Spread the word
Earlier this week, a handful of senators unexpectedly and at a late hour, stripped the Family First Act out of the 21st Century Cures Act, the vehicle bipartisan policymakers were counting on to move the bill forward.
Why? Voices of big money, congregate care providers were heard more loudly than those of youth, grandfamily caregivers, foster and adoptive parents. We must speak louder. We have a week before Congress is expected to adjourn. Now the last hope to move the bill forward it to attach it to the Continuing Resolution (or CR), the legislation that pays to keep the government running.
Call your members of Congress again today. Say,
"Pass the Family First Act. Tell
Speaker Ryan, Leader McConnell, Leader Reid and Leader Pelosi that the Family First Act must ride on the CR."
Here are 4 simple steps to help you make your calls:
· Step 1: Call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask them to connect you directly with your Senator or House Representative (they can only connect you to one office at a time)
· Step 2: When you get the Congressional Member's front desk tell them who you, your affiliation and where you are from. (Ex. I am a grandmother raising my 6 year old grandson in Philadelphia, PA)
·
Step 3
: Ask them to:
"Pass the Family First Act. Tell
Speaker Ryan, Leader McConnell, Leader Reid and Leader Pelosi that the Family First Act must ride on the CR." (If you like you may add something personal like, "this bill would provide critical support to families like mine to keep children with family")
·
Step 4
: Thank them for sharing your request with their Member and then call the switchboard again to share the same message with your other Senator and representative from your District until you have contacted all three Congressional Members.
Don't know who your representative and senators are? Find them here:
Senate: http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
House: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
After you call, spread the word!
BACKGROUND
The Family First Prevention Services Act is a groundbreaking bipartisan child welfare bill that provides supportive service to children and families to prevent the need for children to enter foster care. When children must enter the foster care system, it prioritizes families for children and demands quality in cases when they must enter trauma- informed treatment-oriented residential care.
Please spread the word! And stay tuned for additional ways you can raise your voices in support of families for children!
