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Recognizing the
value of social technologies, Florida CSC brings you the latest Social
Media Buzz. Send your social media links (videos, blogs, Facebook,
Twitter, etc.) for consideration to webmaster@floridacsc.org.
Facebook: CSC of Broward -
Features events information, videos and photo albums.
Invite family, friends and colleagues.
YouTube: This is JWB -
Explains what the JWB Children's Services Council does to improve the
lives of children and families in the community.
YouTube: Worst to First Chiles
Leadership Corps - Reveals how students
were impacted by the first-ever leadership corps.
Blog:
Florida Division of Emergency Management -
day-to-day information on emergency management activities and statewide
hazards.
Twitter: Florida Division of Emergency Management - 24/7 daily feed from the Florida State Watch
Office Operations Team in Tallahassee. Breaking news and hazard alerts
from all counties.
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Dates
to Watch
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Sept.
24-27, 2009
Early Childhood Conference
Orlando
Oct.
6-7, 2009
FCSC Board of Directors Meeting
CSC of Palm Beach
Oct. 12-14, 2009
Florida Coalition for Children Annual Conference
Orlando
Nov.
18-20, 2009
"Meeting the Needs of Young Children and
Families" Conference
Tampa
Dec.
1, 2009
Children and Youth Cabinet
Meeting
Gainesville
March 2, 2010
Legislative
Session Begins
April 11-13, 2010
Children's Week
Tallahassee
April 30, 2010
Regular
Legislative Session Ends
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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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TOP STORIES
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CSC Champion for Children Loses
Battle with Cancer
 Children and families in St. Lucie County and across
Florida lost a true champion last week when Kathy Basile, Executive
Director of the Children's Services Council (CSC) of St. Lucie County,
lost her long battle with cancer. She was 58. Those who worked closest
with Basile said throughout it all, she maintained her sense of spirit,
of humor, and her caring and loving attitude that always put
others first. "While Kathy is no longer with us today, the
positive impact that she has had on our community will be felt for
generations to come. For those that knew her well, we have been given a
gift that we will cherish forever," wrote St. Lucie CSC Interim
Executive Director Sean Boyle in a message to her many friends and
colleagues.
Her memorial service was
described by one participant as a beautiful celebration of Basile's
life. There were many wonderful, touching and funny stories from her
family and friends. Colleagues traveled from around the state to
remember her. Most of all, the love and respect for Kathy permeated the
entire event. Her husband gave a wonderful and charming tribute
telling the story of their meeting and life. The stories of her good
work and her passions in life had everyone smiling. One of Basile's
most important wishes was to establish a charitable foundation that
would serve the needs of children in foster homes. She made it happen
by providing the initial funding and the establishment of the Kathryn
A. Basile "Foster A Dream" Foundation. She requested that, in
lieu of flowers, donations to her Foundation be sent to:
Kathryn A. Basile
"Foster A Dream" Foundation
P.O. Box 7338
Port St. Lucie, FL 34985
Children's
Cabinet Finalizes Child Indicators
Yesterday, the
Governor's Children and Youth Cabinet met in Orlando and finalized the
list of priority indicators to be used to measure progress in improving
the well being of the state's children. Previously, the Cabinet adopted
the State of Florida's Child report prepared by the Policy Group for
Florida's Families and Children. The Cabinet's strategic plan, the
State of the Child Report and now the approval of the priority
indicators all help identify, focus and provide a means to track
progress in the work.
In addition, the
Cabinet has embraced a system for monitoring progress based on the
Results-Based Accountability (RBA) model designed by Mark Friedman.
Friedman, who describes the approach in his book, "Trying Hard is
Not Good Enough," attended Wednesday's meeting to present an
overview on the model and to facilitate the discussion on the
indicators. See resultsaccountability.com.
