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The HillBy Sarah FerrisThe $200 billion House deal on Medicare is drawing support from family health advocates despite concerns from Democrats who say the legislation deprives funding for a key children's health program.Leaders of the infant health advocacy group March of Dimes endorsed the bill Wednesday, praising lawmakers for acting "well in advance of the scheduled expiration" of the program. Their letter, addressed to House leadership, called for the bill's passage despite “disappointment” that CHIP is only funded for two years...Read more

NationalJournalBy Dylan ScottDon't go celebrating the bipartisan Medicare "doc fix" deal just yet: there's a major roadblock being set up in the Senate.Democrats are digging in their heels in opposition to the idea a deal would only reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program for two years instead of four, setting up a potential fight with Republicans that could make it difficult to get the 60 votes needed to pass anything...Read moreSenators fight to #ExtendCHIP for four years: http://bit.ly/1BbWwcZ via @dylanlscott @nationaljournal cc: @First_Focus Tweet this now.

Washington – United States Senators Patty Murray (D-Washington) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Congressman Jared Polis (D-Colorado) and Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) introduced legislation today to support states invested in higher education access for all students, including undocumented students. The Investing IN States To Achieve Tuition Equity (IN-STATE) for Dreamers Act would eliminate a bureaucratic obstacle for states that make in-state tuition rates available to qualifying students regardless of immigration status, including qualifying students issued deferred action under the Obama Administration’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative. It would also provide $750 million in increased funding for states that exercise...

WFMZ AllentownU.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) proposes expanding the federal child care tax credit.The current child care tax credit begins to phase out after $15,000 in income, leaving out too many middle-class Pennsylvania families, said the senator in a news release...Read more#InvestInKids: SenBobCasey proposes expanding child care tax credit - http://bit.ly/197sgJj via @69News cc: @Campaign4Kids Tweet this now.

The Tamba TribuneBy Sandra G. Hassink, M.D., president, American Academy of Pediatrics; Mark Wietecha, president and CEO, Children’s Hospital Association; Ron Pollack, executive director, Families USA; and Bruce Lesley, president, First Focus Campaign for ChildrenTime is running out for Florida’s children: Funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Florida KidCare in Florida) runs out on Sept. 30 if Congress doesn’t act first to extend it.Just as importantly, with Florida’s Legislature scheduled to adjourn in May, policymakers need to know what Washington will do with the program. Families should not face uncertainty when it comes to their children’s health, and state...

The Waterbury ObserverToday, to kick off National Poison Prevention Week, Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) introduced the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act. Esty’s bill would require child safety packaging for all liquid nicotine containers, which are used to refill e-cigarettes.Child-resistant packaging is already required for many household products, including over-the-counter medicines and cleaning agents, but there is no such requirement for liquid nicotine containers. According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, local poison control centers received almost 4,000 calls related to liquid nicotine exposure in 2014. On December 9, 2014, a child from Fort Plain, New York, died...

Omaha Daily HeraldBy Bruce LesleyNebraska’s progress on foster care (“Nebraska hits all 6 federal marks for protecting children — for the first time ever,” March 10 World-Herald) is encouraging. But Congress also has room for improvement.The shrinking pool for federal foster care funding covers less than half of foster children today, and fewer by 2024. States tap funding for other social services, but that just shifts resources from one set of kids and families to another. Worse yet, inadequate federal funding shortchanges prevention efforts that help parents manage mental health, substance abuse, financial distress and other risk factors for...

Washington – United States Senator David Vitter (R-Louisiana) today offered an amendment that would deny U.S. citizenship to babies born in the United States, if the baby’s parents are both undocumented immigrants or lawfully-admitted nonimmigrants. The proposal would leave many such children stateless, because denying babies U.S. citizenship in no way confers upon them citizenship in the country of their parents’ origin. Senator Vitter’s proposal would also dramatically increase paperwork burdens for all U.S. citizens and agencies at every level of government. For example, The United States State Department currently accepts certified birth certificates as evidence of U.S. citizenship, but...

Tulsa WorldTime is running out for Oklahoma’s children: Funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or “SoonerCare” as it’s known in Oklahoma, runs out on Sept. 30 if Congress doesn’t act first to extend it. More importantly, Oklahoma’s elected leaders need to know what Washington will do with the program soon so it can be incorporated into the budget before the legislative session’s scheduled adjournment on May 29. ...Read more

Washington – The national Home Visiting Coalition today sent a letter with more than 750 signatories to congressional leadership, underscoring the urgent need for action to extend the authorization for the federal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program, expiring in just four weeks. MIECHV supports evidence-based home visiting initiatives that provide the support, experience and knowledge critical to success during pregnancy and through the first few years of a child’s life. The letter includes signatories from every state and four territories, including national, state, local and tribal organizations and elected officials. National signatories represent a wide...