The federal government funds over 180 different children’s programs, from child health and education to child welfare and juvenile justice. Children’s Budget 2010, the latest edition of our Children’s Budget series, is a comprehensive guide to all federal spending on children and an invaluable resource for all those seeking to improve the lives of America’s youth. The book provides an analysis of federally funded programs that are aimed at enhancing the well-being of our nation’s children, and how their appropriations levels have changed over the past five years.
The book was published by First Focus with the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Key Findings From This Year’s Publication
- During the past five years, federal spending on children increased by 15 percent due mostly to increases in mandatory spending over the last two years.
- ARRA added critical and needed funding for kids, but that funding will start ending as soon as this year. Due to ARRA, it is predicted that an additional $50 billion will be spent on children’s programs in 2010, almost a 20 percent increase.
- Without ARRA, this year’s spending on kids would be less than 8 percent of the federal budget, which is below what it was 5 years ago.
- President Obama’s fiscal year 2011 budget includes major investments in children, totaling more than $30 billion over current levels, accounting for a 10.1 percent increase.