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Dates
to Watch
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Legislative Interim Committee Meetings
Nov. 6-7, 2009
Whole Child Conference
Longwood, FL
"Meeting the Needs of Young Children and
Families" Conference
Tampa
Dec.
1, 2009
Children and
Youth Cabinet Meeting
Gainesville
Dec. 7-11, 2009
Legislative Interim Committee Meetings
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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 Budd Bell, the Tallahassee human services lobbyist who
advocated for the state's most vulnerable, which earned her the
moniker, "the conscience of Florida,'' died Friday, Oct. 16. She
was 94. During nearly four decades of advocacy, Bell helped draft the
Baker Act, and helped craft a bill of rights for Floridians with mental
retardation or other disabilities. Among her many other life legacies,
Bell was a founding member of the National Association of Social
Workers, and helped create the Florida Center for Children & Youth,
and the state's Human Rights Advocacy Committees, the voice for social
service clients since 1975.
Bell also played a major part in the development of
subsidized childcare in the state, and in 1972 founded Kids
Incorporated of the Big Bend. Today, Kids Incorporated serves more than
5,000 children and families in seven counties. The Clearinghouse on
Human Services, which Bell started in 1974, was the lobbying force
behind legislation that established state financial aid for early
learning programs in Florida. Bell also was instrumental in the move to
require the licensing of childcare centers in the state.
"She was an advocate's advocate," said
Department of Children & Families Secretary George Sheldon, who
worked with Bell regularly as a state lawmaker from Hillsborough County
in the 1970s. "Budd spoke for the whole human services
community.''
"She was a born teacher in this environment, and
teach she did -- always staying just ahead of you, bringing
you along and never letting you rest on your laurels," said FCSC
Board Member Jim Mills who worked with her for years. "We
shall miss her, but the generation or so that she trained will carry
on."
Early Childhood Consultant Alisa Ghazvini remembers,
"She was so strategic that many of the things she had a hand in
will never be documented or correctly credited to her -- but she was
the one who saw the way, or provided the guidance and ideas. I feel
honored to have stood close to her even for a short time."
"Budd was exceedingly kind and mentoring to me during
my first year as a Tallahassee advocate, fresh out of law school in
2000," remembers Evan Goldman, Manager of Public Affairs &
Organizational Development at the Broward CSC. "But then
again, as legions of us who learned from her can attest, she was that
way with everyone she touched. Her spirit lives on through our
work."
A memorial service was held last Wednesday at the Florida
State University Alumni Conference Center in Tallahassee. The family
has asked that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to the Budd
Bell Early Learning Endowment Fund for Kids Inc. of the Big Bend, or
the William G. and Budd Bell Endowed Fellowship at the Florida State
University Foundation.
Districting
Amendments Appear Headed for Ballot
According to a Tallahassee
Democrat blog post, the organization FairDistricts.org says it has 98 percent
of the signed petitions it needs to put two constitutional amendments
on the Florida 2010 ballot aimed at preventing political gerrymandering
of districts for Congress and the state Legislature. The organization
now has more than 1.6 million signed petitions, said Ellen Freidin, a
Miami lawyer who is campaign chairman of the group. The organization
needs 676,811 registered voters' signatures for each of its two
amendments, and is aiming to gather 25 percent more than the required
number to allow for those ruled invalid. Read more.
Agencies Convene to Address Background Screening Issues
In response to a South
Florida Sun-Sentinel investigative report that revealed alarming
trends in Florida's background screening practices, Gov. Charlie Crist
has charged select state agencies with conducting a complete review of
legal requirements for screening individuals to work in facilities that
provide care to children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.
The agencies met for the first time last week and provided overviews of
their current background screening processes. The group is expected to
meet again soon to identify solutions and improvements. No date has
been set. The agencies will review the use of criminal background
checks, the process for granting exemptions, and the process that
allows employees to begin working before background checks are
completed. The group's findings
will be presented to the Governor by November 2, 2009. The following
state agencies are participating:
- Agency for Health Care Administration
- Agency for Persons with Disabilities
- Florida Department of Children and Families
- Florida Department of Education
- Florida Department of Elder Affairs
- Florida Department of Health
- Florida Department of Juvenile Justice
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement
Florida has been named one of the top 10 states for
afterschool programs by the Afterschool Alliance for its
comparatively strong participation in programs by youth and high
satisfaction rates among their parents. The "Top 10 States for
After-school" list ranking is based on data from the America After
3PM study, conducted for the Afterschool Alliance and sponsored by the
J.C. Penney Afterschool Fund. Read article in Tampa Bay Business Journal. See
study results.
