Quick Links:
- Intro [1]
- Year in Review: Successes [2]
- Policies to Watch [3]
- Overarching Policies [4]
- Health [5]
- Child Welfare [6]
- Juvenile Justice [7]
- School, After-School and Work [8]
- Child Care and Early Learning [9]
- Tools for Action [10]
CFK wishes to thank:
- Child Trends
- Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
- Coalition on Human Needs
- Every Child Matters Education Fund
- First Focus
- The Forum for Youth Investment
- National Collaboration for Youth (NCY)
- National Youth Development Information Center (NYDIC)
- National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC)
- New America Foundation
- ZERO TO THREE
- ...and all of the other organizations that offered information and alerts through their networks.
Background
Rhetoric becomes reality pretty quickly when you examine federal policies and programs for children and youth—and funding set aside for those programs.The 110th Congress is tentatively set to adjourn on September 26, but there is some talk that Members may return after the November election to cross a few more items off the to-do list, including addressing the twelve appropriations (spending) bills that have not yet been approved. Congress is likely to pass a “Continuing Resolution” that funds most programs at current levels.
This PolicyWatch round-up is not meant to provide comprehensive details about the specific bills, but rather to give you a picture of what’s happened, what’s on the horizon and offer resources to help you learn more and take action on the policies that matter to you.
Please note: Our Learn More links are not intended to be exhaustive; we selected those that were comprehensive and easy to read, but there are many other organizations with excellent information. If you want to suggest other resources, please do! Email us at policy@connectforkids.org [11]
| Here are three great roadmaps for advocacy in the coming year: |
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For the federal funding context, check out: | ||||
| National Policy Agenda [12] (National Collaboration for Youth) |
2008 Public Policy Agenda [13] (Alliance for Children and Families) |
Kids Agenda: A 10-Year, $500 Billion Investment [14] (Every Child Matters Education Fund) |
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Children's Budget 2008 [15]
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Kids' Share 2008 [16] (Urban Institute & New America Foundation) |
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[18]
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[21]Looking Back: Advocacy Successes
In many ways, it’s been a year of hurry up and wait—wait for appropriations to move, wait for the next administration and the next Congress—but there are some successes to celebrate and inspire our continued work. Connect for Kids congratulates the tireless advocates and others who contact their elected officials, work diligently to inform policymakers and push for the policies and funding changes we need.
Here are just a few of the policy “wins” that advocates for children and families can claim in 2008. Did we miss a major success? This list can grow! Share your national and local successes with us by emailing policy@connectforkids.org [22].
Congress Passes Major Child Welfare Reform Bill
On October 7, President Bush signed into law [23] the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act . The bill reauthorizes the Adoption Incentive Program, which encourages states to move children from foster care to adoption. It also allows states to extend foster care supports up to age 21, offer federal supports to relatives (kinship caregivers) who assume legal guardianship of children, and help keep siblings together in foster care.
What advocates are saying: The bill will significantly reform of child welfare—and represents "the federal government’s single largest new investment in vulnerable children since 1997," says Voices for America's Children [24]. Numerous child and youth organizations support the Act, include the Child Welfare League of America [25] and the Children's Defense Fund [26].
Learn More: First Focus - summary [28]
Learn More: The Center for Law and Social Policy and the Children's Defense Fund - summary and background [27]
Children’s Budget Act
How much of the federal budget goes to support children’s programs? It’s a surprisingly tough question to answer. The Children’s Budget Act (S.3277), introduced in the Senate in July, would require each President’s annual budget proposal to calculate and add up all the funding for children’s programs, giving advocates and others a clearer picture of federal spending on children. Rep. Davis (D-IL) is expected to introduce a similar version in the House before September 26, 2008.
Head Start Reauthorization
The Head Start renewal was signed into law by President Bush on December 12, 2007 (Public Law 110-134). The new law boosts resources for Early Head Start, lets states enroll more families that are just above the poverty line and eliminated controversial standards-based testing of children in Head Start. Funding, however, remains a key issue and has stalled with the appropriations stalemate.
Learn More:
- Zero to Three - provisions for babies and toddlers [29]
- Save Head St [30]art - resources and news [31]
- Results.org - background and summary [32]
Higher Education Opportunity and Affordability Act
The first full reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in a decade—which came after five years of debate and delays—was signed into law on August 14, 2008. Among the provisions: the bill simplifies the federal financial aid application process for students, increases Pell Grants from $4,800 to $8,000 in 2014 and makes them available year-round and expands supports for low-income and minority students, veterans and students with disabilities.
