Press Release

Child Poverty

CHILDREN’S DEFENSE FUND APPLAUDS PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL

February 16, 2009 For More Information Contact:
Ed Shelleby
(202) 662-3602

 

WASHINGTON, DC – The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) today thanked President Obama for signing into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that will help put the country on a path toward economic stability. Helping millions of workers keep or find new jobs and increasing supports for those who are unemployed will help children in economically stressed families across the country.

“By signing this landmark economic recovery package, the President has taken important steps to resuscitate our struggling economy,” said Children’s Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman. “The expansion in the child tax credit alone will benefit 13 million children in low- and moderate-income families who will spend the additional income quickly. The investments in education and quality early childhood programs will help keep teachers and child care workers employed while preparing children to compete in the future in a global economy. The fiscal relief to states will help states prevent  deep cuts in health care, education and social services already being made across the country. I applaud President Obama for taking such unprecedented action for getting America’s economy back on track.”

CDF outlined several key aspects of the package that will help children and families. Among them:

  • Provisions that will create and keep millions of jobs over the next several years;
  • An expansion of the Child Tax Credit that will benefit 13 million children by putting money in the hands of economically stressed families who will spend it quickly to meet their basic needs;
  • Investments in education and quality early childhood programs that will keep teachers and child care workers employed and make preventive investments in children that will help them become productive future employees; and
  • Fiscal relief for states to maintain health care, education and social services that will help states avoid cuts when struggling families need help the most.

For more information about the Children’s Defense Fund, visit www.childrensdefense.org.

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