SUP P ORTING THE HEALTH Y DEVELOPMENT OF Y OUTH Support the highest level of fund ing possibl e for the Child C are and Development Block Gra nt (C C DBG). CCDBG supports economically disadvant a g e d families by increasing the availabilit y, affordabilit y and quality of child car e. These funds help secu r e e a rly childh o o d and afterschool opportunities for children under the age of 13, so that paren ts can work or pursue training opportunities. Hundred s o f  Ys across the country offering quality chil d care  programs participate in their state’s child care s u bs i dy program, helping parents offset the c ost of child care , which is often the largest famil y expenditure. Support $2.08 bil lion for 21st Centu ry Community L earning Centers (21st CCLC), an increase of $750 million. These funds support locally designed academi c e nrichment opportunities before school, aft e r school and during the summer. These program s help inspire kids to lea rn and mak e better decision s and give working paren ts peace of mind kn owin g their children are in safe environments. Research s h ows that quality programs give studen ts th e academic, soci al and career skills they need t o s u c ceed; can lead to improvemen ts in attendance, class participation and b eh avior, and homewor k completio n; and can narr ow the achievement gap. One in five Y afterschool programs are supported b y 2 1st CCLC funding, in partnership with schools and distric ts . Support the highest level of fund ing possibl e for H ead S tart. Head Start prepares young children for school and life by providing a compr e hensive set of services to families, including education, nutrition, hea l th car e and soci al services to enhance child well-bein g. Head Start also supports paren ts’ engagement i n their child’s learning and developmen t. Togethe r, compr ehensive services and parental eng agement ensure the co gnitive , soci al and emotiona l development of young children and prepare the m for future suc cess.

BUILDING BRIGHT FUTURES AND STRONG COMMUNITIES Support the highest level of fund ing possibl e for progra ms that advan ce the Communi t y Schools model, including the Full-Service Communi t y Schoo ls progra m. This mo del promotes s chool- community partner ships an d strategies that coordinate and integrate local services—including heal th, nutrition and soci al services—to enhance children’s academic and non- academic outcomes and support family wellness. Grant programs, including Full- S ervice Community Schools and 21 st Century Community Lear ning Centers, as well as funding under Title I of E SS A can be used to support this mo del. Ys are partners in hundreds of community s chool effort s acro ss the country , either as a s chool partner and service provider or as the lead a gency responsible for the coordination, pl anning and i mplementati on of community s chool initi atives. Cosponsor the Youth Workforce Read iness Act. This legis lation seeks to create fe deral in vestment s and partnerships that will increase opportunities for youth to build k no wledge and skills and connec t to cr itical r eal-life work experiences and lear ning opportunities. The bill also re-establish es Youth C ouncils to wo rk in coordination wit h local wor kforce boards to elevate youth voice on critical issues. Th rough an ar ray of youth workforce readiness programs, the Y provides young peo ple with r eal-life work experiences and lear ning opportunities that build k no wledge and skills and connect them to personal gro wth and soci al and economic opportunity. Support $130 mill ion for the Youth Mentoring Progra m at the U.S. Department of Justice. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinq uency P revention (OJJDP)’s Youth Mentoring P rogram provides grant s to youth-serving organizations to fund q uality mentoring programs, grounded in evidence- based research, to improve outcomes for at-risk and high-risk youth . Mentoring is a critical component in young people ’s lives, helping them mak e the decisions and connections that lead to opportunity. Each year , Ys provide po sitive life experiences to hundreds of youth participating in the Y’s R each & Rise ® therapeutic mentoring program , funded th rough DOJ’s Youth Mentoring P rogram.

