Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior Democrat on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families, lauded last night’s passage of his amendment to the FY2009 Budget Resolution that increases funding for the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant by $184 million.  Under the President’s budget, the MCH Block Grant will be funded at $666 million for the second consecutive year.  This amount represents a cut of $65 million from five years ago when funding peaked at $731 million. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) joined Dodd as the lead co-sponsor of the amendment.

“The MCH program is critical to the health and well-being of millions of families across this country, including some of the most vulnerable members of our society,” said Dodd. “Years of funding cuts have stretched maternal and child health programs to their limits. We must ensure that states are able to continue to offer these services to those in need.”

The Maternal and Child Health Block Grant provides a wide variety of services to nearly 35 million women, children, and youth across the country.  The MCH programs include direct health care for children with special needs, preventive and primary care for children and youth, integration of health care with other child and family services, newborn screening for genetic disorders, lead poisoning prevention, injury prevention, and public education.

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