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President's FY 2007 Budget and Children
Social Services Block Grant (Title XX)
The President proposes to reduce funding for the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) by $500 million. SSBG is a flexible, funding stream that allows states to provide an array of services. Since 2000, funding for SSBG is maintained at $1.7 billion. Last year Congress approved an additional one-time $550 million through SSBG to hurricane stricken areas, bringing total SSBG funding to $2.2 billion for FY 2006. The President proposes to reduce this total to $1.2 billion for FY 2007. The Administration justifies this cut because this block grant offers "flexibility" but "it fails to ensure that funds are directed towards activities that achieve results." 1
SSBG represents 12% of all federal funding states receive from the federal government to provide child abuse prevention, adoption, foster care, child protection, independent and transitional living, and to provide residential services for children and youth. 2
In FY 2003, states allocated nearly $700 million in SSBG funds on services for children and youth. Over 2.6 million children nationwide received a range of child welfare services funded in part or total by SSBG. In 2003, the latest data available 3:
- 28 states used a combined $32 million in SSBG funds to provide adoption assistance;
- 35 states used nearly a combined $332 million in SSBG funds for foster care services to more than 377,000 children. States often use SSBG to pay foster care costs for the board and care of children not eligible for federal Title IV-E foster care assistance;
- 39 states used more than $217 million in combined SSBG funds to protect children from abuse and neglect;
- 18 states used a total of $15 million in SSBG funds to provide independent and transitional living services to more than 8,000 youth;
- $85 million in SSBG funds supported residential treatment to more than 26,000 youth in 22 states;
- 17 states used a combined $14.9 million in SSBG funds to help more than 141,000 youth at risk. SSBG funds allow states to cut across the fragmented juvenile justice, mental health and child welfare systems to provide youth the help they need.
In addition to child welfare services, SSBG funds are used to provide child care, home delivered and congregate meals for senior citizens, family planning services, services to the disabled and domestic violence outside of child protective services; residential treatment services; substance abuse treatment, education and training, transportation services; information and referral and a range of home-based services.
Since 1998, funding for SSBG has consistently faced reductions resulting in fewer children receiving services. The impact of this additional reduction in SSBG funding would compound the effects of the recent reductions in federal support for abused and neglected children contained in the Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005 (DRA) that Congress passed in February 2006. 4 That bill reduced federal Title IV-E foster care funds by nearly $600 million. In addition, the DRA also added stringent work requirements for TANF recipients that will result in states diverting TANF funds from child welfare (states currently receive 20 percent of all federal funding for child welfare from TANF) to implement these requirements.
To determine how your state reports using its SSBG funds go to their website.
Child Welfare Financing
Child Welfare Program Option
The President's FY 2007 budget again proposes a child welfare financing option that would restructure the current Title IV-E Foster Care program. Under the proposal, each state would have an option to receive a fixed, predetermined allocation, or block grant, of Title IV-E Foster Care maintenance payments, administrative costs, and training funds rather then the current open-ended entitlement funding provided based on the number of eligible children.
This proposal was included in each of the President's Budget proposals for fiscal years 2004-2006, and now again for 2007, but has yet to be introduced into legislation. The budget documents offer the same overview of the proposal as in past years. To date, legislative proposals implementing this change have yet to be submitted to Congress by the White House. The Administration projects a $22 million cost in FY 2007 to carry out such an option.
According to information contained in previous descriptions of the proposal:
- States would receive fixed annual grants over a five-year period. Funding would equal the projected growth in federal foster care expenditures. These projections would be based on the current restrictions that require states to base eligibility on their 1996 AFDC program standards. States would be allowed to draw down up to 20% of this five-year total in any one year.
- All states would have a set period of time to opt-in, or choose this option. States not choosing this option at that set time could not elect to make that choice at a later date. States that do choose this option must continue to receive this set funding for a period of five years. Once a state chooses the option, it may not opt-out during the five-year period.
- States choosing the option could spend the funds on foster care and any services now provided under Title IV-E and Title IV-B Child Welfare Services, and Promoting Safe and Stable Families programs.
- States could use the funds for any child in the child welfare system, regardless of income. Based on current eligibility, approximately 50% of all children in foster care are supported with federal funds.
- States choosing the option would have to maintain the same level of state funds now used to draw down federal Title IV-E Foster Care funds.
- States would be expected to maintain the protections for children that exist in current law.
- If a state experienced an unusual increase in their foster care population, a state could draw funds from an emergency fund under the TANF block grant. To qualify for this relief, a state would have to meet a national and state target increase in foster care caseload or unemployment rates.
