"A Look at Children and the President’s FY 2011 Federal Budget"

A Continued Commitment to Our Nation's Future

A Look at Children and the President’s FY 2011 Federal Budget

President Obama’s 2011 Budget signals the Administration’s continued commitment to children and families even in these extraordinarily tough economic times. It reflects the President’s understanding that investing in children now will ensure a more stable economy and a healthier, more competitive workforce in the future. The recommendations in the budget are consistent with the President’s assertion in his State of the Union address that “the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education.” In education and throughout other areas of the budget, there is attention to the needs of children of all ages and recognition of the crucial need for investments in prevention and basic supports that reach across systems and focus on the whole child in order to help reduce the multiple risks that many children now face.

The President’s Budget tackles the deficit and at the same time makes important investments in children and low income families. It proposes to reduce the deficit with $750 billion in tax adjustments, a three year freeze on non-security domestic discretionary programs, the establishment of commission to reduce deficits by 2015, and passage of health reform legislation this year. At the same time the budget significantly increases investments in education for all children and includes other investments in early childhood programs to help children start school ready to succeed and parents work. It supports the kind of dramatic transformation we need in education in America to prepare all of our children for success in the 21st century. These steps will be reinforced when significant improvements in children’s health coverage, also key to school performance, are enacted.

The challenge now is to ensure Congress enacts these deficit measures and the investments in children and low income families described below to ensure children and families will truly benefit from them.

Major Investments in Education
Stronger Supports for the Care of Young Children
Commitment to Improving Children's Health
Expanded Nutrition Assistance
Increased Supports Families, Children and Youths
Preventing Abuse and Family Violence
Promoting Stability and Permanence for Children
Responding to Other Special Challenges Facing Children and Families

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