FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FEBRUARY 8, 2017

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Amid sweeping changes by the incoming Trump Administration, First Focus Campaign for Children has issued its policy recommendations with a clear “do no harm” standard toward policies that impact America’s children during the first 100 days of the new presidency.

These child-focused recommendations come in light of President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech in which he acknowledged the universality of the rights of all children, saying: “And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams and they are infused with the breath of life by the same Almighty Creator.”

Top recommendations from First Focus policy experts include:

• Improving the health of children by funding the CHIP program, reducing asthma triggers, and protecting against lead poisoning;
• Applying a “do no harm” standard for any repeal-and-replace measures of the Affordable Care Act;
• Ending child poverty by strengthening family tax credits and setting a national Child Poverty Target;
• Ensuring immigration policies protect child safety and well-being by protecting DACA and providing increased support to unaccompanied minors;
• Reauthorizing the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childcare Home Visiting (MIECHV) program to ensure the best start in life for young children; and
• Focusing on child abuse and neglect response efforts to support children in foster care and end human trafficking.

In a statement First Focus Campaign for Children President and CEO Bruce Lesley said, “The recommendations we are putting forth are bold. We will not shy away from issues that impact every citizen – including the 16 million children that will be born in this country be born over the next four years. Those children deserve to be met with and be assured of a bright future.”

Read the entire list of child policy recommendations at CampaignForChildren.org.

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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
First Focus Campaign for Children is a bipartisan nonprofit children’s advocacy organization that advocates directly to ensure that children and families are a priority in federal budget and policy decisions.

(January 18, 2017) – Senators Graham (SC) and Durbin (IL), and Representatives Gutiérrez (IL-4) and Coffman (CO-26) reintroduced legislation last week, which would continue protections for beneficiaries of the Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by allowing them to maintain lawful status and continue to live without fear of deportation.

The Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy (BRIDGE) Act (S.128/H.R. 496) is designed to be a temporary solution for those protected currently under DACA given the program’s uncertain future under the incoming Administration. To date, more than 740,000 young people have obtained DACA. With the Bridge Act, DACA youth would fall under a new 3-year status called “provisional protected status,” allowing them to continue to work and pursue their education. The bill would also allow additional DACA-eligible youth to apply, which is important for the approximately 220,000 children under the age of 15 who have been waiting to qualify for the program.

“The DACA program’s tremendous success is proof that our country is better off when we provide our young people with the opportunity to fulfill their full potential,” said Bruce Lesley, president of the First Focus Campaign for Children. “DACA beneficiaries are supporting their families and giving back to their communities, and we as a country are better for it. To take away their protected status and put them at risk of deportation would be cruel and un-American. We commend Senator Graham and Senator Durbin for their leadership in introducing this legislation, and we urge Congress to quickly pass the bill and work towards a more permanent solution for these youth and their families.

Bipartisan support for the BRIDGE Act include Senators Murkowski (R-AK), Feinstein (D-CA), Flake (R-AZ), Schumer (D-NY), and Harris (D-CA). Representatives Curbelo (FL-26), Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Denham (CA-10), Lofgren (CA-19), Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27), and Chu (CA-27). “Today’s introduction of the Bridge Act is only a first step in the long process of permanently reforming and strengthening our immigration laws,” said Rep. Coffman.

The First Focus Campaign for Children has been a leader in pushing for support of children of immigrants through its Center for Children of Immigrants. In 2016, the Center produced a multi-media campaign called This Is My American Story, which used PSAs to put a face to an issue impacting hundreds of thousands of children in immigrant families.

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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.campaignforchildren.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

In the early hours of Thursday morning, the U.S. Senate approved a budget resolution, the first step in the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Also this week, Senator Brown (D-OH) introduced an amendment to protect comprehensive, affordable coverage for children, and Senator Baldwin (D-WI) introduced an amendment to preserve health coverage for young adults until the age of 26, including former foster youth who age out of state care. Both failed to be adopted. The House is expected to take up the measure today. 

First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley issued the following statement:

“We applaud the efforts of the bipartisan Members who voted this week to protect children’s coverage as the Senate moved legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act. It is critical that Congress adopt a 'do no harm' policy towards our nation’s children and youth, especially at a time when the numbers of uninsured children have fallen to record lows. We urge Members of Congress to oppose any efforts that could dismantle programs like Medicaid and CHIP that are working well for children and take coverage away from youth transitioning into adulthood. The ACA repeal would be a major step backward for the health of America’s children.”

For Immediate Release: Thursday, December 22, 2016

Contact: Meg Biallas, (202) 657-0664

[email protected]

Washington – A coalition of child advocates is calling on the incoming Trump Administration to create a national Child Poverty Target, setting the goal of cutting the U.S. child poverty rate by half within a decade.

