Washington — President Obama announced reforms yesterday that will permit undocumented students with established ties to the United States who have attained academic success and meet moral character standards to remain present in the U.S. and contribute to America’s culture and economy.

“The president’s decision is a major victory for children and America’s economy. It will open new doors of opportunity to hundreds of thousands of young people, and their hard work will benefit our whole country,” said First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.

The Administration’s actions would allow eligible children and young adults to apply for deferred action, protecting them from deportation and providing a means to seek work authorization. The policy applies to youth between the ages of 15 and 30 who arrived in the U.S. before the age of 16, have resided in the country for at least five years, and are of good moral character. Children under 15 will be protected from deportation until they are able to formally apply for relief. The policy announced today will expire after two years, with the possibility of renewal.

“This policy means children will no longer have to live in fear of being torn from their families and deported to a country they have never known,” said Lesley.

The First Focus Campaign for Children has assertively advocated for passage of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act, currently S. 952 and H.R. 1842). The DREAM Act would improve upon the reforms announced today, by improving access to higher education and establishing a path to U.S. citizenship for qualifying youth (colloquially called “DREAMers”).

“Only Congress can deliver a permanent solution that allows DREAMers to reach their full potential and contribute to America’s potential. We will continue to work with youth leaders throughout the country to advance the DREAM Act and open doors of opportunity permanently for every child in America,” said Lesley.

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Washington – The First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter Tuesday urging U.S. senators to support an amendment expected this week from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) to restore a proposed cut of $4.5 billion over ten years in federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The children’s advocacy organization endorsed Gillibrand’s amendment, citing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) showing that 20 percent of children live in homes where they or a family member is affected by hunger.

“Nearly half of every SNAP dollar goes to feed children, and with one-in-five children already affected by hunger, Senator Gillibrand’s amendment comes at a critical moment for America’s kids,” said First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.

Gillibrand’s amendment would also increase funding for the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, which provides healthy produce for more than three million children through their local schools. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that nearly 20 percent of children are obese.

“This amendment protects a vital source of nutrition for children facing hunger, and it improves the nutritional value of the foods kids eat at school. With better nutrition, kids can stay focused in the classroom and build healthier lives.”

As the recession has continued to squeeze middle class families, the need for child nutrition supports has increased substantially. A recent Brookings Institution study, commissioned by First Focus, the Campaign for Children’s policy analysis partner organization, examined the impact. That analysis found that an additional eight million children are receiving SNAP, compared to levels before the recession.

“The recession has made it harder for parents to meet their children’s basic needs, and this amendment can ensure that SNAP will remain strong, to protect children from hunger,” said Lesley.

A USDA analysis confirms that, by reducing out-of-pocket food costs, SNAP is an effective anti-poverty investment. USDA data shows that SNAP reduced overall poverty by nearly eight percent in 2009 and had an even greater poverty reduction effect on families with children.

“Fighting childhood hunger, fighting child obesity, and fighting child poverty are three great reasons every senator should support the Gillibrand amendment,” said Lesley.

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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.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington — The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Friday, in a prepublication version of Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Premium Tax Credit regulations, signaled that future ACA rulemakings will address concerns raised by advocates for children and families about the affordability of employer-sponsored health insurance for children and spouses. The First Focus Campaign for Children and more than 100 other national and state advocates sent a letter in early March, urging the agency to fix a provision of the draft rule. That provision would determine whether an employer-sponsored health plan is affordable for an entire family based on the costs of coverage for the individual employee only, disregarding additional costs of family coverage. Because family coverage averages nearly triple the average cost of individual coverage, IRS’ initial proposal would have the effect of denying tax credits, and therefore affordable care, to employees’ spouses and children. In response to Friday’s news, First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley issued the following statement:

“We are pleased that the Treasury Department is continuing to consider the significant feedback they heard from advocates across the nation which calls on the Administration to deliver on the promise of affordable health care for every American family. We are hopeful that when the final rules are written, the Administration will not leave families with children high and dry.”

