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March 13, 2003
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STATE BUDGET CUTS PUT CHILDREN AT RISK

Report Says Deficit-Ridden States and Administration
Budget Proposals Worsen Child Care Crisis

WASHINGTON - The Children's Defense Fund today released a state-by-state report showing that state fiscal crises are forcing cuts in critical child care, early education, and after-school programs that families need to work and children need to succeed in school. While these state cuts already put children's services at risk, the Bush Administration's tax and budget plans further jeopardize help for children and families struggling to work while lavishing billions in tax cuts on millionaires.

Children's Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman noted that while state budget crises and increased demands on capped funds to help families move from welfare to work already jeopardize supports to children and families, the Bush Administration's budget proposals threaten them further. The Administration's plan dismantles Head Start, which provides nearly one million children comprehensive preschool, and starves child care and after-school funding—dropping at least 200,000 children from child care over the next five years and 570,000 children from after-school activities next year alone.

"Research demonstrates the importance of early brain development and high quality care in early childhood to children's overall success in school," said Edelman. "Children are being forced to bear the burden of state budget shortfalls and the Bush Administration's budget proposals."

The Children's Defense Fund's State Budget Cuts 2003 Report released today shows that nearly two-thirds of the states have cut back or proposed reductions in supports for child care and early childhood programs in some way. States have eliminated child care assistance for low-income working families, reduced payments to child care providers, increased parents fees, cut initiatives to improve child care quality and programs for infants and toddlers, and made prekindergarten and after-school programs less available.

Recent cuts in Ohio mean that 18,500 children will lose their child care assistance by September 2003 so the state can save $268 million during the 2004 to 2005 biennium.

In Connecticut, the proposed budget for the next three years would cut $40 million from child care assistance programs, and 30,000 children would lose the help they currently receive.

In Maryland, the fiscal year 2004 budget proposes a 23 percent reduction in child care funding. Funding for child care assistance to low-income families would be reduced from $134 million to $109 million. As of January 15, 2003, only families who are or have been on welfare within the past year will receive assistance.

Massachusetts recently made cuts to the current year budget for social service and education programs, including a $3.1 million reduction in contracts for child care for low-income families and a $10 million cut to the School Readiness program. The state is also reducing the amount available for early literacy grants by $11.8 million.

States, facing their worst budget deficits since World War II, need increased federal funds for child care so that parents can work to support their families knowing their children are in safe and supportive child care. The Bush Administration's budget and tax plan dismantles Head Start, which provides nearly one million children comprehensive preschool, and starves child care and after-school funding, dropping at least 200,000 children from child care over the next five years and 570,000 children from after-school activities next year alone.

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Full Report:

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The mission of the Children's Defense Fund is to Leave No Child Behind and to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. CDF provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investment before they get sick, into trouble, drop out of school, or suffer family breakdown. CDF began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations. We have never taken government funds.

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