Federal advocacy

Advocacy has been central to the March of Dimes mission since the Foundation was created by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt during his second term in office.  Roosevelt’s strong belief in the ability of government to make a positive difference in Americans’ lives is reflected in the March of Dimes’ efforts to harness the power of public policy to improve maternal and child health.

The March of Dimes Office of Government Affairs lobbies Congress and the Administration on a host of issues important to pregnant women, infants, children and families.  Our federal priorities include:

  • Access to care,
  • Research and surveillance,
  • Prevention and education and,
  • Issues important to tax-exempt organizations.

In each of these areas, we build and maintain strong bipartisan relationships with Members of Congress and Administration officials.

For the 115th Congress (2017-18), March of Dimes' top federal priorities are:

  • Protecting the health care of women, children and families,
  • Promotion of funding for key federal maternal and child health initiatives, and
  • Federal efforts to address Zika virus as it relates to pregnant women and infants.

Programs important to the March of Dimes include:

  • CDC’s National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities and Safe Motherhood efforts,
  • Child health research at the NIH’s National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, and
  • HRSA’s title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant and newborn screening programs. 

The March of Dimes will work to protect investments in these programs from unwarranted cuts and ensure they have appropriate funding to improve the wellbeing and quality of life for women, infants, children, and families.

The March of Dimes also maintains strong relationships with officials at the Department of Health and Human Services, including CDC, CMS, NIH, HRSA, FDA, and other agencies.  The March of Dimes meets with officials and provides both formal and informal input and feedback on dozens of federal regulations and initiatives each year. Learn more about the March of Dimes policies and positions on a range of maternal and child health issues.


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See also: Advocacy and Government Affairs Issues and Priorities, Policies and positions and Victories and achievements.