Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

U.S. SENATE BEGINS APPROPRIATIONS PROCESS FOR FY 2003

Jul 13, 2002

Next week a Senate Appropriations subcommittee will be marking up their
Fiscal Year (FY) 2003 appropriations bill to fund important children
and
family programs in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education. The Children's Defense Fund urges Senators on the
Appropriations subcommittee to make funding decisions that will Leave
No
Child Behind. In particular, we urge the Appropriations subcommittee
to:

- Give children a safe start by adding $130 million in FY 2003 for the
Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program to prevent child abuse and
neglect, serve families in crisis, and promote and support adoptions
and
post-adoption services.

- Help up to 16,000 young adults aged 18 or older who are leaving the
foster care system get higher education or vocational education by
providing $60 million for education and training vouchers in FY 2003

- Increase funding for Head Start by $1 billion to provide Head Start
for an additional 85,000 three- and four-year olds and help 6,000
additional infants and toddlers participate in Early Head Start.

- Add new funds for the child care block grant and expand after school
programs by increasing funding for the 21st Century Community Learning
Centers to $1.5 billion.

Call your Senators and encourage them to support these important
programs.