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FEDERAL WATCH
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Castor Brings Children's Health
Care Issues to Forefront
As lawmakers inch closer to landmark health care reform,
the National Association of Children's Hospitals, in coordination with
the Congressional Children's Health Care Caucus, hosted a Capitol Hill
briefing last week featuring leaders of Tampa Bay area hospitals. The
briefing, "Chronic Conditions: The Differences and Challenges for
Children," examined children's health matters. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor
co-chairs the Congressional Children's Health Care Caucus.
"Children require unique treatment for physical, mental and
developmental conditions," Castor said. "Families of children
with chronic conditions often struggle to find quality, coordinated
care to comprehensively address their children's needs. Ensuring that
kids have a good team of doctors to address chronic conditions and to
make sure that such care is more accessible is our ultimate goal."
The Congressional Children's Health Caucus has worked on
issues including childhood obesity, food allergies, asthma and health
care reform. Castor co-chairs the bipartisan Children's Health Care
Caucus with Dave Reichert of Washington State. "We will make substantial
progress on children's health through health legislation," Castor
said. "I am glad we had an opportunity today to bring concerns
about children's medical care to the forefront."
Military Leaders
Focus on Early Learning to Help Kids Become Good Citizens
Statistics released by the
Pentagon show that 75 percent of young people ages 17 to 24 would be
unable to enlist in the U.S. military if they visited a recruiter
today. Three of the most common barriers for potential recruits are
failure to graduate high school, a criminal record and physical fitness
issues. A group of more than 80 retired generals and admirals is
supporting an organization called "Mission: Readiness" with
the goal of building a safer and stronger America by implementing the
most effective strategies to help children succeed. Read a recent
article in Virginia's Daily Press. Learn more about Mission:
Readiness.
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CSC NEWS
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Broward CSC Moves to New
"Green" Building
 On Monday, Oct. 26, the CSC of Broward County opened for
business at its new location on 6600 W. Commercial Blvd, Lauderhill,
FL. The building is Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) certified, which is a nationally accepted
benchmark for the design, construction and operation of
high-performance green buildings. The certification also means the
building will cost less to run. The Broward CSC's "green"
building is a forward-thinking means of being a responsible member of
the community, and an innovative way to teach children and youth about
the importance of being good global citizens. Some of the Silver LEED
standards that enable the CSC to lower operating costs and redirect
savings toward funding of children's programs and services include:
drought tolerant landscaping, high efficiency air conditioning,
water-efficient plumbing fixtures, and improved indoor air quality
Additionally, the building includes a number of
state-of-the-art training rooms and other community-friendly amenities
that will more closely integrate the CSC's presence and work with the
communities it serves. Besides the physical address, all contact
information for the CSC of Broward County (phone, fax and e-mails)
remains the same. Florida CSC congratulates the Broward CSC for
creating an eco-friendly building that will serve the needs of the
children and families in the community for years to come.
Palm
Beach CSC Conference Takes Evidence-Based Programming to New Level
The Palm Beach CSC will host the "Expect
Success Evidence-Based Programs: Lasting Impacts" Conference
Feb. 25, 2010, at the West Palm Beach Marriott and Feb. 26, 2010, at the
Palm Beach County Convention Center. Online registration is now open. The conference will
feature presentations by nationally recognized experts in
evidence-based programs and practices for early childhood, youth
development, juvenile justice, substance abuse, mental health, teen
pregnancy and violence prevention. Keynote speakers include Steve Aos,
Jon Baron, Ph.D., Sid Gardner, Jim Mayer and Delbert S. Elliott,
Ph.D.
