March 13,2018

Finance Committee Members Celebrate Home Visiting Program Reauthorization with Jennifer Garner

Garner%20PhotoJennifer Garner and Hatch discuss this importance of MIECHV on Tuesday, March 13.

WASHINGTON – Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and committee members welcomed actress Jennifer Garner to celebrate the recent reauthorization of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV), which was included in the government funding bill last month.

“Throughout my career, I’ve fought for home visiting programs because studies have shown that these programs reduce child abuse and neglect, increase school readiness, and improve the health, safety, and well-being of children and their parents,” Hatch said. “Jennifer has advocated for these programs for years and her efforts have helped keep the program going. My hope is that MIECHV continues to receive bipartisan support, so we can keep up this great work to help vulnerable children and their families.”

“I was proud to work side by side with Chairman Hatch and the tireless advocates who successfully pushed to extend home visiting programs,” Wyden said. “When lawmakers talk about investing in what works – home visiting is it. These programs reduce child abuse and neglect, health care costs and juvenile justice involvement. Jennifer knows, and I agree, that home visiting is the gold standard for what we ought to be doing for kids and families. I will continue to push for home visiting as long as I’m in public service.”

“Thanks to the leadership of Senators Hatch, Wyden, Grassley and Menendez, thousands of families across the country will receive critical support services through the Maternal, Infant, Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program,” said Garner. “Through my work with Save the Children, I’ve seen how home visiting programs make a huge difference in the lives of many families across the country. By helping mothers and fathers be the best parents they can be, we can put more children on a path toward success.”

Background: Hatch and Wyden successfully negotiated the inclusion of the Strong Families Act of 2017 in the recent budget package, a bill introduced by Finance Committee Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and cosponsored by many members of the committee. This bill funds the MIECHV program through FY2022 and provides states with grants to support evidence-based home visiting programs for at-risk families, particularly women and children. Garner wrote CNN opinion piece highlighting the importance of MIECHV reauthorization and is a Save the Children Trustee.

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