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Washington - The U.S. House of Representatives today voted 218-199 to approve a federal budget “reconciliation” package (H.R. 5652) that would deepen cuts to America’s investments in children. This legislative package, approved just three days before Mother’s Day, cuts critical investments that help parents meet their children’s basic needs, including healthcare, nutrition, economic stability, childcare, and safety from abuse and neglect. First Focus has completed a comprehensive analysis of the reconciliation package’s cuts to children’s initiatives, but congressional leadership has not requested an analysis of the consequences of this package for children. The First Focus Campaign for Children urged lawmakers to understand those consequences before casting their votes. In response to today’s vote, First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley released the following statement:

“The legislation passed today will do enormous harm to children due to proposed cuts to child health, nutrition, economic stability, child care, and safety from child abuse and neglect. Unfortunately, despite the vote, the full extent of harm to kids is still unknown to everybody involved. Furthermore, passing this legislation just three days before Mother’s Day just adds insult to injury. We ask the U.S. Senate to reject this package of cuts to children, as the burden of funding our national defense should not be placed upon the backs of children. Instead, we urge the U.S. Senate to ask the important questions the House ignored and protect critical investments that protect children from lifelong health problems, abject poverty, hunger, and abuse and neglect.”

Download the First Focus budget reconciliation package analysis here.

Download the First Focus Campaign for Children's letter to lawmakers here.

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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.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington — Thursday, the U.S. Labor Department scuttled a proposed rule that would have saved the lives of 85 children every year and prevented thousands more children from grave injuries requiring hospitalization, by prohibiting corporate farms from assigning them to the most dangerous forms of agribusiness labor. The First Focus Campaign for Children and a coalition of children’s advocates, faith groups, human rights champions, and advocates for working families backed the proposal, which exempted children working on family farms owned by their parents. First Focus Campaign for Children also supports legislation (the CARE Act, H.R. 2234) sponsored by U.S. Rep. Lucille Roybal Allard, that includes this protection. But big agribusiness interests and their allies in Congress aggressively opposed it. Leading the opposition were the American Farm Bureau Federation, which is closely linked with corporate agribusiness giants like Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT). In response to the Obama Administration’s decision, First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley issued the following statement.

“Children’s advocates expect better from national leaders than caving to political pressure from special interests and their lobbyists, when the facts are crystal clear and children’s lives are on the line. Members of Congress who are committed to putting children’s lives ahead of politics should overrule this decision by demanding an immediate vote on the CARE Act. And children’s advocates will continue to push to prevent the needless suffering, injury, and death of young workers and hold the Farm Bureau and policymakers accountable for ensuring the safety of all children.”

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Washington – Tuesday, the bipartisan children’s advocacy organization First Focus Campaign for Children sent letters to every member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, asking that federal nutrition legislation scheduled for consideration by the committee today maintain the nation’s investment in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps). The text of the letter sent to Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) appears below.

“SNAP works – it provides nutritious food, so more than 20 million kids can stay focused on learning, and reduces poverty by helping parents make ends meet during tough economic times,” said First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture study found that SNAP reduced the poverty rate in 2009 by nearly eight percent. The study also found that SNAP has a greater poverty-reduction impact on families with children, because children are more likely to be poor and constitute about half of SNAP beneficiaries.

Early drafts of the legislation released by the committee would cut SNAP by more than $4 billion over ten years. First Focus Campaign for Children’s analysis shows that 49% of SNAP funding benefits children, by providing milk, vegetables, and other groceries. One in five American children goes to sleep at night not sure whether they or a family member will go hungry the next day.

If approved, the Senate committee’s legislation would be the second cut to child nutrition by a congressional committee in two weeks. On April 18th, the House Agriculture Committee passed budget reconciliation legislation that would cut $36 billion from SNAP.

The legislation’s SNAP cuts are a marked departure from other provisions that maintain and enhance other nutrition commitments. A draft circulated prior to the committee’s meeting would protect funding for emergency food banks, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, and healthy eating consumer education.

“It’s great that this legislation continues to invest in nutrition education, but it’s ironic that the same proposal would deny people the resources they need to buy healthy foods,” said Lesley.

If approved, the Senate committee’s proposal would require floor passage before negotiations with the House. Compromise legislation would need to be enacted prior to October 1st, when the current child nutrition and the underlying “Farm Bill” legislation sunsets.

“As child nutrition legislation moves to the floors of both chambers, we urge Democrats and Republicans to work together to insist on real nutrition solutions for children in families hit hard by the recession,” said Lesley.

Download a copy of the letter here.

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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.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington — The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture passed legislation Wednesday that would cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) by $36 billion over ten years, an estimated $17 billion of which would serve children. First Focus Campaign for Children’s analysis shows that 49% of SNAP funding benefits children, by providing milk, vegetables, and other groceries for more than 20 million children. The committee, which also has jurisdiction over a wide range of agriculture programs including corporate agribusiness and export subsidies, singled out SNAP for cuts. One in five American children goes to sleep at night not sure whether they or a family member will go hungry the next day. In response to the cuts, First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley released the following statement:

“This attack on child nutrition shows just how out-of-touch House leadership is with the problems facing American families. Adding insult to injury, the Committee protected agribusiness and export subsidies and targeted cuts only on investments that help hungry children. The House should reject this shortsighted plan, so millions of kids can continue to get the food they need to grow and learn.”

