The First Five Years Fund (FFYF) released the findings of two new polls conducted immediately following the 2022 midterm elections by the bipartisan team of Hart Research Associates and New Bridge Strategy. The surveys found that voters and small business owners across the political spectrum overwhelmingly endorse federal government action on child care and agree
On Thursday, December 8, 2022, Futures Without Violence and Legal Momentum released the new State Guide on Employment Rights for Survivors of Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking. The guide identifies workplace protections currently on the books in four categories essential for survivors: anti-discrimination protections, reasonable accommodations in the workplace, leave/time off, and unemployment insurance.
The Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act on Tuesday, November 29th, 2022, in a bipartisan 61-36 vote. The bill, originally passed in the House, will codify federal recognition of same-sex marriage. It received bipartisan support because of added measures on religious liberty protections. House leadership has scheduled a vote on the amended bill next
The Continuing Resolution (CR) that Congress passed in September to avoid a government shutdown is set to expire next Friday, December 16th, 2022, unless lawmakers can pull together a budget or pass another CR. Reports from the Hill indicate that the Four Corners (the four leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees) have continued
The House of Representatives passed the Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022 on December 2, 2022, in a 390-26 vote. The bill, named for the late Representative from Indiana, would reauthorize the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program, which was due to expire in September of this
On November 30th, 2022, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC)—led by Chairman Don Beyer (D-VA)—released a new report that highlights how the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) drove the largest-ever decline in child poverty in a single year in 2021. Child poverty fell to 5.2%, the lowest rate on record according to Census Bureau
On November 17th, 2022, Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) introduced a Resolution on "Recognizing the harm associated with restraints in schools," which was referred to both the Education and Labor and Judiciary Committees. Restraint and seclusion, which are legal in most districts nationwide, are commonly used when students – particularly those with disabilities – are in
Politico reports that as conservative states pass legislation to block gender-affirming care for minors, families with trans children are leaving to protect their children. Almost 2 percent of high schoolers in the U.S. identify as trans, according to Politico, and they report starkly higher rates of depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental health issues compared
ZERO TO THREE, in collaboration with Morning Consult, released a new poll showing strong support for reinstating the Expanded Child Tax Credit among parents of infants and toddlers. The poll results show: More than four in five (85%) parents say it is important for Congress to reinstate Child Tax Credit reforms, with bipartisan agreement on
The 74 Million published a piece discussing the implications of the pandemic, gun violence, and accidental overdoses and their impact on bereavement in children. As of June 2022, more than 250,000 American children under 18 had lost a primary caregiver to Covid-19. 2020 saw a 24.8% increase of children experiencing bereaved children with a total
