On October 1, 2021, Children’s HealthWatch submitted testimony in strong support of An Act to lift kids out of deep poverty (H.199/S.96) and An Act concerning public assistance for working families and the creation of a pilot program to address the impacts of the cliff effect (H.208/S.119). The mission of Children’s HealthWatch is to improve the health and development of young children by informing policies that address and alleviate economic hardships. We accomplish this mission by interviewing caregivers of young children on the frontlines of pediatric care, in urban emergency departments and primary care clinics in five cities: Boston, Minneapolis, Little Rock, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. Our headquarters are located at Boston Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

We at Children’s HealthWatch are concerned about the effects of economic hardships that families with young children across the Commonwealth face. Currently, the state has opportunities to improve the health of young children and reduce economic hardship by enacting legislation that responds to the realities of families with young children. We strongly urge the Committees to swiftly and favorably report An Act to lift kids out of deep poverty (H.199/S.96) and An Act concerning public assistance for working families and the creation of a pilot program to address the impacts of the cliff effect (H.208/S.119) out of committee.