- The U. S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) would continue to conduct Child and Family Service Reviews for each state. For states choosing this option, Title IV-E eligibility reviews would be eliminated.
- A set-aside of $30 million would be established for Indian Tribes or consortia that demonstrate the capacity to operate a Title IV-E program. Indian tribes will have similar program requirements as states.
- The Title IV-E Adoption Assistance program would remain unchanged. The eligibility for this program would continue to be linked to a state's 1996 AFDC standards.
Child Welfare
Title IV-E Foster Care
The Administration's budget projects that Title IV-E Foster Care spending will be $4.757 billion. This is an anticipated increase of $124 million in Title IV-E claims from the FY 2006 level. Title IV-E is an entitlement program and funding automatically increases as costs for eligible children increase.
Title IV-E Foster Care funds are used for maintenance payments and administrative costs. For FY 2007, the Administration projects approximately 231,000 children will be eligible for Title IV-E in an average month. In addition to maintenance and administrative costs, states use these funds for training and for the operation and development of the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information Systems (SACWIS), a computer-based data and information collection system.
Title IV-E Adoption Assistance
Federal Title IV-E Adoption Assistance spending is projected to increase to $2.044 billion, an increase of $161 million over 2006 costs. These funds will be used to provide maintenance payments to adoptive families, administrative payments for the costs associated with placing a child in an adoptive home, and training professionals and adoptive parents. The estimated level of funding will support approximately 420,100 children each month. Title IV-E is an entitlement program and funding automatically increases as costs for eligible children go up.
District of Columbia Matching Rate
The Administration proposes to increase the Title IV-E federal matching rate from 50% to 70% for Washington D.C. This change would bring the Title IV-E benefit for DC in line with other similar economic areas of the country. Total cost to the federal government for this increase is $5 million.
Adoption Opportunities Program
The President's budget maintains funding for the Adoption Opportunities grants at $27 million, the same total as the current year. Several resources and supports exist under the Adoption Opportunities Program (AOP) to assist in the adoption of children. The Adoption Opportunities Program provides discretionary grants for demonstration projects that eliminate barriers to adoption and aims to provide permanent, loving homes for children who would benefit from adoption, particularly children with special needs. Congress approved $27.1 million for the program in FY 2006. This represents the same funding level since FY 2003. The AOP provides several resources and supports to assist in the adoption of children.
One of these resources is the Collaboration to AdoptUsKids that recruits families for children waiting to be adopted through its National Recruitment Campaign. As of December 2005, 5,428 children were listed and placed in adoptive homes on the www.AdoptUSKids.org website. One of the major successes is the number of sibling groups of children, brothers and sisters who were able to be adopted by one family. Of the total number of children adopted from foster care through AdoptUSKids efforts, 2440 children were from 992 sibling groups. The average sibling group size was 2.7 children and more than one hundred of these sibling groups included groups of siblings of 4 or more. Of all the children placed through AdoptUSKids, the average age of a child at placement is 10.1 years old and the age of children placed ranged from two months to twenty years old.
Other examples of how the Adoption Opportunities Program funding include: The National Resource Center on Special Needs Adoption which provides technical assistance and training on current issues in special-needs adoption, such as compliance with federal laws and regulations, permanency planning, and cultural competence, to state, tribal, and other child welfare organizations. The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, a comprehensive information center on adoption. The National Adoption and Foster Care Recruitment Campaign; the You Gotta Believe program, which seeks permanent placements for older children; and the National Partnership Summits for Adoption and Foster Care Professionals.
Adoption Incentive Payments
The budget also proposes funding the Adoption Incentives at $29.6 million. Funding for FY 2006 was set at $17.8 million. The FY 2007 funding level represents an increase of $12 million over 2006 and $13 million below the fully authorized level of $43 million. The Adoption Incentives funds are provided to states based on the number of children that are adopted from foster care each year. Congress reauthorized these payments in 2003 and added an emphasis on promoting the adoption of children age nine and older.
Independent Living
The budget contains $186 million for the Chafee Independent Living Program. This includes $140 million for a variety of services to ease the transition from foster care for youth who will likely remain in foster care until they turn 18 and former foster children between the ages of 18 and 21, and is the same as the FY 2006 funding level. Approximately 20,000 young people leave foster care each year at their 18th birthday.
