What's in it for Kids: the 2011 Budget Proposal

President Obama's Budget Blueprint
The introduction to the President's $3.8 trillion FY2011 budget indicates a two-step budget: investing now in key areas that will help families recover from the recession and lay the foundation for economic growth, such as clean energy, infrastructure, and innovation. At the same time it takes the first steps to fiscal responsibility—ending "programs that don't work, streamlining those that do, cracking down on special interest access, and bringing a new responsibility to how tax dollars are spent."

There's also an interactive state map.

Reactions:

First Focus Says Obama Budget Boosts Kids' Share of Federal Budget
First Focus, a bipartisan children's advocacy organization, lauded Obama's budget proposal's significant investments in our nation's children, reversing a downward trend in kids' share of federal funding. In total, discretionary spending on programs that impact children saw a $6.12 billion boost over last year's levels, an increase of 7.2 percent. The percentage of federal discretionary money spent on children's programs would increase under the President's request, rising from 18.97 percent in fiscal year 2010 to 20.34 percent in fiscal year 2011. 

Long-Term Budget Picture - Debt and Deficit
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities warns of a ballooning federal deficit unless we act wisely. While temporary measures to spark economic recovery in the short-term are welcome, politicians will need to begin work on stabilizing debt to address our long-term fiscal problem once the economy is stabilized.

PTA's Reaction to President's Budget Cut on Parent Engagement Programs
While PTA applauds the historic investment in education, they are greatly concerned about the consolidation and proposed elimination of the Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs). This program elimination affects all PTAs and parents. It also means that there is no longer a dedicated funding stream for family engagement and PIRCs will not be able reach all families with children in public schools.

President's Budget Proposal: Early Childhood Highlights
The National Women's Law Center says Obama's budget blueprint proposes a $1.6 billion increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and a $989 million increase for Head Start and Early Head Start.

Budget Proposal Expands Quality Child Care and Early Education Opportunities
The Center for Law and Social Policy sums up President Obama's FY 2011 Budget proposal, praising its emphasis on high-quality comprehensive early childhood programs that serve the needs of vulnerable children and their families.

Students Applaud Obama's Ed Budget, Express Concern for LEAP Elimination
The United States Student Association applauded the Obama budget proposals to make Pell Grants an entitlement program, strengthen the new Income-Based Repayment program, make key investments in community colleges and minority-serving institutions, reform student aid policies. The student association is concerned, however, about the proposed elimination of the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) program and funding freezes for the federal TRIO programs and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP).

Obama Budget for Afterschool Will Leave Millions of Youth At-Risk, Grant Warns
The Afterschool Alliance says the budget proposals to combine after-school funding with the Full Service Community Schools Program is a "bitter disappointment" that means cuts in after-school programs.

FRAC Analysis: Nutrition Programs and Refundable Tax Credits in President Obama's FY 2011 Budget
The Food Research and Action Center applauds President Obama's FY 2011 budget proposal for important new investments in federal programs that support food security and income security, maintaining support for higher caseloads of families using WIC and food stamps and calling for a $10 billion increase over 10 years in child nutrition reauthorization.

Chronicle of Philanthropy Says Obama FY2011 Budget Avoids Cuts to Social Services
Early childhood programs, emergency funding for subsidized jobs and emergency cash for distressed low-income families, and other programs that serve those most in need hold their own, or could see gains in next year's budget, reports the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

The National Skills Coalition Summarizes the Proposed Budget
On February 1, President Obama transmitted his $3.8 trillion Fiscal Year 2011 budget request to Congress. The National Skills Coalition summarizes the proposed budget items for job training and education, including Workforce Investment Act reauthorization and funds to train future workers for health care and green jobs. The budget includes $321 million in new "workforce innovation" grants to be administered by the Departments of Labor and Education, additional funding to build on Recovery Act grants for green jobs and health care sector training, and a $14 billion increase in Pell Grant funding.

And on a Related Note:

Budgeting, the Next Generation: State and Federal Investments in Children After ARRA
The federal stimulus package was a bright spot in the overall federal budget picture for children's services. If you missed this Chapin Hall forum on budgeting for children and families in the next budget cycle, you can get a re-cap online.