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Dates
to Watch
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December
8-12, 2008
Senate Interim Committee Meetings
December
11, 2008
FAN Board Meeting
Tallahassee
House
Interim Committee Meetings
January
3, 2009
Start of 111th Congress
January
13, 2009
Children & Youth Cabinet Meeting
January
20, 2009
New U.S. President sworn in
March
3, 2009
Florida Regular Session Convenes
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Send
Me More
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CSCs
strategically invest in primary prevention and early intervention
programs and services.
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LEGISLATIVE WATCH
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FCSC
Finalizes 2009 State Policy Package
The Florida Children's Services Council has released its
2009 State Policy Package. The publication contains a list of CSC
legislative priorities for the 2009 Legislative Session, as well as
other areas of legislative interest. Download a copy.
Florida House and Senate Release Preliminary Meetings
Schedules
The Florida House
and Senate have released tentative interim planning schedules for the
upcoming 2009 Session. Schedules are also available online at the House web site or
Senate web site.
Some immediate meeting dates include:
Proposed House
Interim Committee Schedule
December 15-18
Interim Committee Meetings
January 5-8 Interim Committee Meetings
January 12-15 Interim Committee Meetings
Proposed Senate
Interim Committee Schedule
December 8-12 Interim Committee Meetings
January 5-9 Interim Committee Meetings
January
12-16 Interim Committee
Meetings
Additionally, the
Early Learning Estimating Conference is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 8, in
Senate Building, Room 301, at 3:45.
Sen. Martinez Says He Will Retire
in 2010
Sen. Mel Martinez
(R-Fla.) said yesterday that he will retire in 2010 after a single term
in office, a decision that is sure to set off a competitive and costly
race to replace him and that improves Democratic chances of picking up
the seat in two years. Read complete story
in the Washington Post. In
other news, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush indicated he may consider a
run for the Senate seat in 2010.
Asked whether he was interested in running for the seat
then, Bush told Politico by e-mail Tuesday night: "I am
considering it." Read more.
Child Care Bill Introduced in U.S. House
U.S. Rep. Tammy
Baldwin (D-WI) has introduced legislation to help more families have
access to child care and improve the quality of that care. Baldwin's
bill, which serves as a companion to S. 2980, Starting Early Starting
Right Act, introduced by Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA),
will increase the access to and quality of these programs. For more
information visit www.govtrack.us/congress.
Public Pre-K Policies Create Gap in Affordability
According to The
Pre-K Pinch: Early Education and the Middle Class, a recent report
issued by Pre-K NOW, the tightening economy is forcing middle-class
families to make harsh financial decisions regarding early learning
opportunities for their young children. About 9 million families, or
roughly 20 percent of the nation's middle class, have at least one
child younger than 6. For a middle-class family of four with two young
children, early childhood education will comprise 29 percent of that
family's average monthly expenses. The report recommends a gradual
expansion of pre-k, beginning with the most vulnerable children and
moving to include those in the middle class. Read Pre-K NOW's state and
federal recommendations at www.preknow.com.
Obama Taps Daschle for HHS
Former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) recently accepted
President-Elect Obama's offer to head the Health and Human Services as
secretary. Daschle, who served in the Senate until he lost his
re-election bid in 2004, also is set to take on the position of
"health care czar" in the Obama White House. Daschle was a
close adviser to Obama throughout the Illinois Democrat's presidential
campaign, and has been outspoken about his desire to enact a
government-funded health care insurance program.
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TOP STORIES
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State
Budget Woes Continue
State economists agreed last week that Florida faces a
$2.1 billion hole in the current-year budget. In meetings last week,
revenue estimates were reduced by $1.4 billion, on top of reductions
made in August. Additionally, the Legislative Budget Commission in
September borrowed $672 million from rainy day reserves (50% of the
reserves), bringing the current-year deficit to $2.1 billion.
