For the past few weeks, advocates for home visiting programs have been working with the House Ways and Means Committee staff to make progress on reauthorizing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program, which expires on September 30th, 2022. On Wednesday, September 14th, the Ways and Means Committee indicated that they had
In a blog post published on August 31, 2022, the American Federation for State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) noted that the White House's announcement "that it will hold the first conference on hunger, nutrition and health in more than half a century on Sept. 28 shines a light on another glaring issue – Congress
Major child welfare legislation that is up for reauthorization this year is still pending, with negotiations continuing among the committee staff and leadership. The House has passed the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), but the Senate HELP committee continues to negotiate its version of the CAPTA Reauthorization bill. Both the House and
On Wednesday, July 27th, 2022, Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced that they had reached a deal on a budget reconciliation package, two weeks after negotiations on climate change fell apart. The news came as a surprise to many colleagues, as the two Senators met in secret to discuss the details and
On Wednesday, July 20, 2022, the House Budget Committee held the hearing “Examining the Powerful Impact of Investments in Early Childhood for Children, Families, and Our Nation’s Economy.” The conversation was centered on whether making federal investments in children is beneficial or not. With the documents and testimonies provided it is very clear that investing
The Senate continues to work on a slimmed-down budget reconciliation package that would extend ACA subsidies for two years and allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug costs on certain drugs. Senate leadership expects to vote on the package before the August recess.
Strengthening Families with Infants and Toddlers: A Policy Framework for States, is a new report from ZERO TO THREE designed to reframe the role of child welfare from preventing harm to children toward strengthening families and the communities where they live. The policy framework includes 11 recommendations for states and communities that aim to advance
On Tuesday, June 28th, 2022, the Children’s Bureau’s Learning & Coordination Center hosted, “Laying the Groundwork: Paid Family Leave as a Prevention and Promotion Strategy.” During this Digital Dialogue session, Laura Weeldreyer, Executive Director of the Maryland Family Network, discussed how policies that provide universal concrete and economic supports to families have a powerful impact
As covered in previous Children’s Monitor articles, the families and children of the United States are suffering from the national baby formula shortage. Infant Formula is crucial to the growth and development of infants. Likewise, people with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses rely on formula for their health and survival. This crisis disproportionately affects those most
On June 22, 2022, HuffPost published an article detailing the need for attention to the child care crisis happening in our country. Detailing the history of the movement to federally fund child care as well as the opportunities and barriers that exist today, the article makes a compelling case for additional advocacy on this issue.