DEC Advocacy Success! Agreement Reached on FFY 2023 Funding

DEC Advocacy Success! Agreement Reached on FFY 2023 Funding

Omnibus Bill Expected to be Passed Before New Year's

With only one day left before the current Continuing Resolution (CR) expires, the Senate and the House are expected to pass the 4,000-page FFY 2023 omnibus bill to fund all federal government programs for this year that began October 1, 2022. The bill covers specific funding levels for all programs from October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023. DEC members and other partners who have advocated for increased federal funding for early childhood are pleased to note the $1.7 trillion bill includes increases for many early childhood programs, including those under IDEA.

The final omnibus bill is expected to be signed into law by President Biden prior to the final adjournment of the 117th Congress. The new 118th Congress will convene January 3, 2023.

The bill includes $858 billion for the military, more than $772 billion for domestic programs, about $45 billion in Ukraine aid, nearly $40 billion in disaster relief and $79.6 billion in discretionary appropriations for the Department of Education (ED) and $120.7 billion for programs under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The IDEA Part C program is funded at $540 million, a $43.7 million increase over FYY 2022. None of the new policy changes considered in the House and Senate bills are included in the final bill. However, language allowing Part C to continue to serve children over the summer after their third birthday, enacted in last year’s funding bill, is included in this year’s bill. This language follows:

“Provided further, That, notwithstanding section 638 of the IDEA, a State may use funds it receives under section 633 of the IDEA to offer continued early intervention services to a child who previously received services under part C of the IDEA from age 3 until the beginning of the school year following the child’s third birthday with parental consent and without regard to the procedures in section 635(c) of the IDEA”

In addition, the Congressional Report accompanying the bill includes language related to Part C as follows:

“The Department also is directed to provide technical assistance and support to any State considering how to remove barriers like family fees and associated administrative requirements that deter families from accessing needed Part C services.”

The IDEA Preschool Special Education Grants Program is funded at $420 million. This is a $10.5 million increase over last year’s funding level.

MIECHV Reauthorization The final omnibus bill also includes the reauthorization of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, which was scheduled to expire on September 30, 2022. Shortly before the law’s expiration, the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously passed the bipartisan, Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022, H.R. 8866 and the program had been continued through the CR. The final language includes:

• Double funding over 5 years

• Double Tribal set-aside

• Change the formula to better target to infants/toddlers in poverty

• Allowance for the continuation of virtual service delivery

Other major highlights of the FFY 2023 omnibus bill include:

• IDEA Part B 611 Grants to States - $14.2 billion for, an increase of $850 million over last year;

• IDEA, Personnel Preparation - $115 million, a $20 million increase over last year;

• Child Care and Development Block Grant - $8 billion, a $1.9 billion increase over last year;

• Head Start –$12 billion for Head Start, an increase of $960 million over last year;

• Preschool Development Grants - $315 million, a $25 million increase over last year;

• Maternal and Child Health Block Grant - $823 million, an increase of $87 million above the fiscal year 2022 enacted level, including $55 million, an increase of $26 million, for State Maternal Health Innovation Grants, and $7 million, an increase of $3 million, for the Maternal Mental Health Hotline;

• National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative - $94 million, an increase of $12 million over last year;

• Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health - $15 million, an increase of $5 million over last year;

• A graduated wind down of the 6.2% FMAP boost, established during COVID, reduces to 5% starting 4/1/2023, then 2.5% from 7/1/2023 to 9/30/2023, then 1.5% from 10/1/2023 through end of 2023;

• Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) State Grants and Community Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) programs - $176 million, an increase of $15 million over last year;

• Special Olympics education programs - $36 million, an increase of $5 million over last year.

Note from the Executive Office:

Thank you to each and every one of you for all of your advocacy efforts in 2022! Have a peaceful and joyful holiday season with family and friends and get ready for 2023. We have a lot of important advocacy efforts ahead and we need YOUR help both as individuals and as DEC volunteers. Please remember that any time you have a question, feedback, or an idea in 2023, as in the past, please connect! My “door” is always open to members as well as other partners interested in working together with DEC toward high quality outcomes for infants, toddlers, and young children with disabilities and their families. Each of us putting our heads together, speaking what needs to be spoken, using our voice, working in every way we can, towards this goal will make a difference. Of that, I have no doubt. I look forward to a new year working alongside such passionate, committed, determined advocates.

Peggy Kemp, Executive Director