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CSCs
strategically invest in primary prevention and early intervention
programs and services.
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TOP STORIES
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Quality Early Learning Measure on
Fast Track in Washington
Across the nation,
early childhood advocates shared a collective "high five" as
word spread about landmark legislation -- Student Aid and Fiscal
Responsibility Act (SAFRA) -- filed by Congressman George Miller (D-CA)
last Wednesday. According to the House Committee on Education and
Labor, if passed, the bill would result in the single-largest
investment in higher education in history by investing billions of
dollars in additional student aid, boosting Pell Grants, and keeping
interest rates for student loans affordable. The plan would convert
student loans previously financed by banks into a program the
government administers directly.
A portion of the
estimated savings (close to $100 billion in total) from this change
would be used to invest $10 billion over 10 years to establish an Early
Learning Challenge Fund that would "incentivize states to
establish systems for improving the quality of early learning settings
for children ages birth to five and increasing disadvantaged children's
access to high-quality early learning programs." Funds from the
savings would also be earmarked for deficit reduction.
President Obama touted the measure, pointing out that it
pays for early learning initiatives without adding to the deficit and
"can save taxpayers several dollars for every one we spend."
The bill, sponsored by Committee Chair Miller, passed the Education and
Labor Committee easily yesterday with amendments. Floor action will
likely happen soon. The Senate is expected to take up the issue after
the August recess with hopes for final passage by the end of the year.
For details and regular updates visit http://edlabor.house.gov.
Read the one-page brief on the Early Learning Challenge
Fund.
Lt. Governor and Children's Cabinet Chair Kottkamp
Announces Bid for Attorney General
Florida witnesses
the reemergence of a political figure as Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, a
former lawmaker from North Fort Myers, officially begins his campaign
for attorney general. Read story in Tallahassee Democrat.
State Program to Get 4-Year-Olds Ready for School Still
a Work in Progress
With one of the
highest access rates in the nation for 4-year-olds, Florida's Voluntary
Pre-K program has been held up as a nationwide model, but with one of
the lowest rates of per-child spending, experts say it has a long way
to go. Read story in Naples Daily News.
President Obama and Governor Crist Recognize Summer
Learning Day
On July 8,
President Barack Obama issued a proclamation
declaring July 9, 2009, as Summer Learning Day. Across the
country, nearly 500 programs in 48 states held events during
the week of July 6 to draw attention to the importance of summer
learning in the lives of youth and their families. The timing was
significant as summer programs continue to face cuts due to tight state
and local budgets. President Obama's proclamation strongly encouraged
students, parents, educators, and the nonprofit community to engage in
summer learning activities so that youth return to school poised for
academic advancement. In Florida, Gov. Crist also issued a proclamation
naming July 9, 2009, as Summer Learning Day in the state.
30-Second Television Ad
Highlights Lawton Chiles Leadership Corps
The Lawton Chiles Foundation and Lawton Chiles Leadership
Corps, a project of the Foundation, released a public service
announcement (PSA) Monday to promote a two-day conference being billed
as the Lawton Chiles Leadership Corps. Co-chaired by former Florida
Sen. Bob Graham and current Sen. Mel Martinez, the conference will host
students from across Florida at the University of Central Florida in
Orlando, Aug. 8-9. The promotional PSA will run statewide and features
Christine Ortiz, who participated in Gov. Lawton Chiles' Students
Working against Tobacco initiative, a program aimed at tobacco
cessation among youth. Aspiring student leaders and organizers are
invited to apply now for the inaugural class of the Lawton Chiles
Leadership Corps. Applications are due July 27. For more information,
or to download the application, visit www.lawtonchiles.org. Click here to watch the ad.
