WASHINGTON – Today, First Five Years Fund (FFYF) executive director Kris Perry released the following statement in response to the introduction of the “Increasing Opportunity through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act,” which reauthorizes the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program at the current-law level of $400 million per year for FY 2018 through FY 2022:
“The introduction of this bill is an important first step toward the reauthorization of MIECHV, and we’re optimistic that the program will be reauthorized before it expires at the end of September.
“Voluntary home visiting can be a valuable resource for new parents who might otherwise not have the skills or resources to be the best advocate for their child’s early learning and development. Evidence-based programs supported by MIECHV pair families looking for additional support with professional home visitors such as educators, nurses, or social workers, who work with families to help lay the foundation for the health, education, development, and economic self-sufficiency of the entire family.
“Republicans and Democrats alike have praised the MIECHV program for the vital support it provides at-risk families, and for the cost savings it generates in eliminating the need for costly social spending later in life. We look forward to both parties working together as this process moves forward to ensure families continue to benefit from the crucial programs supported by MIECHV.”
The First Five Years Fund provides knowledge, data and advocacy – persuading federal policymakers to make investments in the first five years of a child’s life that create greater returns for all. FFYF helps America achieve better results in education, health and economic productivity through investments in quality early childhood education programs for disadvantaged children. http://www.ffyf.org
###