The indicators
adopted by the Cabinet are as follows:
Every
Florida child is healthy
- Mothers beginning prenatal care in the first
trimester
- Children with health insurance
- Children with a medical home
Every
Florida child is ready to learn and succeed
- Births to women with fewer than 12 years of
education
- Children who are read to by their parents or
relative caregivers
- Children whose kindergarten entry assessment
scores show they are ready for school
- Early childhood staff with bachelor's
degrees
Every
Florida child lives in a stable and nurturing family
- Children in poverty
- Child abuse
- Teen births
Every
Florida child lives in a safe and supportive community
- Domestic violence
- Homeless children
- Children in supportive neighborhoods
International
Consultant Says, "Trying Hard is Not Enough!"
Mark Friedman,
international consultant and author of, "Trying Hard is Not Enough!,"
conducted a day-long workshop on Results-Based Accountability (RBA)
Sept. 15 in Orlando. Sponsored by the children's services councils and
organized by the Policy Group, the event drew more than 125 people. RBA
is a method for using performance measures to improve program and
agency performance and to improve outcomes targeted to population well
being. According to Friedman, the hallmark of the method is that it is
simple, uses common sense, plain language, minimum paper and, most
importantly, focuses accountability on population and program results.
Hoping to make the system easy to understand and manage, the
performance measures hinge on three common sense questions: How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anyone
better off? Feedback from workshop participants was extremely
positive. Follow-up training was
also scheduled for Sept. 17 at the Children's Board of Hillsborough
County.
Group Releases
Poll Results on Issues for Children and Families in Florida
In the wake of last August's reauthorization of The
Children's Trust in Miami-Dade, campaign spearhead Dave Lawrence and
campaign political strategist Sergio Bendixen became convinced that
there might be an opportunity to change children's policy in Florida.
Since then, Lawrence and Bendixen have joined forces with others to
determine what Floridians consider the top issues related to children
in our state.. They conducted a series of brainstorming sessions with
influential Florida leaders, followed by focus groups made up of
diverse populations. Using the outcomes of those efforts, they then
polled the ideas among more than 1,500 likely voters. The result is a
research report about the top concerns and attitudes of Florida
voters. Last week, Lawrence, Bendixen
and The Tarrance Group, a Republican polling and strategy firm, shared
the results of their efforts via webinar. View the webinar and PowerPoint (45 mins.). View PowerPoint only.
Worst to First Kicks Off Statewide Walk in Panhandle
In the tradition of his father and late Florida Governor
Lawton Chiles, Bud Chiles and the Worst To First team will begin the
first leg of a walk across Florida on Monday, Sept. 21 in Century, FL.
Chiles and the team will continue through to Pensacola on Tuesday and
Wednesday. They will meet with Chiles Leadership Corps students and
community leaders to talk about improving state investments in
children's health, education and welfare. To learn more, visit the
Worst to First web site.
Children's
Organization Celebrates 20 Years of Service to Early Care and
Afterschool Workforce
The Children's Forum is
celebrating 20 years of service to the early care and education and
afterschool professionals who strive for the best possible learning
outcomes for children. As a statewide, not-for-profit membership
organization, the Forum believes that the early care and education
workforce holds the keys to successful futures for children. The Forum
has an organizational history that is grounded in the development of
principles, programs and policies that continue to serve early
childhood education and school-age professionals in Florida. With a
mission to provide leadership and advocacy for high quality, affordable
and available early care and education for all children, the Forum has
remained unchanged since its founding in 1989. Today, the Forum
continues to serve as an organization with an uncompromising vision to
make Florida a quality child caring state. For more information about
the Children's Forum, contact Jenna Jacobsen-Brown, communications
director, at 850-487-6344 or jjbrown@thechildrensforum.com.
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FEDERAL WATCH
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U.S.
House Passes Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 253 - 171
today in favor of H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility
Act of 2009. The legislation also includes Title IV, which creates the
Early Learning Challenge Fund. The fund would provide $1 billion a year
for eight years for competitive grants to states to improve
coordination and quality of early learning programs that serve children
from birth to age five. The Senate Committee on Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions is working on its version of the Early Learning
Challenge Fund, which is expected to be released soon. Because the bill
is being handled under rules known as "reconciliation," it is
expected to be completed by early October, the start of the federal
fiscal year. Unlike most legislation, this reconciliation bill both
authorizes and appropriates funds for the programs it covers, including
the challenge grant. PreK Now has produced a 1-page summary of the bill.
