Statement on Sustainable Growth Rate Measure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congress has passed and the President is expected to sign a measure to prevent cuts in payments to doctors through the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR). This measure includes a short-term extension for Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV). The following statement should be attributed to Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association: 

“We applaud Congress for including an extension of the MIECHV program in today’s Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) legislation. Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting-funded Early Head Start home visiting programs are making a difference for many vulnerable young parents and are particularly powerful because outreach begins at the earliest possible phase of child development, from fetal development to age three. Decades of research show that these family support programs work and have transformative long-term impacts by setting at-risk families on the pathway to success and self-sufficiency. While we view this as a good first step, we recognize this is only a short-term extension and we look forward to working with the home visiting community, Congress, and the Administration on a long-term solution.”