EN SURING THE SAFET Y AND WEL L-BEING OF Y OUTH Reauthorize and support the highest level of fund ing possible for the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). C APTA is dedicated to the prevention, assessment, identification and tre atmen t of child  abuse and neglect by providing the necessary resources stat es need to help develop, implement, and evaluate strategies that prevent child mal treatment, reduce entry into the child wel fare system and enhance the overall well-b eing and outcomes of children and famil ies. Support the RIS E from Trauma Act and other pr oposals that address the mental hea l th an d wellness of young people and sta ff in youth-serving org aniz ations. The RISE from Trauma Act will expand t rauma-informed training and workforce develop ment in soci al service organizations, s chools, heal th care settings, child wel fare and justice systems and among first respo nders. It wil l also incr ease resources to bolster community response to tho se affected by trauma. Ys acro ss the country provide services and support s, including trauma-informed approaches to care , in collaboration with local partners and a gencies to mitigate the  effect s of trauma and adverse child hoo d experiences (A CEs) and promote mental heal th and wellness.

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PREVENTING & CONTROLL ING C H RONIC DI SEASES, REDUC ING HEALTH S PENDING AN D ADDRESS ING INEQUITIES THROUGH PUBL IC HEALTH AND OUR HEALTH S YST EM Support the highest level of fund ing possibl e for the Centers for D i sease Co ntr ol and Prevention’ s (C D C) National Cent er fo r Chr onic D i sease Prevention and H eal th Pr omotion to address the looming tsuna mi of chr onic d i sease. CDC i nvests in proven strategies that address th e nation’s leading causes of death and disabilit y: heart diseas e, cancer, obesity, strok e, arthritis an d d i abetes. Increased funding is essent i al to address s kyrock eting c hronic conditions and to stem th e g r owing pandemi c of sedentary b eh avior and poor nutrition that resu l t in disease and disability. Ma ny of these chronic conditions are more common , d i agn osed late r, and resul t in heal th in equitie s f o r people of color, older adul ts, th ose living wit h disabilities, people with mental and su bstance use disorders, and th ose with low incomes and low e r educational attainment. Y-USA has regranted CDC funding to local Ys to build capacity and delive r evidence-based programs and policy strategie s that prevent and control c hroni c diseases and ste m i n equities. We ask that Congres s: Support the highest level of fun ding possibl e f o r m u lt isector strat egies in states an d communit ies that address huma n n ee ds that impact health outcome s, such as increasing acces s to lifestyle health programs and improving physica l e nvironments that support activity and healt hy eating and strengthening clinic- to-community l i nkages. Support $102.5 million for CDC’s R E ACH a n d G HWIC progr am s . The Ra c ial and Et hn i c Approaches to Community He a lth (REACH) program helps reduce racial and et hn i c health disparities and the Go od He a lth and Wellness in Indian Country (GHWIC) program makes significant in vestment s to improve American Ind ian and Alaska Native triba l hea lt h. Support $130 million for CDC’s Div ision of Nutritio n, Phys i cal Activ ity and Obe s ity (DNPAO), including funding for Act ive People, He a lt hy Nation SM . DNPAO initiatives at CDC promote community -driven approaches to advanc e w a lking and b iking in communities and to increase a ccess to healt hy, affordable foods and prevent and control ove rweight and obesity .

• Support $40 million in funding for CDC’s National Di a betes Prevention Progr am . The National Diabetes Prevention Program is sho wn to prevent the incidence of type 2 d iabetes by 58% for some of the 96 million American adults living with prediabetes . Support the highest level of fun ding possible for CDC’s Heart Disease and St roke Div ision. These resources help to support scaling of the YMCA Bl o od Pressure Se lf-Monitoring Program, which helps some of the 116 million Americans living with hypertension prevent heart disease and stro kes by controlling their condition . Support $54 million for CDC’s Arthrit is Progr am to support funding in all 50 states . Y program s l ike Enhanc e®Fitness help some of the 59 millio n Americans living with arth ritis reduce pain, increase fl e xibility, and improve quality of life. Support fun ding for community-based o r ganizations delivering fam i ly-based life s tyl e health progr ams for the 20% of children living with obe s ity. This aligns with the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Hea lt h. Support the highest level of fun ding possibl e funding for CDC’s Comprehensive Ca nc e r P rogr am to create a national ca ncer survivorship p rogr am and scale evidence-based physical activity and well- being programs, like LIVESTRONG at the YMCA and help some of the 17 millio n Americans living with, th rough and beyond cancer. CREATING SAFER FUTURES Support $5 mill ion for Dr owning Prevention at CDC’s National Center on Injur y Preve ntion an d Con tr o l (NCIPC). M ore children a ges 1-4 die from dro w ning than an y other cause , and it is the second leading cause of unintentional injury for children a ges 5-14. This heal th crisis disproportionately impact s children of color. These funds would support national organizations in s caling proven prevention programs and a n at ional plan on water safety. Support the highest level of fund ing possibl e for NCIPC for communi t y violen ce prevention and research to determine the b est sol utions to prevent gun-related injuri es and deaths. As an organization committed to youth safety , the Y advances community-ba se d vio lence prevention strat egies, which can help r educe both violence vict imization an d perpetrati on. The Y has also joined the American Academy of Pedi atrics in  supporting increased research on evidence-based strategies to reduce gun- rel at ed i njur ies.

