American Humane Association Commends State of the Union Address While Urging Vigilance in Protecting the Nation's Children

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Humane Association, the nation's voice for the protection of children and animals, tonight commended President Obama for his continued commitment to addressing Americans' basic needs -- even in a time of budget cutting and deficit reduction -- and urged lawmakers to put vulnerable children and families first when setting legislative and budget priorities in the 112th Congress.

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"The economic crisis has pushed millions of children and families to the brink," said Sonia Velazquez, Senior Vice President, Child Welfare for American Humane Association. "Nothing will do more to brighten our long-term economic outlook than making sure that the programs, policies and tools are in place for those families to return to stability and move on to success. At the same time, nothing would be more disastrous for our country than pennywise but pound-foolish spending priorities that shove these families and their children over the edge."

For nearly 150 years, American Humane Association has been at the forefront of virtually every major campaign and legislative effort to improve the lives of children by fighting abuse and neglect, improving the child welfare system, and championing family-friendly policies. The organization has also worked to set policies that prioritize what children need most to lead productive lives -- strong families and strong communities. In addition to its policy work, American Humane Association is a leader in conducting the research necessary to fuel the creation of evidence-based programs that provide enduring solutions to families and the training to make it happen.

In the next month, Congress must address the remaining part of the current 2011 fiscal year budget and begin the process of passing a 2012 budget. Funding for fiscal year 2011 has been provided through a series of temporary continuing resolutions, with the next one due to expire on March 4. The President will start the debate over the 2012 budget when he releases his full budget proposal on Feb. 14.

"As we have for more than a century, American Humane Association looks forward to working with the President and the new Congress to arrive at the critical balance necessary to keep spending in line with economic realities while still funding the programs that are working for families and children in these dire times," said Robin R. Ganzert, Ph. D., President and CEO of American Humane Association. "We stand ready to offer our advice based on our experience through proven and effective family-friendly child welfare service practices, such as Differential Response and Family Group Decision Making. We also urge Congress to address the way we finance child welfare services and to ensure that we reinvest any savings from reduced out-of-home placements into prevention services. The most compassionate and least costly way to remove children from a cycle of negative effects is to break that cycle altogether."

About American Humane Association

Since 1877, the historic American Humane Association has been at the forefront of almost every major advancement in protecting children, pets and farm animals from cruelty, abuse and neglect. Today we're also leading the way in understanding human-animal interaction and its role in society. As the nation's voice for the protection of children and animals, American Humane Association reaches millions of people every day through groundbreaking research, education, training and services that span a wide network of organizations, agencies and businesses. You can help make a difference, too. Visit American Humane Association at www.americanhumane.org today.

SOURCE American Humane Association