Kids Agenda: A 10-Year, $500 Billion Investment
New investments in children and families are critical. Whatever their political persuasion, the vast majority of Americans want more investments in their children and grandchildren to improve each child’s life chances for success, ensure the nation’s global competitiveness, an share resources with our aging population. Read more on the Kids Agenda.
We urge the President and Congress
to:
 Health Care
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Create a universal
children's health insurance program similar
to Medicare for the elderly.
Over 8,000,000 children do not have health insurance
and millions more are at risk of losing their coverage.
Combining and expanding Medicaid, SCHIP, and employment-based
insurance is achievable. ECM strongly opposes
any attempt by the Administration and Congress to
cut or block grant the Medicaid entitlement.
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 Child Abuse
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Lead a nationwide effort to reduce child abuse
and neglect.
Nearly three million reports
of child abuse and neglect are made annually. Proven
programs exist to prevent and treat child abuse, a
widespread problem that contributes to many other
social ills.
ECM strongly opposes any
attempt by the Administration and Congress to block
grant the 4e foster care program.
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 After-School Programs
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Promote after-school programs
that provide learning activities and connect kids
with caring adults.
After-school programs
have been shown to help prevent crime, drug use, and
teen pregnancy. Millions of unsupervised children
and teens would benefit. The 21 Century Community
Learning Centers program has not seen an increase
in federal funding in three years, resulting in fewer
and fewer children being served.
ECM supports a substantial
increase in funding for after-school programs.
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 Pre-School Education
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Ensure that every child, regardless
of income or background, has access to high quality
pre-school education.
Millions of eligible
three and four year-olds are not enrolled in quality
pre-kindergarten programs that can help prepare them
for school.
ECM opposes any effort by
the Administration in Congress to block grant or cut
funding for Head Start and supports universal access
to pre-school education for 3 and 4 year olds as an
alternative to Social Security privatization.
Briefing Papers
>Economic Benefits of PreK Education
>PreK and Early Learning
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 Working Families
& Taxes
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Extend the child tax credit
to the working poor.
Currently, families that
make between $10,500 and $26,500 per year do not receive
the $1,000 per child credit that families with higher
incomes receive even though they pay federal payroll
taxes.
ECM believes extending tax cuts
to these families will help lift them from poverty and
simply show fairness as trillion of dollars in tax cuts
have gone to more fortunate individuals.
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TAKE ACTION: Stop Bush from Limiting Children's Health Coverage
The Bush Administration is bypassing Congress by making sweeping changes to Medicaid rules that will severely limit states' ability to expand coverage to uninsured children. But there is still time for Congress to stop these harmful new regulations. 9.4 million children are unisured in America. Rather than address the growing problems of rising health coverage costs, shrinking employer coverage, and the increasing number of uninsured children, the Bush Administration is focusing its efforts on tightening access to health coverage programs — exactly the wrong priority.
> Send Message to Your Congressmember
TAKE ACTION: Head Start Funding Cut
The early childhood health and education program for low-income children, Head Start, was reauthorized in bi-partisan legislation that President Bush signed in December 2007. However, the politicians in Washington took away what they gave and President Bush proposed a budget with deeper cuts. Head Start will have no choice but to turn away children who need this support the most.
> Send Message to Your Congressmember
UPDATE: SCHIP Veto
President Bush twice vetoed a Congressional bill that would have expanded State Children's Health Insurance (SCHIP) by an additional $35 billion over five years and covered an estimated 4 million more children. President Bush says it goes too far toward socializing health care. The Congress currently cannot override President Bush's vetos and consistent threats of further vetos. Congress passed a temporary extension of the SCHIP program at current levels, which leaves millions of children uninsured.
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