Prevent Child Abuse Florida Launches Safe Infant Sleep
Campaign
According to the
Child Abuse Death Review 2008 Annual Report, suffocation and
strangulation in an adult bed is the leading cause of injury-related
death for Florida infants under the age of one. To help inform new
and expectant parents about the importance of creating a safe
sleep environment for infants, Prevent Child Abuse Florida (PCA
Florida) is launching Sleep Right, Sleep Tight, a public awareness
campaign to promote safe infant sleep. Together with the Florida
A&M University School of Journalism and Graphic
Communication, PCA Florida is partnering with the Florida Department of
Children and Families and community stakeholders to kick off this
important campaign. The campaign pilot is being implemented in Leon,
Hillsborough and Miami-Dade counties this summer. Campaign materials
are available for download from the Ounce of Prevention Fund's web site
at www.ounce.org/safe_sleep.html.
~ Source: The Ounce of Prevention
Fund of Florida newsletter
Governor
Proclaims July 22 Explore Adoption Day
In an effort to promote Florida's recent adoption
successes and encourage more Floridians to consider adoption, Gov.
Crist has declared Wednesday, July 22, 2009, as Explore Adoption
Day. For the second year in a row, Florida experienced a
record-breaking number of adoptions with more than 3,700 in 2008-09,
and 3,674 in 2007-08. For more information about Explore Adoption,
visit the web site at www.adoptflorida.org. Also see the Explore Adoption
press kit.
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FEDERAL WATCH
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Lombardi
Appointed to Key Federal Post
Joan Lombardi, long-time advocate for children around the
world and founder of the World Forum Global Leaders project, has been
tagged by the Obama administration to serve in two roles for Kathleen
Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services. Lombardi has been
named the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Administration for
Children and Families (ACF). In addition, she will also be ACF's
interdepartmental liaison for early childhood development. Lombardi was
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Children and Families under President
Bill Clinton, and before that served as his associate commissioner of
the Child Care Bureau. Since then Lombardi has served as director of
The Children's Project, which helped foundations develop youth-related
policy initiatives and projects, and as a professor at Georgetown
University's Public Policy Institute.
~ Source:
ChildcareExchange.com email alert,
ExchangeEveryDay
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CSC NEWS
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Children's Board Member Honored
With National PTA Life Achievement Award
On Tuesday, May 19,
Children's Board of Hillsborough County board member Susan Schneider
received the National Congress of Parents and Teachers (National PTA)
Life Achievement Award in recognition of her "devoted and
distinguished services to children and youth." The National PTA
Life Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed by the PTA, and it
is given only to those who have demonstrated exemplary service in
support of children. The award was established in 1899, just two years
after PTA's founding, to pay tribute to those who had demonstrated
extraordinary contributions to the lives of children. "PTA
promotes the collaboration of families, schools, and communities
throughout the country, and encourages everyone who cares about kids to
speak up with a powerful voice on their behalf," said PTA National
President Jan Harp Domene. "Susan Schneider possesses a mighty
voice, and we cannot thank her enough for the work she has done and
undoubtedly will continue to do. On behalf of the more than 5 million
members of PTA, it is my personal privilege to present her with the
National PTA Life Achievement Award."
~ Source: Children's Board of Hillsborough County newsletter, Just
Dream
Heart
Gallery of Tampa Bay Launches New Web Site
The Heart Gallery of Tampa Bay, funded in part by
the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, recently launched a new
web site that is more interactive and even easier to navigate. The web
site also features more resources and information, as well as additional
photos and videos of children available for adoption. Visit the web
site at http://heartgallerytampabay.org.
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NET DATA
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New
OEL Bulletin: Early Learning Plays Significant Role in Florida's
Economy
Early learning practitioners and advocates now have access to a new
publication produced by the Agency for Workforce Innovation Office of
Early Learning (OEL). Last week, the OEL Research Section launched the
first in a series of bulletins, titled "Early Learning
Resources," that will highlight the latest research and
information on early learning's positive contributions to the economy
from both short- and long-term perspectives. Many of the bulletin items
have been specifically designed for use to "tell the story"
to others about the benefits of early learning as shown by research.
Anyone interested in receving regular bulletin updates should send an
email to OEL Research Director Stu Pollins at Stu.Pollins@flaawi.com.
