In our country, we don’t kick people when they’re down, particularly children. Today in North Carolina, over 22 percent of our children live in a family that is trying to get by on less than $22,000 a year.
Programs that lend a hand to families down on their luck are more important than ever and should not be cut. We call on Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan, as well as our House members and the 12 members of the budget “supercommittee” to protect the programs children rely on.
Programs like SCHIP, Medicaid, the Child Tax Credit and Food Aid have helped millions of hard-working families weather the recession. Because of the success of Health Choice (North Carolina’s Child Health Insurance Program), 140,683 children in our state during 2009 had health insurance.
If not for this safety net, more children across our state would go hungry and more parents would be unable to take a sick child to the doctor.
Americans recognize that our national deficit must be addressed, but oppose balancing the budget on the backs of children. To recapture the American Dream and do right by our children, lawmakers can start by not cutting what helps children most.
Barbara Bradley
President & CEO
Action for Children North Carolina