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Dates
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Children's Week
Tallahassee
April 30, 2010
Regular
Legislative Session Ends
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CSCs
strategically invest in primary prevention and early intervention
programs and services.
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Hundreds of business, education, and government officials
gathered Oct. 12-14 at a Future of Florida Forum in Orlando sponsored
by the Florida Chamber. A diverse group of participants convened to
discuss and identify solutions to Florida's greatest challenges. Among
the top issues was the need to train, support, and recruit the world's
best talent. Mark Wilson, President and CEO of the Florida Chamber,
summed it up in his remarks during the Opening Session, "Talent is
the new economic development currency."
AWI/Office of Early Learning Director Brittany Birken
emphasized early investments in Florida's children as an essential
component to creating a "talent supply chain." Other early
childhood advocates echoed Birken's statement, including several
directors of early learning coalitions and FCSC CEO Vivian Alarcon.
The work accomplished during the conference will be used
to create a change management system that involves collaboration of the
Florida Chamber, Enterprise Florida, and the Council of 100. A series
of 10 regional economic development forums will be held beginning
October 20. Groups or individuals interested in attending should check
the Florida Chamber web site
for dates and locations to be posted soon. This is an incredible
opportunity for early childhood advocates and business leaders to work
together to ensure that investments are made early in Florida's most
valuable asset - its children.
 The
Board of Directors of the St. Lucie CSC voted unanimously at their
October Council meeting to appoint Sean Boyle as the new Executive
Director for the 19-year-old agency. Boyle regarded his appointment as
bittersweet, citing the recent passing of long-time CSC Executive
Director and friend, Kathy Basile. Sean began his career at the CSC in
1997 as the Grants and Training Specialist. He has since held titles
including Community Resource Coordinator and Director of Training and
Community Development, before his appointment as Assistant Executive
Director in 2005.
"Mr. Boyle is
a long-time employee of the CSC and is known locally, regionally and
statewide as an advocate for children," said Board Chair Kathryn
Hensley. "He clearly understands the pathways needed for the
success of ALL children. We at CSC, and the community as a whole, are
pleased that he has chosen to become a stronger voice for children's
issues by accepting the duties of Executive
Director."
In other St. Lucie
CSC news, the CSC was recently recognized among 12 local organizations
as a "Best Place to Work in 2009" by the St. Lucie County
Human Resource Association and Workforce Solutions. In the category of employers
with 251 or more employees, the St. Lucie CSC was honored for the third
year. Read the article.
Webinar
Features Heckman Equation: Investments in Early Childhood
A workgroup with
the Partnership for America's Economic Success (PAES) hosted its first
webinar last week with the team behind The Heckman Equation
web site. The website features the incredible work of Nobel Laureate
James Heckman on the topic of investments in early childhood
development. It also provides a number of useful tools to help
interested parties talk about and advocate for early childhood
investments. The audio from the webinar will be available online soon.
In the meantime, visit the new Heckman Equation web site, and download
the webinar PowerPoint presentation from the PAES web site.
Economists
Say Wider Health Care Access Pays Off
An article in last week's Wall Street Journal points to new research from three
economists that draws a link from teens' improved test scores to better
access to health care. "The trio links improvements in test scores
of black teenagers from the South in the 1980s to improved health care
they received as children after Southern hospitals were integrated in
the 1960s. The bottom line, in a working paper circulated by the Chicago
Fed, is this: 'Improved post-neonatal health among blacks born between
the early 1960s and early 1970s...led to long-term improvements in the
academic and cognitive skills of these cohorts as teenagers.'" Read the article
(subscription only).
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FEDERAL WATCH
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Senate Finance Committee Approves
Healthcare Reform Bill
The Senate Finance
Committee voted 14-9 yesterday to approve a sweeping, $829-billion
overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system, with only one Republican --
Sen. Olympia Snowe -- joining all 13 Democrats to advance the measure.
The bill requires almost all U.S. residents to buy some level of health
insurance, offering $461 billion in federal subsidies to help them do
so. It also expands Medicaid eligibility to those making 133 percent of
the federal poverty level, or roughly $29,327 for a family of four. Additionally,
the legislation cuts Medicare payments to almost every type of provider
while it establishes a number of pilot programs to help better
coordinate care and boost its quality. The bill would also replace a
scheduled 21 percent physician pay cut with a 0.5 percent increase in
2010. Read update at ModernHealthcare.com.
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CSC NEWS
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Former
Children's Trust YAC Member Gets Gubernatorial Appointment
Last week, Gov.
