Initiatives
Federal Budget Policy
Missed Opportunities: An Analysis of the President's FY2009 Budget and its
Impact on Children: Voices for America's Children, February 11, 2008
How Kids Fare in the President's 2009 Budget: FirstFocus.net
As President Bush released his fiscal year 2009 budget, First Focus criticized his proposal as once again failing to make children a priority. Download the "
sign on" letter (PDF).
NCSL REPORT - Early Care & Education
Final State Fiscal Relief Letter to Finance Committee
Nicole Witherbee: Protect the poor in a recession
Saturday, January 26, 2008 - Bangor Daily News
Group Letter: Federal Medicaid Matching Percentage
The Bush administration is changing the rules without congressional support or approval and reducing access to services for children and families.
Voices Issue Update: No Federal Progress for Children's Health Care Coverage in 2007
An issue brief update that brings together the various CMS decisions that have or will impact state momentum to ensure that children have access to health care coverage.
An Improved Child Tax Credit: Good for the Economy, Good for Kids
Reaching All Children? Understanding Early Care and Education Participation Among Immigrant Families
by Hannah Matthews and Danielle Ewen. One in five children in the United States is the child of an immigrant. These children stand to benefit greatly from high-quality child care and early learning programs, yet appear less likely to participate in such programs. This paper summarizes evidence about the participation of young children of immigrants in early care and education programs as well as the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of immigrant families that likely influence participation. It then offers policy recommendations for state and local administrators of pre-kindergarten and other early care and education programs, and proposes areas for additional research.
Families Will Lose At Least $8.4 Billion in Uncollected Child Support if Congress Cuts Funds-and Could Lose Billions More
by Vicki Turetsky. In February, Congress is expected to vote on the FY 2006 budget agreement. The current version would cut federal child support funds by more than 20 percent. Despite the claim that families would not be hurt, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that at least $8.4 billion in child support would go uncollected over the next 10 years if the incentive match is eliminated. This report uses Congressional Budget Office projections to show how much funding each state stands to lose and how much child support will go uncollected if the cuts are enacted.
Federal Budget Bill May Reduce Federal Child Welfare Funds to California by Hundreds of Millions of Dollars
by Casey Trupin. Shortly after it returns on January 31, 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a budget package already approved by the Senate. This package, called the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, contains numerous cuts to human services, including child welfare. California will bear the largest share of the funding losses in the nation. This paper examines how the budget agreement will affect children and families in California's child welfare system-particularly, the bill's financial disincentives to placing children with relatives and time restrictions on federal administrative funds for children in relative care.
New TANF Requirements Could Result in New Large Costs and Risk of Federal Penalties for California
by Mark Greenberg. In February 2006, the House of Representatives will vote on a federal budget bill that revises work requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and creates significant penalties for states that fail to meet these requirements. Given its size and caseload, California will incur significant costs in order to meet the new requirements, and will still be at great risk for penalties. This report uses available federal data to examine the federal bill's budgetary implications in California.
Child Care Assistance Helps Families Work: A Review of the Effects of Subsidy Receipt on Employment
by Hannah Matthews. Reliable and stable child care helps parents retain steady employment and reduces workplace absenteeism, but the high costs of care challenge many families, particularly low-income working parents. Child care assistance can help. This policy brief reviews relevant research and finds that low-income mothers who receive child care subsidies are more likely to be employed, to stay off welfare, and to have higher earnings. For that reason, increasing investments in child care assistance is necessary to help families move from welfare to work and to help low-income parents continue working.
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