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HHS Plans Up to $1 Million Award to Expand Free Training for Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Families

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HHS plans to award up to $1 million to continue expanding the National Training and Development Curriculum, a free program designed to prepare and support foster, adoptive and kinship caregivers. PeopleImages/Shutterstock

The federal government plans to award up to $1 million to continue expanding a free national training program designed to help foster, adoptive and kinship caregivers prepare for the challenges of caring for children who have experienced trauma, separation and loss. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Families and Children’s Bureau, announced its intent to make a single-source cooperative agreement of up to $1 million to Spaulding for Children in Southfield, Michigan.

The proposed funding period will run from September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2027, according to a Federal Register notice published September 2. The money will support continued implementation and expansion of the National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster/Adoptive Parents, commonly known as NTDC.

What Is the National Training and Development Curriculum?

NTDC is a free, trauma-informed training curriculum that child welfare and adoption agencies can incorporate into preparation and ongoing education for foster, adoptive and kinship families.

The curriculum was developed with federal funding through a five-year cooperative agreement led by Spaulding for Children beginning in 2017. Its development incorporated research as well as input from experts, families with fostering and adoption experience, and former foster and adoptive youth. The program includes self-assessment, classroom-based training and what NTDC calls “Right-Time Training,” which gives caregivers access to additional educational resources when particular challenges arise.

The classroom portion currently includes 19 training themes totaling approximately 28 hours. Training topics are designed to help families better understand issues that can arise when parenting children who have experienced trauma, separation or loss while developing skills that can support children’s healthy development and family stability.

Why HHS Is Planning a Single-Source Award

The planned cooperative agreement differs from a typical competitive federal grant because HHS intends to award the funding directly to Spaulding for Children. According to the Federal Register notice, HHS determined that Spaulding is uniquely positioned to continue the work because the organization developed NTDC under the original Children’s Bureau cooperative agreement and owns and manages the curriculum.

Spaulding also hosts the NTDC materials and has experience helping child welfare systems implement the program.

Although the curriculum and resources were made publicly available at the end of the original project, HHS says agencies continue to need assistance implementing the training effectively. The new funding is intended to provide that support while allowing more states, tribes, territories and agencies to use NTDC.

The Training Is Free for Agencies and Families

One notable feature of NTDC is that the curriculum itself is available at no cost. Public and private child welfare and adoption agencies can access the materials without purchasing a commercial training program, and families can also access free online Right-Time Training courses.

Those courses can be completed using a phone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer and include videos, podcasts, activities and quizzes. Topics are designed to provide caregivers with information when they encounter particular situations or need additional support. The curriculum was originally piloted across several child welfare systems, including state, county, territorial and tribal sites, as well as a private agency serving families pursuing private domestic or intercountry adoption.

NTDC materials can also be adapted by agencies to address local training requirements and needs.

Why Caregiver Training Matters

Becoming a foster, adoptive or kinship caregiver can involve challenges that extend far beyond ordinary parenting preparation. Children entering foster care or joining adoptive families may have experienced trauma, loss, disrupted attachments or multiple changes in caregivers. Families may need specialized knowledge to understand behaviors, maintain children’s important connections and respond appropriately when challenges emerge.

HHS says effective and relevant training is critical for both prospective and current foster, adoptive and kinship caregivers. The federal agency also views caregiver preparation as part of developing and maintaining resource homes and supporting more stable placements for children.

Rather than creating a new training program, the proposed $1 million award is intended to keep an existing federally funded curriculum available while helping additional child welfare systems put it into practice.

Funding Could Continue Through September 2027

If the cooperative agreement proceeds as announced, Spaulding for Children could receive up to $1 million for work performed between September 30, 2026, and September 29, 2027. The funding is authorized through the federal Adoption Opportunities Program.

For foster, adoptive and kinship families, the immediate takeaway is that NTDC resources remain available free of charge. Families interested in the program can access its online training resources, while agencies can use the curriculum as part of their own caregiver preparation and continuing-education programs.

The new federal funding is primarily aimed at expanding implementation and providing the support agencies need to use those resources effectively, potentially bringing the curriculum to more caregivers and child welfare systems around the country.

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CMS Final Rule Ends Federal Medicaid and CHIP Funding for Certain Gender-Transition Care for Minors

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Medicaid gender-transition care rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has finalized a rule prohibiting federal Medicaid and CHIP funding for certain gender-transition procedures for minors, with the rule taking effect October 13, 2026. Tada Images/Shutterstock

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a final rule prohibiting the use of federal Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funds to pay for what the rule terms “sex-rejecting procedures” for minors, according to an official announcement published in the Federal Register on August 13, 2026.