Independent Living Education and Training Vouchers
$46 million of the total funding for the Chafee Independent Living program is proposed for the Education and Training Voucher (ETV) program that was authorized in 2001 (P.L. 106-169). The program was funded for the first time in FY 2003 at $42 million. Funding was set at $47 million in FY 2005, and $46 million in FY 2006. The voucher program helps older youth leaving foster care obtain the higher education, vocational training, and other education supports needed to move into self-sufficiency. The President's budget had requested $60 million for the ETV's in previous years, however this year the request was lowered to only $46 million.
Up to $5,000 per year is available to a young person for the cost of education or training. This program expands on states' efforts to provide these services. ETV funds are distributed to the states using the same formula as the Chafee Independent Living Program. If a state does not apply for funds for the ETV program, the funds will be reallocated to one or more states on the basis of their relative need for funds. While states are doing a good job generally of distributing these funds, more older foster youth could take advantage of the vouchers if their availability were more widely known.
Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (Title IV-B, Subpart 2)
The President's budget proposes funding the Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF, Title IV-B, Subpart 2) program at $434 million. This total represents $345 million in mandatory funds and $89 million in discretionary funds.
PSSF is made up of two funding sources. Each year PSSF receives $305 million in guaranteed or mandatory funding and each year Congress has the authority to approve an additional $200 million. If fully funded, PSSF funding could reach $505 million annually. Congress has never approved funding at that level.
The DRA increased mandatory PSSF funding for FY 2006 by $40 million. This increase in mandatory funding occurred while Congress reduced the discretionary funding from $99 million to $89 million. That bill also approved funding of $20 million each for two new court improvement grants. Once regulations or instructions are issued by HHS, state courts will be able to apply for these two grants to better coordinate child welfare and state courts and to train court personnel in child welfare issues.
Children of Incarcerated Parents
The Administration requests $40 million for a program that provides mentoring for children with incarcerated parents. This program was authorized in the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendment Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-133) and funded for the first time at $50 million in FY 2005, and funding for FY 2006 was $49.5 million. The President had requested $50 million for this program in previous years, however this year the request was lowered to only $40 million for FY 2007.
This is a competitive grant program providing grants up to $5 million each. The grant recipients are required to provide services, both directly and in collaboration with other local agencies, and to strengthen and support the families of those young people. This includes connecting the children with their imprisoned parent when appropriate.
Child Welfare Services (Title IV-B, Subpart 1)
Under the President's budget, the Child Welfare Services are funded at $287 million. This is the same as FY 2006. The FY 2006 total includes a 1% across the board cut that the Administration proposes to maintain in FY 2007.
States use these funds to address problems that may result in neglect, abuse, exploitation, or delinquency of children; prevent the unnecessary separation of children from their families and restore children to their families, when possible, place children in adoptive families when appropriate; and assure adequate foster care when children cannot return home or be placed for adoption. There are no federal income eligibility requirements for the receipt of child welfare services.
CAPTA Grants
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) state grant funding is maintained at its FY 2006 level of funding at $27 million. CAPTA state grants are used to help improve state Child Protective Services (CPS) systems. CAPTA imposes no income or other eligibility requirements for people receiving assistance, and the program is intended to keep children of any age safe from harm.
CAPTA discretionary grants are also maintained at the same level as FY 2006 with funding set at $26 million in FY 2007. These grants are non-formula funds used to promote research and program assistance and development. The Community Based Grants for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect would also maintain funding at the FY 2006 level with funding set at $42 million in FY 2007. Again these totals include a 1% across the board reduction that was part of final appropriations agreement last year.
These grants develop community-based and prevention focused programs and activities designed to strengthen and support families to prevent child abuse and neglect. Funds are used at the local level for organizations such as family resource programs, family support programs, voluntary home visiting program, respite care programs, parenting education, mutual support programs, and other community programs or networks of such programs that provide activities that are designed to prevent or respond to child abuse and neglect.
Child Care
The Administration proposes a continued freeze for child care funding as they predict that child care services will continue to decline. In 2005, 2.2 million children received child care services and according to Administration projections this total will decline to 1.8 million by 2011. According to previous Administration budgets, child care services reached its peak in 2000 when 2.4 million children were receiving a subsidy. For the coming decade, the Administration projections show a loss over 600,000 children losing child care.
The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is made up of both discretionary and mandatory child care dollars. The mandatory or guaranteed funding is now $2.9 billion. Funding was increased by $200 million as a result of the reauthorization of TANF included in the 2005 Deficit Reduction Reconciliation Act. This increase is currently available to states as federal matching funds. Approximately $1.8 billion flows to the states by formula if a state adds state dollars as a match. The remaining funds are provided to states without a required match. As a result of the TANF reauthorization, child care mandatory funds will not increase through FY 2010 which makes the FY 2006 increase the last increase through this decade.
