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Stop $600 Million in Foster Care Cuts - Action Needed Immediately

Target: U.S. House of Representatives
Sponsored by: American Humane Association

On Wednesday, February 1st, Congress will vote on the budget reconciliation bill, which may cut $600 million in foster care and other pro-family programs. These cuts include funding for programs that children and families depend on, including Medicaid, child support enforcement, and student assistance.

These children are defenseless against political whims, and this is our last opportunity to protect America's children.

Title IV-E Foster Care is a vital safety net for America's children. This financing is used for programs that ensure children receive the care they need, and to assist children who have been abused or neglected. Furthermore, programs designed to intervene before at risk children are forced to enter the foster care system will be severely impacted.

The true cost of these cuts will be in the lives of children - those who are already the most vulnerable. Those children will suffer from the lack of safe, nurturing foster care simply because relatives and others who love them can no longer afford to care for them. Those children may be separated from loved ones, important programs will be damaged, and children with special needs wonĀ’t receive appropriate treatment.

This vote will be extremely close and this is the last opportunity to tell your Representative in Congress not to desert America's children.

deadline: 1-27-2007
goal: 30,000

16,746
signatures!

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The House of Representatives has passed the budget reconciliation bill by a vote of 216 to 214. Thank you to everyone that submitted a letter to their Congressional Represenative and helped make this vote so close. Please click here for more petitions.

Dear Rep. [Your Congressional Representative],

As your constituent and as a concerned citizen, I urge you to oppose the budget reconciliation bill as long as it includes cuts to federal foster care funding. The massive cuts in the Senate-approved version of the bill are cruel and threaten the ability of our nation’s foster care system to continue to provide children with the care they need.

The bill must represent our country’s concerns and priorities regarding child safety and well-being. The current reconciliation bill contains more than $600 million in cuts to federal foster care programs. The bill would slash funding for programs that support children being cared for by grandparents and other relatives, impose inflexible eligibility requirements for federal aid that would deny aid to many children in need, and damage programs that are designed to support children in hospitals and juvenile facilities. Such provisions are short-sighted and will have disastrous consequences for children, families, and our future.

Please support our state’s and our nation’s children and families by opposing the budget reconciliation bill until the cuts to foster care funding are removed. I look forward to your leadership and action on this important issue.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]

We signed the “Stop $600 Million in Foster Care Cuts - Action Needed Immediately” petition!

# 100:

2:33 pm PST, Jan 30, Chantal Krey, California
It is outrageous to consider spending cuts to a program that supports care for children in our country.

# 99:

2:33 pm PST, Jan 30, Ben Chiang, California
Please do not allow these children to suffer while large corporations just keep getting richer and while so much money is wasted on such things as unnecessary military endeavors. We all know what the right thing to do is. Our children must come first.

# 98:

2:33 pm PST, Jan 30, Melissa Beachy, Florida
This world is already going down the drain. This needs to stop. We need a better future. Not a future more corrupted than today. Slowly we are causing more destruction, disease, and death. Eventually HELL will be the only thing to gain. Who wants that?

# 97:

2:33 pm PST, Jan 30, Peter Crawford, Florida

# 96:

2:33 pm PST, Jan 30, Gary Chase, California

# 95:

2:32 pm PST, Jan 30, Mary Craighead, Louisiana
As a former Child Protection Investigator, I understand that there is a need for more funding, not less, to provide services for abused and neglected children. Children in foster care are particularly vulnerable with multiple needs that, if not addressed, lead to a cycle of abuse that continues through adulthood.

# 94:

2:32 pm PST, Jan 30, Helene R. Schmidt, Texas
Without an education, AMERICAN children can NOT be competitive in this GLOBAL ECONOMY! WITHOUT food stamps and school lunch programs, HUNGRY CHILDREN DO NOT LEARN VERY WELL! PLEASE DO NOT CUT THE FOOD STAMPS, MEDICAID, EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF OUR AMERICAN CHILDREN! Billions of dollars are being spent to aid IRAQI CHILDREN --aren't OUR AMERICAN CHILDREN IMPORTANT TOO??? We need to STOP being the World's policeman and take care of OUR CHILDREN HERE IN THE US! It is NOT the fault of the children that they were born ( and they want to strike down Roe V Wade so that more UNWANTED children can be born). We need to TAKE CARE OF AMERICAN CHILDREN FIRST!

