In the August 11, 2010 edition of PolicyDigest, Family Caregiver Alliance alerted our readers that the Senate Appropriations Committee had approved its spending bill for the departments of Labor, Health, and Human Services with a number of provisions benefitting family caregivers. As part of Vice-President Biden’s Caregiver Initiative, an additional $104.5 million was appropriated to support family caregivers through this legislation.

The additional funding was projected to provide:

I am often asked for a quick and easy answer to what Family Caregiver Alliance does – a brief explanation that can fit into an elevator ride. The simplest response is our mission: To improve the quality of life for family caregivers through services, advocacy, research and education. This has been our charge for more than 30 years. But how we fulfill our mission has changed during that time. Here is a brief summary of our current activities:

Caregivers First: FCA Plan of Action 2010-2011

As the June 30th deadline for passing most state budgets draws closer, many decisions will be made about closing budget deficits with cuts in services across the board.  The true impact of cuts in services to older and disabled adults will not be known until the budgets are signed by the Governors.  Some states are expecting a long hot summer while difficult budget decisions are debated.  Expect states with biennial budgets to call special sessions as revenues drop and federal support tapers off.

Here is a brief recap and some resources to use for advocacy efforts: