Tell the Senate the HEALS Act is not relief for children and families

As COVID-19 cases surge across the country, the economic repercussions of this crisis have left children, families and communities reeling, while increasing long-standing racial and economic disparities. The Senate returned to work last week promising to act on additional COVID-19 relief legislation that their Republican leadership said would be focused on “making sure we take care of our kids.” But what Senate Republicans have proposed for the next round of relief -- the HEALS Act -- is completely inadequate and fails to meet the dire needs of children and families in this country.

Tell your Senators to reject the HEALS Act and get to work negotiating bold, meaningful legislation that puts the needs of vulnerable children and families—children of color, immigrant children, poor children and children in the child welfare system — over wealthy businesses and corporations.

The next COVID relief package must:
Help families meet their basic needs by boosting SNAP and Pandemic EBT, especially at a time when child hunger and housing insecurity is on the rise
Extend the expiring eviction moratorium and provide $100 billion for emergency rental assistance to help combat rising homelessness
Include critical measures to help reduce poverty and provide much needed cash assistance to families and children equally
Maintain expanded unemployment insurance
Include enhanced funding for Medicaid, $50 billion for child care, and at least $200 billion to ensure our schools can open safely
Have the emergency investments needed to support and strengthen families that are suffering unprecedented stress and challenges and at risk of becoming involved in the child welfare system, while also providing the child welfare system with the tools they need to help those already in the system.

We cannot allow this crisis to continue to exacerbate existing disparities and hit our most vulnerable children the hardest. Learn more about CDF’s priorities for additional COVID-19 legislation, including the many critical provisions for children and families that have already been passed by the House, as well as additional measures to get children and families the assistance they desperately need and start to address growing racial and economic disparities in our country.