WHAT PROPOSED FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS AND POLICY CHANGES WILL COST CHILDREN - Issue Brief - February 2025

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum

Issue brief examining how proposed federal budget cuts and policy changes would harm children by reducing access to essential support and increasing child poverty. It highlights Medicaid, TANF, SNAP, and related services as under threat, arguing these decisions shift burdens to families and states while undermining health care, nutrition, and financial stability. It cites funding declines for children in FY 2024 versus earlier years and links past policy expirations to rising poverty, lost Medicaid coverage, and worsening infant mortality trends.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Medicaid Cuts and Their Impact on Children

Proposed Medicaid Cuts

ISSUE BRIEF: WHAT PROPOSED FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS AND POLICY CHANGES WILL COST CHILDREN Budgets are moral documents, reflecting our priorities as a nation. When we decide where to allocate resources, we reveal what —and who —we truly value. Yet, the proposed federal budget cuts advancing through the House tell a disheartening story: our children, the most vulnerable and voiceless among us, are being left behind and targeted for cuts. Children don’t vote. They don’t have political action committees or lobbying power. They rely on adults to make decisions that safeguard their well-being and invest in their futures. Instead, Congress is targeting cuts and policy changes that limit access to health care, nutrition programs, and basic financial stability for millions of children. Cuts to Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and other services that help keep children healthy and fed, and reduce child poverty are not just abstract accounting decisions —they’re acts of harm against the children and families who rely on these programs to survive. Let’s be clear: children’s needs are already woefully underfunded. Despite making up roughly 23% of the U.S. population, children received just 8.87% of the federal budget in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. This sum marks a significant decrease from the nearly 12% share we invested in children in FY 2021. Systematic divestment has alarming and real world consequences. Child poverty more than doubled from 5.2% in 2021 to 13.7% in 2023 with the expiration of many critically important provisions included in the American Rescue Plan Act, such as an improved and expanded Child Tax Credit. Furthermore, nearly 5 million children have lost Medicaid coverage under the unwinding of pandemic protections , and the U.S. infant mortality rate increased for the first time in 20 years. These trends are alarming for children and their future, and proposed federal budget cuts would accelerate them. The proposed Medicaid cuts would undoubtedly strip coverage, benefits, services, and access to care from low-income children, who are more susceptible to preventable illnesses and untreated chronic conditions. Reductions to TANF threaten the ability of struggling families to afford rent or child care. And SNAP cuts will exacerbate food insecurity, leaving children hungry in classrooms where they’re supposed to be learning. We know better. Research shows that investments in children yield immense returns , not just for their individual well-being but for the nation as a whole. Children who grow up healthy, wellfed, and financially secure are more likely to stay in school, enter the workforce, and contribute FIRST FOCUS ON CHILDREN | WHAT PROPOSED FEDERAL BUDGET CUTSAND POLICY CHANGES WILL COST CHILDREN ISSUE BRIEF | FEBRUARY 2025 1 ISSUE BRIEF: WHAT PROPOSED FEDERAL BUDGET CUTS AND POLICY CHANGES WILL COST CHILDREN meaningfully to society. Yet, Congress is taking a shortsighted approach, trading the future of millions of kids for fleeting fiscal savings. This is not fiscal responsibility—it’s a failure of responsibility. When we undermine the foundation of childhood, we weaken the entire structure of our society. As we’ve said before: “It’s always cheaper to help children now than to clean up the damage later.” This analysis will dissect these harmful proposals, explain how they disproportionately harm children, and make the case for a budget that values our youngest citizens. If we truly care about our nation’s future, we must stand against these cuts and demand a budget that prioritizes the health, safety, and potential of every child. Medicaid Cutsand Their Impact on Children Medicaid serves as a critical lifeline for millions of children providing essential health care services that support their growth and development. About half of children in the United States are covered by Medicaid or CHIP. However, recent policy pr

FAQs

Which programs does the brief say would be targeted by proposed federal budget cuts?

The brief points to cuts and policy changes affecting Medicaid, TANF, SNAP, and other services that help keep children healthy, fed, and financially stable.

What does the brief argue Medicaid cuts would do for children?

It argues proposed Medicaid cuts would strip coverage and access to care from low-income children, increasing untreated chronic conditions and preventable illnesses.

What funding and child-poverty trends does the brief cite?

The brief notes that children received 8.87% of the federal budget in FY 2024 (down from nearly 12% in FY 2021) and says child poverty rose from 5.2% in 2021 to 13.7% in 2023.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Callum