# 93:

2:32 pm PST, Jan 30, Name not displayed, New York

# 92:

2:32 pm PST, Jan 30, Rhodia Mason, Illinois

# 91:

2:32 pm PST, Jan 30, Becky Phillips, Illinois

# 90:

2:32 pm PST, Jan 30, Doris Nicholson, Pennsylvania
Do we have to live in another Country to get help in the U.S.A. I hope not.

# 89:

2:31 pm PST, Jan 30, Ray Diederichsen, Missouri

# 88:

2:31 pm PST, Jan 30, James Flanagan, New Jersey

# 87:

2:30 pm PST, Jan 30, Dennis B, Texas
Funny, isn't it, how the groups that don't have money to bribe Congress with always get screwed. Here's an idea: how about taking the money you'd be giving away to credit card companies, telemarketers, and oilmen, and use it on groups that really need it (like children)?

# 86:

2:30 pm PST, Jan 30, Lynsi Burton, Washington

# 85:

2:30 pm PST, Jan 30, Josephine Coatsworth, California

# 84:

2:30 pm PST, Jan 30, Marian Eddy, Oregon
These Children weren't asked to be put here and since they were it is our duty to care for them.They are far more important than a trip to Pluto.....

# 83:

2:30 pm PST, Jan 30, W. Kent Wilson, Illinois

# 82:

2:30 pm PST, Jan 30, Caroline Szalay, New Jersey

# 81:

2:29 pm PST, Jan 30, Seth Larmer, Missouri

# 80:

2:29 pm PST, Jan 30, Bette M., Pennsylvania

# 79:

2:29 pm PST, Jan 30, Name not displayed, Florida

# 78:

2:29 pm PST, Jan 30, Dawn Mcglothlin, Texas

# 77:

2:29 pm PST, Jan 30, Lawrence & Valere Althouse, Texas

# 76:

2:29 pm PST, Jan 30, Bonnie Karpay, Texas

# 75:

2:29 pm PST, Jan 30, Valerie Henigson, Connecticut
If you want to reduce violent crime; take care of our children while they are young, so they don't grow up to be negative influence. What is more important for our future than protecting children? Especially those without families.

# 74:

2:29 pm PST, Jan 30, Kathy K Grow, South Dakota

# 73:

2:28 pm PST, Jan 30, Stuart Skadden, New Mexico

# 72:

2:28 pm PST, Jan 30, Linda Fulmer, California

# 71:

2:28 pm PST, Jan 30, William Bodden, Oregon
It is time to make "compassionate conservatism" something more than a slogan.

# 70:

2:28 pm PST, Jan 30, Judy Omalley, Florida

# 69:

2:28 pm PST, Jan 30, Celeste Millen, Florida

# 68:

2:28 pm PST, Jan 30, Leslie Seki, California

# 67:

2:28 pm PST, Jan 30, Christopher Wolf, California

# 66:

2:28 pm PST, Jan 30, Edward Bielaus, Maryland

# 65:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, David Cohn, Arizona

# 64:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Name not displayed, New Jersey

# 63:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Amber Whitley, Kansas

# 62:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Michael McFarland, Tennessee

# 61:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Andy Tomsky, California

# 60:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, LUCILE GALLESE, Louisiana
Surely this wealthy country can afford to support foster care for children!

# 59:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Eileen M. Harrington, California
I worked with homeless kids in the overburdened foster care system in Washington State. PROLIFE means you take all life seriously -- especially those who have been abused, neglected or abandoned -- the majority of children in foster care.

# 58:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Rachelle Giuliani, Michigan
A few minutes ago I called your office to urge you to vote NO on spending cuts for foster care and I was told that you do NOT support cuts to foster care. Thank you so much, Representative Stupak, for your support in this matter.

# 57:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Richie Royer, Arizona

# 56:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Alicia Martell, Illinois

# 55:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Cathy Jerz, California

# 54:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Christine Baker, Colorado

# 53:

2:27 pm PST, Jan 30, Prissy Hamilton, New Mexico
Isn't it just like Congress to cut spending for the vunerable. Come on people, Whre are your ethics?

# 52:

2:26 pm PST, Jan 30, Jason Ford, Colorado

# 51:

2:26 pm PST, Jan 30, Helen Goldstein, California
Money spent on children today will save spending money on crime prevention and prisons in the future. Please don't let our children down.

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