A national Child Poverty Target is not unprecedented – the United Kingdom established a national target, which was supported by both the Conservative and Labour parties. Measured in U.S. terms, the UK’s Child Poverty Target and resulting policy changes successfully cut the UK’s absolute child poverty rate by 50 percent during the effort’s first decade.

Members of the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group recognize that establishing a national target in the U.S. would create an impetus to drive policies that reduce child poverty by supporting a family’s financial well-being and stability, such as:

• Strengthening tax credits for families, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit.
• Increasing access to affordable childcare and early learning programs, to better prepare all children for school and support parents’ ability to maintain stable employment.
• Offering earned family and medical leave and sick days to all workers, to create flexibility for parents to balance obligations at home and at work.
• Supporting home visiting programs that have been shown to support families and reduce maltreatment of children.
• Boosting access to affordable housing and addressing family homelessness by pairing housing assistance with services to help children and parents recover from the disruption of homelessness.
• Investing in communities to address concentrated poverty and boost positive outcomes for children later in life.

“We are asking President-elect Trump’s policy advisers to consider solutions that truly work for kids, families and communities,” said Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus Campaign for Children. “If we want to make America great, we must tackle child poverty and invest in our nation’s future – our children.”

“There are more than 4 million children under the age of 5 living in poverty in the United States. That’s one out of every five infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Investing in high-quality early childhood education is the most effective way to break the cycle of poverty and ensure equal opportunity for all American families,” said Mark Shriver, president of Save the Children Action Network, or SCAN. “SCAN is committed to working with the Children’s Poverty Action Group to ensure that all children have access to the support they need, especially high-quality early childhood education, during these critical early years.”

"We know that poverty has a significant impact on child development and that it does increase the many stresses on our most vulnerable families including those in the child welfare population,” said John Sciamanna, Vice President of Public Policy, Child Welfare League of America. “Any strategy to move this country forward must address child poverty equal to our greatest challenges."

Members of the U.S. Child Poverty Action Group who have endorsed these recommendations include: First Focus Campaign for Children, Save the Children Action Network, National Center for Children in Poverty, National Black Child Development Institute, American Federation of Teachers, Child Welfare League of America, National Council of La Raza, and PICO National Network.

Click here to read the full letter of recommendations.

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The U.S. Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG USA) is a broad-based coalition of non-profit, child-focused organizations and individuals dedicated to cutting the child poverty rate in half within 10 years. For more information, follow CPAG on Twitter @CPAG_USA or visit www.childpovertyusa.org. 

For Immediate Release: December 13, 2016

Washington – The number of homeless children and youth enrolled in public schools in the United States has increased, even since the end of the recession, according to U.S. Department of Education (ED) data released today.

Public schools reported 1,263,323 children and youth, preK-12, who were identified as experiencing homelessness, and enrolled in school at some point in the 2014—2015 school year. This is a 3.5% increase over three years, and a 12% increase over four years, and a 34% increase since the recession ended in the summer of 2009.

Twenty-one states experienced an increase in homeless student population of more than 10 percent, including: Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

The report, “Federal Data Summary School Years 2012-13 to 2014-15: Education for Homeless Children and Youth” further found that:

• Thirty-five states reported an increase in their homeless student populations between 2012 and 2014. Twenty-one states experienced growth of 10% or more, while only five states experienced a reduction of 10% or more.
• Homelessness among unaccompanied homeless youth (youth experiencing homelessness on their own, apart from their families) saw the most marked increase, increasing by 21% over three years, to reach 95,032 students.
• The grade with the largest number of students experiencing homelessness was kindergarten. Forty-seven percent of all students identified as homeless and enrolled in school were elementary-age or younger.
• Federal per-pupil spending on students experiencing homelessness declined by $17.78 since the end of the recession and by $6.07 between fiscal years 2012 and 2015. Overall federal funding to support students experiencing homelessness remained at roughly the same level between fiscal years 2012 and 2015.
• States provided an average per pupil rate of $50.08 in federal funding to school districts for the additional supports needed by homeless students.

The majority of students experiencing homelessness do not live in shelters. 76% were staying with other people temporarily, due to lack of alternatives, upon initial identification by schools. Another 7% were staying in motels when they were identified. These living situations are precarious, crowded, unstable, and often unsafe, leading to high rates of mobility. The use of hotels and motels grew, seeing an increase in use of nearly 19% over three years.  The ED data do not include homeless infants and toddlers, young children who are not enrolled in public preschool programs, and homeless children and youth who were not identified by school officials or enrolled in school

In addition to the new data above, research has shown that homelessness impacts children in a multitude of ways:

• Attendance and graduation rates dip. Homeless students transfer schools often, are more likely to miss school, and 87 percent more likely than their peers to leave school before graduation.