Anticipating revenue shortfalls, Gov. Charlie Crist instituted a 1% per
quarter hold-back from the state agencies (not including entitlements
like Medicaid). The hold-backs are estimated to save about $500
million, and reduce the deficit to $1.6 billion. If the Governor
and Legislature use the remaining balance of $672 million in the rainy
day fund, the state still faces a constitutionally prohibited deficit
of $970 million. Between now and the end of the fiscal year, the
Legislature will face tough choices in filling the hole, such as making
further reductions in state spending, raiding trust fund balances,
cutting state programs, and/or imposing new taxes that can be collected
in the current fiscal year to make up the $970 million gap. The Florida
CSC public policy team will continue to monitor legislative activities
as they happen.
~ Excerpted from
report by Tony Carvalho, Capitol Hill Group
National
Group Lists Priorities for Children for New Administration
The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) has developed a
list of priorities aimed at improving child care, Head Start, and early
childhood education. The NWLC is urging President-elect Obama and
Congress to take action on the list of priorities, including:
- Providing
critical funding for child care and Head Start in the economic
recovery package;
- Establishing
an Office of Early Care and Learning that includes the Child Care
Bureau and Head Start Bureau in the Department of Health and Human
Services;
- Providing
a new investment of $10 billion for early childhood in next year's
budget;
- Expanding
and improving the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit;
- Providing
greater access to nutritious meals through the Child and Adult
Care Food Program for children in family child care homes and
child care centers; and
- Working
to expand high-quality, affordable child care in the
reauthorization of the Child Care and Development Block Grant.
The NWLC web site includes a link to send a message to
Obama: Tell President-Elect Obama that you support making
child care and early learning a priority. For detailed information
on each priority, download the coalition memo and Developing America's Potential: An Agenda for
Affordable, High-Quality Child Care.
Florida Receives $1.5 Million for Youth Suicide Prevention
and Early Intervention Programs
The Statewide
Office of Suicide Prevention and Florida Office of Drug Control
announced that Florida was awarded $1.5 million from the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support youth
suicide prevention and early intervention programs. Eighteen states
were awarded through the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which provides
authorization and funding for grants combating youth suicide. The
Florida A.S.A.P. (Adolescent Suicide Awareness and Prevention) Project
is a three-year project that will enhance the state's capacity to
reduce the rate of suicide in youths between ages 10 and 24. The
A.S.A.P. project will target Duval County, a large area with a youth
suicide rate higher than the national average. To learn more, please
visit www.HelpPromoteHope.com.
Florida Adoption Rate Exceeds Previous Year Record
Gov. Charlie Crist
announced last week that Florida was on track to exceed last year's
record-breaking adoption rate by 20 percent. He announced the numbers
during a reception held at the Capitol to honor the many Florida
families and adoption agencies that have joined to help achieve the
administration's goal of finding loving, permanent homes for children
in state care. Between July and October 2008, 1,103 children were
adopted from state care, compared to 917 adoptions for the same period
last year. That increase puts Florida on pace to surpass last year's
record of 3,674 adoptions - up from 3,079 adoptions in 2006-07.
The Office of Adoption and Child Protection has
established a Child Abuse Prevention and Permanency Advisory Council.
The 32 members from across the state are developing a plan for better
coordination of the goals, activities and funding to support and
promote adoption and prevent child abuse, abandonment, and neglect. The
Council's plan will be submitted to the Legislature and the Governor next
month. Learn more about the Governor's Explore Adoption campaign at www.adoptflorida.org.
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CSC NEWS
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JWB-CSC of Pinellas Moves to New
Office
The JWB Children's Services Council has moved to a new
office. The new address is:
14155 58th Street North
Clearwater, FL 33760
Phone numbers will remain the same.
Services for Children: The Model Agency
As executive director of the state's oldest children's
services council, Gay Lancaster of Pinellas County is convinced that
helping kids helps everybody else. Less crime. Fewer taxpayer jail
costs. More youths growing up to be productive taxpayers. A better
place to live for all. It's what she doesn't see that troubles her:
More statewide appreciation of the concept, particularly among state
leaders. Read full editorial
in the Florida Times-Union.
