Statement on Coronavirus Relief Package
1,000 Days is heartened to see progress toward a bipartisan coronavirus relief package. As the leading nonprofit working to ensure that moms and babies have the healthiest first 1,000 Days, we know that families in the U.S. and around the world have been hard-hit by the pandemic. COVID-19 has further entrenched racial, economic and health inequality, leaving more families food insecure and without access to the quality healthcare they need to stay healthy and safe. What we need most is a robust emergency package to ensure USAID can administer vital nutrition and anti-hunger programs. Families must have access to emergency paid sick days and paid leave provisions to care for themselves and their loved ones as the number of coronavirus cases continues to spike. Low- and moderate-income families must have access to quality and affordable healthcare. And vital nutrition programs like WIC and SNAP must have increased funding and flexibility. The 1,000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s second birthday set the foundation for all those that follow, and healthy moms and babies are the foundation of a healthy society. We do not have time to wait.
Blythe Thomas
Initiative Director
1,000 Days, an initiative of FHI Solutions