Charlie Crist appointed Leonard Thompson to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention State Advisory Group.
Thompson is a former member of The Children's Trust Youth Advisory
Council (YAC). His involvement with the YAC exposed him to the
legislative process, and ultimately got the attention of top state
agency leaders. Leonard is appointed to the advisory group for a term
beginning Oct. 7, 2009, and ending at the pleasure of the Governor.
JWB-CSC of
Pinellas IT Director Nominated for CIO of the Year
The Tampa Bay
Technology Forum has chosen 15 finalists who will compete Nov. 12 for
five awards honoring the best in Tampa's tech community. In the
category of Chief Information Officer of the Year, JWB-CSC of Pinellas
IT Director Patricia Gehant has been nominated. This marks the first
time she has been nominated for the award. Other nominees alongside
Gehant include the CIO for the Bradenton city government and the CIO
for OSI Restaurant Partners LLC.
Broward CSC Director Writes First
Book on Obama's Rhetoric
Broward CSC Director of Public Affairs and Organizational
Development Sandra Bernard-Bastien has written the first rhetorical
analysis of Obama's speeches. Titled, "Presidential Rhetoric:
Clinton and Obama Across the Interface of Race," the book examines
the rhetorical styles of the two presidents, whom the author asserts,
display a striking similarity. "The similarity between the two
left-handed presidents born in the month of August is uncanny. Both
were given the same name as their fathers at birth. Both were brought
up by their maternal grandparents and had minimal or no contact with
their fathers, who both died in car accidents." Learn more.
Grant Helps House of Hope Cast Safety Net for
Martin County Kids, Seniors
A grant to House of Hope
this summer has blossomed into several key partnerships and 12 tons of
food for children and senior citizens in Martin County. The grant came
from a Safety Net Challenge conducted in May by four local funders -
Allegany Franciscan Ministries, the Children's Services Council of Palm
Beach County, Quantum Foundation and the Community Foundation for Palm
Beach and Martin Counties. Learn more.
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IN OTHER NEWS
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Bills
Filed for 2010 Legislative Session
The 2010 Legislative
Session is shaping up to be another tough year. The Florida CSC policy
team will work to keep readers informed about bills and issues
affecting Florida's children and families. Below is a brief compilation
of some of the bills that have already been filed. Stay tuned for
regular updates.
- HB 201 by
Rep. Ari Porth (D-Broward) creates the "Protecting Florida's
Most Vulnerable Citizens Act." It would require an owner or
operator of a child care facility to report background screening
results to DCFS before employing a person at a child care
facility, and more. Effective Date: July 1, 2010. Sen. Nan Rich
(D-Broward) has filed an identical bill in the Senate - SB 428.
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SB 146 by Sen.
Nan Rich (D-Broward) would authorize a county to create an independent
special district by ordinance to provide funding for services for
seniors, etc. Effective Date: July 1, 2010. A similar bill has been
filed in the House, HB 153 by Rep.
Mark Pafford (D-Palm Beach).
· SB 316 by Sen. Thad Altman (R-Brevard), commonly
referred to as the Booster Seat bill, would provide for child-restraint
requirements for certain children ages 4 through 7. Effective Date:
July 1, 2010. Similar bills have been filed in the House by Rep. Rich
Glorioso (R-Hillsborough) - HB 217 - and Rep. Richard Steinberg (D-Miami-Dade)
- HB 179.
· HB 223 by Rep. Alan Williams
(D-Leon) would revise the definition of "child care
personnel" to include persons who work in summer 24-hour camps. It
would require summer day camps and summer 24-hour camps to be licensed
by DCFS, and require employees thereof to undergo level 2 background
screening. Effective Date: July 1, 2010.
· SB 246 by Sen. Frederica Wilson (D-Miami-Dade)
would create a pilot program in Miami-Dade County that authorizes
school districts to enter into agreements with the county recreation
department for the purpose of using facilities for extended school day
programs in approved middle schools and high schools. Effective Date:
July 1, 2010.