The conference will provide a clear understanding of what
evidence-based means and the skills that program providers can use to
improve their chances of achieving positive outcomes for their
communities. This conference will take the concept of
evidence-based programming to a new level by going beyond programs and
practices - it's about accountability for results, resources and
costs. National experts will describe the implications - on a
national level - about impact on policy, return on investment, and cost
benefits. To learn more, visit www.cscpbc.org/evidence.
Documentary
on Founding of the Children's Board to Air in November
A documentary titled, "A Community with a Dream: The Founding of
the Children's Board," has been picked by the Education Channel of
Tampa Bay as an "Official Selection" of its 2009
Independents' Film Festival. The documentary, produced by Renee Warmack
Productions will air on the Education Channel (Verizon 32 and
Brighthouse 614 channels) throughout the month of November.
Broward CSC
Director to Receive Inspirational Leadership Award
The Minority Development
and Empowerment organization will celebrate 13 years of empowering
others with the launch of the 2009 Spirit of the Caribbean Awards.
Among the honorees is Broward CSC Director of Public Affairs &
Organizational Development Sandra Bernard-Bastien. She will be
recognized in the category for "Inspirational Leadership."
Other honorees include Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz for
Government Leadership. The award ceremony will take place Oct. 29,
2009, at the Signature Grand from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
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IN OTHER NEWS
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Bills
Filed for 2010 Legislative Session
As the 2010 Legislative
Session approaches, the Florida CSC policy team is working to keep
readers informed about bills and issues affecting Florida's children
and families. Below is the latest compilation of bills filed recently.
Stay tuned for regular updates.
* SB 474 by Sen. Eleanor Sobel (D-Broward)
would require a portion of state lottery Powerball net revenues to be
allocated to VPK education programs. Effective Date: Oct. 1, 2010. The
House companion is HB 85 by Reps. Gwyndolen Clark-Reed
(D-Broward) and Janet Long (D-Pinellas).
* SB 468 by Sen. Anthony Hill (D-Duval)
would require a child to be returned to a parent or guardian within
three days following a determination that an order for shelter care was
based on a false report of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect.
Effective Date: Upon becoming law.
* SB 512 by Sen. Charlie Justice
(D-Pinellas) would expand eligibility for participation in the state
group health insurance program and the prescription drug coverage
program to include all counties, municipalities, special taxing
districts, and district school boards rather than only small counties
and municipalities and certain school boards. Effective Date: July 1,
2010.
Florida Joins Nation in Celebrating "Lights on
Afterschool"
From Pensacola to
Key West, hundreds of afterschool programs throughout Florida
celebrated National Lights on Afterschool (LOA) Day on Oct. 22.
Proclamations from Gov. Charlie Crist, as well as mayors across the
state, emphasized the importance of afterschool for Florida's children
and families. As part of LOA, the cable TV show "After the School
Bell Rings 2: An Afterschool Storybook!", presented by Bright
House Networks, premiered on cable networks throughout the state. The
Florida Afterschool Network congratulates all those who helped make the
2009 LOA a great success. See Governor's
Proclamation.
~By FAN
Board Member Bobbi Davis, Children's Board of Hillsborough County
South
Florida Organizations Push for Investment in Young Kids
Three powerful
South Florida organizations are joining forces to push for improved
services for young children. And they're asking the broader business
community to get on board. Leaders of the three organizations -- the
University of Miami, the Miami Business Forum and the Greater Miami
Chamber of Commerce -- contend an investment in young children can help
fuel Florida's economic revival. "Productivity in Florida depends
greatly on the level of education of our kids,"' said Isaac
Prilleltensky, dean of the UM School of Education. "It's not
enough to improve our public schools. It's even more important to start
early on in life." Read article in Miami Herald.
U.S. Education Secretary: Preschool
Key to Solving Education Crisis
Education Secretary Arne Duncan says
the key to solving the education crisis in the United States is offering
quality early childhood programs to every child. Duncan spoke to
thousands of educators from across the country gathered in Atlanta
recently for the National Black Child Development Institute. He said
schools have to become like community centers that are open 14 hours a
day and offer extra music, sports and academic programs. Duncan said
the United States has an historic chance to transform education and get
out of the "catch up business" with other countries like
China. Read the full story.
