Government Relations Action Alert

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Call Your Senator TODAY to Request Increased Funds for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program, the Safe and Stable Families Program, and CAPTA!

THE ISSUE AT HAND

The Senate Appropriations Committee will mark-up the FY 2003 Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations Bill on Thursday, July 18 at 2:00 PM. The bill was marked-up by the Labor/HHS Subcommittee on Tuesday. During this mark-up, the Subcommittee allocated the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program $32.5 million. While it is good that the Subcommittee allocated funds for the program in light of the fact that President Bush’s Budget Request provides no funding for it, this is the same amount of money the program received for FY 02. Now is the time to call the Members of the full Committee to urge them to support increased funding for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program, the Safe and Stable Families Program, and for the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA).

ACTION NEEDED

Please call or e-mail your Senators if they are on the list below and urge them to support these important funding increases in the FY 2003 Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill! Let them know how these programs affect you and your community!

If you call, let NASW know at legislative@naswdc.org.

SAMPLE SCRIPT

As a constituent, social worker, and member of the National Association of Social Workers, I’m calling to request that during Thursday’s Labor/HHS Mark-up, Senator ___________ support the following three items: 1.) funding the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program at $75 million; 2.) an increase of $130 million for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program; and 3.) funding the CAPTA programs at the fully authorized levels. Current appropriations levels fall short at half the authorized funding amounts. Thank you.

The Senators who should be contacted are on the Senate Appropriations Committee are:

Democrats:

Chairman Byrd, West Virginia (202) 224-3954; Senator Leahy, Vermont (202) 224-4242; Senator Mikulski, Maryland (202) 224-4654; Senator Murray, Washington, (202) 224-2621; Senator Dorgan, North Dakota (202) 224-2551; Senator Feinstein, California (202) 224-3841; Senator Durbin, Illinois (202) 224-2152; Senator Johnson, South Dakota (202) 224-5842; Senator Reed, Rhode Island (202) 224-4642; Senator Harkin, Iowa (202) 224-3254; Senator Hollings, South Carolina (202) 224-6121; Senator Inouye, Hawaii (202) 224-3934; Senator Reid, Nevada (202) 224-3542; Senator Kohl, Wisconsin (202) 224-5653; Senator Murray, Washington (202) 224-2621; Senator Landrieu, Louisiana (202) 224-5824; Senator Byrd, West Virginia (202) 224-3954.

Republicans:

Senator Domenici, New Mexico (202) 224-6621; Senator Bond, Missouri (202) 224-5721; Senator McConnell, Kentucky (202) 224-2541; Senator Burns, Montanna (202) 224-2644; Senator Shelby, Alabama (202) 224-5744; Senator Bennett, Utah (202) 224-5444; Senator Campbell, Colorado (202) 224-5852; Senator Specter, Pennsylvania (202) 224-4254; Senator Cochran, Mississippi (202) 224-5054; Senator Gregg, New Hampshire (202) 224-3324; Senator Craig, Idaho (202) 2224-2752; Senator Hutchison, Texas (202) 224-5922; Senator Stevens, Alaska (202) 224-3004; Senator DeWine, Ohio (202) 224-2315.

DETAILED INFORMATION

• $75 million for the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program. Due to the Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program’s statuary funding trigger, secondary schools will not be eligible to participate in the program until the total funding exceeds $40 million. In FY02, Congress provided $32.5 million for the school-counseling program. This year, the President’s budget calls for the elimination of all funding for the program.
• $130 million in increased funding for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program will increase supports to prevent child abuse and neglect, support families in crisis, and promote permanent families. It will also mean increased funds for child protection activities in state courts and Indian tribes.
• $70 million for CAPTA basic state grants, currently funded at $22 million, would help states improve their child protection services.
• $66 million for CAPTA’s Community-Based Family Resource and Support, now at $33 million, would support proven prevention programs and strategies designed at the local level to meet individual family and community needs, and reduce the expenditure for costly back-end crisis services.
• $30 million for CAPTA research and demonstration grants would help to advance our knowledge about dealing with child maltreatment, through support for research and program innovations.