Child Advocates call on Congress to Address Economic Issues around Jobs, Child Poverty, Hunger, and Homelessness

Washington D.C. – Today, as Congressional leaders and White House officials race to pass legislation to avoid a default on the national debt, the First Focus Campaign for Children reacts to the bipartisan compromise reached last night, specifying what the deal means for America’s children.

While the details of the spending cuts outlined in the proposal remain unclear, whether through Congressional spending caps, the newly created Super Committee, or via sequestration mechanisms, the agreement would impose $1.2 trillion in cuts on discretionary spending over the next decade. That could translate to wide-ranging cuts affecting essential children’s programs, primarily education and housing programs. In fact, children’s programs represent about 20 percent of the non-defense discretionary spending in the federal budget.

The agreement also calls for another $1.5 trillion in budget cuts from a newly created Super Committee, with a backup trigger, or sequestration of funding, from federal programs to reach the reduction target in the case that the Super Committee or the Congress fails to make the cuts themselves. Essential programs, such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would be subjected to cuts in negotiations, but fortunately would be exempt from the sequestration. Yet, other critically important children’s programs will be left all the more vulnerable.

Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan child advocacy organization, issued the following statement:

“While we commend our nation’s leaders for their commitment to protect Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program from being subjected to sequestration or automatic cuts in the debt ceiling agreement, we fear the proposed $1.2 billion in spending cuts to discretionary programs will disproportionately impact children, and the additional $1.5 billion in budget cuts to be considered by the Super Committee could impose harm to Medicaid and CHIP. While tough times may call for tough measures, reducing spending for essential programs for children is misguided and will drastically affect the ability of a generation of children to reach their full potential.

“Moreover, the American electorate strongly agrees with this concern. Results from a recent public opinion survey prove that protecting programs that improve the well-being of children is immensely important to voters. When provided a battery of potential cuts some have considered in the budget debate, voters clearly protect children. In fact, the least popular cuts were those to K-12 education programs.

“As the President and Congressional leaders continue their negotiations to stem the debt ceiling crisis, we urge them heed the priorities of the American public and refuse reductions on the backs of children.

“In addition, we are deeply concerned that the process agreed upon in last night creates an agenda for Congress that will once again require this conversation around the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bills, the newly created Super Committee process, potential congressional votes on recommendations by the Super Committee, and potential sequestration processes.

“Instead of this non-stop focus on budget cuts, our nation must make jobs and the economy our top priority. We know that a growing economy would reduce the federal deficit faster than the austerity measures being discussed. We also know that the most effective way to reduce federal spending on programs like Medicaid and SNAP is to reduce poverty in America. And yet, the crisis of child poverty, homelessness, education, and economic opportunity is completely ignored in our nation’s federal policy discussions, despite the fact that more than one in four American children are living in poverty, one in four is dependent on food stamps, and 1.3 million students drop out of school every year.

“No child in this country should go to bed suffering from the pangs of hunger or wondering where they’ll find a bed to sleep in tonight. We urge Congress to begin the critically important conversation about the economic crisis that includes jobs, child poverty, hunger, and homelessness.”

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Nearly 100 Advocacy Organizations Urge Policymakers to Hold Children Harmless in the Debt Ceiling Deal

Washington D.C. – Today, a coalition of nearly 100 national, state, and local advocacy organizations expressed their deep concern to the President and top Congressional leaders about the implications of not raising the debt ceiling on fate of America’s next generation. The group urged our nation’s leaders to protect children from harm as they continue to negotiate debt ceiling solutions.

In a letter delivered today to President Obama and Congressional leadership, the coalition of organizations wrote, “If we fail to raise the debt ceiling, the effects for children and families will be catastrophic. The federal government will have to choose between providing funding children’s health insurance and paying military families the benefits they have earned. Interest rates will rise, making it more difficult for families to acquire mortgages or borrow money to send their children to college. Businesses will incur higher expenses, making it will be more difficult to generate and sustain well paying jobs. Finally, the costs of everyday items, such as fuel and food will rise, making it even more difficult for working parents to provide for their children.”

