Public Policy
Policy Priorities to Support Children with Special Health Care Needs and Disabilities and Their Families
Our Strategic Policy Priorities
Children and youth with special health care needs and disabilities, and their families, face systemic barriers and biases that impede their ability to experience their best possible lives. Systems of care do not respond to their needs holistically or facilitate access to supports that enhance their quality of life.
To make the most impact, we focus our policy actions across all levels of government – federal, state, and local. We work with our family and organizational partners to lean on the various levers of policy change through education and advocacy.
Our current policy agenda includes:
- Expand access to peer-to-peer support for families of children and youth with special health care needs
- Support and expand Medicaid coverage for children and youth with special health care needs and their families and caregivers
- Improve the transition to adult health care for youth and young adults with disabilities and their caregivers and families
- Eliminate language access barriers
Family Voices collaborates with national child health and disability organizations, such as the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, The Arc, Autism Speaks, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other groups.
Recent Policy Briefs
Recent Policy-Related News
Other News, Information, and Resources (Washington Update, March 14, 2019)
From the Agencies Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): DTAC Bulletin: Disaster Planning and Preparedness and People with Serious Mental Illness Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health: The report State and...
Your Input Sought/Of Possible Interest (Washington Update, March 14, 2019)
YOUR INPUT SOUGHT NEW Survey to Improve Caregiver Hospital Experience The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is analyzing the hospital visitor experience. If you are someone in the United States that has either visited a loved one in a hospital OR identifies...
REMEMBERING A FRIEND OF FAMILY VOICES: ROB RESTUCCIA
The world of health care advocacy lost a powerful but modest leader, Rob Restuccia, who was considered by many to be the “father of health care reform.” In the words of Family Voices Executive Director Nora Wells, “In creating and leading Health Care for All, the...
FAMILY VOICES AT AMCHP!
If you are heading to San Antonio this weekend for the annual Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs Conference, be sure to stop by the Family Voices table in Exhibit Hall. Some events you can find FV staff at are: FV and P2P Exhibit Table: Check out the...
Kicking Off DD Awareness Month
Kicking Off DD Awareness Month (ACL Bulletin, 3/1/19) March 1 marks the first day of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. All month, ACL will be sharing blogs and resources through our listserv and Facebook and Twitter pages. We hope you will join us in...
Legislation
The legislation tracked below is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be an endorsement for or against the legislation. Action updates may occur daily, if actions are taken by Congress. Newly introduced legislation will be added weekly.
The legislative tracker is sorted by latest action. To navigate this page, you can scroll through just as you would a normal webpage. You can also click Ctrl+F on your keyboard and type in the search box.
For additional information and to read the full text (if available), click the highlighted bill number. You can also navigate to Congress.gov and search using key terms or phrases, or the bill numbers listed below.
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