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Attention Readers: Florida CSC News Update newsletter will take a brief hiatus during the 2011 Legislative Session in order to bring you timely updates on the 2011 Legislative Session through Capitol Connection. The official start of session is Tues., March 8. Every week from next week until early May, we'll deliver the latest policy news and legislative activities affecting Florida's children and families.

LEGISLATIVE NEWS

KidCare
The Senate KidCare bill (SB 406 by Sen Sobel), allowing for the use of the school lunch program registration to identify children's eligibility for KidCare, has now been rolled into the Senate's Medicaid reform bill.

The House version of the KidCare bill (HB 245 by Rep. Logan) has yet to be placed on the agenda in its first committee, Health and Human Services Access (HHS Access). With four committees of reference, the House bill needs to be placed on the HHS Access agenda as soon as possible. Supporters are urged to contact Committee Chair Gayle Harrell, and House Appropriations Committee Chair Denise Grimsley to request that the bill be placed on the HHS Access agenda.

Senate Medicaid Reform Proposal
In addition to the KidCare bill language, some good provisions of the Medicaid Reform draft call for: Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT), a medical home for each child, enhanced reimbursement of primary care physicians, allowing CMS to operate as a Provider Service Network (PSN), and funding for Healthy Start. The House has not yet released its draft Medicaid Reform bill. This is a leadership priority and there is a widespread belief that a reform bill of some type will be passed. Despite the good provisions contained in the bill, there is still concern that overall Medicaid reform will result in capped benefits and funding, though there is no guarantee the federal Center for Medicaid and Medicare will approve the redesign waiver.

Early Learning
While the Governor's proposed budget looks promising for Early Learning and VPK, it remains unclear where the programs will be housed. Agency reorganization proposals include keeping the programs where they are now, moving everything to the Department of Education (DOE), or possibly moving the programs to a new, proposed Jobs and Economic Opportunity Agency. Some advocates who had previously pushed for the programs to be moved to DOE are now considering whether the move to the new Jobs Agency promises a brighter future given the link to the Governor's priority of job development. Whatever choice is ultimately made, all early learning programs should be housed together under one agency.

For the House and Senate, the state's fiscal challenges are forcing their respective Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations subcommittees that oversee early learning funding to scrutinize general revenue funding for next fiscal year. The Senate's projected general revenue reduction, as stated by the Chair, is approximately $50 million. School Readiness funds account for 70 percent of general revenue in this budget area, so funding cuts are on the table for consideration.

CALL TO ACTION:

Contact legislators in the House and Senate and urge them to maintain funding for school readiness and VPK. Funding is critical not only for Florida's children, but for working moms and dads. See fact sheets prepared by AWI's Office of Early Learning.

Booster Seats
The booster seat bill (SB 238 by Sen. Altman) passed out of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee last week. The House bill (HB 11 by Rep. Steinberg) has not yet been placed on the agenda in House Transportation & Highway Safety. The Florida CSC policy team has met with a majority of the members of the House committee and they have indicated their support for the bill. However, advocates are encouraged to contact Rep. Drake, chair of that committee to urge him to agenda the bill soon.

Smart Caps (TABOR)
The Senate's joint resolution (SJR 958) to establish a new state revenue limitation in the Florida Constitution moved quickly through its final committee of reference. The resolution only includes revenue caps for state government. CS/SJR 958 passed the Senate Budget Committee and Rules Committee. It is scheduled for floor action on March 10. House consideration of the Senate proposal is expected in the upcoming weeks. The key components of the constitutional proposal include the following:

Replaces the existing state revenue limitation based on Florida's personal income growth with a new state revenue limitation based on changes in population and inflation.
Requires excess revenues to be deposited into the Budget Stabilization Fund, used to support public education, or returned to taxpayers.
Adds fines and revenues used to pay debt service on bonds issued after July 1, 2012 to the state revenues subject to the limitation.
Authorizes the Legislature to increase the revenue limitation by a supermajority vote.
Authorizes the Legislature to place a proposed increase before the voters, requiring approval by 60% of the voters.

Special Districts
The House Finance and Tax Committee continued its review and discussion of special districts. The committee heard public testimony from the Florida Association of Special Districts, Association of Florida Community Developers, Florida TaxWatch and Independent Special Fire Control and Rescue districts. Committee member questions ranged from elected vs. appointed special district boards to consolidation/merger challenges. Committee Chair Stephen Precourt indicated he may pursue legislative action on special districts. He expressed concern over the "proliferation" of special taxing districts and the taxes they levy on top of city and county taxes. He is seeking input from committee members on ideas and potential changes. Rep. Mayfield (R-Vero Beach) requested a list of districts that do not have elected boards. The Senate Community Affairs Committee will be working on a proposed committee bill based on the interim committee report, "Merger of Independent Special Districts" (Interim Report 2011-110, October 2010).

TOP STORIES

Children's Movement Releases Statewide Poll Results
Continuing in its historic effort to put Florida's children first, The Children's Movement of Florida released results of a statewide poll at a press conference last week on the steps of the old capitol building in Tallahassee. The Tarrance Group poll shows that 72 percent of voters want lawmakers to make children the first priority this Legislative Session. Even in the current economic environment, more than 7 out of 10 voters support the movement's agenda to: bring health insurance to an additional 300,000 children; introduce universal screening of children who may have special needs; improve Florida's voluntary pre-kindergarten program; enhance parent-skill building; and rebuild student mentoring. Read more.

