As Shutdown Continues, HHS Spending Takes Shape
As Congress and the Trump administration work to resolve their disagreements over continued funding for the current federal fiscal year, which began October 1, substantial progress has already been made on child welfare appropriations.
The Senate Appropriations Committee adopted its version of the FY 2026 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill (S. 2587) on July 31 by a 26-3 vote. The bill rejected most of the Trump administration's proposed spending cuts, which would have reduced discretionary spending at the Department of Health and Human Services by 26.2 percent, from $127 billion in 2025 to $93.8 billion in FY 2026.
According to a CWLA analysis, the Senate bill would level-fund most child welfare programs, but it includes a $10 million cut to Promoting Safe and Stable Discretionary funds that in previous years had funded kinship navigator programs.
On September 11, the House Appropriations Committee adopted its own version of the bill (H.R. 5304). It includes significant cuts to several K-12 programs, but otherwise, like the Senate bill, it flat-funds most child welfare programs.
Both bills provide $53 for the Adoption Opportunities program, which would be a continuation of current funding levels. The bills also include funding for the following adoption-related priorities:
Building Evidence-based Post-Adoption Services: Both bills set aside $2 million for federal grants for evaluation post-adoption programs that meet the evidence standards of the Title IV–E Prevention Services Clearinghouse. This funding was established due to VFA’s advocacy. The first round of grants was offered this summer. Post-adoption services with successful evaluations would become eligible for funding under the Family First Prevention Services Act.
National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative: Both bills set aside $2 million in continuation funding for this initiative.
National Training and Development Curriculum [NTDC]: Both bills provide $1 million in continuation funding for this training initiative.
Support for Birth Parents: The House bill sets aside $1,000,000 for a demonstration program to provide support groups, resources, and services to birth parents. The Senate bill includes similar language but does not specify a dollar amount.
Adoption-Sensitive Clinical Care: The Senate bill sets aside $1 million for a competitive grant program to improve access to adoption-sensitive care training for eligible hospital staff. The House bill encourages HHS to continue and enhance dissemination of this training to hospital-based professionals and other healthcare workers.
Further details of the House and Senate bills can be found in their respective House and Senate committee reports.