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Washington - A coalition of 83 national and state advocates sent today a letter urging congressional leadership to support The Children’s Budget Act (S. 1396). The legislation would require the White House to submit an annual children’s budget.

“For the same reason we balance our checkbooks, we should be creating a children’s budget – we measure what matters to us to make better decisions about how and when to spend money,” said First Focus Campaign for Children (FFCC) President Bruce Lesley.

The Children’s Budget Act, introduced by Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), would create an independent and comprehensive accounting of all investments in children. Because they are spread out over many departments and dozens of bureaus and programs, there is currently no official or simple way to evaluate the overall level of federal investment in children. Comparing levels across years is a difficult task.

The Children’s Budget Act would be easy to implement at no federal cost. Identical legislation was also introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL).

“The Children’s Budget Act is a no-brainer because it’s a no-cost resource that allows Americans to be the judge of whether we as a nation are making appropriate investments in our kids,” said Lesley.

Measuring areas vital to the growth and security of the country are not unprecedented. The Office of Management and Budget is already required to report on funding for Homeland Security, the Export-Import Bank, and even meteorology.

First Focus, a bipartisan children’s organization affiliated with First Focus Campaign for Children, released recently a study that found in 2010, only 8.4 percent of the federal budget was allocated to children, even though kids are nearly 25 percent of the population.

The letter was signed by 50 national advocates for children and families, communities of color, educators, low- and moderate-income families, people with disabilities, advocates for child welfare, advocates for child laborers, health care consumers, health care providers, and mental health providers as well as 33 state and local advocacy organizations from 24 states.

“Advocates agree it’s time to stop budgeting in the dark on children’s issues. Children are our most valuable asset, so let’s bring our investments in children into focus so we can make smarter investments in the future,” said Lesley.

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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.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington – A coalition of 102 national and state advocates today sent a letter urging President Barack Obama and congressional leadership to fix a problem with the U.S. Treasury Department’s interpretation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health care reform law that, if uncorrected, could deny affordable health care to hundreds of thousands of children and spouses.

“The ACA’s intent is clear – make health care affordable. Legal wrangling shouldn’t stand in the way of that common-sense goal,” said First Focus Campaign for Children (FFCC) President Bruce Lesley.

The ACA makes some families eligible for tax credits to make private, employer-sponsored health insurance more affordable, and it bases eligibility on the family’s income and the cost of the insurance. But Treasury Department draft regulations implementing the ACA consider the cost of insuring the employee alone, instead of the cost of family coverage. While individual-only employer-sponsored health insurance costs average around $5,400 a year, annual costs for family coverage average $15,000 – nearly triple. As a result, this “Families Glitch” would likely deny tax credits to, and therefore leave health insurance unaffordable for, hundreds of thousands of children, as well as their non-employee parents.

“As a dad, I’d never build a groceries budget just for me – my wife and the kids eat too. We should expect at least that level of financial planning sophistication from the Treasury Department,” said Lesley.

The letter was signed by 42 national advocates for children and families, women, communities of color, educators, low- and moderate-income families, chronic disease patients, health care consumers, and health care providers, as well as 60 state and local advocacy organizations from 32 states. The complete text of the letter and signatories list appears below.

“With the health care of so many children and families hanging in the balance, advocates agree it’s time for politicians on both sides of the aisle to stop pointing fingers and start fixing this problem.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children coordinated the letter. FFCC also sponsored a congressional briefing that showcased new research documenting the human cost of this problem. FFCC staff have raised this problem with Obama Administration officials. Either the Treasury Department or Congress can provide relief to children and families who would be harmed if the Families Glitch goes unresolved.

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.ffcampaignforchildren.org.

Washington – Last week both chambers of Congress passed a bipartisan package to extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance through the end of the year, an important win for families and communities across the country. The legislation did not include proposed restrictions to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) that would have cost low-income immigrant families an average of $1,800 annually, impacting up to 5.5 million children. In response to the bill’s passage without this harmful provision, First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley issued the following statement:

“Every year, the Child Tax Credit protects millions of kids from falling into poverty, so protecting it is an important victory for children and families. We applaud Majority Leader Harry Reid for his leadership in defending the CTC and for standing firm to ensure that our children do not bear the brunt of our economic problems. And we commend lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for recognizing that, with child poverty at a twenty-year high, we should not be making it harder for parents to meet kids’ basic needs.”

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