Unless Congress changes current laws, children will receive a shrinking share of federal spending over the next decade. Compared with other uses of our national income, children are slated to become an ever-declining priority. Excluding health, spending on children will decline even in absolute dollars, with the largest declines in spending on education.
What are the implications for children? Can we grow the economy in a way that serves children’s interests alongside other interests? What does the public think about government support for children, and how does that relate to budget discussions?
At this panel, the Urban Institute released its annual Kids’ Share report, measuring and tracking federal spending on children and explaining how congressional budget actions affect children. The Urban Institute’s Kids’ Share project, supported by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and First Focus, seeks to inform a national conversation about how best to invest the country's resources by examining federal and state expenditures on children in the past and projected for the future.
Join a dynamic conversation with budget, policy, and polling experts.
Panelists
- Karlyn Bowman, senior fellow and research coordinator, American Enterprise Institute
- Julia Isaacs, senior fellow and Kids’ Share coauthor, Urban Institute
- Michael Mitchell, senior policy analyst, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Isabel Sawhill, senior fellow, Brookings Institution
- C. Eugene Steuerle, Institute fellow, Urban Institute (moderator)
Heather Hahn, senior fellow, Urban Institute, gave a brief overview of the latest Kids’ Share findings.
event materials
5th floor
Washington , DC , 20037