The coronavirus outbreak has further jeopardized the health, safety, and education of children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness, and threatens to create new waves of family and youth homelessness.
In response, U.S. Representatives John Yarmuth (D-KY), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Danny K. Davis (D-IL) are circulating a bipartisan “Dear Colleague Letter” to House leadership requesting support for children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness and for survivors of human trafficking in the next coronavirus relief package.
Specifically, the letter requests:
- At least $300 million for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
- At least $500 million for the McKinney-Vento Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
- At least $2 million for an online curriculum that will train parents, teachers, and students how to recognize the indicators of trafficking.
- At least $25 million in supplemental funding for existing HHS trafficking grantees to provide direct survivor support and operate the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
- At least $2 billion for a Family Stabilization Fund to provide flexible funding for community organizations to meet the unique needs of children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness.
A bipartisan Senate letter also will be circulating shortly.
ACTION NEEDED BY 9PM EASTERN ON THURSDAY, MAY 14
Please contact your U.S. Representatives NOW to urge them to sign on to the Yarmuth/Bacon/Davis letter.
- Use this simple form to enter your zip code, personalize a template letter, and hit “send” to deliver a message to your U.S. Representative.
- Given the urgency and short time-frame, follow up with a phone call to your U.S. Representative, and offer to email a copy of the letter to the staff who handles children and family issues. The message: “Please sign on to the Yarmuth/Bacon/Davis Dear Colleague Letter in support of homeless and trafficked children, youth, and families in the next COVID-19 legislative package.”
- Please share this alert as widely as possible with your networks.
U.S. Representatives may be reached through the U.S Capitol Switchboard at 202.224.3121.
To find out who your U.S. Representative is, click here.
Remember!
The more U.S. Representatives who sign the letter, the greater the level of support shown to House leadership for these requests.