YouthToday

12/1/2016

A major medical innovation bill that could help children and families with mental health reforms and funding to fight opioid addiction is headed to the U.S. Senate.

The $6.3 billion bill, the 21st Century Cures Act, is largely devoted to changing the way medical drugs and devices are approved in the United States. But various other provisions hitched a ride on the bill the House approved Wednesday by a vote of 392-26.

The Senate is expected to consider the legislation next week, and the White House has weighed in with support for it.

Read More...

For Immediate Release: December 1, 2016

Washington D.C. – After months of work, compromise and negotiation, limited time remains for Congress to pass the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA). On Tuesday, the bill was stripped from the 21st Century Cures Act due to the objection of a few Senators.

The Family First Prevention Services Act contains many important provisions which would allow federal Title IV-E foster care funds to be used for prevention services, including substance use treatment services, mental health services, and in home-parenting skills for families in or at risk of becoming involved with the foster care system.

“We’re really getting down to the wire for the Family First Act,” said Bruce Lesley, president of the First Focus Campaign for Children. “Congress must act now to ensure this bill is attached to the continuing resolution for the sake of the 428,000 kids in foster care.”

FFPSA also reauthorizes the Court Improvement Program (CIP), incentivizes the reduction of congregate care placement, extends Education Training Vouchers to 26, and provides grants to states to implement an electronic interstate case processing system.

With Congress adjourning next week, the passage of this bill – and the fate of thousands of children and families – hangs in the balance.

###

The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.campaignforchildren.org.

MEDIA STATEMENT

(November 28, 2016) – “As organizations dedicated to protecting and improving the health, safety and well-being of America’s children and families, we feel it is critical that Congress passes funding assistance before the end of the year for Flint, MI and other communities affected by lead contamination.

“No level of lead is safe for children and even trace amounts can cause irreversible damage to a child’s brain development and nervous system.  Yet children and families in Flint, MI and other communities have been waiting for over a year for help to address this crisis and prevent future cases of lead exposure.

“Congress promised this funding in September, and we strongly urge them to keep their word and pass the $220 million in funding approved by the Senate before the end of the year, so that these communities can begin to take steps to improve water systems to assist those affected by lead-poisoning, and make sure our schools and homes are safe for kids and families.”

#   #   #   #

The American Academy of Pediatrics is a non-profit professional organization of 66,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical sub-specialists, and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

CHN is an alliance of more than 100 national organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of people nationwide, including service providers, faith-based groups, labor, civil rights, and policy expert organizations, and other advocates concerned with meeting the needs of low-income and vulnerable people.

The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a nonpartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are a priority in federal policy and budget decisions.

MomsRising.org is an online and on-the-ground grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to achieve economic security for all families in the United States. MomsRising is working for paid family leave, flexible work options, affordable childcare, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes so many others. MomsRising also advocates for better childhood nutrition, health care for all, toxic-free environments, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families. In 2013, Forbes.com named MomsRising’s web site as one of the Top 100 Websites For Women for the fourth year in a row and Working Mother magazine included MomsRising on its “Best of the Net” list.  MomsRising also maintains a Spanish language website:  MamásConPoder.org.

Youth Today

by Sarah Barr

7/18/16

WASHINGTON — Federal legislation that aims to address the nation’s opioid crisis cleared its last major hurdle this week, while another bill that also includes provisions to address substance abuse floundered.

Before leaving for a lengthy summer recess, the Senate sent to the president’s desk the sweeping Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S 524), which includes some programs focused on the needs of children and families.

But the Senate did not take up the Family First Prevention Services Act (HR 5456, S 3065), a bill that would ...

Read More

Read the letter

The First Focus Campaign for Children and 21 other members of the Children's Budget Coalition today sent a letter to Sens. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Reps. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., urging them to support robust funding under a bipartisan compromise on federal programs that impact children under the jurisdiction of the Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health & Human Services and Education.

According to the 2015 Children's Budget Book published by First Focus, total government spending on children in the last five years, when adjusted for inflation, is down 9.4 percent, more than twice the rate of overall spending decreases of 4 percent. Members of the Children's Budget Coalition are concerned that disproportionate cuts to children’s programs will have a long-term impact on the future of our nation’s children and families.

Signatories to the letter include:

Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
Child Welfare League of America
Children’s Health Fund
Easterseals
First Focus Campaign for Children
Institute for Child Success
MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership
Moms Rising
National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
National Education Association
National Network for Youth
National Title I Association
Public Advocacy for Kids
Save the Children
Save the Children Action Network
Share our Strength
United Way
National WIC Association
YMCA of the USA
Youth Villages
American Academy of Pediatrics

Read the letter here.

