1,000 Days Welcomes 2018 Spending Bill
Last week, Congress passed and the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, funding the federal government through the end of Fiscal Year 2018. After nearly six months of short-term spending measures, this deal provides funding certainty for many of the critical support programs for moms, babies and their families here in the United States and in developing countries around the world.
Specifically, we were encouraged to see continued funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding program, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant. Additionally, the legislation provides a nearly 4% increase in topline funding for the international affairs budget, which includes vital development programs, while providing continued funding for much-needed global nutrition interventions targeting the first 1,000 days. These programs help ensure that moms, children and their families can get the support they need to grow and thrive.
As Congress turns their attention toward the Fiscal Year 2019 appropriations process, 1,000 Days will continue to fight for increased investments in the evidence-based programs that best serve the nutrition and health care needs of all moms and babies.