The President proposes no increase in discretionary child care funding for FY 2007 and adopts the FY 2006 across the board cut of 1%. Discretionary funding is $2.062 billion. This continues a pattern of the Administration incorporating the previous years across the board cut as the new level for child care funds. For four years Congress has followed this recommendation and then proceeded to enact an additional across the board reduction. Congress has imposed cuts ranging from .59% to 1% in each of the last four years. The Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), the discretionary portion of CCDF, peaked at $2.1 billion in FY 2002.
In 2000, only one in seven of all potentially eligible children were receiving CCDF subsidized child care. With tight state budgets, current child care funding at the state level could be forced to absorb cuts.
Head Start
The President's budget proposes no increase Head Start funding for FY 2007. Funding would remain at $6.786 billion, which will result in more children losing eligibility as inflation continues to erode coverage. The FY 2007 funding recommendations includes the 1% across the board cut approved in 2005.
Head Start is not experiencing the same rate of growth as before. Between FY 2002 and FY 2004, Head Start's national enrollment actually declined from a total of 912,345 to 905,851. This represented the first decline in enrollment from year to year since 1986-87 when enrollment declined by 5,000. Throughout the 1990s Head Start had steadily increased rising from 540,930 children in 1990 to 857,664 by the end of the decade in 2000. These increases took place at the same time significant investments were being made in program and staff quality and education. This continues a pattern from last year's budget that freezes funding.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
The President's FY 2007 budget includes $16.5 billion in TANF funds to all 50 states, and approximately $319 million in supplemental grants to 17 states. As part of the 2005 DRA, TANF has now been reauthorized through 2010, so the focus will shift to how states meet the new work requirements with limited increases in child care funds. The new TANF reauthorization now includes a $150 million fund for marriage initiatives and fatherhood programs. The out of wedlock birth reduction bonus fund of $100 million a year is eliminated.
Youth Development
The President's budget includes funding of $981 million for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which is $10 million less than the funding for FY 2006. This program provides opportunities for students and their families to continue learning new skills and discover new abilities after the school day has ended.
In his State of the Union speech, the President reported a new initiative, first introduced in his 2005 Address, to encourage caring adults to get involved in the life of a child, and to encourage young people to stay in school. This will be part of the Helping America's Youth initiative and is led by First Lady Laura Bush. The initiative is focused on outreach to at-risk youth to help them make healthy decisions and to help them overcome the danger of gangs. This would be funded through the Compassion Capital Fund in FY 2007, which would be increased to $100 million from $64 million.
Juvenile Justice
Overall funding for juvenile justice in FY 2007 would be cut 43% from FY 2006. This continues a trend in recent years of the Administration proposing deep cuts in juvenile justice that are partly accepted by Congress resulting in steady erosion of federal support for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention. Funding for juvenile justice programs in FY 2006 is barely half of what was provided in FY 2002.
This budget also proposes to eliminate the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant (JABG) just as has been the case in the last three years. Congress has rejected the President's proposal, however, and appropriated $49.5 million for JABG in FY 2006. This program, created in 1998, was last reauthorized in 2002. JABG provides funds for implementing graduated sanctions programs, establishing or expanding substance abuse programs, and promoting mental health screening and treatment.
The President's budget includes funding of $32 million for the U.S. Department of Justice's local delinquency prevention program (Title V). This is a reduction from $64.3 million in FY 2006. Title V is the only federal funding source specifically targeted toward primary prevention which provides funding for programs aimed at youth who have not had contact with law enforcement but who are at high risk for engaging in unlawful activities.
The budget does include funding for the Juvenile Delinquency Prevention Block Grant which has never received funding since its creation in 2002. The budget proposes $33.5 million in FY 2007.
Behavioral Health
The President is proposing $3.3 billion in FY 2007 for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), to improve the quality and availability of prevention, early intervention, treatment, and rehabilitation services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illness. This is a net decrease of $67 million, from FY 2006 levels.
Substance Abuse
Funding for the Substance Abuse Performance Partnership Block Grant is frozen at $1.679 billion for FY 2007. This funding level makes permanent an across the board cut of 1% that was enacted in FY 2005.
