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Florida Children's Services Council
NEWS UPDATE 
Issue: #8 July 16, 2008
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Dates to Watch
 
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
 

FAN Teams Up with Afterschool Alliance and Others to Produce Afterschool Video

Working in partnership with the Afterschool Alliance, the Florida Afterschool Network (FAN), Bright House Networks and the Florida Cable Association will produce a 30-minute cable television program that will educate viewers about the benefits of afterschool programs and what is happening in programs around the country and in Florida. The show, "After the School Bell Rings - Are the Lights on After School for Florida's Kids," will open with a video featuring high-profile afterschool champions from different segments of society, clips of kids in programs, and the latest facts and figures on the demand and supply of programs. The second segment will focus in on the state of afterschool in Florida. "FAN is thrilled to be a part of this wonderful opportunity," said FAN Project Director Larry Pintacuda.

 

The program is scheduled to air Oct. 16, 2008, to coincide with the 9th annual Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide celebration of afterschool programs that is held each October in 7,500+ communities and attracts 1 million Americans. For more information, visit the FAN web site at www.myfan.org.

 

Children's Cabinet Tackles Full Agenda

The Florida Children & Youth Cabinet met Monday in Ft. Myers. Their ambitious agenda included items ranging from problems with the interstate compact for placement of children, to evaluation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and their impact on the goals of the Cabinet. Members also heard a presentation by Rhea Chiles and Rep. Loranne Ausley on the Whole Child Project, funded by the Chiles Foundation.

 

Cabinet members then heard updates from two of the group's working committees. The State Agency Budget Committee, chaired by Gay Lancaster, CEO of JWB-CSC of Pinellas, is working to produce a consolidated report on what the state spends on children's services. JWB Contract Management, Finance, and Research Director Lisa Sahulka, who is heading up the research with assistance from the state agencies, presented preliminary numbers.

 

The Interagency Agreement Committee, chaired by Early Learning Coalition Chair Toni Crawford, has been tasked with developing recommendations to address interagency data sharing in order to improve services for children and their families. Crawford made a recommendation to consider using technology similar to what has been developed by the court system. Complete meeting details will be available in the minutes, which should be posted on the Cabinet web site by next week at www.flgov.com/youth_cabinet.


The next meeting of the Children's Cabinet is scheduled for September 23 in Pensacola.

Challenges to Tax Swap Amendment Mounting

An Aug. 13 court hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in Tallahassee will have Florida businesses, school boards and teachers unions facing off with Realtors and the state over whether Amendment 5, the plan to swap school property taxes for sales taxes and others, should be on the Florida November ballot. Judge John C. Cooper will be hearing the case.

 

At the same time, Sen. Mike Haridopolos (R-Brevard) has been openly critical of the amendment claiming the measure is a "bait and switch" that promises Floridians lower property taxes, but leads to much higher sales taxes, elimination of some tax exemptions and major cuts in state services. Sen. Haridopolos announced 10 public forums to debate the measure. The debates are scheduled at Broward Community College on July 22, Edison Community College on July 28, Valencia Community College in Orlando the following day, Florida Community College at Jacksonville on Aug. 4, Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville on Aug. 6, St. Petersburg College in Seminole the next day, Miami-Dade College on Aug. 11, Indian River State College in Fort Pierce on Aug. 12, Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City on Aug. 13 and Tallahassee Community College on Aug. 18. All of the debates were set for 1 p.m. except the St. Petersburg College session, which was scheduled a half-hour later.
LEGISLATIVE WATCH

 
Law Governing Personal, Identifying Information Held by CSCs Up for Sunset Review

The Open Government Sunset Review Act provides for the systemic review, on a five-year cycle, of any legislation that creates an exemption to Florida's Public Records Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the subject exemption should be retained, retained with amendments or allowed to sunset.

 

In 2004, the Legislature amended the Children's Services Council statute (s.125.901, FS), to create a public records exemption for personal, identifying information concerning a child or a child's guardian and held by a children's services council, a juvenile welfare board or other similar entity. This exemption is subject to review pursuant to the Open Government Sunset Review Act, and will be repealed unless it is reenacted prior to October 2, 2009.

 

The Senate Committee on Children, Families & Elder Affairs is currently conducting the review, and has sent surveys to Children's Services Councils statewide to gather information and input relating to the exemption. The Florida Children's Services Council will assist in compiling all CSC responses.

 

Missing Child Bill Clears U.S. House, Moves to Senate

A bill (H.R. 5464), sponsored by U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, that authorizes an annual grant to South Florida non-profit A Child is Missing, passed the House by a voice vote this week. The bill has moved to the Senate. Rep. Klein's bill would authorize $5 million a year for the next five years to expand the program across the United States. Started in 1997, it uses technology to place thousands of emergency telephone calls to residents and businesses in the area where a child or senior has gone missing. The program has been credited with 366 "assisted recoveries."

"It's a model program and one that we think is critical to saving lives," Klein said. The bill already has bi-partisan support in the Senate, he said.
EVENTS
 

Conference Focuses on Strengthening Workforce

The Florida Coalition for Children is hosting its 2008 Annual Conference Nov. 5-7 at the Florida Hotel & Conference Center in Orlando. The theme this year will focus on "Strengthening Workforce," with a keynote address by Judge Glenda Hatchett. She gained national attention for her "creative sentenc­ing," which can still be seen today in the form of "interventions" on her television program, "Judge Hatchett." The conference will also feature a number of educational opportunities with more than 40 track sessions. For more information, visit www.FLChildren.org or call (850) 561-1102.

 

DCF to Hold Statewide Dependency Summit

The Department of Children and Families' (DCF) annual statewide Dependency Summit, scheduled for Aug. 27-29 in Orlando, is an opportunity for child welfare professionals throughout the state to share best practices and continue the advancement of child welfare practice in Florida. At the Summit, child protective investigators, community-based care administration and case management staff, as well as judges, general magistrates, children's legal services attorneys, law enforcement, medical and mental health providers and child advocates will join together to benefit from increased coordination, communication and creativity amongst their fields. The event is structured to allow for multidisciplinary workshops, meetings by profession and planning sessions for local child welfare representatives. More information is available on the DCF web site at www.dcf.state.fl.us/admin/dependency/2008.

 

Save the Date: Medicaid Reform in Florida - Year 2

A seminar titled, "Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Medicaid Reform in Florida - Year 2," is scheduled for Oct. 15, 2008, at the Marriott Tampa Airport. The event will be hosted by researchers at Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute, with support from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, the Florida Health Policy Center, and the Florida Philanthropic Network. More details will available as the event date nears. Registration opens September 2, 2008.
 

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FCSC News Update is a bi-weekly compilation of news and information relevant to the work of Florida's Children's Services Councils (CSCs). The Florida Children's Services Council is a statewide, non-profit organization working on behalf of the CSCs to promote policies that build effective primary prevention and early intervention systems of supports for Florida's children and families.
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