Senate
Finance Committee Releases Health Care Reform Bill
Senate Finance Committee Chair
Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Wed. introduced the America's Healthy Future
Act, health care reform legislation to lower costs and provide quality,
affordable health care coverage. According to a press release from the
chair's office, the bill will make it easier for families and small
businesses to buy health care coverage, ensure Americans can choose to
keep the health care coverage they have if they like it, and slow the
growth of health care costs over time. It will bar insurance companies
from discriminating against people based on health status, denying
coverage because of preexisting conditions, or imposing annual caps or
lifetime limits on coverage. The bill would improve the way the health
care system delivers care by improving efficiency, quality, and
coordination. The $856-billion package will not add to the federal
deficit. The Finance Committee is scheduled to meet to begin voting on
the Chairman's Mark next week. Read the bill.
Read the press release
outlining highlights of the bill.
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CSC NEWS
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Children's Board Launches
Microlending Pilot Project
The Children's Board Foundation, in partnership with the
Leadership Tampa Alumni's (LTA) Philanthropy in Action and the
Children's Board of Hillsborough County, is accepting applications for
an exciting new Microlending Pilot Project grant that will be awarded
in January 2010. The Microlending Pilot Project grant is intended
to assist nonprofit organizations based in Hillsborough County and who
serve Hillsborough County residents. The grant funds must be used
to establish or expand a microlending initiative that will utilize
funds from the award to identify individuals for microloans, provide
loan funds, and support services such as mentoring to maximize success.
Applicants must be from non-profit organizations. Grant applications
are due no later than Thursday, October 15, 2009 at 4:00
p.m. Application and submission guidelines can be found on the
Children's Board of Hillsborough County's website at www.childrensboard.org or
downloaded from the LTA website at www.LTAlumni.org.
Children's
Trust to Examine State of Juvenile Justice in Miami-Dade
In collaboration with the Circuit 11 Juvenile Justice
Board, The Children's Trust will examine the current state of juvenile
justice in Miami-Dade County. The Children's Trust is inviting all
stakeholders to participate in helping to develop a juvenile justice
strategic plan and legislative agenda for dismantling the "cradle
to prison" pipeline in the community. The event will take place Friday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the University
of Miami Medical Campus, Clinical Research Building. To register, or for more
details, visit thechildrenstrust.org. The
forum is free. Lunch, refreshments, and parking will be provided.
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IN OTHER NEWS
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ABC
Highlights Missouri's Unique Approach to Juvenile Detention
ABC Primetime recently
aired an hour-long special on the Missouri Division of Youth Services
unique approach to rehabilitating juvenile offenders. ABC producers
spent 14 months visiting the facilities and learning about the
"Missouri Approach," which emphasizes a rehabilitative
approach. The Missouri program has
shown compelling results in helping incarcerated kids. Missouri
transfers only 10 percent of its jailed children to adult prison while
other states send closer to half. Missouri does this with half the
budget of the national average. See the promo. Watch Part One of the Primetime Special online.
Senate
Review Committee Says Keep Public Record Exemption for Guardians ad
Litem
The
Senate Committee on Judiciary released a mandatory review this week on
the Open Government Sunset Review of Section 119.071(4)(d)6., F.S.,
Guardians Ad Litem. The statute provides
that the home addresses, telephone numbers, places of employment, and
photographs of current or former guardians ad litem are exempt from the
public-records requirements found in s. 119.07(1), F.S., and article I,
section 24(a) of the Florida Constitution. The statute also exempts
comparable information for the guardian ad litem's spouse and children.
In the review, Senate staff recommended that the
Legislature re-enact the public records exemption, stating "there is a public necessity to continue to protect
guardians ad litem from potential threats, as well as to facilitate the
recruitment and retention of guardians." See the review.
Youngsters
who skip preschool because of economy may not be ready for kindergarten
Young children who
skip preschool because of the economy might not be socially ready once
they enter kindergarten. "It's essential for their learning
experience. The first couple of years is extremely critical," said
Elizabeth Barbella, director of policy and operations for the Children
Services Council of Martin County. Read article online at TCPalm.com.
