| Dates to Watch |
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July 14,
2008
Children & Youth Cabinet
Meeting
Florida Gulf Coast University
Ft.
Myers
August
26, 2008
The Children's Trust
Reauthorization
August 26, 2008
Florida
Primaries
Sept. 23, 2008
Children & Youth Cabinet Meeting
University
of West
Florida
Pensacola
November 4,
2008
General
Election
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CSCs strategically invest in primary
prevention and early intervention programs and
services. | | | |
| TOP STORIES |
CSC Staffers Visit Evidence-Based Child
Abuse Prevention
Program
Staff from two children's services
councils joined a special fact-finding mission to look
at a parenting program which is used in several areas of
the U.S. and other countries and proving successful.
Lance Till, research and evaluation analyst with the
Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County, and
Jeanine Evoli, manager of child welfare advocacy with
the JWB Children's Services Council of Pinellas County,
recently joined the Governor's Child Abuse Prevention
and Permanency Advisory Council's special team to meet
with leaders and representatives from Triple P America.
The purpose was to gain a better understanding of the
Triple P - Positive Parenting Program -- and to hear the
evaluation results from a five-year population-based
implementation of the program.
Triple P is considered to be an
evidence-based program. It is a parenting and family
support strategy that aims to prevent behavioral and
emotional problems in children by enhancing the
knowledge, skills and confidence of parents.
Triple P is a "suite of programs" that
focus on parenting and family support. It consists of
five levels that can be used for prevention, early
intervention, or treatment, according to Dr. Ron Prinz,
principle investigator for the U.S. Triple P System
Population Trial. The results of the five-year trial,
which tested the program across nine South Carolina
counties, showed statistically significant reductions in
substantiated cases of child maltreatment, child
out-of-home placements, and child hospitalizations and
emergency room visits where Triple P was used.
Discussions are under way to determine how Triple P may
be beneficial within the State of Florida. For more
information on Triple P America, please visit: www.triplep-america.com.
--Submitted by the
Children's Services Council of Palm Beach
County
Children's Board Convenes First Regional
Summit on Human Services
Sustainability
Amid a worsening local economic climate,
approximately 130 participants representing the United
Way of Tampa Bay, JWB-CSC of Pinellas County (JWB),
Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, the
Children's Board of Hillsborough County (CBHC), and
funded human services agencies in Hillsborough and
Pinellas counties gathered on June 9 to discuss regional
issues related to preserving the region's human
services "safety net." The gathering represented an
historic collaborative effort between the two counties'
human services communities, rangingfrom early childhood to
aging. Children's
Board CEO Luanne Panacek moderated the meeting,
which began with an overview on the impact of reduced
local revenue conducted by Manus O'Donnell (Hillsborough
County), Gay Lancaster (JWB), Nick Cox (DCF), Stephen
Ponzillo (United Way) and Don Dixon (CBHC).
The attendees then broke into groups to
consider questions: 1) What are some effective ways to
create sustainable sources of revenue? 2) What are some
formal strategies for partnerships, alliances or mergers
to achieve greater sustainability? 3) What strategies
might offer opportunities for collaboration leading to
greater effectiveness and efficiency? 4) How can Board
members of not-for-profit organizations be better
connected to galvanize and become a more effective
advocacy force? The meeting ended with a
review of ideas, a priority-setting exercise, and action
planning related to developing mechanisms for sharing
resources and for pooling resources
to lower costs of products and services to create
efficiencies.
--Submitted by the
Children's Board of Hillsborough County
The Children's Trust Miami Heart Gallery
Launch a Success
Betty Aguiar-Perez saw it in the little
boy's eyes. Aguiar-Perez, who "loves children and wants
to expand her family," was one of more than 400 people
who attended the June 13 reception launching The
Children's Trust Miami Heart Gallery, a museum-quality
traveling photographic exhibition featuring Miami-Dade
foster-care children eligible for adoption. Aguiar-Perez
toured the gallery and studied the 48 portraits, most
taken by celebrated photographers who had donated their
time and talent for this initiative. She saw adorable
children - boys, girls, black, white, Hispanic,
toddlers, teenagers - each hopeful for a permanent home
with a loving family. But one little boy in particular
opened her heart when she gazed into his
eyes.
