“Fiscal Cliff” Would Have Large Impact on MA Children and Families

The so-called “fiscal cliff” is dominating Washington these days. Unless Congress takes other action to reduce the federal deficit, steep automatic cuts to defense and nondefense spending go into effect on January 1, 2013. What would the automatic cuts – sequestration — mean for young children and families in Massachusetts? A report from Iowa Senator Tom Harkin details the impact for the Bay State.

Harkin chairs the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies. For a summary of the overall nondefense impact on Massachusetts, turn to page 122 of “Under Threat: Sequestration’s Impact on Nondefense Jobs and Services,” published in July.

Here’s a breakdown of how sequestration would affect Massachusetts children and families.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

• Head Start
  • FY12 funding $123,113,621 (FY13 sequester cut $9,602,862)
  • Impact: 1,524 fewer children served
• Child Care and Development Block Grant
  • FY12 funding $27,066,102 (FY13 sequester cut $2,111,156)
  • Impact: 1,174 fewer children receive child care subsidies
• Maternal and Child Health Block Grant
  • FY12 funding $11,257,008 (FY13 sequester cut $878,047)
  • Impact: 100,073 fewer children and families served
• Childhood Immunization Grants
  • FY12 funding $4,023,000 (FY13 sequester cut $313,794)
  • Impact: 4,593 fewer children vaccinated
• Family Violence and Prevention Services
  • FY12 funding $2,066,817 (FY13 sequester cut $161,212)
  • Impact: 71 domestic violence victims not served and 883 local crisis calls not answered

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

• Title I grants to local education agencies
  • FY12 funding $210,740,945 (FY13 sequester cut $18,178,351)
  • Impact: 26,495 fewer students served and 87 fewer schools receive grant funds
• School Improvement Grants
  • FY12 funding $7,234,459 (FY13 sequester cut $564,288)
  • Impact: 507 fewer students served and 1 less school receives grant funds
• Improving Teacher Quality State Grants
  • FY12 funding $43,677,504 (FY13 sequester cut $2,630,770
  • Impact: 2,773 fewer teachers – serving 37,962 students – receive professional development
• Special Education Grants for Infants and Families
  • FY12 funding $7,508,214 (FY13 sequester cut $587,624)
  • Impact: 1,187 fewer infants and children served
• Special Education Grants to States
  • FY12 funding $238,465,895 (FY13 sequester cut $21,215,727
  • Impact: 256 jobs no longer supported by federal funding
• Special Education Preschool State Grants
  • FY12 funding $9,701,776 (FY13 sequester cut $722,342)
  • Impact: 9 jobs no longer supported by federal funding
• English Language Acquisition State Grants
  • FY12 funding $13,035,143 (FY13 sequester cut $1,026,925)
  • Impact: 3,479 fewer students served