Law Enforcement, Business, Military, Sports, And Religious Leaders Applaud Bipartisan Budget Deal And Urge Swift Passage
WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The recent bipartisan budget deal struck by Congress drew praise and support from Council for a Strong America, the national nonprofit made up of more than 9,000 members of the five organizations that comprise it, including Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, ReadyNation, Mission: Readiness, Champions for America's Future, and Shepherding the Next Generation.
The budget agreement includes action on a number of Council for a Strong America's key priorities to protect or expand crucial programs that support children and families and ensure our next generation grows up prepared to succeed:
MIECHV
The bill includes a five-year reauthorization for the expired Maternal, Infant, Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV), a critical source of funding for voluntary home visiting programs in all 50 states. Research has shown that high-quality home visiting can reduce child abuse and neglect and lead to better outcomes for parents and children alike.
CHIP
The bill further extends the recent reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) by four years. That means that millions of children will have access to health insurance and important mental health coverage for the next decade, strengthening families' financial solvency and productivity while also boosting health outcomes.
CCDBG
The bill includes a $5.8 billion commitment for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). CCDBG helps working families access child care and helps improve the quality of these services. This commitment will allow CCDBG funding to double over each of the next two years, giving an estimated 364,800 additional families access to higher-quality child care.
FFPSA and SIPPRA
Moreover, the bill contained a host of other provisions that represent great news for American kids and families. These include passage of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) and Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results Act (SIPPRA).
A Victory for Families and Kids
Council for a Strong America thanks the many lawmakers who made this bipartisan legislation possible. If passed, this deal would represent a major step toward achieving the goal of making future generations and our nation stronger?a goal that Council for a Strong America and its members work tirelessly to achieve. We strongly urge Congress to finish this important work by passing the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.
SOURCE Council for a Strong America
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