Across the country, states are beginning the process of reopening their economies and lifting the restrictions on businesses. My home state of Georgia is among one of these states leading the charge.
We applaud the many important provisions laid out in the HEROES Act and will continue urging both chambers of Congress to include these and other steps to ensure our most vulnerable children and families can weather this crisis.
As the coronavirus pandemic upends daily life all across the country, families must continue to follow public health recommendations by staying at home and limiting contact with others whenever possible. But an unintended negative consequence of the pandemic is the news that up to 80 percent of American children are not visiting their pediatricians’ offices right now and are missing out on routine well-child visits that include important developmental screenings and vaccinations.
The Children’s Defense Fund’s commitment to protecting all children and families is more important now than ever. We are quickly adapting to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 public health emergency with urgency and impact.
