Human Services & Education Policy Steering Committee
About the Committee
All matters pertaining to children’s issues, foster care, public assistance and income support, services to senior citizens and individuals with disabilities, immigration policy, social services, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education.
Policy Platform & Resolutions 2025-2026
Every county in the U.S. administers and funds part of the cost of strengthening communities and protecting and enhancing families. The NACo Human Services & Education Steering Committee exists to support counties in this work.
Featured Initiative
Childcare Supply Initiative
The Childcare Supply Network supports local leaders in addressing childcare challenges. Participating counties are working with national experts to co-create sustainable solutions and financing strategies to strengthen local childcare systems in response to workforce needs.
Resource
County Policy Priorities for Transforming the Child Welfare System
County Countdown – Nov. 4, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
Bipartisan legislation encouraging active forest management advances in U.S. Senate
On January 23, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 471/S. 1462), also known as FOFA. Initially introduced by Representatives Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Scott Peters (D-Calif.), this bipartisan legislation will promote active forest management to curtail the wildfire crisis and protect rural communities, infrastructure and natural resources.
CMS announces new funding opportunity for the Innovation in Behavioral Health Model
On October 16, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Cohort II of the Innovation in Behavioral Health (IBH) Model. This new round of funding builds on the initial IBH model announced in 2024 and continues CMS’s efforts to improve outcomes for individuals with moderate to severe mental health conditions and substance use disorders (SUDs) by advancing integration between behavioral and physical healthcare.
U.S. Department of Transportation provides updates for Essential Air Service (EAS) program amid ongoing federal government shutdown
On October 7, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced that, due to the ongoing government shutdown, funding for the Essential Air Service (EAS) program would lapse on October 12.
Resource
The County Human Services and Education Landscape
Human Services & Education Policy Briefs
Committee Chair
View all committee members here.
Hon. Shannon Jones
Committee Contact
Julia Cortina
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