The Substance Abuse Treatment Programs of Regional and National Significance are cut by $24 million for FY 2007. The Administration proposes a FY 2007 total of $375 million. Funding for this program was reduced from the 2005 level of $418 million to $398 million in 2006. Congress then implemented an across the board cut of one percent which brought the final FY 2006 total to $394 million. The Administration's budget proposes this final total be further reduced by an additional cut of $24 million. If agreed to by Congress, funding would be more than $43 million below 2005 levels.
Abandoned Infants Assistance
The Abandoned Infants Assistance Program is funded at $12 million, the same level as FY 2006. This program provides demonstration grants for services to infants and young children, many of whom are HIV-infected or drug-afflicted. These infants and young children are medically cleared for discharge from acute hospital settings, but remain hospitalized due to a lack of appropriate out-of-home placement alternatives.
Mental Health
The President's budget includes $849 million for mental health activities for FY 2007, a decrease of $35 million. Funding for the Mental Health Services Block Grant for states to provide community-based care for adults and children is frozen at $428 million. This total adopts last year's across the board cut of 1% as the new funding level. The Administration proposes $153 million for mental health system transformation, as well as $20 million to continue existing State Incentive Grants for Transformation. Mental health system transformation encourages and supports the development of comprehensive state mental health plans to reduce system fragmentation, and increase services and supports available to people living with mental illness. In the first year, eight states were awarded grants to establish a planning dialogue across multiple service systems and agencies, such as criminal justice, housing, child welfare, labor, and education. In subsequent years, 85% of funds may be used to support programs at the community level as proposed by the State Plan. The remaining 15% will continue to support state planning and coordination activities.
Funding for the Children's Mental Health Services Program was also frozen at the FY 2006 level of $104 million. Under the President's budget, SAMHSA's Mental Health Programs of Regional and National Significance would be cut more than 13%, decreasing funding from $263 million to $228 million.
The Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH), is frozen at the 2006 level of $54 million. These funds will allow grantees to reach out to 154,000 homeless individuals, getting them off the streets and into mental health and substance abuse treatment services, as well as adequate housing.
Health
Medicaid/SCHIP
Medicaid provides a vital health care safety net in every state. It is a lifeline to health care for children, people with disabilities and chronic illness, and low-income elderly people. To broaden coverage to low-income children, Congress enacted the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 1997. SCHIP targets uninsured children under 19 with family incomes below 200% of poverty that are not eligible for Medicaid or covered by private insurance.
The budget request projects Medicaid mandatory spending to be $201.8 billion for FY 2007, a $13 billion decrease over 2006. SCHIP funding is projected to be at $5.2 billion in FY 2007, a decrease of $531 million from 2006. As part of the Deficit Reduction Reconciliation legislation enacted in early 2006, $283 million in additional Medicaid funding was approved for states that experienced an SCHIP shortfall boosting FY 2006 funding to $5.7 billion.
The President's budget also includes a proposal to cap Medicaid Targeted Case Management (TCM) costs to no more than a 50% federal matching rate, the same matching rate as Medicaid administrative services. Current practice allows TCM services to be matched at the higher Medicaid service rate that varies by state from 50% to as high as 80%. The Administration calculates this restriction will reduce Medicaid costs by $208 million in FY 2007 and a total of $1.2 billion over five years. For many states, these TCM funds represent a significant source of child welfare funding. Limiting reimbursement to 50% will mean that states will have less federal support to provide these needed services.
Another administrative change the White House proposes is to recoup Medicaid Administrative funds that they argue are more appropriately charged as TANF administrative costs. The savings are projected to be $280 million in FY 2007 and $1.8 billion over five years.
Through regulations the Administration proposes to cut funding to Medicaid by $840 million in FY 2007 and $5.9 billion over five years. This includes regulations to address reimbursement for services claimed as rehabilitation services.
Medicaid coverage of rehabilitative services is an important service for children in the child welfare system. Rehabilitative services include any medical or remedial services recommended by a physician or other licensed practitioner of the healing arts, within the scope of his practice under State law, for maximum reduction of physical or mental disability and restoration of a recipient to this best possible functional level. For many states, Title IV-E and Medicaid are each significant federal funding sources for the care and treatment of children in the state's custody.
Title IV-E Foster Care and Adoption Assistance is available for the care and support of eligible children but this "care and support" includes room, board, school supplies, supervision, and transportation. It does not include treatment of a child's medical condition or the provision of social services. Medicaid services are those that treat a recipient's medical condition, with "medical" encompassing both physical and mental health conditions. It does not include meeting the child's physical needs. Title IV-E may pay for food, clothing, and shelter, but not treatment. Medicaid may pay for treatment, but not food, clothing, and shelter. Children who are victims of physical and/or sexual abuse and neglect are likely to be in foster care for safety reasons and need treatment for mental/behavioral health conditions related to their being abused or neglected.