“There is no question that tough times call for tough measures, but reducing spending on programs that protect the future of our next generation is not the way to solve our deficit problem,” said Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children, the bipartisan child advocacy organization spearheading the letter. “While the American people want our nation's deficit to be addressed, they oppose balancing the budget on the backs of children. When provided a list of potential cuts to the budget, voters firmly and overwhelmingly reject the idea of making major federal budget cuts to K-12 education, child nutrition, the Children's Health Insurance Program, Medicaid, Head Start, and student loans. We urge our nation’s policymakers to heed the priorities of their constituents and understand that cutting programs for low-income and other vulnerable children will not only hurt the next generation, such cuts will increase our long term costs, as well as damage our economic and global competitiveness.”

The letter states, “Inaction is not an option. However, deficit reduction cannot and should not be accomplished on the backs of children. Spending on children makes up less than 10 percent of total federal spending. A cut from this small slice of spending will barely dent the deficit, but will have dire consequences for the people who need the biggest helping hand.”

Click here to read a copy of the letter.

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Washington D.C. – Yesterday, the United States House of Representatives approved devastating cuts to important nutrition supports for hundreds of thousands of low income infants, children, and pregnant and postpartum women by passing the fiscal year 2012 House Agriculture Appropriations bill.

The bill drastically slashes funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), resulting in low-income women, infants, and children losing much needed nutrition assistance. Ironically, these cuts will force more people to rely on local charities for food assistance, yet at the same time, the legislation reduces support for emergency food providers, such as food banks, faith-based pantries, and other local agencies. The House approved bill also under funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps) reserve fund.

WIC provides a nutritious monthly food package to 8.9 million low-income pregnant and nursing women, infants, and young children at nutritional risk. The nutrition that WIC provides reduces the incidence of low-birth weight and associated health costs. Furthermore, for every dollar spent on pregnant women enrolled in WIC, there is a savings of $3.50 in health care costs. The fiscal year 2012 Agriculture Appropriations bill approved by the House of Representatives would fund WIC at $6.048 billion dollars, a reduction of $686 million dollars below the fiscal year 2011 level in which WIC had already faced a significant cut. As a result of the inadequate 2012 funding level, between 200,000 and 350,000 low-income mothers and young children are expected to be cut from this vital program. Over the past 15 years, Administrations and Congresses on both sides of the aisle have made it a priority to provide enough funding to serve all eligible women, infants, and children who apply. The proposed cut would break that 15-year bipartisan commitment.

“We applaud Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) for her efforts to restore some of the funding for WIC in the full Appropriations Committee markup,” said Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan advocacy group. “We also commend Members of the House of Representatives who, in a bipartisan manner, voted against two harmful amendments that ultimately failed, including amendments by Congressman Paul Broun (R-GA) to cut the WIC program by 10 percent and another by Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC), which would have resulted in an additional cut of $82.5 million from the WIC program.

“Last year Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle came together to pass a strong child nutrition reauthorization. It is imperative that as America continues to recover from the economic downturn, our nation’s leaders provide adequate funding to ensure that all eligible children are able to benefit from the federal nutrition safety net. Doing so is critical to the health and well-being of America’s next generation. As the United States Senate moves forward with their appropriations process, we urge Senators to fund WIC at $6.83 billion in order to keep pace with rising food prices, and to ensure that WIC is able to serve every eligible mother and child in need.

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Washington D.C. – Today, policymakers and child advocates are recognizing the impact of a critical report on the state of our nation’s children released 20 years ago this month. The final report of the National Commission on Youth, released on May 1, 1991, led to the enactment of the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and the creation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), among other important initiatives.