• Academic success is compromised. Academic achievement in elementary school is slowed during periods of homelessness and housing instability. The achievement gaps between homeless and low-income elementary students tend to persist, and may even worsen, over time.

• Young children suffer greatly. A 2015 study found that the younger and longer a child experiences homelessness, the greater the cumulative toll of negative health outcomes, which can have lifelong effects on the child, the family, and the community.

• Homeless youth are inherently vulnerable and more exposed to other dangers. Unaccompanied homeless youth are more likely to fall victim to sexual exploitation, including trafficking.

Earlier this year, a ground-breaking report from Civic Enterprises, Hidden in Plain Sight, details the struggles of homeless students in the U.S. and provides insight into how educators, policymakers and community organizations can help more students cope with homelessness, graduate from high school, and have a better shot at adult success.  This includes recommendations for implementation of new educational protections for homeless children and youth–the result of amendments to federal law made by the Every Student Succeeds Act that went into effect on October 1, 2016. These amendments place greater emphasis on appropriate staffing and training, pre-school age children, and supports to assist students to graduate from high school and transition to college.

In response to the Department of Education data, leading advocates for homeless children and youth released the following statements:

“The rise in youth homelessness means more students are being exposed to sex trafficking, abuse, hunger, and denial of their basic needs,” said Bruce Lesley, President of the First Focus Campaign for Children. “When our children and youth live with the kind of instability that comes with homelessness, they are too tired and hungry to concentrate, and fall further behind in school. We urge the new Administration and the new Congress to re-evaluate the direction of federal homelessness policy, and to adopt a comprehensive two-generational approach to address homelessness.”

“The data released today confirm what schools and communities see every day–too many children and youth struggling to survive without a home,” said Barbara Duffield, Executive Director of SchoolHouse Connection. “The new provisions for homeless students in the Every Student Succeeds Act need to be fully funded and implemented so that every homeless student is given the support they need to succeed. Intervening early, including access to early care and education, is a key to better life outcomes and preventing future homelessness.”

The data released by the U.S. Department of Education are available on the website of the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE). NCHE is the U.S. Department of Education’s technical assistance and information provider in the area of homeless education.

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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.campaignforchildren.org.

SchoolHouse Connection is a new national organization promoting success for children and youth experiencing homelessness, from birth through higher education. SchoolHouse Connection engages in strategic advocacy and provides technical assistance in partnership with early care and education professionals (including school district homeless liaisons and state homeless education coordinators), young people, service providers, advocates, and local communities. For more information, visit www.schoolhouseconnection.org

(December 9, 2016) – Senators Graham (R-South Carolina) and Durbin (D-Illinois) today announced a new piece of legislation that would continue protections for beneficiaries of the Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by allowing them to maintain lawful status and continue to live without fear of deportation.

The Bridge Act is designed to be a temporary solution for those protected currently under DACA given the program’s uncertain future under the incoming Administration. To date, more than 740,000 young people have obtained DACA. With the Bridge Act, DACA youth would fall under a new 3-year status called “provisional protected status,” allowing them to continue to work and pursue their education. The bill would also allow additional DACA-eligible youth to apply, which is important for the approximately 220,000 children under the age of 15 who have been waiting to qualify for the program.

“The DACA program's tremendous success is proof that our country is better off when we provide our young people with the opportunity to fulfill their full potential,” said Bruce Lesley, president of the First Focus Campaign for Children. “DACA beneficiaries are supporting their families and giving back to their communities, and we as a country are better for it. To take away their protected status and put them at risk of deportation would be cruel and un-American. We commend Senator Graham and Senator Durbin for their leadership in introducing this legislation, and we urge Congress to quickly pass the bill and work towards a more permanent solution for these youth and their families.”

The First Focus Campaign for Children has been a leader in pushing for support of children of immigrants through its Center for Children of Immigrants. Earlier this year, the Center produced a multi-media campaign called This Is My American Story, which used PSAs to put a face to an issue impacting hundreds of thousands of children in immigrant families.

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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.campaignforchildren.org.

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.

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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.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.”

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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.

Washington – Advocates for homeless children and youth say the annual estimate of homelessness in the United States released yesterday by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is misleading and underestimates family and youth homelessness.

HUD’s Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part II, an estimate and description of homeless Americans presented each year to Congress, reported 502,521 sheltered families with children in 2015, a 6.1 percent increase since 2007.

