
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-Related News
News, Information, and Resources (Washington Update July 18, 2018)
NEWS: Government Shuts Down Websites on Treatment and Quality Guidelines On July 16, the administration took down two “microsites” from the website of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) – the National Guideline Clearinghouse (guideline.gov), a...
Your Input Sought/Of Possible Interest (Washington Update, July 18, 2018)
Your Input Sought Best Practices in Guardianship @SenateAging is taking comment on best practices in guardianship through July 20, 2018, to inform a report they are producing. Email comment@aging.senate.gov. Topics include data collection, avoiding exploitation by...
Washington Update: Summary (7/11/18)
Greetings from Washington! Congress was out of session last week so it was a bit quieter than usual inside the beltway -- not counting the fireworks over the Washington Monument on the 4th of July. Things got louder on Monday night, though, when the president...
Washington Update: Webinars and Calls (7/11/18)
NEW Redesigning Health and Social Systems for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Using Community-Engaged Decision-Making Wednesday, July 11, 12:00-1:00 ET Systems for Action National Coordinating Center NEW Messages and Audiences Wednesday, July 11, 2:00-3:00 ET CDC’s...
Washington Update: The Courts (7/11/18)
Supreme Court Nomination On Monday the president announced his nominee for the Supreme Court vacancy to be left by the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy – Brett Kavanaugh. Mr. Kavanaugh is currently a federal judge for the District of Columbia Court of Appeals,...
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.