Kellogg Foundation Report Lists Hillsborough CSC Among
Exemplary Early Childhood Initiatives
A Kellogg
Foundation study on the role of health in early childhood initiatives
lists the Children's Board of Hillsborough County as one of "eight
exemplary, early childhood initiatives, all of which include a strong
and active health component, and have successfully integrated efforts
across multiple service sectors and settings." The study, titled
"Health Matters: The Role of Health and the Health Sector in
Place-Based Initiatives for Young Children," found that the health sector plays an important role
in helping children realize their full developmental potential:
physically, emotionally, socially and cognitively. The study was
designed to assist program planners and implementers, policy makers,
funders and other key stakeholders in identifying, understanding and
promoting the role of health and the health sector within innovative,
multi-sector, place-based initiatives that serve children and their
families. Download the study here
(115pp).
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NET DATA
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Poll:
Voters want careful spending cuts, lower valuations
Florida voters are surprisingly upbeat about their
personal financial condition, as 56 percent say family finances are
"excellent" or "good," and 43 percent say they are
"not so good" or "poor," according to a recent
Quinnipiac University poll. However, only 31 percent expect things to
get better in the next year, while 21 percent say they will get worse
and 44 percent say they will stay the same. The Quinnipiac poll also
revealed that voters believe, 58 to 30, that more cuts in local
property taxes are needed, in part because local officials have failed
to reduce assessments to reflect the decline in property values. They
think, 73 to 22, that the voting public, not the Legislature, should
make the tax cuts. When it comes to the state budget, they want
spending cut rather than taxes raised, but prefer cuts on a
case-by-case basis, not by an across-the-board percentage. See full poll results.
Poll Finds Afterschool Support Crosses Demographic and
Party Lines
A new poll taken on Election eve and Election night shows
that nearly 9 in 10 voters (89 percent) say that, given the dangers
young people face today, afterschool programs are important. Similarly,
4 in 5 voters (83 percent) agree there should be some type of organized
activity or safe place for children and teens to go after school every
day that provides opportunities for them to learn - and 76 percent want
the new Congress and their newly elected state and local officials to
increase funding for afterschool programs. The poll was conducted
by Lake Research Partners with bipartisan analysis by Lake and The
Tarrance Group for the Afterschool Alliance.
"Voters know a sound investment when they see one, and they know
that quality afterschool programs are especially important right now
because they give working families the support they urgently need, and
make more options available to parents," said Afterschool Alliance
Executive Director Jodi Grant. "The federal government's
underfunding of afterschool programs has forced many programs to cut
back so that they serve fewer children for fewer hours. Other programs
have closed, leaving children unsupervised and at risk for substance
abuse, gang involvement, teen pregnancy, crime and other serious
problems after the school day ends. We look forward to working
with the new Congress and President-Elect Obama to reach the funding
levels mapped out in the No Child Left Behind Act and help make
quality, affordable afterschool programs available to all children
across the nation." View a summary of key
findings from the survey.
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EVENTS
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Palm Beach CSC Economic Summit Will Examine Ways to Invest
in Young Children
The Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County will
host an Economic Summit on Jan. 21, 2009, in West Palm Beach that will
bring together business leaders, policymakers and child advocates to
evaluate how to address the pressing issue of early childhood education
- and its impact on the future. Decades of research prove that
investing in young children is the best way to improve current
workforce performance, ensure school success and create long-lasting
economic returns for families, businesses and society as a whole.
Featured speakers include Rob Grunewald, Economist, Federal Reserve
Bank of Minneapolis, and Dr. Ross Thompson, Psychology Professor,
University of California, Davis. For more information, please e-mail
Marlene Passell, Palm Beach CSC Public Information Director, marlene.passell@cscpbc.org
or call 561-740-7000.
Registration Opens for 2009 National Network of
Statewide Afterschool Networks
Registration is
now open for the 2009 National Network of Statewide Afterschool
Networks annual meeting in Clearwater Beach, January 26-29,
2009. Teams from each of the statewide afterschool networks will
meet to share ideas, resources and strategies for achieving the
collective systemic goals of the networks to further statewide
afterschool policies. Go to www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net
to register, or to see additional information about the meeting. This
web page is in a password protected area of the website. Please contact
Becky Gibbons with Collaborative Communications Group at gibbons@collaborativecommunications.com
for assistance with passwords. Meeting participants must be confirmed
and registered by Dec. 19.
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