By: Lee Savio Beers, MD, FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics
“The American Families Plan unveiled today by the Biden Administration makes meaningful investments in children’s health and recognizes the vital role of childcare, preschool, paid leave and economic security in supporting families. Not only are these sound federal policies, but they also reduce racial inequities by directly addressing the barriers that many Black, Brown and Native American children and families face when accessing childcare, tax credits, nutrition and educational services. The American Academy of Pediatrics supports these critical investments in early childhood and stands ready to partner with Congress and the White House to advance policies that support children and families.
“The plan’s sweeping new investments in early childhood education and childcare are a long overdue and welcomed step forward. As outlined in the AAP’s Transition Plan for Advancing Child Health in the Biden-Harris Administration, pediatricians have long advocated for policies included in the American Families Plan that help support a healthy foundation for lifelong health and learning, such as childcare support for families, comprehensive paid family and medical leave and universal free pre-school for 3- and 4-year-olds. These policies are needed to address systemic inequities in access to high quality, affordable childcare and early childhood education, and to support families’ ability to remain in the workforce while bonding with a new baby or caring for an ill family member.
“Throughout the pandemic, families have faced countless challenges, and worrying about where their child’s next meal will come from should not be one of them. The American Families Plan takes several steps to increase families’ access to healthy foods: it expands the summer EBT program to help ensure that children do not go hungry during the summer months, it allows more schools to qualify for free breakfast and lunch, and it incentivizes healthier school meals.
“The American Rescue Plan made historic investments in reducing child poverty through expansions to the child tax credit. While the American Families Plan would extend those investments through 2025, AAP urges that they be made permanent.
“This pandemic has demonstrated how inadequate many of our systems are in meeting the needs of families, especially those facing economic uncertainty. I am encouraged that the Biden Administration is taking this historic opportunity to invest in early childhood, which will pay dividends for years to come.”
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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.