On April 15, 2016, the First Focus Campaign for Children submitted a Statement for the Record to the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, Education, and related agencies.

There are more than 200 distinct child and family programs and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services and Education has jurisdiction over many. Every year for the last ten years, First Focus has published an annual Children’s Budget book that offers a detailed analysis and guide to federal spending levels and priorities on children and families.

Last year’s Children’s Budget 2015 showed that the share of federal spending dedicated to children fell to just 7.89 percent, down from its highest level of 8.5 percent in 2010. Consequently, the federal share of discretionary spending dedicated to children has dropped by 7.2 percent over the last five years.

In its April 15 Statement for the Record, the Campaign for Children asked Congress to increase funding for several critical programs that directly impact children and their families.

Ways & Means Committee Democrats

3/16/16

Today, Ways and Means Republicans will vote to end the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) – a policy created under President Reagan that had Republican support for years – which plays an important role in providing child care for Americans working to stay out of poverty, preventing child and elder abuse, and helping seniors and people with disabilities to live independently.

Former Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp even supported it, until he didn’t: “Cutting funding for services that keep people in their communities and out of expensive institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes is short sighted and will lead to unnecessary suffering as well as increased spending in other federal programs.”

HERE’S WHAT OUTSIDE GROUPS ARE SAYING ABOUT HOW CRITICAL THE SOCIAL SERVICES BLOCK GRANT IS TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY:

Child Welfare League of America: “We can’t tell you ..."

Read More

Thanks to the great advocacy by the Children’s Budget Coalition, led by First Focus, Congress passed a two year budget deal, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, and an omnibus spending and tax package before the holidays. These were among the asks the Coalition in previous letters and in meetings with Leadership in the fall. To that end, the Coalition sent a thank you letter to House and Senate Leadership which was signed by 21 organizational members of the Coalition.

Washington – The end-of-year spending bill and tax package released by Congress today calls for permanently extending the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), effectively helping millions of America’s children and families from falling deeper into poverty.

Studies have showed that combined, the EITC and CTC expand children’s opportunities to be healthier, perform better in school, and have higher earnings in adulthood. The credits are a critical support to help families offset the cost of raising children.

“We applaud Congress for coming together in the best interest of children and making the EITC and CTC permanent,” said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus Campaign for Children. “Working families need and deserve opportunities to succeed, and today Congress and the White House came together to agree to extend these important federal family tax provisions.”

While the family tax credits benefit the majority of working families, proposed eligibility changes in the new package are concerning, specifically because they prevent some individuals who are issued new Social Security numbers from being able to make retroactive EITC claims. Also troubling is a provision that would make it more difficult for immigrant parents to obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to pay their taxes, an additional barrier that singles out working immigrant families.

“Children of immigrants comprise more than 30 percent of all children in low-income families in America, and it’s critical that Congress makes decisions based on the best interest of all of America’s children,” Lesley said.

Studying the Cost of Child Poverty

Included in the omnibus spending bill is a provision that requests the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to provide an evidence-based, non-partisan holistic analysis of the cost of child poverty, and make recommendations to Congress to reduce the number of children living in poverty by half in 10 years.

First Focus Campaign for Children has worked diligently with lawmakers in both chambers in support of the NAS study. The study is also a critical component of the Child Poverty Reduction Act, which would establish a national goal of eradicating child poverty in 20 years.

“We’re pleased to see that policymakers on both sides of the aisle are supportive of this practical, first step toward ending child poverty for our children and families,” Lesley said. “We’re especially thankful of the leadership of Reps. Lucille Roybal-Allard and Barbara Lee, who championed this effort.”

Strengthening the Pillars of Education

Today’s spending package increases discretionary spending in education by $1.171 billion, including a $500 million increase in Title I allocations and a $4.958 million increase for programs targeting the education of homeless children and youth. The increase in spending still falls under the provisions of No Child Left Behind, as new education provisions under the new Every Student Succeeds Act are not scheduled to take effect until the 2017-18 school year.

“There are more than 1.3 million homeless children and youth in America’s schools today,” Lesley said. “Homeless children and youth face unique barriers to academic success, and we’re grateful that this funding will help the kids who need it most. For many children without homes, school is their life.”

Additional spending provisions that strengthen children’s education include an important funding increase for Head Start and the Child Care and Development Block Grants – by $570 million and $326 million, respectively – and reauthorized funding for Preschool Development Grants. These bipartisan investments are an important commitment to early childhood programs that support and nurture the youngest children during their most important stages of development.

