Please join Prevent Child Abuse America, and its signature home visiting program Healthy Families America, along with our national home visiting partners, in urging our state chapters, supporters, key stakeholders and friends to contact their Members of Congress and ask them to reauthorize the MIECHV Program.
The Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program is a bipartisan, federal and state partnership that supports evidence-based, voluntary home visiting programs in 656 counties in every state for low-income children and families! The program will expire September 30, 2014, unless Congress takes steps to extend it.
Background:
Congress is engaged in final negotiations to consider extending this important program as part of a legislative package known as the "doc fix" or " health extenders package." Members of Congress won't act unless they hear how important this program is from people on the ground! Please reference the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) report highlighting the effectiveness of MIECHV and the negative impacts of not extending it. The analysis can be found here.
CALL CONGRESS:
Find your Members of Congress and their contact information by entering your zip code at www.house.gov or www.senate.gov. Or all the Congressional Switchboard at: 1-800-828-0498.
Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard and ask to be connected to your elected officials' offices. When you reach the receptionist please identify yourself as a constituent and ask to speak to the health legislative assistant. You may be asked to leave a voice mail, verbal message or send email, which is fine. It is important to reach both of your U.S. Senators as well as your Representative!
Sample message:
"I am contacting you to urge you to extend the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program in the upcoming "doc fix" and "extenders package" legislation. The program, which funds evidence-based home visiting for low-income children and families, expires this year. This program makes a difference for some of the most vulnerable families and communities in our state. States use MIECHV funds to establish and meet a broad range of child and family support services; including improved prenatal health and birth outcomes, early childhood health and development, and school readiness. Meanwhile, these resources also assist states in reducing child abuse, neglect and injuries, cognitive disabilities, domestic violence, and juvenile delinquency. The MIECHV program is helping states to achieve these impressive outcomes at significant savings for states and the federal government. I hope I can count on you to support the MIECHV program extension as part of the doc fix and extenders package legislation.
FACEBOOK:
Take 5 minutes and show your support on social media to encourage others to take action!
· Here is a sample Facebook post: I support the federal MIECHV program to help vulnerable families raise healthy children and improve child health and development. Children need support for their physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development in order to thrive. Call Congress now to continue funding for Healthy Families America and home visiting programs.
· Post on our page here.
TWITTER:
Participate in a Twitter Storm from 2 pm ET - 3 pm ET today! Make members of Congress take notice by making #HomeVisiting a trending topic.
Here are sample tweets:
(1) If Congress doesn't act, the Maternal, Infant & Early Childhood #HomeVisiting Pgm expires in Sept.
(2) Congress must act NOW to continue supporting families & children across America - save #HomeVisiting!
(3) #HomeVisiting programs make a difference for families in all 50 states. Invest in [NAME YOUR STATE]'s future. Reauthorize MIECHV. @YourSenator
Show us your support by tagging Prevent Child Abuse America @PCAAmerica in your tweets!
We have only weeks (until March 31) to reauthorization MIECHV through the doc fix. PLEASE take 10 minutes today to help us fight for this important program!!
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