Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia Issues Statement Regarding Senator Manchin’s Decision to Reject Policies WV Families Need to Thrive

Every day, we hear from and work alongside real WV families who are doing their best to get by. We work across the Mountain State to promote child well-being by providing parents and communities with the tools they need to make a positive difference in children’s lives. We see the challenges facing parents, and that’s why we are working so hard to enact family-led and family-friendly policies that will help families and their children in every community in WV.

We strongly urge Senator Manchin to meet these families, look them in the eye, and understand how challenging it is to raise children while living in and near poverty.

The simple truth is Senator Manchin’s decision yesterday will make life harder for parents raising children in West Virginia.

Senator Manchin’s action effectively cancels the Child Tax Credit for 346,000 children across WV, 90% of whose families have been using the CTC to afford basic needs like food, clothing, rent, and utilities. We ask for Senator Manchin to consider the impact of his decision on parents and grandparents who are raising children in WV and to return to the negotiating table.

When childcare costs more in West Virginia than college tuition, Senator Manchin’s decision prevents the families of 89,000 children from accessing affordable child care. His decision delays action to cut the rising cost of child care by more than $100 per week per child.

Senator Manchin’s choice delays action to enact paid family medical leave, so workers will continue to face an impossible choice between caring for a loved one who is sick and keeping their job. The research is clear – paid family medical leave helps babies in the earliest days of their life, but the policy is now on hold indefinitely.

From our work at TEAM for WV Children and Prevent Child Abuse WV, we know that effective policies that strengthen families, including efforts that help them afford basic needs, also help children thrive. These policies would have a powerful impact on families by lifting 22,000 children in West Virginia out of poverty. Senator Manchin’s decision to block the bill harms struggling families who are being forced to choose between affording to feed their children or to heat their homes.

As fierce advocates for strengthening families, the well-being of children, and building communities that support healthy childhoods, we remain committed to delivering on these priorities when the Senate returns next year. We are steadfast in our determination to work alongside parents, grandparents, faith leaders, small businesses, and others from every corner of the state to prioritize making sure every mom, dad, and grandparent has what they need and deserve in order to raise healthy, happy kids.

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A project of TEAM for West Virginia Children, Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia (PCAWV), http://www.preventchildabusewv.org works to give children good beginnings by strengthening families and communities. This is accomplished by implementing innovative strategies in the areas of effective programs, public engagement, and sound public policy. PCAWV is a chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America a national leader in building awareness, providing education, and inspiring hope in everyone involved in the effort to keep children free from abuse and neglect.