FY24 Budget Testimony: Department of Health Care Finance
Children’s Law Center Policy Attorney Leah Castelaz testified before the DC Council Committee on Health and the Committee on Hospitals and Health Equity about the Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF).
Leah testified on three ways in which DHCF’s FY2024 budget can improve access to behavioral health services to children and families as well as pregnant and postpartum people:
• Leverage federal Medicaid dollars to sustain home visiting in the District
• Incorporate HealthySteps into DHCF’s ongoing rate study
• Support the continued work of the Perinatal Mental Health Task Force
Her testimony also addressed how we can invest in our current behavioral health workforce so that it meets the behavioral health needs of District children and families.
Learn about Our Behavioral Health Work
Although tens of thousands of DC children have behavioral health needs, only a fraction of them actually receive timely supports and services. At Children’s Law Center, we know that many of the children we work with – including children in the foster care system or receiving special education services – only need our help because their needs have gone unaddressed.