Voices for America's Children - nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy for better child policy » Additional Issues

California: “Slashing away its future and bickering away its present”

Joanna Shoffner Scott — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:20:08 +0000

Ezra Klein today critiques California’s budget process, and finds a disaster that could spread to the federal budget. California requires a two-thirds majority in order to raise taxes, which means lawmakers essentially can’t change tax policy. So even though loopholes and other bad tax policies persist, California has no choice but to punish higher education and other programs instead.

California’s budget process is so inflexible that children and families are suffering as a result. And this same approach to budgets could spread to the federal government. California-style balanced budget rules are currently in vogue, and many in the current budget negotiations are all but refusing to discuss tax policy at all. Instead, federal lawmakers are considering drastic cuts to popular and important programs like Pell Grants — learn more and speak out against short-sighted cuts.

The It Gets Better Project brings hope

Joe Theissen — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:22:42 +0000

You may remember the alarming recent suicides by youth who were made to feel they could never have a happy life due to their sexual orientation. To give LGBT young people hope, an It Gets Better movement arose organically across the country to reach out to these youth and help them see a better future. We’re glad to see that this has now coalesced into an official nonprofit to promote safer schools, anti-bullying advocacy and suicide prevention services.

Visit the It Gets Better Project site, which features thousands of inspiring videos and the chance to upload your own. Led by author and columnist Dan Savage and his partner Terry, who together created the original video that started the movement, the site also has an action center where you can speak out for LGBT youth, donate or just shop. It’s great to see a community form around such a positive and important goal.

Children’s hospitals at risk in budget slashing discussions

Joanna Shoffner Scott — Mon, 02 May 2011 21:33:38 +0000

Although the country is gripped in budget hysteria lately, it’s important to remember that these numbers some are talking about cutting represent real people. Texas, which has been home to many of the most radical plans to slash child services lately, now could endanger children’s hospitals by slashing its budget.

“Despite some efforts to ease the blow to pediatric health care providers, Texas’ proposed budget cuts will most likely have a disproportionate effect on children’s hospitals,” a Texas Tribune/New York Times piece shows. “Disproportionate” is a key term here; lawmakers continue to choose the easiest targets — children, struggling families and low-income Americans — to fill their budget holes.

Children and families don’t have a lobbyist on Capitol Hill. They need your voice. Join our petition to protect children today!

Reject cuts to our children’s future!

Bill Bentley — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:52:00 +0000

The budget debate happening now in Washington will decide the health, education and safety of millions of America’s children. While President Obama has put forward a budget that addresses the debt while still investing in children, many in Congress are proposing drastic, dangerous cuts to family programs.

I’ve included a brief video that explains more about why the budget is so important to our children. Learn more at our budget page, and sign on to our letter to Congress!

Voices praises investments in children in President Obama’s budget

Joanna Shoffner Scott — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 23:03:03 +0000

President Obama today proposed a budget that would make important new investments in children. Of course, the president’s budget proposal is basically a long memo in the form of a budget and Congress is unlikely to take it up, but it does push the federal spending debate in a direction that is good for children and families.

Voices likes the $350 million for the Early Learning Challenge Fund, the $866 million increase for Head Start and Early Head Start and $1.3 billion increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant. The Obama budget would also restore cuts to food stamps made in the child nutrition reauthorization. Learn more in our press release.

Our Life in the D[etroit]

Casey_Labrack — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:40:15 +0000

Voices member Michigan’s Children is sponsoring an innovative multimedia project for kids in Detroit. Called “Our Life in the D,” the site features stories and content from Detroit children working under the guidance of professional journalists.

The project fosters civic-mindedness in Detroit youth and teaches them valuable skills. And it does all this while developing interesting stories about life in Detroit, like some of the beautification projects Detroit youth undertook for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Check out Our Life in the D for yourself!

Obama proposes extra aid to struggling states

rheine — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 19:32:51 +0000

We’ve often talked about how failing state budgets could hurt quality of life for America’s children. Most states face big shortfalls and so are forced to contemplate cutting programs that help feed, educate and care for our kids.

When President Obama releases a proposed federal budget next week, it will help state budgets in many ways. For example, a tax moratorium for states that still have very shaky economies is something that fiscal conservatives should be able to get behind, while some leniency would also be shown to states owing billions to the federal government. The bottom line, of course, is how our kids fare, and we’ll have an analysis of Obama’s budget soon. Follow us on Facebook to get updates!

Middle-class increasingly depends on government programs

Joanna Shoffner Scott — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 21:54:44 +0000

The gap between middle-class and high-income families is up by 50 percent since 1985. As a result, middle-class families increasingly need government help for health care and education, according to a new study from the Foundation for Child Development.

One in five children now lives in poverty, the highest of any age group. Clearly now is not the time to slash the budget for programs that even the middle-class now needs more. Tune in when the budget debates begin in a few weeks to learn how you can speak up for kids.

Deficit Commission misses the mark

Bill Bentley — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:17:57 +0000

This week President Obama’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform outlined its preliminary recommendations for the nation’s finances. Voices for America’s Children, as the nation’s largest network of multi-issue child advocacy groups, has a responsibility to speak out for children’s interests in policymaking. While the federal budget is important to us, family budgets are more important, and the Deficit Commission’s plan does not serve children and families well.

The Deficit Commission does not appear serious about increasing government revenue as a response to budget need. In fact, as one of its “guiding principles,” it insists on a cap on government revenue (21 percent of GDP). Instead, the Deficit Commission would target the budgets of vital social services, with nearly half the changes coming from cuts to discretionary spending.

With more than one in five children living in poverty, now is not the time for austerity. The federal government should be looking for ways to solve high unemployment and bolster vital supports for children, rather than reducing budgets for the programs that have made this a great country. The country’s finances will not recover before those of American families.