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Washington, DC (September 12, 2017) – Washington advocates today celebrated Senator Bob Casey’s (D-PA) introduction of the Health Insurance for Foster Youth Act (S. 1797). This bill ensures that youth who age out of foster care, or leave foster care for a kinship placement, have Medicaid coverage no matter which state they aged out in. Currently, foster youth who age out of care are eligible for Medicaid coverage until the age of 26, mirroring the provision of the ACA that allows young adults to stay on their parent’s health insurance until they are 26....

WASHINGTON—Back in January, the First Focus Campaign for Children (FFCC) signed a letter with other major child advocacy groups urging Congress to adopt principles to ensure any legislative process improves the health of our nation’s children and, at the very least, commits to “do no harm.”Fortunately, at 1:39 a.m. this morning, the Senate voted 49-51 to defeat the “Health Care Freedom Act” (HCFA), an 11th hour amendment offered by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) at the close of debate. This Senate health care bill would have resulted in an estimated 16 million Americans losing health coverage and a 20...

WASHINGTON–The Child Poverty Reduction Act (S.1630 / H.R.3381) was reintroduced today by US Sens. Bob Casey (PA), Tammy Baldwin (WI), and Sherrod Brown (OH) and US Reps. Danny K. Davis (IL-7), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Gerald E. Connolly (VA-11) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40). The bill creates a national target to reduce child poverty in the US by 50 percent in ten years and eliminate it entirely within 20 years.The legislation complements efforts by leaders of the National Association of Counties (NACo) to reduce early childhood poverty.“We need a strong federal-state-local partnership to effectively combat poverty in the United States,” said Roy...

(Washington D.C.) –  Today Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced the DREAM Act of 2017. The bill offers a route to permanent legal status for millions of undocumented immigrant children and families.Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization who strongly supports the Dream Act issued the following statement: “The DREAM Act would create a way for nearly 800,000 undocumented children and adults, who came to the United States as children to pursue their educational and employment goals without threat of deportation. This bill is the...

Dr. Matthew Desmond on Capitol Hill with First Focus (July 19, 2017)WASHINGTON--In a briefing on Capitol Hill today sponsored by First Focus and honorary co-host Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-5), Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist Matthew Desmond and a group of experts discussed the harmful impact of the housing crisis on children.Each year, millions of families in the US are evicted from their homes. Families with children are evicted at much higher rates, and children who experience eviction often face high rates of mobility and unstable living environments that can have a negative impact on their education, physical...

WASHINGTON—The Republicans released a revised health care bill today to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The new proposal maintains some of the ACA taxes on the wealthy, allows insurers to offer skimpier plans, and provides new financial support to buy health insurance. First Focus President Bruce Lesley says: “There is still not a single provision in this latest proposal that would improve the lives of children in America. Not one. And the latest version also does nothing to mitigate the harm that the legislation would have on kids. It’s time to abandon this futile exercise and strengthen--not weaken--protections for...

WASHINGTON—The First Focus Campaign for Children is deeply concerned about the devastating impacts the President’s Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 18) budget would have on American children.  As part of the  Children’s Budget Coalition—a group of more than 50 national organizations dedicated to the well-being of children—we believe the $54 billion in cuts to non-defense discretionary programs (NDD) would devastate programs that impact children’s development and well-being, particularly in the areas of health, education, nutrition, housing and general welfare.John Monsif, VP of Government Relations at the First Focus Campaign for Children, said:“Congress must prevent this misguided proposal by lifting...

WASHINGTON—The First Focus Campaign for Children applauds Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL) for introducing The Foster Youth Driving Act (H.R. 2512), making it easier for foster youth to obtain driver’s education, vehicle insurance, practice lessons, and driver’s license fees.Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children, said:“Too many foster youth face insurmountable barriers to getting a driver’s license: from the course fees and the cost of insurance, to the need for an adult who can help with their practice hours.Studies have shown that kids with access to a car do better in school, get better jobs, have more college options, and have...

WASHINGTON--The Children’s Budget Coalition, which includes more than 55 organizations committed to ensuring federal investment in critical programs that help American children--sent letters (House / Senate) today to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Appropriations Committee and the relevant subcommittee urging them to do four things in Fiscal Year 2018 to protect and improve the lives of children. They include: Reversing the trend of spending less on programs that help kids: As the First Focus 2016 Children’s Budget Book found, children’s programs accounted for a...

WASHINGTON – Following the 217-213 vote in the US House of Representatives to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with the American Health Care Act (AHCA), millions of American kids and families will be negatively impacted if the bill becomes law.Most important for children, the legislation includes fundamental and catastrophic cuts to Medicaid, which 38 million kids currently rely on for health services.First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley said:“It’s no exaggeration to call today one of the saddest days in our nation’s history when it comes to the health and well-being of American children, as...