Learn More: CollegeAffordabilityNow.org - summary [33]
21st Century GI Bill
Signed into law as part of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, this brings the GI bill better in line with rising college costs and provides tuition, textbooks and a monthly stipend for veterans.
Learn More: CollegeAffordabilityNow.org - summary [34]
2007 Farm Bill
It took Congress overriding a presidential veto not once but twice (thanks to a procedural error), but the Farm Bill—which was reauthorized in May 2008. The new law includes improvements to the Food Stamps program, which has been renamed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and increases funds for domestic nutrition programs by more than $10 billion over ten years.
Learn More:
Federal Youth Coordination Act
Although a single child often interacts with a range of services (education, after-school, mental health), federal programs to support young people are “siloed”—spread across 12 federal departments that operate independently. This Act establishes a Federal Youth Development Council to coordinate the resources of these various agencies. It was signed into law in 2006 but has not received funding in the two years since. In June, advocates scored a major victory when a House subcommittee included $1 million for the Act, but the overall appropriations bill stalled before the Appropriations Committee. The National Youth Employment Coalition has a summary of the stalemate. [37]
Learn More: National Collaboration for Youth - Federal Yo [38]uth Coordination Act page [39]
National Housing Trust Fund
When President Bush signed the Housing and Recovery Act into law in July, it included a provision to build and preserve affordable housing for low-income families. Unlike other federal housing programs, this will not rely on annual appropriations for its funding.
Moratorium on Medicaid Rules
The war supplemental also included a moratorium on six of the seven harmful Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush Administration, keeping them at bay until April 1, 2009. Among these regulations: cuts to Medicaid payments for school-based services and rehabilitative services and rules for targeted case management.
Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007
The Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007 passed the Senate in April and passed the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on September 17, 2008. It provides community-based grants for prenatal and early infant care for disadvantaged children and babies. United Way of America has a policy summary. [44]
CMS Rescinds its SCHIP Directive—For Now
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it will not take action against 15 states that extend their State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP) to cover children in families earning above 250 percent of the federal poverty level. CMS originally said it would impose financial penalties starting in August unless states could prove that they enroll at least 95 percent of eligible children living under 200 percent of poverty, before extending income eligibility limits.
Policies to Watch: 2008-2009
OVERARCHING POLICIES
A Second Stimulus Package
As Congress weighs a second stimulus package, advocates are watching two aspects in particular:
- With jobless rates for teens hitting near historic highs, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-VA) has proposed $250 million for job skills training for youth to support “part-time jobs after-school, paid internships and community service jobs for older youth.”
- LEAnet [47] reports that there have been “serious conversations” about including a temporary increase to the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), which would mean the feds pay a larger share of states’ Medicaid costs to prevent cuts to services. In 2003, Congress included a 15-month FMAP increase in its economic stimulus package.
Learn More:
- Families USA explains FMAP [48]
- Senator Byrd’s press release at the National Youth Employment Coalition [49]
Federal Youth Coordination Act
The House Appropriations Committee has not yet finalized the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill and is not likely to do so before Congress adjourns; however, this may receive funding in the Continuing Resolution or in next legislative section and it will need to be reauthorized by the next Congress.
Learn More: See Successes [50], above.
Runaway and Homeless Youth Act of 2008
This bill (S. 2982 and H.R. 5524) strengthens the main source of federal funding for unaccompanied youth; it supports programs that prevent victimization and help reconnect homeless youth to families, schools, employment and housing options. A reauthorization bill—including increases in funding for outreach, shelter and transitional housing—nearly passed in July as part of an omnibus package, which has stalled.
HEALTH
State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
SCHIP is a popular, effective program that covers about 6 million children in families who earn too much to quality for Medicaid. SCHIP was up for reauthorization in 2007 and Congressional Democrats made it a priority to expand the program to cover more low-income children. Congress passed two compromise bills (H.R. 976 and H.R. 3963), but both were vetoed by President Bush and Congress was unable to override the veto. Instead, SCHIP was extended through March 31, 2009 with funds to maintain current enrollment.
Learn More: See Successes, above, for the Medicaid Rules and Directive. [52]
CHILD WELFARE
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)
Known as CAPTA, this is the major bill governing funding to states and programs for prevention and treatment of child abuse—it also sets the minimum definition of child abuse and neglect and defines the federal role in research, data collection, evaluation and reporting. Enacted in 1974, it was last updated in 2003 and is up for reauthorization this year, although that looks unlikely. CAPTA’s funding for state programs ($27 million total) has not budged much since 1974. In June, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families held a hearing on CAPTA.
