The 2013 Federal Budget

Earlier this week President Barack Obama released his 2013 budget. Though spending decisions may be dominated by the The Budget Control Act of 2011, the federal budget works as a vehicle to promote spending priorities.

Generally, the President’s budget either increases or maintains 2012 funding for children’s programs.

Funding Increases

The 2013 budget increases funding for the following programs:

• Foster care
• Adoption assistance
• Kinship/guardianship assistance
• Child welfare innovation (Title IV-B)
• Child Care and Development Fund (Title IV-B)
• Home visitation
• Maternal and Child Health Block Grant
• Child Care Development Block Grant
• Head Start
• Race to the Top/Early Learning Challenge
• Promise Neighborhoods
• Victims of trafficking
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Infants & Toddlers (IDEA, Part C)

The American Humane Association has posted a chart with specific dollar amounts.

Foster Care Reform

According to the U.S. Administration for Children Youth and Families, the budget makes available $2.5 billion over 10 years to support a 10-year foster care reform agenda that:

Creates financial incentives to improve outcomes by:

• Reducing length of stay in foster care
• Increasing reunification, adoption and guardianship
• Decreasing maltreatment recurrence and maltreatment in foster care
• Reducing re-entry rates

Focuses on well-being by:

• Ensuring proper oversight and management of psychotropic medication use
• Providing appropriate interventions according to the best research
• Building capacity in child welfare and mental health systems
• Training staff to provide effective, evidence based interventions to address trauma and other mental health needs

Reduces costly and unnecessary administrative requirements

Other Highlights

The Community Services Block Grant would be reduced from $350 to $327, with a system of standards and competition to target high performing agencies.

Provides $14 million, an increase from $8 million, for improving program evaluation capacity.

Funding for Head Start would increase, and for the first time, programs will be required to meet benchmarks in classroom instruction, management and health and safety. Low performing agencies will have to compete for continued funding.

Funds pregnancy prevention efforts for foster youth.

Continues Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funding while making the Contingency Fund and Supplemental Grants to States permanent.

Funds Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for 9.1 million individuals and increases vouchers for fruits and vegetables for children.

Extends expansions of the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit passed in the 2009 Recovery Act.