In a letter sent today to Senate appropriators, First Focus Campaign for Children urged lawmakers to prioritize children as they work on the Fiscal Year 2026 annual spending bills that will have consequential effects on the lives of our children and grandchildren.
Excerpt from the letter:
Child-centered policy is good for our country and is good for our kids. The serious challenges children experience affect every aspect of their day-to-day lives – infant and child mortality are rising, child poverty is rising, uninsured rates for children are rising, child care is in crisis, the children’s mental health crisis is soaring, homelessness is up, and hunger is surging. These overwhelming challenges require more attention, understanding, and investment, not less as you proceed with FY26 funding decisions. We urge you to make children a greater priority in federal budget and policy decisions by:
- Centering children when making upcoming decisions about FY26 spending bills and opposing policy riders often debated as part of the appropriations process that could harm children’s healthy development, safety and well-being
- Rejecting any proposals to reorganize, restructure, or entirely eliminate federal agencies and departments during consideration of the FY26 annual spending bills, continuing resolutions, and proposed rescissions legislation
- Insisting that the administration follows the law and releases the FY2025 funding that Congress enacted in March and does not withhold additional funding approved by Congress going forward
- Opposing future rescissions proposals that claw back congressionally approved resources for programs supporting children and their families.