The Miami Heart Gallery runs June 14-29 at
Miami Art Central, then relocates to other venues around
the county. The initiative follows a national model, and
a companion Web site www.miamiheartgallery.org that helps raise awareness of the nearly
400 foster children available for adoption in Miami-Dade
County. The site includes photos, bios of the children
and audio recordings in which they talk about their
hopes, dreams and what they long for in terms of a
family. Anyone interested in adopting can visit the site
or call The Children's Trust 211
Helpline.
--Submitted by The
Children's Trust
Florida TaxWatch
Releases Local Government Best Practices
Report
With passage of Amendment One, Florida
voters approved more than $9 billion in property tax
cuts, forcing the state's local governments to do even
more with even less. Florida TaxWatch has released a
compilation of more than 150 best practices of Florida
counties, cities, and schools that have been recognized
by state and national entities. The report is intended
to serve as a tool for government officials, managers,
and citizens to consider for their own community to help
improve service delivery and stretch resources. Among
the cities and counties mentioned in the report are
Broward, Hillsborough, Jacksonville, Lake, Martin,
Miami-Dade, and Pinellas. Some of the achievements
include school readiness, afterschool, mentoring,
healthcare for children, prevention, fitness, and
children's safety programs. See the full report
(PDF).
CSCs In the News
See the latest media coverage on
Children's Services Councils around the
state.
Read more timely news clips on the FCSC
web site at In the
News. |
| LEGISLATIVE
WATCH |
Governor Directs Agencies to Trim 4
Percent
Gov. Charlie
Crist has ordered all state agencies to reduce spending
by 4 percent in the coming fiscal year, just a day after
signing an already pared down state budget. State
economists say the action - the second holdback in less
than 12 months - is necessary because high food and gas
prices are prompting consumers to spend less. They now
project lower sales tax collections in the coming fiscal
year. See story in the St. Pete Times.
Governor Signs, Receives More
Bills Affecting Florida's
Children
During the last two weeks, Gov. Charlie
Crist signed the following bills:
- Children's
Zones (HB 3) -- The bill provides $3.6
million in funding for the creation of a pilot program
in Miami-Dade's Liberty City aimed at increasing
graduation rates and decreasing crime among inner city
youths. Effective date: July 1, 2008. Press
Release.
- Early Learning (HB
879) -- Cited as
the "Success in Early Learning Act," the bill moves
Child Care Resource and Referral and the Child Care
Executive Partnership to the Agency for Workforce
Innovation, and allows Early Learning Coalitions to
conduct business by phone. An amendment by the CSC of
Broward County was also included in the final bill.
The amendment allows the CEO of a Children's Services
Council (CSC) to remain as a voting member of an Early
Learning Coalition (ELC) board even if the CSC enters
into a landlord-tenant arrangement with the
ELC. Under current law, the CSC CEO would be
rendered a non-voting member in a landlord-tenant
arrangement.
- Independent Living Transition Services
(HB
625) -- Provides for family foster homes,
residential child-caring agencies, or other authorized
caregivers to be included in the development of plans
for activities for certain children. It also removes
the disability of "non-age" and allows foster youth,
with a court order, to enter into utility contracts
when they rent an apartment before their
18th birthday. This bill also expands
normalcy programming and transition services to the
young adults in Florida's foster care system who live
in group homes. Effective Date: July 1,
2008.
- Termination
of Parental Rights (HB 663) -- Intended
to provide more stability to the adoption process, the
legislation revises certain provisions within the
Adoption Act. It requires a petition for adoption to
be accompanied by a statement signed by prospective
adoptive parents acknowledging receipt of all
information required to be disclosed. It also provides
for service of process by publication for termination
of parental rights under the Florida Adoption Act.
Effective Date: July 1, 2008.