What the New Medicaid and CHIP Rule Prohibits

Under the rule, state Medicaid plans must include provisions barring payment for such procedures for individuals under age 18, while separate state CHIP plans must bar payment for individuals under age 19. The age difference reflects the existing age boundaries of the two programs — Medicaid covers children under 18 in this context, while separate CHIP programs extend coverage to children under 19.

The rule takes effect on October 13, 2026, giving states approximately two months to update their Federally approved state plans to comply with the new requirements.

A limited transition provision is included for beneficiaries already receiving cross-sex hormone therapy at the time the rule takes effect. State Medicaid and CHIP agencies may continue to claim federal matching funds — known as Federal Financial Participation — for those hormone therapy medications for up to six months from the rule’s effective date. After that window closes, federal funding for such treatments would no longer be available under either program.

What the Rule Means for State Medicaid and CHIP Programs

The rule amends 42 CFR Parts 441 and 457, which govern Medicaid and CHIP benefits and state plan requirements. Because Medicaid and CHIP are jointly funded and administered by states and the federal government, states that do not update their plans to conform with the prohibition risk losing federal matching payments for the affected services.

Medicaid and CHIP together provide health coverage to millions of low-income children and families across the country. States set their own eligibility standards and benefits packages, but must operate within federal statutory and regulatory boundaries. Federal matching payments to states are calculated using the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid and an enhanced rate for separate CHIP programs.

Families Should Check How Their State Will Implement the Change

Families whose children currently receive affected care through Medicaid or CHIP should contact their state program to determine how the rule will be implemented and whether their coverage will change. The federal rule takes effect October 13, while a limited six-month transition applies to federal matching funds for certain hormone therapy already being provided when the rule takes effect.

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CMS Issues Technical Correction to 2027 Affordable Care Act Benefit and Payment Parameters Rule

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CMS has published a technical correction to the 2027 Affordable Care Act Benefit and Payment Parameters rule, clarifying regulatory language for insurers and Marketplace administrators without changing the underlying policy. Andrii Yalanskyi/Shutterstock

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a technical correction to its 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters, updating portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rule that governs health insurance marketplaces and the Basic Health Program. The correction was published in the Federal Register on July 21, 2026, but became effective July 20, 2026, according to CMS. Officials described the action as a technical fix that corrects errors in both the explanatory preamble and the regulatory text of the previously published final rule. The correction does not introduce new policy changes but ensures the rule accurately reflects CMS’s intended language.

What the Correction Means

The technical correction applies to regulations under 42 CFR Part 600 and 45 CFR Parts 150, 155, and 156, which establish standards for Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans and the Basic Health Program. The original 2027 rule affects health insurers, state and federally facilitated marketplaces, and consumers who purchase ACA-compliant health coverage. CMS said the correction addresses drafting errors identified after publication of the final rule, a routine step agencies sometimes take to clarify regulatory language without changing the underlying policy. Because the revisions are technical in nature, CMS waived additional notice-and-comment procedures and the usual delay before the correction took effect.

Who Should Pay Attention?

Most consumers are unlikely to notice an immediate impact from the correction itself. However, insurers, state marketplace administrators, compliance professionals, and organizations involved in ACA Marketplace operations should review the updated regulatory language to ensure they are following the corrected requirements. Anyone seeking detailed information about the revisions should consult the official Federal Register notice or CMS guidance, as the technical correction does not provide an extensive explanation of every change.

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HHS Seeks OMB Approval for Children and Families Program Monitoring Data Collection

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HHS ACF program monitoring
An employee reviews program data at a computer as HHS seeks public comment on extending information collection used to monitor federally funded children and family services programs. Gil C/Shutterstock

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through its Administration for Children and Families (ACF), is asking for public input on a proposal to extend an existing information collection used to monitor federally funded programs that support children, families, and communities.

The request, published in the Federal Register on July 22, 2026, seeks approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to continue a “generic clearance” that allows ACF to collect standardized information from grant recipients. According to the agency, no changes are being proposed to the existing clearance, although burden estimates have been updated. Public comments will be accepted through August 21, 2026.

What the Data Collection Supports

Program monitoring is a routine post-award process used to evaluate how organizations receiving federal funding are managing their programs and complying with grant requirements. ACF says the information helps program offices assess both program performance and business management practices while ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

The agency also uses the information to identify areas where grantees may need technical assistance or additional support to meet program goals. Because the clearance is generic, it allows ACF to efficiently approve individual monitoring activities without seeking a separate OMB review each time.

Who May Be Affected

The proposal primarily affects organizations that receive funding from ACF, including nonprofits, state and local agencies, tribal organizations, and other entities that administer children and family services programs. While the notice does not create new reporting requirements, it extends ACF’s authority to continue collecting information needed for ongoing oversight activities. Anyone interested in the proposal may submit comments through the federal comment process before the August 21 deadline. Additional details and submission instructions are available through the Federal Register and RegInfo websites.

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