Op-Ed: Give
Children a Positive Start
A generation or
two ago, children started school at age 5, when we sent them off to
kindergarten.
Then we realized
that many children do better when they start learning earlier, in
pre-kindergarten programs. Now we're discovering that this is too late,
and that preparing a child for school - and life - absolutely must
begin even earlier. I'm not talking about teaching toddlers to read, or
to count in French. As it turns out, most critical for children's early
readiness to learn are the emotional capacities all children need to be
happy and well-adjusted: trust, empathy, compassion, curiosity,
self-direction and persistence. All these should be developed during
the child's first 36 months of life. Read op-ed in St. Petersburg
Times.
As Aid Shrinks, More 'Stuck' for
Day Care
For a month, Stephanie Torres has been phoning and filing
paperwork, trying to get state help to keep her daughter in a Glendale,
AZ, day care center. The single working mom says she can't foot the
$115 weekly day care bill on her $14-an-hour part-time office job.
Arizona has rejected her application, one of thousands of denials as
the state reduces day care subsidies for low-income working parents.
"People like me, we're struggling," Torres says. "Take
something else away, not child care. It's so crucial." Read full
article in USA Today.
Share Your Story! The Early Care and Education Consortium (ECE) is seeking stories
about the experiences and struggles faced by families
in Florida. Providers and programs are also invited to share their
stories. Has enrollment changed at your center due to local job losses?
Are programs closing or cutting back? Your stories make a difference. Go
to the ECE "Tell Us Your Story" page online and share your story today.
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DJJ
Releases Annual Report
DJJ Secretary Frank
Peterman recently released the agency's 2008-09 Annual Report. The
report provides a high-level and plain-language overview of DJJ, and
highlights several of the achievements made by the agency throughout
the year. For the first time, the annual report also includes a
strategic plan update, resulting in a single comprehensive
document. The strategic plan update provides detailed information
about the collective progress made on DJJ's goals and objectives during
Fiscal Year 2008-09. Read the report.
Facing
Grim Economy, Most State Legislatures Continue to Prioritize Pre-K
Faced with limited
resources and historic deficits, the majority of states are continuing
to protect Pre-K funding, according to a report issued by the Pew
Center on the States. Twenty-nine states, including Florida, increased
or held steady Pre-K funding for fiscal year 2010. Two states - Alaska
and Rhode Island - made their first investments in state-funded pre-k
programs. The annual report, "Votes Count: Legislative Action on
Pre-K Fiscal Year 2010," reviews state budgets to see which
legislatures understand the economic and educational value of
high-quality, voluntary Pre-K. The study shows that while the economy
has forced lawmakers to evaluate budgets with unprecedented focus, most
states see Pre-K as a core priority and are finding ways to fund it. See
the full report.
Report
Says Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Key in Child Development
"There is no credible
scientific data to support the claim that specialized videos or
particular music recordings (e.g., 'the Mozart Effect') have a
positive, measurable impact on developing brain
architecture." This is a finding of a report, "The Timing and Quality of Early Experiences
Combine to Shape Brain Architecture," from the Center on the
Developing Child at Harvard University. The report also states,
"Beyond recent research that has argued against such claims,
evidence from decades of scientific investigation of experience-induced
changes in brain development makes it highly unlikely that the potential
benefits of such media would even come close to matching (much less
exceeding) the more important influences of attentive, nurturing, and
growth-promoting interactions with invested adults." Download the report (PDF).
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EVENTS
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Whole Child Conference Focuses on
Life Success for Children
The 2009 Whole Child Conference, scheduled for Nov. 6-7,
will be held at the Northwood Church in Longwood, FL. A must attend for
parents and early childhood professionals, the conference will address
the social, emotional, spiritual and behavioral aspects of children
ages birth through eight. The Whole Child Conference centers
around brain-based research that connects social-emotional development
to academic and life success. Learn how and why children need
these essential skills and how social-emotional development affects
behavior. To register, go to www.northlandchurch.net/event/wholechild/.
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.
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.
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.
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