- Exploited Children (SB
1442) - Revises
provisions relating to the sale or transfer of minors
into sex trafficking or prostitution. Requires law
enforcement officers to provide certain information to
the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children.
Efffective Date: October 1, 2008.
- Review Under the Open Government Sunset
Review Act regarding the Florida Kidcare Program
(HB
7053) -- Removes the
scheduled repeal of exemption from public records
requirements regarding the Florida Kidcare program.
The legislation also authorizes the release of
information to any governmental entity in performance
of official duties and responsibilities, and provides
that exemption does not prohibit the release of
certain information to a legal guardian of an
enrollee. Effective Date: October 1,
2008.
- Child Welfare (SB
78) -- Designates the
second Monday in May as "Child Welfare Professionals
Recognition Day" to recognize all professionals who
work with abused children and dysfunctional
families.
The following bill awaits the Governor's
signature. He must act on the bill by June
26.
- Maternal and Child Health Programs
(HB
1193) -- requires the
Department of Health to implement an electronic
benefit transfer system, with assistance from the
Department of Children and Families, to disseminate
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women,
Infants and Children (WIC) benefits by July 1, 2010.
The bill also restricts the funding of the WIC program
to the federal grant funds; however the department is
authorized to seek a budget amendment to request
additional trust fund authority if the department
exceeds federal grant funds.
U.S. Senators
File Family Tax Relief Act of
2008
The Family Tax Relief Act of 2008
(S.3079), sponsored by Sens. Gordon Smith (R-OR)
and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), would improve the
federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit for
millions of families, especially the low-
and moderate-income families who most need help
obtaining affordable, high-quality child
care. Learn
more
(PDF). |
| NET
DATA |
KIDS COUNT Report Places Florida
35th in Child
Well-Being
The Annie E.
Casey Foundation 2008 KIDS COUNT Data
Book, released June 12, reports that Florida
now ranks 35th in their definitive state-by-state
ranking of child well-being. This is a drop of three
places since the previous year. Florida is now among the
bottom third of all states.
New America Foundation Launches Education
Funding Web Site
The New
America Foundation (www.newamerica.net)
launched a new
web site as part of its Federal Education Budget
Project. The web site, EdBudgetProject.Org, provides detailed
funding, demographic, and achievement data for every
state and school district in the nation. The website
also includes over one million searchable data points on
and accompanying analyses of No Child Left Behind,
National School Lunch Program, and Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act funding; average per pupil
expenditures; student characteristics; achievement
scores; and more.
Summer Nutrition Programs
Available
The
Florida departments of Children and Families, Health,
Agriculture, Elder Affairs, and Education are
collaborating with many private, nonprofit organizations
to increase food security among Floridians. Together
with Florida
Impact, they have created a searchable
database to serve as a resource toward the mission of
reducing hunger. It contains both public and private
food resources in each of the state's 67 counties. Go to
the Florida Food Resource
Directory.
|
| EVENTS |
|
Child Abuse Conference in
Orlando
The
Florida Network of Children's Advocacy Centers, along
with their partner agencies, FDLE, Children's Medical
Services, the Department of Justice, and the Florida
Department of Health, will host the 5th Annual
Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Abuse
Tuesday-Thursday, July 16-18, at the Caribe Royal in
Orlando. For information on keynote speakers and
workshops, visit Child Abuse Conference.
Universal Access Conference in
Miami
This
dynamic conference is scheduled for Monday, June 23,
from 8:30 a.m.- 12 p.m. Participants will learn
innovative strategies to expand digital opportunities,
promote social equity, and foster collaboration among
agencies. The Universal Access Conference features two
key projects -- "OneCommunity," a non-profit internet
service enabler for other non-profits and public sector
agencies, and "Florida 2.0," an interactive
social-networking tool for health and human service
practitioners, governments, and other civic experts.
Complimentary breakfast is provided. Conference location
will be in the Ryder Room of the United Way Building at
3150 SW 3rd. Ave., Miami, 33129. For more information,
email: vedwards@collinscenter.org. | |
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