Facts In Action

The U.S. Senate and the House recently completed their appropriations bills for FY2001. Both bills include funding increases for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG - the funding used to pay for most state child care subsidies) and Head Start, and additional funding to improve quality in child care programs:

• The House appropriations bill includes a $400 million increase to the CCDBG as of October 1, 2000, and an $817 million increase available in October, 2001. The Senate bill includes an $817 million increase to the CCDBG available on October 1, 2000.

• The House bill provides a $400 million increase to Head Start, while the Senate bill includes a $1 billion increase.

• Both the Senate and the House bills include a CCDBG set-aside of $173 million for quality improvements.

For more information:
about child care allocations in the Senate and the House appropriations bills,
contact the Children’s Defense Fund at (202) 628-8787, or by email at cdinfo@childrensdefense.org.

How can you support these proposals?

Seeing is believing. Though contacting your Representative or Senator by phone or by mail is an important way of making sure your issue gets attention, a legislative recess is a perfect opportunity to invite your legislators to witness firsthand the experiences of the children you serve in your early education programs. The House and the Senate are scheduled to be in their home districts from May 29 to June 1, on July 31, and from August 1 through September 5.

The Children’s Defense Fund’s Child Watch Visitation Program is a tool to help you plan on-site visits for legislators and community leaders. For more information, you can contact CDF at (202) 662-3588, or on-line at www.childrensdefense.org/childwatch.htm. Editor's Note: this url is no longer active.

Facts in Action, May 2000