June 19, 2006
Good News - House Subcommittee Rejects SSBG Cut!
House Makes Move to Save Critical Funding for Child Welfare
This week, the U.S. House Subcommittee on Appropriations for the Department of Health and Human Services rejected a $500 million cut to the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG). The cut is part of the budget submitted by the President on February 6. NASW sent out an alert on SSBG last week as we received reports that the House Subcommittee on Appropriations would accept the proposed cut. Due to your efforts and calls we have taken a second significant step in protecting SSBG and the funding it provides for child welfare services.
The Senate Budget Committee also rejected the President’s proposed cut last March when Senator Charles Grassley’s (R-IA) amendment to preserve SSBG funding at $1.7 billion during the Budget Committee debate was adopted.
The SSBG represents 12% of all federal funding that states spend on child welfare services. SSBG is used to provide child abuse prevention, adoption services, foster care, child protection, independent and transitional living, and residential services for children and youth. In FY 2003, states allocated nearly $700 million in SSBG funds for children and youth involved in child welfare. Nationwide, more than 2.6 million children receive a range of child welfare services funded in part, or in total, by SSBG.
The appropriations process has a long way to go and there are still many concerns about this year’s budget, but this is an important step in preserving the SSBG.
THANKS FOR YOUR ADVOCACY!
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