CO NNECTING INDIVIDUALS TO NEE DED HEALTH AN D SO C I AL C A RE SYS TEM S The Y support s legislation that addresses ho w community-based heal th and soci al service organizations can b etter partner wi th publi c health, and public and private payers to ensure individuals are ge ttin g the support t hey nee d to achieve optimal heal th outcomes, including: Support changes to impr ov e the M ed i c a r e D ia b et es Prevention P rogr a m (MDPP) expansion project at CMS. While progress was made in 2021 to improv e MDPP and help revers e the course of di a betes among older adul t s , legislation or A dm i n istration-level fixes are still neede d to provid e th e necessar y paymen t fo r program suppliers, li k e the Y, to cover program c o s t s , to better support lo w- income a n d/o r under resourced individuals in the program , and to allevi ate some of the prohibitive red tape  in volved in becoming a Medicare supplier. k Cosponsor the Treat and Reduce O b esi t y Act (TROA). TROA will enhance Medicare benefici aries ’ ac cess to h e a l t h care providers be s t suited to provide intensive be h a vioral therapy , including community- based organizations li k e Ys, and allo w Medicare Part D to cover FDA-approved anti-o besity medications. Cosponsor the Compre hensi ve C a n c e r Survivorship Progra m Act. This legislation seeks to address the g ap s in survivorship care and develop stand ards to improve the q uality o f  care for cancer survivors. Additionally , it would support funding for cancer s urvivorship programs like LIVESTRONG at the YMCA. Cosponsor the So cia l D eterminants Accelerato r Act. Thi s legislatio n will hel p states an d communitie s devis e strategie s to addres s upstream factors to improve the heal th and well-being of lo w-income seniors, children a n d families in Medicaid by providing planning grant s and tech nical assistance to state , local and tribal gover n ment s . • Cosponsor the L everag in g Inte g rated Networ ks in Communi t i e s (L INC) to Address Social Need s Act. The legislation will enable states, th rough public -private partnerships, t o levera ge local expertise a nd tech nolog y to overcom e longstanding challenge s in helping to connect people to f oo d, housing, and services.

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Ensuring everyone has the oppo

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STRENGTHENING C IVIC HEALTH & TRAINING A NATION OF BRIDGE-BUIL DERS Cosponsor the Building Civic Bridges Act. This bipartisan legislati on would autho rize $25 mill ion to cr eate a new Office of Civic Bridgebuildi ng wi thin AmeriC orps, es tablis h a competi tive gran t progr am for bridgebui lding initi atives, train AmeriCorps members in bridgebui lding s kills, and support research on civic bridgebuilding, civic engagement, and social cohesion . Cosponsor the Ci vics Secu res Democr acy Act. This bipartisan legislation expands ac cess to civics educatio n by providin g $1 bi llion annually for civics and history initi atives, including $200 million to wards competitive grant s for nonprofit organizations. CO NNECTING INDIVIDUALS AND  COMMUNITIES TO NEEDED RESOURCES Cosponsor the Su mmer Mea ls Act. The Summer M eals Act fixes longst andin g challenges to child nutri tion pr ograms by streamlining programs to support ye ar- round feeding, expan ding el igibil ity to serve more kids, allo wing an additional meal or snack to be served during the summer and pro vidi ng transport ation services for hard- to -reach areas. In 2021, grant-funded YMCAs served near ly 47 million meals and snacks at 6,000 sites acro ss the country. Support the highest level of fund ing possibl e to the U.S. Depa rtment of Housing a nd Urb an Development g ra nt progr a ms that support emergen cy shel ters , transi tional and a ffordable housing, facility infrastructure and social services to address social and heal th inequi ti es. Additional funding f or homeless ser vices wi ll help house vulnerable populations experiencing th e trauma of homelessness, enable Ys and ot her community organizations to expand their services and respond to gro wing housing needs, and cover  emergency expenses related to COVID-19 enhanced cleani ng and di sinfect ion pract ices. Sub stanti al additional funding to tenant s and landlords to prevent evictions will k eep people stably housed in safe , afford able homes.

