Biden: Health Care Money for PA

From the inbox:

Vice President Joe Biden announced today that the Obama Administration will make $68,305,855 available to Pennsylvania for crucial health and human services programs that help provide care for children and prevent disease. Pennsylvania will receive $60,416,767 in Recovery Act funding to support child care for working families. The Obama Administration also plans to make $7,192,425 in vaccines and grants available to Pennsylvania to ensure more underserved Americans receive the vaccines they need. A separate vaccine program supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Philadelphia will also receive an additional $966,663.

Nationwide, $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 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 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 vaccinate more Americans, cut health care costs, improve public health and save lives.”

To see a list of state by state funding for child care programs, visit: http://transparency.cit.nih.gov/RecoveryGrants/grant.cfm?grant=childcare. To see a list of state by state funding for vaccine programs, visit: http://transparency.cit.nih.gov/RecoveryGrants/grant.cfm?grant=vaccines.