“These programs yield short- and long-term benefits to children’s health, educational achievement, and future success, all to the benefit of our national prosperity,” Lesley said.

Protecting Family Health Plans

The tax extenders package places a two-year hold on the “Cadillac Tax,” a provision of the Affordable Care Act that was intended to rein in high-priced employee-offered policies but instead, disproportionately harms kids’ coverage. The tax incents employers to begin increasing health care costs to families who are already struggling.

The two-year delay will allow working families to avoid higher costs and reduced benefits when it comes to employee-sponsored healthcare.

“Although this is a well-intended effort on the part of the Administration and lawmakers, the reality is that the Cadillac Tax disproportionately harms dependent coverage for children, and we’re pleased to see there is broad, bipartisan support to delay or repeal it,” Lesley said.

Keeping Tobacco out of the Hands of Children

Lawmakers protected the health of children and teenagers by rejecting a proposed policy rider that would have shielded electronic cigarette manufacturers from the standard FDA approval process.

A new generation of smokers is becoming addicted to nicotine. The Centers for Disease and Control Prevention reported that e-cigarette use among middle- and high-school students tripled in one year, and a recent Harvard study has linked the flavoring contained in e-cigarette vapor to a condition called “Popcorn Lung.”

Moreover, e-cigarette retailers have aggressively marketed their products to children, by naming and branding e-cigarettes as popular children’s candy and cereal brands.

“We’re optimistic that Congress will do even more to protect children from these dangerous and deceitful marketing practices,” Lesley said. “For example, the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act would require child safety packaging for all liquid nicotine containers.”

Better Nutrition for Kids

Child nutrition standards prevailed in the omnibus package by excluding riders that would have undermined them, as previously proposed.

The spending bill also provides $6.35 billion for WIC to fully fund participation of low-income pregnant, breast feeding, and postpartum women as well as infants and children up to age five, and summer Electronic Benefit Demonstration grants will receive $23 million to provide families of low-income children access to food during the summer months when school is out.

“This compromise isn’t perfect, but it’s good for children, good for families, and offers a hopeful glimpse into a more cooperative environment in Congress where America’s children have a better seat at the negotiating table,” Lesley said.

Download the First Focus Omnibus and Tax Agreement Fact Sheet. 

###

The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.campaignforchildren.org.

Washington – First Focus Campaign for Children (FFCC) today welcomed Congressional approval of a major re-write of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that includes key provisions to boost educational outcomes for low-income students and improves early childhood education initiatives across the country.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), approved today in the Senate, is a refreshing example of how strong bipartisan efforts can lead to improved outcomes for children. ESSA puts an end to the patchwork federal waiver system and allows states to develop more tailored accountability measures and interventions that are more reflective of their student populations.

“When Congress works together, good things happen for kids,” said Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children. “While ESSA takes great strides toward improving the outcome of the nation’s most vulnerable students, there is much more that can be done to strengthen our obligation to provide a high-quality public education to all children in this country.”

Included in the ESSA is the Community Support for Schools Success Program, which provides grants to community schools that offer more holistic approaches to children’s education by pairing classroom curriculum with social services. Full-Service Community Schools provide students in-house services such as primary health and dental care; mental health and counseling; nutrition services; mentoring; and adult education and job training for parents.

“Providing educational spaces where children’s academic, health, and mentoring needs are met benefits the students, their families, and the schools,” Lesley said. “With this program, we move closer to eliminating a blind-spot in federal policy, recognizing that what happens outside the classroom affects what happens inside the classroom.”

ESSA also provides additional support for foster children and homeless youth, children with disabilities, and neglected children. It also allows states to redirect resources to under-performing schools, high schools with high drop-out rates, and schools with achievement gaps.

On Dec. 8, 2015, FFCC sent a letter to members of Congress praising their support of ESSA and thanked them for taking a strong bi-partisan approach to its major overhaul of No Child Left Behind.

ESSA will “allow states to develop their own accountability measures and interventions to ensure every student is thriving in the classroom,” the letter reads.

FFCC will continue to advocate for improved educational initiatives, including a need for better funding equity and an end to the over-reliance on testing – areas where ESSA falls short. Education funding remains highly inequitable and statewide assessments in reading, math, and science are still required under the new law, as well as a 95 percent participation requirement.

“This Administration and Congress have begun to recognize the extent to which America’s schools are over-testing their students. I’m confident that lawmakers can work together on common-sense approaches to learning evaluation in the future,” Lesley said.

###

The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit campaignforchildren.org.