The National Commission on Children was formed in 1989 at the direction of Congress and the President to “serve as a forum on behalf of the children of the Nation.” The Commission was charged with the task of assessing the status of children and families in the United States and outlining promising new directions for policy and programs. Two years later, in the midst of a recession, the National Commission on Children approved their final report entitled, “Beyond Rhetoric: A New Agenda for America’s Children and Families,” which led to a number of critical policies for children. Furthermore, President Clinton used the Commission’s final report as a catalyst for his domestic agenda.

“Twenty years ago, our government lacked the ability and resources to evaluate the status of our nation’s families, preventing us from developing programs aimed at improving children’s wellbeing, from birth through adolescence. But this Commission changed that course for an entire generation of children. Serving as Chairman of the bipartisan National Commission on Children and forging consensus on the need to invest in children and families was one of the most meaningful experiences of my career,” said Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). “Without the Commission’s report, we would never have seen the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit and CHIP – two programs that are very near and dear to my heart and essential to making sure that all children have a chance at a healthy start in life.”

While enormous gains were made on behalf of children in the 1990s as a result of the enactment of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and other recommendations set forth by the Commission on Children, progress stalled in the last decade precisely due to the lack of a comprehensive agenda around children. Today in America, more than one in five children is poor, 8 million children lack health insurance, and the overall share of federal, nondefense spending going to children's programs dropped by 12 percent over the past 5 years.

“The American people are deeply concerned about the plight of the next generation. By a nearly three-to-one margin (58-20%), the American public believes that the lives of children are worse off today compared to a decade ago,” said Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan child advocacy organization. “Americans do not want to see massive cuts to important programs for our nation's children. Instead, they want to see a national agenda focused on improving the lives of children and restoring the American Dream. As we continue debating how to recover from the economic downturn, it is an opportune time to recognize the work of the National Commission and the need for a new national action plan for improving child well-being.”

Last November, Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced legislation to once again establish a federal entity to catalyze the next generation of groundbreaking policies for children and families. As proposed in the Children’s Act of 2010, a National Council on Children would annually assess the performance of the United States in ensuring the well-being of children. In addition, the Council would develop a set of national goals to improve the lives of youth, and make recommendations to advance children’s well-being.

Lesley added, “We applaud Senator Rockefeller for his past and continued leadership and look forward to working with Senator Casey to ensure the reintroduction of the Children's Act in coming weeks. A coordinated, national plan to improve child well-being is essential to raise the visibility of children in federal policy, solidify our commitment to the nation’s future, and ensure that we can meet the needs of the next generation.”

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Representative Danny Davis (D-IL) introduced legislation that would provide an annual accounting of all federal money spent on children.

The Children's Budget Act aims to make children a priority in the federal budget by requiring that the President's annual budget request includes a separate analysis of all spending on children's programs. This accounting would collect the diverse sources of funding for children's programs, in a unified place, communicating a clear picture of the federal funding benefiting America's young people.

"We commend Representative Davis for introducing this important legislation," said Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children. “Investing in programs that protect the health and well-being of children today will pay huge dividends down the road. Unfortunately, all too often spending proposals make children an afterthought in the federal budget rather than a focus. And as a result, children are becoming the beneficiaries of an ever narrowing slice of federal spending. The Children's Budget Act is a simple, inexpensive action that will bring awareness to the federal investment in children, as well as hold our nation's leaders accountable for ensuring that children remain a national priority."

“As policy makers, we have the ability and responsibility to provide a strong foundation for our youngest citizens to grow into the achievers and leaders of tomorrow,” said Representative Davis. “If children are a national priority, we need to measure our federal spending so that we can understand if our choices disproportionately harm or protect our children. The Children’s Budget Act would ensure that children are given due consideration whenever the budget is discussed and would provide policymakers, program administrators, and parents with a clear picture of the overall federal investment in our children. Careful analysis of our spending today helps us improve our efforts for tomorrow.”

