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To: Family Issues Reporters
From: Monica Zimmer
Voices for America's Children
Re: Reaction to Bush Budget/Kids ' Program Cuts
Voices for America's Children www.voicesforamericaschildren.org is coordinating a group of national and state-based children's advocacy organizations to oppose the cuts in vital kids' programs that have been proposed today by the Bush Administration in this year's federal budget. Among the areas of greatest concern are budget cuts that will mean fewer children receive services in Health Care, HeadStart/Child Care, Nutrition/Food Stamps and Foster Care.
We want our children to do better than we did. If this budget passes, our children will be the first generation to be worse off then their parents. These budget cuts hurt kids. Under this budget proposal:
· More kids won't be able to see a doctor when they're sick
· More kids will be hungry and malnourished
· More kids will not be ready for school, and they will never catch up
· More kids will be in unsafe care while their parents work
· More kids who have been severely abused are less likely to get a safe foster home
We believe that taking food and health care and foster care away from our children is a retreat from America's historic commitment and from our most basic values.
Below is a listing of children's spokespersons by program area who are prepared to talk to the media about today's Bush Administration budget and the devastating cuts being proposed for many children's programs.
Medicaid/Health Care:
Ron Eckstein, Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3609, reckstein@childrensdefense.org
Av Goldstein, Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3615, agoldstein@childrensdefense.org
Vikki Wachino, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 202-408-1080, wachino@cbpp.org
HeadStart/Child Care:
Helen Blank, National Women's Law Center, 202-319- 3036, hblank@nwlc.org
Ron Eckstein, Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3609, reckstein@childrensdefense.org
Danielle Ewen, Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Law and Social Policy, 202-906-8014, dewen@clasp.org
Av Goldstein, Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3615, agoldstein@childrensdefense.org
Mark Greenberg, Director of Policy, Center for Law and Social Policy, 202-906-8004, mgreenberg@clasp.org
Sanford A. Newman, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 202-776-0027, snewman@fightcrime.org
Rachel Schumacher, Director of Child Care and Early Education Policy, Center for Law and Social Policy, 202- 906-8005, rachel@clasp.org
Nutrition/Food Stamps:
Stacy Dean, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 202-408-1080, dean@cbpp.org
Dottie Rosenbaum, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 202-408-1080, rosenbaum@cbpp.org
Foster Care:
Ron Eckstein, Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3609, reckstein@childrensdefense.org
Av Goldstein, Children's Defense Fund, 202-662-3615, agoldstein@childrensdefense.org
Sanford A. Newman, Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 202-776-0027, snewman@fightcrime.org
General (comments on all issues):
George L. Askew, Executive Director, Docs For Tots, 202-898-9042, gaskew@docsfortots.org
Mary Bourdette , Parents' Action for Children , 202-238-4860, mbourdette@parentsaction.org
Tamara Lucas Copeland, President, Voices for America's Children, 202-289-0777 ext. 221,
zimmer@voicesforamericaschildren.org
Bob Greenstein, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 202-408-1080, greenstein@cbpp.org (general budget issues)
Sharon Parrott, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 202-408-1080, Parrott@cbpp.org (children's issues)
Deborah Weinstein, Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs, 202-223-2532 ext. 31, dweinstein@chn.org
Voices for American's Children can also put reporters in contact with state-based child advocacy organizations to talk about the cuts in most states.
For that information, please contact Monica Zimmer at 202-289-0777 ext. 221 zimmer@voicesforamericaschildren.org .
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