In March 2006, the Coalition on Human Needs released a helpful guide to the 2007 budget plans—a much easier read than the hundreds of pages of the actual budgets!

What does a state's revenue have to do with kids? Everything. From funds for classrooms and after-school programs to public health coverage and housing assistance, state revenues matter. This Rockefeller Institute of Government policy brief has some useful information for anyone concerned about families and community programs. According to the report, 2005 marked the second year of revenue growth for states—their general fund tax revenue grew 10.7 percent from fiscal year 2004 to fiscal year 2005. Still, federal budget cuts will continue to challenge state resources.

Did our elected officials live up to their campaign promises in 2005? Check out the latest Congressional Scorecard from the Children's Defense Fund to see how your members of Congress voted on key legislation affecting children and families.

The 2006 federal budget, passed in February 2006, includes net cuts to Medicaid of $4.8 billion over the next five years and $26.1 billion over the next ten years. This six-page Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured brief looks at what areas of Medicaid will be cut and how families and states may be affected—including the introduction of co-payments and cost-sharing for low-wage families.

We've all heard the pundits and politicians give their reviews of President Bush's State of the Union Speech delivered on January 31. Children's Press Line editor Emily Olfson, 17, offers a different take. She watched the speech and then talked about it with students from the United Nations International School in New York City.

On February 1, 2006, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the budget bill by a vote of 216 to 214. (All Democrats, one Independent and 13 Republicans voted against it.) The bill cuts $38.8 billion from the federal budget, slashing federal funds for programs like college aid, child support, Medicaid, and child welfare. What with the cuts mean for programs serving families in your state? For an easy-to-understand overview, we recommend the Coalition on Human Needs' state fact sheets.

On February 1, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the budget bill by a vote of 216 to 214. It included provisions reauthorizing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for five more years, with stiffer work rules for families: states must engage 50 percent of single-parent families and 90 percent of two-parent families in approved work activities, or face penalties. As a result, the Congressional Budget Office projects that states may lose a collective $23 million in funds over five years. In addition, child care funds fall far short of what's needed to meet these new work mandates. The Center for Law and Social Policy has several analyses of the new rules.

As he prepares to deliver his State of the Union address on January 31, President Bush is talking about recent good news on job creation and economic growth. Meanwhile, Congress is preparing to vote on a new budget and new tax cuts. But in this column, Connect for Kids Advocacy Director Jan Richter says many ordinary families aren't benefiting from this recovery.

The ball dropped. The champagne flowed. But at least on Capitol Hill, 2005 is stubbornly hanging around. Republican leaders were unable to get the House and Senate to pass identical versions of the 2005 budget reconciliation bill, so the legislation faces a final vote. Meanwhile, Congress is contemplating more tax changes. Jan Richter assesses the situation and what it means for children and families.

Back when President George W. Bush was running for re-election in 2004, we asked the president to outline his stand on key issues, including education. At the start of year two of President Bush's second term, Connect for Kids' Sunny Xiang and Jan Richter took a look back at what candidate Bush had to say, and at where things stand today.