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
Upcoming Webinars from the Field (Washington Update, August 22, 2018)
TODAY: A Conversation on Supporting Self-Management in Children and Adolescents with Complex Chronic Conditions Wednesday, August 22, 1:00-2:00 pm ET Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health Background information. TODAY: Protecting Pregnant Women and Babies...
Lawsuit Challenges Arkansas Work Requirements (Washington Update, August 22, 2018)
As reported in earlier Updates, Medicaid beneficiaries in Kentucky challenged the administration’s approval of the waiver application that would allow the state to establish work requirements for beneficiaries, among other things. A federal court invalidated approval...
Parents Separated from Their Children Seek a Second Chance at Making Their Asylum Claims (Washington Update, August 22, 2018)
Parents who failed screening interviews for their asylum cases are seeking a second chance to be interviewed. They allege that the interviews were improperly conducted, in part because the parents were traumatized from being separated from their children. See New...
Supreme Court Nomination (Washington Update, August 22, 2018)
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has been doing meetings with Senators in preparation for his confirmation hearing. Among those he has met with are moderate Democrats who are up for reelection this year and therefore might be open to voting for his confirmation. ...
Senate Report and Hearing on Care of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children (Washington Update, August 22, 2018)
On August 15, Rob Portman (R-OH) and Tom Carper (D-DE), Chair and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, issued a staff report, Oversight of the Care of...
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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