· HB 211 by Rep. Sandra Adams
(R-Seminole) would authorize conditions of preadjudicatory release for
certain children, as well as permit a child to be taken into custody
for violations of preadjudicatory release conditions, and provide that
a child taken into custody for violation of preadjudicatory release
conditions must appear before a judge within 24 hours, etc. Effective
Date: July 1, 2010.
House
and Senate Release Interim Committee Week Schedule
House Speaker Larry Cretul and Senate President Jeff
Atwater have released their interim committee week schedules leading up
to the 2010 Legislative Session. Session is scheduled to begin Tues.,
March 2, 2010. Legislators will convene in Tallahassee during the
following weeks.
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November 2-6, 2009
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December 7-11, 2009
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January 11-15, 2010
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January 19-22, 2010
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February 1-5, 2010
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February 8-12, 2010 (Appropriations only)
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February 15-19, 2010
Editorial
Says "Time to get kids 4-7 in car booster seats for safety"
According to the Southwest
Florida News-Press, Sen. Thad Altman, a Republican from Melbourne,
is set to introduce yet again a bill requiring car passengers aged 4-7
be in booster seats. Full child car seats are required of younger
children, but not past age 5. Still, children that age most often still
don't fit adult safety belts. The bill hasn't been filed yet, though
it's in the final stages. Altman said this week he's likely to change
the bill from earlier versions and use a minimum-height standard rather
than age. An aide said the bill will require children 4-feet 9-inches
or shorter be in a booster seat. Read more.
Innovative After School Program Prepares for Expansion
Though Jacksonville child and community activist Gertrude
Peele has been recognized both locally and nationally for her efforts
to improve the lives of area children, the only reward she is after is
their smiles. Presented with the Daily Points of Light Award from
Pres. George H. Bush in 2000, Peele plans to keep producing those
smiles as the "home away from home" she has developed with
the help of numerous nonprofit groups and volunteers continues to grow.Read the article.
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New
Resource for Talking About Health Care Quality
As the debate around
health reform continues, the Robert Wood Jonson Foundation has prepared
a new interactive resource that will help users effectively communicate
the problem facing America today. The online resource offers stories
and ideas from people working to improve the quality of health care.
"Talking About Quality" is a bank of 150 ready-to-use slides
that includes statistics, charts, graphics and messages, as well
as audio clips from people on the front lines of health care. Users can
download slides for use in their own presentations or create custom
slideshows using My Presentation Builder
. The slides will be updated on a regular basis with the most recent
research and statistics. Browse, search or download the Talking About Quality slides.
Report Shows Medicaid Spending Outpaces Medicaid
Enrollment
Medicaid
enrollment grew by 5.4 percent in fiscal year 2009, the highest rate in
six years, while total Medicaid spending growth averaged 7.9 percent,
the highest rate in five years, according to a new 50-state report by
the Kaiser Family Foundation. Read more.
Florida Posted Largest Poverty Rate Increase in
2008
Florida saw the largest one-year poverty rate increase of all states in
2008, according to the new Census Bureau report. The state's poverty
rate grew from 12.1% to 13.2% (+1.1%), followed by California, which
saw a +0.9% rise. Florida's 2008 poverty rate was equal to the national
average, and ranked 23rd out of the 50 states and D.C. View a
state-by-state table here.
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EVENTS
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Healthy
Teens to Hold Monthly Conference Call Oct. 15
The Healthy Teens Campaign will be holding its monthly
update conference call this
Thurs., Oct. 15, at 10 a.m. eastern (9 a.m.
central). Anyone interested in being on the call should RSVP to stephanie.kunkel@fappa.org to receive the call-in information.
The Healthy Teens
Campaign is a broad-based coalition made up of education, public
health, and faith-based organizations that seek to improve the health
and safety of Florida teens through comprehensive sex education. Learn
more about the Healthy Teens Campaign at www.healthyteensflorida.org.
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, DC
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
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. For details, visit www.naaconvention.org/workshop.html. Register now
to save 10 percent off the registration fee.
Partnership for
America's Economic Success to Hold National Conference in March 2010
The Partnership for
America's Economic Success is planning to hold its National Conference
March 10-11, 2010, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. This
conference is open to all business, finance and economic leaders,
advocates, policymakers and philanthropists interested in furthering
early childhood development. The agenda will be posted and registration
opened in the late Fall. Please sign up
for the listserv to be updated on this conference.
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