Read the first edition of "Early Learning
Resources" here.
Report Finds That Florida's Future Workforce -- Children
and Youth -- is Declining
In the first
annual examination of key economic indicators, the Florida Center for
Fiscal and Economic Policy offers an assessment of the state's
well-being. The numbers add up to disturbing trends that threaten the
well-being of the state and its people. Personal income, how that
income is distributed through the workforce, the nature of jobs in the
state, the level of spending by Florida government and the outcomes of
that spending all paint a cloudy picture of the economic prospects of
Florida and its people. Read the full report.
Report Says 3,560
Floridians Will Lose Health Insurance Every Week
As healthcare reform bills make their way through the
House and the Senate in Washington, a report released last week by
Families USA said changes are crucial. In Florida alone, the report
said an estimated 3,560 persons in the state are expected to lose
health coverage each week from 2008 through 2010. Altogether, 556,070
Floridians could lose health insurance between January 2008 and
December 2010 according to the report, "The Clock is Ticking: More
Americans Losing Health Coverage.''
Read the report.
Evidence Reveals Babies Develop Short-Term Memory In the
Womb
An ABC News Health segment
highlighted a report from the Child
Development journal that says a fetus in the womb can develop
memories by the 30th week of pregnancy. In a study of 100
pregnant women in the Netherlands, researchers say they found evidence
that fetuses have short-term memory of sounds by the 30th week of
pregnancy, and develop a long-term memory of sound after that. The
study found that by 30 weeks of age, a fetus could "remember"
a sound for 10 minutes. By the 34th week a fetus may be able to
"remember" the sound for four weeks. Learn more.
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EVENTS
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FAN
Hosts Seminars on Florida Standards for Quality Afterschool Programs
The Florida Afterschool Network (FAN) has received
a grant from the Agency for Workforce Innovation's Office of Early
Learning to host 15 regional seminars throughout Florida. The seminars
will feature The Florida Standards for Quality Afterschool Programs. Learn more, or register now.
22nd Annual National Independent Living Conference in
Nashville
The Daniel
Memorial Institute presents "Growing Pains 2009," on Sept.
1-4, 2009, in Nashville, TN. The conference is a must-attend event for
youth service professionals, independent living professionals and youth
ages 15 and older. Presenters include top leaders and experts in the
field of independent living. The national youth conference features
special sessions dedicated to the needs of youth who are currently in
care. These include training sessions, workshops, panel discussions and
leadership/team building activities. Visit the Daniel Memorial
Institute web site for more
information.
Florida Coalition for Children to Hold Annual Conference
in October
The Florida Coalition for
Children is holding its 2009 conference with a focus on
"Protecting & Preserving Florida's Most Valuable Resource -
Our Children and Families." The event will take place October
12-14, 2009, in Orlando at Rosen Shingle Creek. Register by Sept. 15
and save. For more information, visit the Florida Coalition for
Children web site.
Conference Focuses on
"Meeting the Needs of Young Children and Families"
The Early Childhood Council (ECC) and the Florida
Association for Infant Mental Health (FAIMH) will be co-hosting a
conference, "Meeting the Needs of Young Children and
Families," November 18-20, 2009, at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.
Early registration is $125 for ECC or FAIMH members (deadline is
September 15), which includes the pre-conference event on Nov. 18 and
the full conference program Nov. 19-20 with a reception Thursday
night. For more information, call (813) 837-7753 or visit www.ecctampabay.org.
National Afterschool
Association Convention Set for April 2010, Seeking Workshop RFPs
Join thousands of
afterschool professionals for outstanding learning and networking
experiences at the National Afterschool Association Convention in
Washington, DC, April 19-21, 2010. The event will feature hundreds of
workshops from across the afterschool field. Early registration is
available through Aug. 31, 2009. For details, or to submit your
workshop proposals through an online RFP process, visit www.naaconvention.org/workshop.html. Proposals will
be accepted until Sept. 25, 2009.
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