A reduction in the amount of federal support for the treatment of children would cause states to have to make a choice between continuing treatment at the same level at a greater cost in state/local dollars; decreasing the amount of treatment children receive; decreasing the number of children receiving treatment; decreasing the per diem reimbursement paid to the providers; or some combination of all of the above. The majority of providers already supplement their local/state/federal reimbursements that fall short of actual costs. A reduction in federal support for treatment would mean providers would have to choose between altering/reducing their programs; tapping deeper into their donor base (which raises the issue of whether a state is obligated to pay for the care of children in its custody); or both.
Family Planning
The Family Planning (Title X) program supports a network of more than 4,500 clinics nationwide serving 4.8 million people. The FY 2007 budget request includes $283 million for the Title X family planning program, the same as FY 2006. This proposal maintains last years across the board cut of 1%. Family Planning clinics provide access to a wide array of reproductive health and preventive services.
Abstinence Education
The FY 2007 budget proposes $204 million for abstinence only education, a slight decrease from $206 million in FY 2006. This includes $137 million for community based abstinence education programs, of which up to $10 million will fund a national abstinence campaign. It also includes $50 million in mandatory funding for the State-based abstinence grants program, $13 million for the Adolescent Family Life Program, and $4.5 million for evaluations of abstinence programs.
Maternal and Child Health
Funding for the Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant is frozen at $693 million in FY 2007, the same level as FY 2006. Three years ago this program was funded at $730 million. Last year Congress reduced funding from $723 million to $700 million and then imposed an across the board reduction of 1%. The proposal for FY 2007 maintains this across the board cut.
This program supports federal and state partnerships that provide critical services to 27 million women and children. These services include direct health care services for children with special health care needs, the promotion of health and safety in child care settings, and enabling services such as home visiting and nutrition counseling. It also provides support for newborn screening, trauma care, and injury prevention. The budget request also proposes $102 million for the Healthy Start program, the same level approved for FY 2006. The Healthy Start program supports community-driven programs to reduce low-birth weight and inadequate prenatal care, both conditions that contribute to infant mortality.
HIV/AIDS
The FY 2007 budget request includes $2.2 billion for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program. This includes an increase of $95 million to address a new initiative on state waiting lists and to provide care and services to newly diagnosed.
Children with Disabilities
The President's budget proposes no increase in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Early Intervention Services Program (Part C) for FY 2007. Funding would remain at $436 million. The FY 2007 funding level carries forward last year's across-the-board cut of one percent. Through IDEA, the U.S. Department of Education works with states to ensure that children with disabilities receive an appropriate public education that includes preparing them for employment and independent living, and that all schools are held accountable for the educational results of children needing special education. This program provides early intervention services for infants and their families.
Health Research
The President's FY 2007 budget request includes $28.53 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This is a freeze in funding that will result in some reallocation in some areas of NIH. The NIH is the world's largest and most distinguished organization dedicated to maintaining and improving health through medical research. Of the 27 institutes and centers at NIH, those of particular importance to children and their families in the child welfare system include the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Funding for that Institute would receive $1.257 billion, a $7 million cut from the FY 2006 level. The National Institute of Mental Health would receive $1.395 billion, a decrease of $9 million. The National Institute on Drug Abuse would be funded at $995 million, a $5 million decrease from FY 2006; and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism would be funded at $433 million, a $3 million decrease from FY 2006. In each of these areas the proposed cuts are in addition to the one percent across-the-board cut enacted in 2005.
Housing
The President continues to urge the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide vouchers to the Family Unification Program (FUP) which makes available section 8 vouchers for families and youth in the child welfare system. FUP is funded through the HUD's Tenant Protection Fund.
Child Welfare League of America
February 8, 2006
Notes
- U. S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2006). Budget in Brief: Fiscal Year. Washington, D.C.:Author. Available online.
- Bess, R., Scarcella-Andrews, C, Jantz, A., Zielewski, E., Warner, L., & Geen, R. (2004). The Cost of Protecting Vulnerable Children IV: How Child Welfare Funding Fared During the Recession. Available online. Washington, D.C.: Urban Institute.
- Social Services Block Grant Program: Annual Report 2003, Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, 2005.
- CWLA's full summary and analysis of the Deficit Reduction and Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005.
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