Currently, the law that governs the requirements for the President's annual budget request includes dozens of specific instructions, such as a mandate that requires an analysis of all spending on homeland security. Requiring that an analysis of spending on children be submitted as part of the President's larger budget request would be a simple addition to the law.

For the past three years, First Focus has released an annual Children’s Budget book, a comprehensive analysis of federal spending on children over the past five years, and a publication with an intent similar to that of the Children's Budget Act. The latest edition of the book, Children’s Budget 2010, found that after accounting for federal spending on kids, less than one dime of every new, non-defense dollar spent by the federal government has gone to children and children’s programs.

Lesley added, "Children make up one-quarter of our population, but they are all of our future. Meeting their needs requires that we take stock in our efforts. Doing better for our children tomorrow starts with knowing how we're doing today."

• Click here to review a fact sheet about the Children’s Budget Act.

You've heard of environmental-impact statements. Why not child-impact statements?

There should be a check mark next to every state budget decision signifying that it doesn't harm our most valuable asset.

But why stop there? Let's make children — especially our youngest and poorest children — the focus of public policy in Arkansas. Every decision should not only not harm them, it should benefit them so that they can grow up healthy, wealthy and wise.

The state budget should come with a companion statement that shows how every category of spending impacts children and their families. Child-centered programs would be analyzed by their impact on children, with details on how they benefit particular age groups, income groups and races. It should include county-level analysis and trends over time.

Whenever lawmakers consider a spending bill — whether for highways, corrections, economic development, tax breaks, health care, or some other area — the first question asked should be: "Is this going to benefit our children?"

Even better: Arkansas should have a comprehensive, long-term plan for improving the well-being of each child, especially the most vulnerable. It should include the most reliable indicators and statistics on child well-being and only the best, research-based solutions to problems affecting children. One example is the nationwide Kids Count Data Book produced annually by the Annie E. Casey Foundation (in which Arkansas is ranked above only Mississippi and Washington, D.C.).

The plan would identify what it would take for Arkansas to become the best state in the nation for kids to grow up in. It would include steps we'd need to take during the next two, five and 10 years to improve the life of every child — similar to the goals of cutting poverty in half in 10 years that a legislative task force on poverty recently outlined.

A permanent state commission on children and families would monitor our progress and report back to voters on how well elected officials performed. It could even be led by a children's tsar, who'd constantly remind our leaders of our top priority.

Rich Huddleston is executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families.

The United States Senate is considering the Reid Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act based on the Tax Compromise announced by President Obama on December 6. This fact sheet outlines the provisions that will help children and working families, including the extension of Unemployment Insurance, expansions of the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, Child and Dependent Care Credit, and a payroll tax cut.

Eighty-nine child advocacy groups signed on to a letter to Senator Dodd (D-CT) and Senator Casey (D-PA) in support of the Children’s Act of 2010 (S. 3968). This piece of legislation would establish a National Council on children which would function as a federal entity and annually assess the health, education, and overall well-being of our children.

Washington D.C. – Today, the First Focus Campaign for Children, a national, bipartisan child advocacy group, released the names of Members of Congress identified as the most valuable leaders on issues important to children. The announcement today launches the group’s inaugural campaign to recognize the top 100 Members of Congress who make improving the well-being of children a national priority.

Of the 100 Members of Congress recognized by the group today, 50 Members were named “Champions for Children” on account of their extraordinary efforts to protect and improve the future of America’s next generation. An additional 50 Members were awarded the title “Defenders of Children” and are being recognized for their support of policies that advance the well-being of children.

“We applaud our Champions and Defenders of Children for their unflagging commitment to protect our nation’s future,” said Bruce Lesley, president of the Campaign for Children. “Children cannot vote, hold press conferences, or donate to political campaigns to thank the Members of Congress that support them and protect their interests. And because of that, today we are honoring those Members on behalf of children. This award is intended to give recognition to our nation's top public officials who take action to make children a national priority. We look forward to working with our Champions and Defenders to continue protecting America’s next generation of leaders.”