In contrast, public schools, as reported by the Department of Education identified 1,301,239 homeless children and youth in the 2013-2014 school year, a 100 percent increase from the 2006-2007 school year. Head Start programs also reported a significant increase in the numbers of homeless children identified by Head Start programs, from 26,200 homeless children in 2007-2008, to 50,219 in 2014-2015, and increasing by 3% between 2013-2014 and 2015-2016.

HUD’s estimates focus on shelter occupancy, which is inappropriate for families and youth because:

• HUD measures capacity, not need: Shelters are often full, and many communities do not have shelters, or have shelters that are inappropriate for the needs families or youth. Unaccompanied youth may avoid adult shelters because of safety concerns.

• HUD does not look in the places most homeless families and youth can be found: Homeless families and youth are less likely than single adults to stay on the streets and other outdoor locations. They are less likely to sleep in bus stations, parks, etc. because they fear referrals to child protective services. Unaccompanied youth can face victimization on the streets. Families and youth are much more likely to stay temporarily with other people, or in motels. But HUD does not consider these homeless children and youth to be homeless, and makes no effort to count them.

Department of Education data includes children and youth in these hidden locations, which are unstable and very often unsafe. HUD excludes these children and youth in its estimates and fails to prioritize their needs. As Congress considers policies to address family homelessness in the 115^th session, it should require HUD to adopt a more accurate definition of homelessness for children and youth, and honor local communities’ local assessments of their needs.

The First Focus Campaign for Children, the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, and the National Center for Housing and Child Welfare released the following statements in response to HUD’s release:

“Homeless children and youth find themselves in many situations, and all have experienced trauma,” said Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus Campaign for Children. “The report is a missed opportunity to identify all homeless children and youth in the U.S. so we can realize the true need.  Homeless children and youth can’t wait any longer to receive the support they deserve.”

“The nation’s public schools, including early childhood education programs such as Head Start, have witnessed a persistent increase in the numbers of homeless children and youth over the past decade,” said Barbara Duffield, Director of Policy and Programs for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth. “To categorize these children and youth as merely ‘housing unstable,’ as does today’s report, both mischaracterizes their living situations and implies that they are less vulnerable than other homeless children and youth. Nothing could be further from the truth. The urgency of child and youth homelessness requires that HUD Homeless Assistance be redesigned to meet the unique developmental needs of children and youth.”

“The AHAR is simply a report of how many homeless people are contacted through an impressive, elaborate street outreach effort conducted once a year through the Point in Time events nationwide,” said Ruth White, executive director of National Center for Housing and Child Welfare. “The obvious discrepancy between the AHAR numbers and what any provider, public school employee, or American who regularly walks down a city street can see with their own eyes, calls into question the need for the AHAR and indeed, the purpose of the PIT counts.”

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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.campaignforchildren.org .

NAEHCY is a national grassroots membership association dedicated to ensuring the school enrollment, attendance, and overall success for children and youth whose lives have been disrupted by the lack of safe, permanent and adequate housing. For more information, see www.naehcy.org.

The National Center for Housing and Child Welfare (NCHCW) links housing resources and knowledge to child welfare agencies in order to improve family functioning, prevent family homelessness, and reduce the need for out-of-home placement. NCHCW also brings housing resources to child welfare agencies in order to ensure that older youth in foster care have a connection to permanent family as well as a solid plan for stable housing and services to help them be successful as adults.

Washington – Congress yesterday voted to pass a continuing resolution (CR), a stopgap measure that prevented a government shutdown.

“The government funds so many programs that are crucial for kids,” said Bruce Lesley, president of the First Focus Campaign for Children. “While we are glad that a government shutdown has been averted, we know that a full budget deal is better for kids. A long-term spending package ensures funding for services that are critical to support and improve the well-being of America’s children.”

Two areas critical to kids’ health came through in the short-term deal: funding that will begin to combat the Zika virus and the opioid epidemic:

• $1.1 billion to combat the spread of the Zika virus was included for through fiscal 2017 as emergency funding. The Children’s Budget Coalition, of which First Focus Campaign for Children is a member, called on Congress to prevent millions of pregnant women and children from being at risk in a letter sent to Congress on September 14, 2016.

• $37 million was included to fund programs authorized by the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) to combat the opioid drug epidemic and support kids in families struggling with addiction. This includes $20 million for programs through the U.S. Department of Justice and $17 million for programs through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The departments are authorized to issue grants to states, localities and American Indian tribes for opioid abuse programs.

However, the short-term deal does not include funding to address the problem of lead in places like Flint, Michigan. There is no safe level of lead for children, yet millions continue to be exposed to it in their water, soil, and homes.

“It is unacceptable that Congress continues to delay funding to address this ongoing crisis,” said Lesley. “We must ensure that families and communities affected by lead poisoning receive support as soon as possible. Our kids have waited long enough.”

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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.campaignforchildren.org.