On Thursday, July 2, 2020, Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL), Congresswoman Roybal-Allard and Senators Bob Casey (D-PA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) officially dropped the Child Poverty Reduction Act (H.R. 7419/ S. 4115), which commits to cutting child poverty in half in 10 years, just as the pandemic pushes child poverty toward record levels.
For those people who lack bank accounts and other measures to deposit the rebate checks of up to $1200 per person, the U.S. Treasury has issued 3.6 million electronic impact payments (EIPs) more commonly thought of as debit cards. In a letter to members of the House, Treasury indicated that as of June 19, 2020
As Congress gets closer to July, it will increase pressure on Senate leadership to address a fifth COVID-19 package. States are entering their new fiscal years on July 1, and many of those states are assuming new needed federal funding to offset the expected loss of revenue and need for health care, human services, and individual
The National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) held a webinar to discuss congregate care and group care for youth and advocating for connected placements during the COVID-19 pandemic. This public health pandemic places youth in congregate care facilities at an increased risk of contracting the virus than youth in family-like settings or foster homes. In
A June 21, 2020 study published by the Center on Poverty & Social Policy of Columbia University indicates that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (PL 116-136), CARES Act (COVID-19 package number 3) has been successful in reducing the increase in the poverty rate. In the absence of the CARES Act, the study projects that
On Tuesday, June 23, 2020, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support held a hearing on the status of child care during the pandemic and the recession. In his opening remarks, Chairman Danny Davis (D-IL) said that, in Illinois, nearly half of all available child care slots are at risk of disappearing altogether
As part of the Children’s Week activities, First Focus co-hosted a webinar on Thursday, June 18, 2020, with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and the Century Foundation to address how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated conditions for millions of children and families. CWLA President & CEO Christine James-Brown was one of the
On Wednesday, June 16, Senators Tim Scott (R-SC), Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Cornyn (R-TX), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), James Lankford (R-OK), and Ben Sasse (R-NE) introduced the Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act. The Senate Republican proposed legislation is in response to the national protest movement
Millions of individuals and families could miss out on stimulus payments because they don’t know how to get them. Economic Impact Payments (EIP) –commonly referred to as “stimulus checks” or “recovery rebates”– are a key provision of the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act legislation that Congress passed to help reduce the financial
On Tuesday, June 9, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) introduced the “Emergency Family Stabilization Fund" (S.3923) to provide emergency relief to families experiencing homelessness and to unaccompanied youth, in light of the health and economic consequences of COVID–19. Families and youth experiencing homelessness are at great risk of coronavirus