Today the US House and Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government for the rest of Fiscal Year 2013 and avoid a government shutdown. The bill does not overturn the Sequester but it does include small funding increases (known as anomalies) for Early Childhood programs. Child Care will receive an additional $50 million and Head Start will receive an additional $33 million. However this funding does not make programs whole again.
Senator Mikulski in her remarks on the Senate floor said the increases in Child Care would allow approximately 9,000 more children to receive child care assistance above the Sequester level (the Administration estimated that 30,000 children would lose child care assistance under the Sequester). The Department of Health and Human Services has not yet released official numbers on the number of children served under the CR.
Even with these increases, the Sequester will still require significant cuts to Child Care and Head Start. New York Congresswoman Nita Lowey, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee who voted for the bill was quoted as saying, “Like any compromise, this measure is far from perfect.” The resolution will now be sent to the White House for President Obama’s signature.
There is still time to stop these cuts and to restore funding for these important programs if Congress decides to do so. It is critical that you continue to talk about the impact of these cuts in your communities. Are you going to the Child Care Aware of America Policy Symposium? Make your appointments to see your representatives about these important issues today!
Stay tuned for more updates, including final details regarding the New York State Budget.
Sincerely,
Jessica Klos Shapiro
Senior Policy Associate
(518) 690-4217 ex. 32
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