harder for people to receive SNAP. A proposed rule at the US Department of Agriculture, which oversees food stamps, would make it harder for states to waive a rule limiting adults without children to three months of food aid, according to the Food Research & Action Center. A Feb. 11 press release states that the department’s own estimates find that 755,000 adults would lose SNAP benefits over the next 10 years under the rule.

Comments on the proposed rule change are due on April 2 by 11:59 p.m. More information from the center on the proposed rule change can be found here. Sample templates for comments can be found here and here. Comments can be submitted online or sent to: Certification Policy Branch, Program Development Division, FNS, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22302.

 

The New York Community Trust has released $8 million in new grants. The money will support 51 projects that aim to promote social and economic equity across the city. Here are a few projects highlighted in a Feb. 11 press release:

  • The Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center received a $150,000 grant to support counseling, legal aid, immigration assistance, and HIV/AIDS prevention for transgender New Yorkers.
  • The New 42nd Street, Arts Connection and Community-Word Project will share a $600,000 grant that aims to train 500 artists over the next two and a half years how to teach disabled students in New York City public schools. More than 12,500 students could benefit from the effort.
  • Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging at Hunter College will use a $200,000 grant to fund an intergenerational housing pilot program in East Harlem that pairs older people with students.
  • The Trust’s Foster Care Excellence Fund will spend $250,000 over two years to prepare foster care youth for adulthood. A $160,000 grant will allow HeartShare St. Vincent’s Service to expand a tutoring program.. Jewish Child Care Association of New York will help young foster care kids with reading and writing, per a $150,000 grant.

The original version of this article misspelled the name of Community-Word Project.

 

A new state campaign aims to dispel myths about drug addiction services. The Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse will run the “Know the Facts” campaign through March 25 via radio ads, billboards, social media, and other avenues, according to a Feb. 11 press release. The agency has posted material from the campaign here.

“Substance use disorder can be managed with the right treatment options,” Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, co-chair of the state Heroin and Opioid Abuse Task Force, said in the press release. “The key is making sure people are aware of the resources available and that they have access to them. Lives can be saved and returned to normal with help and support. With this campaign, we hope to encourage people to start their journey on the road to recovery.”

 

The New York City Administration for Children’s Services is looking for feedback on its new vision for preventive services. Comments on a new concept paper from the nonprofit medical, clinical and social services providers will be incorporated into an upcoming Request for Proposals this spring, according to a Feb. 8 press release. The agency is looking to re-procure most of its child welfare contracts over the next two years. In anticipation of these new contracts, ACS has consulted with more than 300 stakeholders in the child welfare system, as well as 50 focus groups, expert interviews, data analysis, and other research.

Comments can be sent to Prevention-CP@acs.nyc.gov before March 25. The new contracts are expected to take effect in July 2020.