Children and Families
It is important to provide all children and families access to a quality, affordable education and healthcare to help them secure a prosperous future. As a member of Congress, I have championed for legislation that makes it easier for Americans to balance work and family responsibilities, expands support for foster youth care, and serves the needs of children with special behavioral health needs and/or medical disabilities. I also firmly believe that assisting families in their pursuit of higher education is critical for our nation's growth and success.
More on Children and Families

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today introduced the Nationally Enhancing the Wellbeing of Babies through Outreach and Research Now (NEWBORN) Act to help address America's unacceptably high infant mortality rate with concrete solutions. If enacted, the bill would create infant mortality-focused pilot programs in the highest-risk areas of the country to help those most in need address this devastating crisis.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will receive a $733,558 grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for research on sickle cell disease.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"Sickle cell disease disproportionately affects Black Americans, and I'm pleased St. Jude's researchers' and scientists' efforts will continue to advance the important work being done to understand and eventually eradicate this disease."

MEMPHIS – Congressman Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Shelby County Schools have received a $1,847,530 grant from the Department of Homeland Security and its Federal Emergency Management Agency to construct a safe room at Belle Forest High School. The grant will go toward the design and construction of a tornado safe room on the campus of Belle Forest High School. When school is in session, the safe room will be able to protect 1,187 students and 118 staff members of the school, for a total of 1,305 occupants.

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that Porter-Leath Inc. will receive a $1,235,346 grant to operate its Early Head Start Programs in Shelby County from the Administration for Children and Families Office of Head Start.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that St. Jude Children's Research Hospital will receive a $209,791 grant from the National Cancer Institute for research on tumor DNA.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"I'm pleased to see St. Jude is receiving this important cancer research grant which will both improve the quality of life for young patients and keep the hospital at the forefront of critical work in this field."

MEMPHIS -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) will vote for tonight's Continuing Resolution to provide an additional 24 hours for finalizing the compromise negotiators have achieved, and made the following statement:

MEMPHIS -- Congressmen Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Danny Davis (IL-07), who co-introduced H.R. 3250, the Julius Rosenwald and Rosenwald Schools Study Act, last June, applauded its passage by the House this afternoon by a vote of 387 to 5.

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the Shelby County Board of Education will receive a $12,829,760 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to operate its Head Start programs.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

MEMPHIS—Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today announced that the University of Tennessee Health Science Center will receive a $380,000 grant from the National Eye Institute for retina research.
Congressman Cohen made the following statement:
"I'm pleased that our Memphis medical school will continue its important work in vision research with this grant funding."

MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today introduced legislation and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey introduced a companion bill in the Senate to address the epidemic of childhood obesity in America. The measure, the Reducing Obesity in Youth Act, has implications for the future health of these children and has a bearing on future national health care costs and national security.
Today, one in three American teens and children are overweight or obese, placing them at risk of a host of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.