Advocacy

The County Executive’s budget forums are still going on and we encourage all of our members and the community to join the forums and speak up for our sector. Check out this post for suggested talking points.

Upcoming Forums:

• Wednesday, Dec. 7: East County Region
• Monday, Dec.12: Upcounty Region
• Wednesday, Dec.14: Bethesda Region

Earlier this week Nonprofit Montgomery’s Executive Director Lavontte Chatmon testified in support of nonprofits at the Montgomery County State Delegation Priorities Meeting. Click here to read her testimony and here to watch the recording (testimony begins at 1:13:20)

Leaders in the House and Senate across both parties got together on a deal and it includes another one year for tier 2 to be paid as tier 1, AND it includes a 10-cent rate increase on meals and snacks in CACFP. It is called the Keep Kids Fed Act and the House and Senate could move fast. They’ll need our help to do so.

Here’s what’s happening:

The bill does 5 main things:

1. Extends USDA’s authority to issue Summer Nutrition waivers through September 30, 2022; meal pattern waivers through June 30, 2022, and non-cost nationwide waivers through school year 2022-2023.
2. Increases the school breakfast reimbursement by 10 cents and the school lunch reimbursement by 40 cents.
3. Allows children eligible for reduced-price school meals to receive free school meals.
4. Extends the Area Eligibility waiver allowing family child care homes to receive the higher Tier 1 reimbursements through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
5. Increases CACFP Reimbursements by 10 cents for each meal and snack for child care providers and afterschool programs.

Here’s a statement from our friends at the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC): https://frac.org/news/keepkidsfedact

A little urgent background on the process, too: The Senate is aiming to use a special process, Unanimous Consent, which literally requires all 100 Senators to allow a bill to move forward; one “no” vote could derail the entire process. It is imperative that every Senator be urged to allow this bill to move forward due to the looming deadline of the child nutrition waivers (June 30, 2022).  Once the Senate passes the bill, it will quickly move to the House of Representatives where the bill could also move by an expedited process known as “Suspension.”

Call your Members of Congress Today!

Please call your 2 U.S. Senators, then call your one U.S. House Member say to the staff people who answer the phone: “I am a constituent and I need you to vote yes on The Keep Kids Fed Act, a bill that will begin to provide much-needed relief to providers and families across the country.”

To easily connect with your Congressional delegation, call the Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 and the operator will connect you. OR  go to  https://www.senate.gov/states/MD/intro.htm and contact our State Senators both

Senator Chris Van Hollen and Senator Ben Cardin and tell them to support the Keep Kids Fed Act bill.

County Executive Marc Elrich’s FY23 budget contains unprecedented support for the County’s nonprofit organizations. The budget includes a 6% inflationary increase in nonprofit contracts in all departments, including Community Grants. This is the first time an inflationary increase has extended to all nonprofit contracts, and is by far the largest increase in memory.

Other items of note in the County Executive’s recommended budget:

• $2.3 million in 46 programs shifted from Community Grants to base budget contracts.
• $8.3 million in Community Grants awarded.
• $2 million in new grant programs to be administered by the Office of Grants Management in FY23.
• $3 million in Cost Sharing Capital Grants

The budget also includes the new Office of Grants Management to oversee Community Grants, and an Office of Food Resiliency.

Recently Franca Brilliant, Nonprofit Montgomery’s Advocacy & Development Director, submitted testimony in support of Senate Bill 632: Maryland Health Benefit Exchange-Small Business and Nonprofit Health Insurance Subsidies Program. If passed, this bill would support nonprofits as well as small businesses and their employees, and will improve health equity in Maryland.