U.S. House of Representatives Moves Children’s Future in the Wrong Direction: Vulnerable Children Lose Child Care, Food, and Health Care Services

For more information, contact
Sarah Wayne at NAEYC
202-454-7603 or swayne@naeyc.org

WASHINGTON, November 21, 2005 – The U.S. House of Representatives passage of the budget reconciliation bill sends our nation down the wrong path for the well-being of our children and families. Low-income, working families and their children will lose critical child care, nutrition, and health services under this budget bill.

“This bill is harmful for the short term and long term success of our children and our nation. NAEYC supports fiscal responsibility, but it is irresponsible to cut child care assistance and deny young children the ability to be in safe, quality care while their parents work,” said Mark Ginsberg, Ph.D., Executive Director of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). “Families that lose their child care assistance will be left with dismal options: to jeopardize their jobs or to leave their children home alone.”

Under the House bill:

• 330,000 children in working, low-income families will lose their child care assistance between now and 2010. The child care funding in the reconciliation bill is far below the cost of inflation. Also, the bill adds welfare work requirements without covering the additional child care needs;
• 220,000 people, including 150,000 from families with children, will lose food stamps by 2008; and
• Six million children from families just above the poverty line will lose the guarantee of basic Medicaid health care screenings. These families will also face increased co-payments for care and children could lose assistance for vital medial treatments, such as glasses, hearing aids, and dental care.

NAEYC urges the House and Senate to abandon these and other provisions that make the wrong choices and instead support policies and funding that advance the goal of all children being health, safe, and successful learners.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest and most influential organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of programs for children from birth through age eight. Founded in 1926, the organization now has nearly 100,000 members, and a national network of over 300 local, state and regional affiliates. NAEYC and its affiliates work to improve professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education, and to build public support for high-quality early childhood programs.