In selecting the Champions and Defenders honored today, the First Focus Campaign for Children took note of leaders who introduced, co-sponsored, and voted for legislation that would best meet the needs of children. In addition, the organization considered Members who demonstrated extraordinary initiative by spearheading activities such as sponsoring hearings or garnering the support of their colleagues to improve the health and well-being of children.

Learn more about our Champions for Children Campaign.

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WASHINGTON D.C. – Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has introduced legislation that would provide an annual accounting of all federal money spent on children.

The Children's Budget Act aims to make children a priority in the federal budget by requiring that the President's annual budget request includes a separate analysis of all spending on children's programs. This accounting would collect the diverse sources of funding for children's programs, in a unified place, communicating a clear picture of the federal funding benefiting America's young people.

"Once again, Senator Menendez has taken a leading role in ensuring our children are a national priority. His ‘Children's Budget Act’ is a simple, inexpensive action that will bring awareness to the federal investment in children," said Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children, a national, bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. "Meeting children’s needs requires that we take stock in our efforts. It is critical that Members of Congress and the public are given a clear picture, because doing better for our children tomorrow starts with knowing how they are faring today."

“Our federal budget reflects our priorities as a nation and this bill ensures that we have a clear understanding of how we invest in our children,” said Senator Menendez. “We need to prioritize our children. If we get a complete picture of how we spend on our children’s programs today, then we can work to ensure we are not shortchanging the vulnerable members of our society tomorrow.”

Currently, the law that governs the requirements for the President's annual budget request includes dozens of specific instructions, such as a mandate requiring an analysis of all spending on homeland security. Directing that an analysis of spending on children be submitted as part of the President's larger budget request would be a simple addition to the law. In 2009, Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) introduced the identical measure in the House of Representatives.

Several states and local governments already produce annual Children's Budgets. These budgets, in cities such as Philadelphia and states such as Louisiana, make it clear how their governments are responding to the needs of children. Children's Budgets have proven to be an invaluable source of information, as well as an inexpensive and efficient way to improve the lives of children.

This Act is cosponsored by Senators Lautenberg, Johnson, Feingold, Bingaman, Casey and Sherrod Brown.

Earlier this year, First Focus released Children’s Budget 2009, a comprehensive analysis of federal spending on children over the past five years, and a publication with intentions similar to that of the Children's Budget Act. After accounting for federal spending on kids, the report found that less than ten percent of all federal spending is devoted to children’s programs.

In the 110th Congress, 120 state and national organizations supported the Children’s Budget Act. They included the following:

• First Focus Campaign for Children, Washington DCM

Action for Children North Carolina, Raleigh NC
Alliance for Excellent Education, Washington DC
America Forward, Cambridge MA
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology, Washington DC
American Academy of Pediatrics, Washington DC
American Association of School Administrators, Arlington VA
American Dental Hygienists Association, Chicago IL
American Humane Association, Alexandria VA
American Pediatric Society, Woodlands TX
American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Elmhurst IL
American School Counselor Association, Alexandria VA
America's Promise Alliance, Washington DC
Anchorage's Promise, Anchorage AK
Association for Children of New Jersey, Newark NJ
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, Washington DC
Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairs, Chapel Hill NC
Baltimore City Health Department, Baltimore MD
Camp Fire USA, Washington DC
Campaign for Youth Justice, Washington DC
Child and Family Policy Center, Des Moines IA
Children First for Oregon, Portland OR
Children Now, Oakland CA
Children's Aid Society, New York NY
Children's Alliance, Seattle WA
Children's Defense Fund, Washington DC
Children's Healthcare is a Legal Duty, Sioux City IA
Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago IL
Children's Partnership, Santa Monica CA
Childworks, PLLC, Washington DC
Citizen Schools, Boston MA
Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Washington DC
Colorado Children's Campaign, Denver CO
Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico, Las Cruces NM
Community Action New Mexico, Albuquerque NM
Council for Opportunity in Education, Washington DC
Council of Administrators of Special Education, Inc., Fort Valley GA
DC Action for Children, Washington DC
DC Assembly On School Health Care, Washington DC
Docs for Tots, Washington DC
Economic Council Helping Others, Inc., Farmington NM
Family Voices, Albuquerque NM
Family Voices of District of Columbia, Inc., Washington DC
Family Voices of New Jersey, Newark NJ
Family Voices of North Dakota, Edgeley ND
First Five Years Fund, Washington DC
First Star, Washington DC
Foster Care Alumni of America, Alexandria VA
GLSEN - Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, Washington DC
Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition, Chicago IL
Jobs for the Future, Washington DC
KaBOOM!, Washington DC
Kansas Action For Children, Topeka KS
Kentucky Child Now, Frankfort KY
Kentucky Youth Advocates, Jeffersontown KY
LEAnet, Los Angeles CA
Learning Disabilities Association of America, Pittsburgh PA
Maine Children's Alliance ,Augusta ME
Maine Governor's Children's Cabinet, Augusta ME
Mentor/National Mentoring Partnership, Alexandria VA
Michigan's Children, Lansing MI
Mississippi Center for Justice, Jackson MS
National Alliance for Medicaid, Education, Inc.
National Association for Children's Behavioral Health, Washington DC
National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, Washington DC
National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, Arlington VA
National Association of Children's Hospitals, Alexandria VA
National Association of Elementary School Principals, Alexandria VA
National Association of School Psychologists, Bethesda MD
National Association of Secondary School Principals, Reston VA
National Association of State Directors of Special Education ,Alexandria VA
National Child Abuse Coalition, Washington DC
National Collaboration for Youth, Washington DC
National Community Action Foundation, Washington DC
National Council of La Raza, Washington DC
National Education Association, Washington DC
National Foster Care Coalition, Washington DC
National Foster Parent Association, Gig Harbor WA
National Head Start Association, Alexandria VA
National Healthy Start Association, Washington DC
National Hispanic Medical Association, Washington DC
National Indian Child Welfare Association, Portland OR
National Parent Teach Association, Chicago IL
New England Alliance for Children's Health, Boston MA
New Jersey Commission on Higher Education, Trenton NJ
New Mexico Alliance for School Based Health Care, Santa Fe NM
New Mexico Voices for Children, Albuquerque NM
Nurse Family Partnership, Denver CO
Parents Reaching Out, Albuquerque NM
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, Harrisburg PA
Pew Charitable Trusts, Washington DC
Pre-K Now, Washington DC
Public Citizens for Children and Youth, Philadelphia PA
Public Education Network, Washington DC
Reading Is Fundamental, Washington DC
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, Providence RI
Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, Chicago IL
Save the Children, Washington DC
School Social Work Association of America, Indianapolis IN
SingleStop USA, New York NY
Society for Adolescent Medicine, Blue Springs MO
Society For Pediatric Research, Woodlands TX
Society for Research in Child Development, Washington DC
South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center, Columbia SC
Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of New Jersey, Newark NJ
Tennessee Health Care Campaign, Nashville TN
Tennessee Primary Care Association, Nashville TN
Texans Care for Children, Austin TX
The Forum for Youth Investment, Washington DC
Upstate Parents Network, Greenville SC
Virginia Poverty Law Center, Richmond VA
Voices for Alabama's Children, Montgomery AL
Voices for America's Children, Washington DC
Voices for Georgia's Children, Atlanta GA
Voices for Ohio's Children, Cleveland OH
Voices for Utah Children, Salt Lake City UT
Voices for Virginia's Children, Richmond VA
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, Madison WI
YMCA of the USA, Washington DC
YouthBuild USA, Somerville MA

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