In the House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing titled "Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education," on May 16, 2023, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona defended the proposed education budget of the Biden administration. The proposed budget includes an increase of $10.8 billion from fiscal 2023, with increased funding for programs
USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced proposed changes to the foods available to participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) to align the food packages with the latest nutrition science and support equitable access to nutritious foods during critical life stages. “Taken collectively, the changes will increase the
The Biden Administration hosted the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health on Wednesday, September 28th, 2022. This was the first White House Conference on these topics in more than 50 years, since the Nixon Administration, and it covered a broad range of topics in its plenary and breakout sessions, which are available on
Major child welfare legislation that is up for reauthorization this year is still pending, with negotiations continuing among the committee staff and leadership. The House has passed the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), but the Senate HELP committee continues to negotiate its version of the CAPTA Reauthorization bill. Both the House and
On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on “Improving Family Outcomes Through Home Visiting.” Several panelists focused their testimony on the personal stories of families served by programs funded by the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program, a federal
According to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of maternal deaths rose during the first year of the pandemic. Data from the National Vital Statistics System show that in 2020, 861 women were identified as having died of maternal causes in the United States, compared with 754
On Tuesday, February 8, 2022, the Senate Finance Committee started their series of hearings on mental health with Protecting Youth Mental Health: Part I – An Advisory and Call to Action. This series of hearings will focus on five areas of behavioral health: youth mental health, mental health workforce, parity between mental and physical health,
On Thursday February 10, 2022, the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a subcommittee hearing on Recruiting, Revitalizing, and Diversifying: Examining the Health Care Workforce Shortage. Witnesses were: Dr. Margaret Flinter, Senior Vice President and Clinical Director, Community Health Center, Inc., Middletown, CT who focused on the loss of primary
On a webinar, hosted on Thursday, February 10, 2022, new research, the First Randomized Controlled Trial of Poverty Reduction in Early Childhood, focused on the impact that cash assistance to families can have on infant brain development. Presenters Sonya Troller-Renfree and Greg Duncan outlined findings that expands the understanding and the implications of poverty on
On February 8th, 2022, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and American Rescue Plan Coordinator Gene Sperling hosted a press event for the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit Day of Action. Sperling opened the event by giving the history of the Child Tax Credit and an overview of