Enact Chari table Gi ving In centi ves for all taxpayers. In 2020 Congress enac ted a t emporary n on- itemizer deduct ion on chari table donat ions with a $30 0 cap for in di viduals and a $600 cap for couples. This mark ed the first time in thirty years that all taxpayers were able to clai m a deduction on at le ast part of t heir chari table giving, regardless of whet her they it emized. Unfortunately , that deduction expired at the end of 2021. The Y support s legislation that would restore the non- itemizer deducti on, rai se t he cap to roughly $4,000 for individu als/$8,00 0 for  couples, and extend the a vailability of the deduction, helping to spur more giving . This legislat ion wil l democratize giving by further incentivizing all American taxpayer s—regardless of their income—to gi ve to char ity. It wi ll also provide neede d resources for chari table and faith-based o rganizations to con tinue providing vital services to families, work ers and communit ies. Support the highest level of fund ing possibl e for AmeriCo rps. AmeriCorps is the largest grant mak er in support of service and volunteering . This initiative taps the energ y and talent of citizens to solve problems in their communities, and man y Ys nationwide draw upon these programs to meet community needs. The Y support s full funding for AmeriCorps and continues to work with other co al iti ons to ensur e this important a gency receives robust funding to deliver essenti al services. Support meaningful, b iparti san del ib erations on c ompr e hensi ve immig ration r efor m. Creating bipartisan legisl ative solut ions th at address immigration reform is imperative . The future of the natio n depends on our col lecti ve ability to create meaningful opportunities for all , including new Americans and immigrant s, to make social and economic contributions. America’s communit ies are st ronger and mor e cohesive when everyone can contribute and neighbor s from all backgrounds work together to ward a shared vision for the future .

BUILDIN G A SUST AINABLE FUTURE Support $ 1 00 mill ion for National Par k Service Youth Partnership Progra ms at the Department of Interior. These resources ha ve enabled partnerships b etween national par ks and Ys to create youth employment programs and ha ve provided over 80,000 youth with their first opportuni ty to attend camp or visit a national park. Increa se d funding would enable more Ys and youth-serving organizations to deliver t he program. Cosponsor the PLAY S in Youth Sports Act. This legislation authorizes grant s to support youth sport s activities including promotion, training and certification for coaches, effort s to increase participation in youth sport s, and activities to promote safety and heal th, including child abuse preven tion. The bill calls on  the Department of H eal th and H uman S ervices to establish a $75 million annual grant program to support n onprofit or ganizations working to improve heal th th rough youth sport s participatio n. Cosponsor the Simpli fying Outdoor Access for Recreation (S OAR) Act. The SOAR Act will incr ease guide d recre at ional access to federal public lands by improving and streamlining the outfi tter- guide permitt ing systems of the federal land mana gement a gencies. This bill would help increase outdoor opportunities for young people and fami lies to experience the outdoors with t he assi stance of an outdoor leader , educator , guide or outfitter.

YMC A OF THE USA GOV E RNM E N T R E L ATION S AND P O L I CY 1 129 20th St., NW, Suite 301 Washing ton, DC 20036 ymca.org

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