Learn More: Senate HELP Committee - video transcripts [53]
Child Protection and Improvements Act
This legislation—identical bills in the House (H.R. 5606) and Senate (S. 2756)—would expand and make permanent a 2003 PROTECT Act pilot program that allows youth-serving organizations in any state run FBI background checks on volunteers. The Senate version is out of committee and on the calendar for the full Senate; the House bill is in the Judiciary Committee.
JUVENILE JUSTICE
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 2008
A bill reauthorizing this Act (S. 3155) passed the Senate Judiciary Committee in July and is expected to move in the next legislative session. The Senate version contains provisions that discourage the placement of children in adult jail, increase funds for prevention and mentoring (by as much as $200 million) and create incentives for evidence-based programs addressing mental health, substance abuse or workforce training.
“Boot Camp” Bill
The Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2008 (HR 6358) passed the full House and has not yet been introduced in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. It would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to establish and enforce minimum standards and accountability for residential programs for troubled teens. Its current form has bipartisan support and has been endorsed many child advocates, including Voices for America’s Children, Child Welfare League of America, the Children’s Defense Fund and others.
Learn More: The Child Welfare League of America - summ [58]ary [59]
Youth PROMISE Act
The Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education (PROMISE) Act, introduced in the House would support prevention and intervention strategies to decrease juvenile delinquency and gang activity and will help coordinate existing efforts by creating a local PROMISE Coordinating Council.
Learn More: Representative Scott (D-VA) - summary [60]
SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL AND WORK
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
The Bush administration’s cornerstone education reform bill expired in September 2007. Reauthorization is seen as a chance to improve controversial aspects of NCLB, including accountability and testing, teacher quality and retention, supplemental education services, parental and community engagement, common definitions of “graduation” and progress across states and the overall flexibility states have to design their own systems. NCLB also includes the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grants, which support out-of-school time programs in low-income communities (and are the only federal funds dedicated exclusively to after-school programs). The next Congress may consider funding increases to 21st CLCC.
Learn More:
- Public Education Network - NCLB Section [61]
- The New America Foundation's Education Policy Program - NCLB information [62]
- NYEC and CLASP - "Recommendations for Increasing NCLB Supports for Struggling Students and Disconnected Youth"
[63] - The Afterschool Alliance - summary of after-school provisions in NCL [64]
Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) supports, among other things, services for youth age 14 to 21 who face barriers to school completion or employment. Originally enacted in 1998, it is due for reauthorization, but not likely to move until next Congress. (Related: see the youth employment components in the second stimulus package below).
Learn More:
- The NYEC Tracks the WIA's Status [65]
- The Center for Law and Social Policy - Recommendations for WIA Youth Provisions [66]
Keeping Parents and Communities Engaged (PACE) Act
The PACE act would amend the No Child Left Behind Act to help strengthen community and parent involvement in education and help deter dropout; it also encourages schools to become neighborhood centers for students and families. It was introduced in the Senate in 2007. The main question: will it be re-activated in the next Congress?
Learn More: GovTrack - summary and status [67]
No Child Left Inside Act
This act passed the House on September 18, would provide new funds for outdoor learning activities and environmental education.
Learn More: U.S. House of Representatives -summary [68]
Time for Innovation Matters in Education (TIME) Act
The TIME act, wich was introduced in the Senate, would establish an expanded learning time pilot project to lengthen the school day, week and/or year.
Learn More: ServiceVote - summary [69]
Safe Schools Act
The National Collaboration for Youth's National Policy Agenda [70] has information on two key mentoring programs and the Safe Schools Act (see page 6 of their agenda).
CHILD CARE AND EARLY LEARNING
Providing Resources Early for Kids Act (Pre-K Act) 2008
Approved by the House committee on Education and Labor, this bill (H.R. 3289) amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 by creating federal matching grants to states to enhance or improve state-funded early childhood programs.
Learn More: PRE-K Now - summary [71]
Early Head Start
Early Head Start could be expanded to reach more children. It currently reaches less than 3 percent of the 3 million eligible children, according to the new National Collaboration for Youth National Policy Agenda [72].
Learn More: Center for Law and Social Policy and ZERO [73]TO THREE - analysis [74]
Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
CCBDG, the main federal funding stream for state child care programs, has remained roughly stagnant since fiscal year 2002. Funding could be increased in the next fiscal year.
Learn More:
- The National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRA) - summary [75]
- Child Welfare League of America - legislative summary [76]
Tools for Action
What Can I Do?
- Take Action: write a letter to the editor, contact elected officials, or get involved in your community. Check out CFK's ABCs of Advocacy [77] and find tools in our Taking Action pages [78].
- Watch Key Committees:
- Share or Access Action Alerts by visiting the Youth Policy Action Center. [81]
- Learn How Laws are Made from the Library of Congress. [82]