Federal Policy Outlook 2016: MIECHV Reauthorization & Advocacy Strategies

1. Informed Action: Federal Policy in 2016

2. Federal policy Spring Outlook

3. What’s Up in Washington? • MIECHV is not up for reauthorization/extension until next spring, but there’s plenty to do… • Questions raised by Congressional committee staff at ASTHVI January meeting about timing, possible vehicles, and changes to the legislation • Timing: legislation expires shortly after new Congress starts • Vehicle: reauthorizations are smaller and harder to attach significant funding to • Policy changes: do we want to open up the legislation? • Funding: what does it mean that MIECHV is “not in the baseline?”

4. Washington cont’d • Some MIECHV champions considering marker/discussion draft • How to walk the line between affirming that the program works and considering improvements? • What would be the impact of changes to the program in advance of the evaluation due in 2018? • What would be the impact of short term extension(s) to the program until the evaluation is completed and submitted?

5. Washington cont’d • The Home Visiting Coalition has reconvened to provide information, education and federal advocacy in support of MIECHV • ASTHVI serves on the coalition’s steering committee to ensure the states have a voice at the table • Information sharing, coordination of outreach (lobbying and non-lobbying) • Job Number One: educate committee members • Senate Finance Committee • House Ways and Means Committee – newly awarded primary jurisdiction in the House

6. Senate Finance Committee Chairman: Sen. Orrin Hatch (UT) Ranking Member: Ron Wyden (OR) Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY) Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI) Sen. Maria Cantwell (WA) Sen. Bill Nelson (FL) Sen. Robert Menendez (NJ) Sen. Thomas Carper (DE) Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH) Sen. Michael Bennet (CO) Sen. Robert Casey (PA) Sen. Mark Warner (VA) • Sen. Chuck Grassley (IA) • Sen. Mike Crapo (ID) • Sen. Pat Roberts (KS) • Sen. Mike Enzi (WY) • Sen. John Cornyn (TX) • Sen. John Thune (SD) • Sen. Richard Burr (NC) • Sen. Johnny Isakson (GA) • Sen. Rob Portman (OH) • Sen. Pat Toomey (PA) • Sen. Dan Coats (IN) • Sen. Dean Heller (NV) • Sen. Tim Scott (SC)

7. House Ways & Means Human Resources Subcommittee Chairman: Vern Buchanan (FL) Ranking Member: Lloyd Doggett (TX) John Lewis (GA) Joseph Crowley (NY) Danny Davis (IL) • Kristi Noem (SD) • Jason Smith (MO) • Bob Dold (IL) • Tom Rice (SC) • Tom Reed (NY) • Dave Reichert (WA)

8. Additional Ways & Means Members Chairman: Kevin Brady (TX) Ranking Member: Sander Levin (MI) Charles Rangel (NY) Jim McDermott (WA) Richard Neal (MA) Xavier Becerra (CA) Mike Thompson (CA) John Larson (CT) Earl Blumenauer (OR) Ron Kind (WI) Bill Pascrell (NJ) Linda Sanchez (CA) • Sam Johnson (TX) • Devin Nunes (CA) • Pat Tiberi (OH) • Charles Boustany (LA) • Peter Roskam (IL) • Tom Price (GA) • Adrian Smith (NE) • Lynn Jenkins (KS) • Erik Paulsen (MN) • Kenny Marchant (TX) • Diane Black (TN) • Todd Young (IN) • Mike Kelly (PA) • Jim Renacci (OH) • Pat Meehan (PA) • George Holding (NC)

9. Reminder: What is Lobbying? • ASTHVI doesn’t lobby, and as state administrators, you can’t either. • Lobbying: asking a policymaker to do something (like cast a vote) he or she might not otherwise do • Not lobbying: providing factual information about a program • Not lobbying: explaining the impact of a proposed policy • (if MIECHV were to be extended for only one year, the effect on home visiting in our state would likely be….) • Not lobbying: Answering a question asked by a policymaker • (How much money would it take to provide home visiting services to all eligible children and families in our state?) • Different states/governors/agencies/have different policies regarding contact with federal policymakers

10. State and Local Focus • This year, Congress will be in session the fewest number of days ever recorded, which means… • Your Members of Congress (Senators and Representatives) will be at home talking and listening to constituents • Voices from home are more powerful than national advocates • How can home visiting take advantage of this time? • What does it take to raise the profile of home visiting and its impact on the children and families in your state?

11. Opportunities for Education and Outreach: • Invite Members of Congress to go on a home visit • Work with staff when you can’t get to the Member – or on the way to a Member • Ask families in your program to write letters to their Members about home visiting’s impact in their lives • Invite Members and staff to attend/present at a home visiting graduation ceremony • Non-traditional allies: business leaders, law enforcement, school officials and more • Other ideas: what has worked well in your state that could be replicated elsewhere?

12. Do Your State Advocates Have Everything they Need to: • Attend local events where Members of Congress will be: • Low cost fundraisers • Town hall meetings • County fairs • Independence Day parades • Write letters to the editor: • 500 words or less • In connection with a current event • Timely (within 24 hours) • Fax or email (no snail mail)

13. When will your Member be home? Senate Schedule House Schedule April 22-25 May 2-9 May 27 - June 6 June 17-20 June 27 - July 4 July 18 - September 5 October 1 - November 11 • May 2-6 • May 30 - June 3 • July 1-5 • July 18 - September 5 • October 10 - November 11

14. Communications opportunities from Adam Shapiro

15. Communications Opportunities • Speak at an all-staff agency meeting about your role as a home visiting administrator • Blog or write an article for an agency newsletter about your important work • Look for newspaper, blog and other local media opportunities to share details about how home visiting is working in your state and/or partner with a model(s) as they look to raise the profile of these efforts. Even alumni magazines, church newsletters and neighborhood bulletins offer opportunities for news that are quick and easy.   • Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are key times when reporters are looking for new ways to write feel-good stories about parents and children. You could suggest a story about home visiting and/or write a letter to the editor (with appropriate approval) about what is occurring in your state.

16. Unexpected Voices Last March, Adam Shapiro worked with Fight Crime Invest in Kids and Nurse-Family Partnership to facilitate a Washington Post op-ed written by an Alabama police chief who believes in home visiting. The police chief wrote about his experience with families ill prepared to raise young children and the positive impacts home visiting programs produce in his community. The article ran just as MIECHV was on the cusp of an extension…

17. Family Profile in Texas Last February, Adam Shapiro worked with the Dallas Independent School District and the local HIPPY site to feature one family benefiting from home visiting. The feature ran on the Dallas news and coincided with the governor’s pledge to make early childhood education his top legislative priority in 2015.

18. Other angles for media coverage: Problems to be solved Model specific articles “Visiting Nurses, Helping Mothers on the Margins” • “Learning Community’s home visitors help families build better learning environments for young kids”

19. Communications Opportunities • What approaches to communications have worked well in your state? • How are you partnering with advocates in your state to ensure that state and federal decision makers have the information they need to make informed decisions about home visiting? • How can ASTHVI help you?