Former
Senators Say Children Stand to Lose Most in Health Debate
An op-ed published
in the Sept. 7 Boston Globe,
authored by former Sens. Tom Daschle and John Danforth, says that
"unless Congress makes children's health care affordable,
comprehensive, and simple, children will be the big losers in the
health care debate." Daschle and Danforth outline three essential
targeted investments that could help level the health care playing
field and guarantee real reform that works for every child in America.Read the op-ed.
"Nonprofits
Count" Campaign Seeks to Mobilize Communities for 2010 Census
In
March 2010, the U.S. Census will mail forms to 110 million households
in order to obtain an accurate count of the nation's 300 million
residents. An organization called Nonprofits Count! has launched a
campaign to engage the nation's nonprofits and human service agencies
into mobilizing their communities to participate in the census. Through
its Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network, the organization is making
available a "Census Toolkit for Nonprofits," on its web site.
Learn more.
Florida
Remembers Missing Children
Gov. Charlie Crist was joined this week by Lt. Governor
Jeff Kottkamp, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner
Gerald Bailey and hundreds of children, parents, educators, law
enforcement personnel and public officials for the 2009 Florida Missing
Children's Day. Held in the Capitol Courtyard, the annual event
remembers Florida's past and present missing children, and also
recognizes the state's efforts in child protection. The ceremony
featured awards to citizens, canine trailing teams, and law enforcement
officers from around the state for their exemplary efforts in missing
children investigations. Hundreds of children from surrounding counties
participated in activities including fingerprinting, photographing, and
a safety presentation on abduction prevention. Various law enforcement
agencies, victim assistance groups and children's non-profit
organizations were also on hand with safety displays. Additionally, to
help commemorate the day, the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association
along with its member advertising companies donated space on their
digital billboards around the state recognizing the day and Florida's
missing children.
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Census Report Shows Decrease in
Number of Children Without Health Insurance
In 2008, the number of children under 18 without health insurance was
lower than in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2007, 11
percent, or 8.1 million did not have health insurance, compared to 9.9
percent, or 7.3 million in 2008. The report, "Income, Poverty and
Health Insurance in the United States: 2008," reveals that the
uninsured rate and number of uninsured for children are the lowest
since 1987, the first year that comparable health insurance data were
collected. Although the uninsured rate for children in poverty
decreased to 15.7 percent in 2008, from 17.6 percent in 2007, children
in poverty were more likely to be uninsured than all children. Read more in the full report.
Web
Site Provides Assistance for States Pursuing Early Childhood Systems
The Smart Start Technical
Assistance Center has launched a new component of its website that
contains links and resources designed to support states that are
planning and implementing early childhood development initiatives. The
new resource section was built around questions and requests
regularly received from across the country. The pages are
organized to complement the Early Childhood Systems Working Group's
Core Elements of an Early Childhood Development System including: Systems Development, Governance,
Collaboration, Evaluation/Accountability, Standards, Monitoring,
Finance, Public Awareness/Advocacy, and Programming and
Provider/Practitioner Support. Learn more.
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EVENTS
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Early
Childhood Association Conference Happens Next Week
The Early Childhood Association of Florida will hold its
54th Annual Conference Sept. 24-27, 2009, in Orlando at the
Rosen Centre Hotel. Anyone interested in early care and education
should attend this conference, which features more than 100 sessions.
Early registration is available until Aug. 12. To register, or for more
information, go to: www.ecaoffl.org.
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.
NAEYC to Hold Annual Conference
& Expo in Washington
The National Association for the Education of Young
Children will hold its annual conference Nov. 18-21, 2009, in
Washington, DC. This year's conference features more than 900 sessions
on diverse topics and themes reflecting both traditional strategies and
cutting-edge practice. Look for presentations on topics ranging from
how to plan an effective elected official's visit to your center, to
the role of quality rating systems in professional development, as well
as what's on the early childhood federal horizon. Housing and
registration are now open.
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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