Dear John,

In case you missed it... this week the Voices for Human Needs blog continued our special coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, with a look at COVID-19 among immigrant detainees and a first-person account of how Norway has responded to the crisis, compared with the U.S. Plus we urged Congress to increase spending on vital domestic programs for the next budget year, and called on the Trump Administration to delay action on a measure that could reduce the number of Americans eligible for essential services. Finally, we examined efforts by early education advocates to ensure an accurate 2020 Census. Please share!

This week on the blog...

Nearly 400 groups tell Congress: Invest in robust spending to improve Americans' lives
April 17
Nearly 400 groups, including the Coalition on Human Needs, this week urged leading appropriators in Congress to allocate a greater share of funds in fiscal year 2021 to programs controlled by the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. Even as Congress grapples with special funding to respond to the coronavirus pandemic, it remains necessary to support the basic programs that protect health and provide the tools for economic recovery. READ MORE »

Coronavirus and immigrant detainees: 'All locations in this jail are communal'
April 16
Across the United States, advocates like Never Again Action and Amnesty International are urging for the immediate release of 38,000 detained immigrants in order to protect them from COVID-19. Numerous detention facilities are holding children for more than 200 days, 10 times what is allowed under a long-standing settlement agreement. Children are spending their first birthdays, speaking their first words, and taking their first steps detained in petri dishes. READ MORE »

Counting all kids amid COVID-19: How early education advocates are supporting the Census
April 15
In late February, a panel of experts at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Public Policy Forum highlighted the tremendous efforts underway to ensure that all children and babies are counted in the 2020 Census. Across the country, early childhood educators were preparing to engage families in conversations about the importance of being counted and teach students about the decennial tradition. Providers and directors were setting up stations at the entrance of facilities for parents to complete the census before dropping off or picking up children. Advocates were planning census parties, printing flyers, designing census onesies and bibs, and more. Then, the COVID-19 crisis hit. READ MORE »

CHN calls for re-opening comment period on Trump Administration poverty proposal; says any change to current measurement must be based on science and careful analysis
April 14
CHN this week asked the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to extend or reopen the comment period on a Trump Administration proposal to change the way poverty is measured, and emphasized that any change should be based on scientific research and careful analysis of how vulnerable Americans would be affected. In a letter written and submitted by CHN Executive Director Deborah Weinstein, CHN emphasized that the comment period should be extended or reopened till at least one month after the conclusion of the current state of emergency relating to the coronavirus pandemic. READ MORE »

What the U.S. can learn from the Norweigan 'Dugnad'
April 13
March 16th, I arrived safely at home in Norway after my internship in Washington, D.C. was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. As soon as I arrived at home in Norway I could see and feel clearly that the Norwegian government was taking the situation seriously. Every press briefing treated the COVID-19 virus with the solemn attitude that such a serious situation demands. From the beginning of March, the Norwegian government initiated the strongest measures that the country has experienced since World War II. It was a stark contrast to leaving a country where the leader had continuously downplayed the severity of the situation. READ MORE »

Did you miss CHN's April 3 webinar, "Congress and COVID-19: What passed and what comes next?" If so, click here for a captioned recording of the webinar and to download slides. Please feel free to share!

How has coronavirus affected you and your family? Click here to share your story with CHN.

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