Biden Announces $2.3 Billion in Recovery Act Funds to Help Care for Children, Prevent Disease

Georgia is to receive over $82 million in total childcare funding, and over $6 million for vaccines.

Vice President Joe Biden announced last Thursday that the Obama Administration
will make $2.3 billion available for crucial health and human services
programs that help to provide care for children and prevent disease.
States will receive $2 billion in Recovery Act funding to support child
care for working families. The administration also plans to make $300
million in vaccines and grants available to ensure more underserved
Americans receive the vaccines they need.

The $2 billion in Recovery Act funds for the Child Care and Development
Fund will allow states across the country to support child care services
for more families whose children require care while they are working,
seeking employment or receiving job training or education. The funds
will be used by states to provide vouchers to families for child care or
to provide access to care through contracts with child care centers or
invest in quality improvements. Recovery Act dollars will support a
wide range of child care providers, including child care centers and
home-based programs.

"Parents are worried about finding a job or keeping the job they have
and they shouldn't have to worry about affording quality child care,"
said Vice President Biden. "Safe, affordable, high-quality child care
gives working parents the peace of mind they need to be stable,
dependable employees."

In addition to funding for child care programs, an additional $300
million in Recovery Act funding and grants will help to ensure more
underserved Americans receive the vaccines they need. The Vice
President's announcement came as Americans mark National Public Health
Week.

Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the majority of
these new resources will be used to purchase vaccines, which will be
distributed through the HHS' Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's (CDC) Section 317 immunization program to all 50 states,
several large cities, and U.S. territories. Funding will also be used to
support national public information campaigns regarding vaccines and
support grants to states that demonstrate innovative new ways to ensure
more Americans receive the vaccines they need.

"Vaccines help keep children healthy, prevent costly stays in hospitals,
and fight diseases that can lead to serious illness or death" added
Biden. "The Recovery Act will help to vaccinate more Americans, cut
health care costs, improve public health and save lives."

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