Political Quotes

“Federal funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program is set to expire September 30. This program in the Virgin Islands Department of Health gives at- risk pregnant women and families necessary information, resources, and skills to raise children who are physically, socially, and emotionally healthy and ready to learn. In June, Republicans in the House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee introduced a bill reauthorizing this program. The legislation, which has yet to receive a hearing, included a 5-year reauthorization, but did not expand funding to meet the growing needs for services. It also included serious modifications to the way the program is run, which advocates fear could have harmful unintended consequences. Home visiting programs are a critical opportunity to reach at-risk pregnant women and new mothers. The first few years of life are the most rapid period of brain development, and home visiting programs provide support to vulnerable families in the earliest stages of their child's life. Home visiting programs establish a solid foundation by partnering with families to support maternal and newborn health and parent engagement. I would like to express my support for the reauthorization and expansion of this program, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. ____________________”