DOH Releases Plan to Reorganize, Consolidate
The Department of Health (DOH) released a 154-page report yesterday outlining plans to reorganize and shrink its operations. DOH issued the report as part of a directive from lawmakers who have been critical of the department's effectiveness, saying it had become unfocused and taken on too many roles. In one major change, the report calls for the state to stop paying for primary-care services at county health departments. The proposal is estimated to save about $22.3 million and comes as some state officials want to rely more on federally qualified health centers to provide primary care. In another big change, the report recommends contracting with a private company to run at least part of the Children's Medical Services (CMS) program. CMS serves children who have a variety of serious medical conditions. Other changes include lifting the requirement for the department secretary to be a physician, and eliminating more than 1,600 positions. See more details in the Miami Herald.

FEDERAL WATCH

Florida Might Withdraw From Medicaid
Excerpt: The lead author of a proposal to overhaul the state Medicaid program said recently that if the federal government rejects the plan, Florida might become the first state to withdraw from the program and instead craft its own, pared-down alternative. The statement by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, underscored how serious leadership of the Senate say they are about reining in costs of the program, which provides healthcare for low-income patients. Medicaid is expected to cost the state more than $22 billion in the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1. However, Speaker Dean Cannon has indicated his opposition to a plan that would jeopardize billions in needed federal support. Read more from the Florida Times-Union.

Budget Proposal FY2012
Recently, the Obama Administration released its budget proposal for FY2012, which begins Oct. 1, 2011 and kicks off the annual process of determining funding levels for federal programs. The proposal suggests a $1.3-billion increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), an $866-million increase for Head Start, and $350 million to create an Early Learning Challenge Fund. However, Congress has still not completed the work of determining funding levels for programs for FY2011. The continuing resolution that has kept programs funded expires March 4. The House of Representatives debated and passed a package (H. R. 1) that makes deep cuts to health and to early childhood programs resulting in 368,000 children losing access to child care and Head Start. The Senate is now debating FY2011 budget cuts. The Early Care and Education Consortium is encouraging anyone concerned with these cuts to take action.

The national organization, First Focus, has also released a series of fact sheets that detail the impact of the spending proposal on children and families. The fact sheets cover early childhood, child health, K-12 education and more. See details here.

IN OTHER NEWS

Florida Youth SHINE Members Meet DCF Secretary
Recently, 21 Florida Youth SHINE members had the opportunity to meet with DCF's newly appointed Secretary - David Wilkins. At a lunch in Tallahassee, Secretary Wilkins and his wife, Tanya, took the time to speak with each member and learn firsthand from some of our state's current and former foster youth. Read more.

ELC Event Draws 5,000 Families
In coordination with the Early Learning Coalition (ELC) of Miami-Dade/Monroe, Miami-Dade County held a managed enrollment initiative at the Martin Luther King Office Plaza. The event was expected to enroll families seeking school readiness services. However, no one anticipated the number of people who would show up -- more than 5,000. In response, ELC President & CEO Evelio Torres said, "Working families are simply desperate for help with the high cost of child care." Read more.

Read a Book - Give a Book
With online reading support, the Pearson Foundation and We Give Books are committed to donating 5,000 brand-new books to children throughout the state as the exclusive literacy partner of Children's Week. Every time visitors to the We Give Books website read a book, a brand-new book will be given to a young person. Each year, the United Way of Florida and more than 80 partners put a spotlight on issues that affect young people and their families during Florida's Children's Week, and a primary focus is literacy. We Give Books is an integral part of the United Way of Florida's efforts to increase literacy and awareness for children aged one through seven across Florida.

The State of Preschool: Comparing the U.S. to Our International Competitors
Excerpt: In his State of the Union address, President Obama cited statistics showing that, compared to other developed countries, America is no longer at the front of the pack on several measures of educational success. For anyone interested in early childhood, the comparisons beg the question: How do we measure up internationally in the pre-k or preschool years? Read more.

Declining Fortunes of Children in Middle-Class Families
America's middle-class children have been steadily falling further behind their more privileged peers for the past quarter century - but the worst of the fallout has been held in check by essential policies and programs that could be unraveled, depending on key budget decisions, according to a new study released by the Foundation for Child Development. Read more.

EVENTS

NACCRRA Policy Symposium - March 15-19, 2011
The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies Policy Symposium brings together more than 600 child care resource and referral professionals, early care and education experts, researchers, and other early childhood education authorities in Washington, D.C., on an annual basis. Click here for more information.

24th Annual Children's Mental Health Research and Policy Conference - March 20-23, 2011
The 24th Annual Children's Mental Health Research and Policy Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Tampa, March 20-23. The conference presents an opportunity for dialogue between researchers, policymakers, family members, youth, clinicians and other stakeholders to explore cutting-edge research and policy aimed at ensuring a collaborative, community-based, culturally competent, family-driven, youth-guided approach to meeting the needs of children and families. It will be hosted by the University of South Florida's Department of Child and Family Studies. Read more.

18th Annual Foster Care Conference: Footsteps to the Future -
May 18-20, 2011
The 18th Annual National Foster Care Conference, "Footsteps to the Future", will be held May 18-20 at the Hilton Oceanfront Resort located on Daytona Beach, FL. This conference is an informative event for youth service professionals, foster care professionals and foster parents. It will explore new information, innovations and skills to strengthen the practice and professional development of foster care-involved individuals. Read more.

For more than 60 years, CSCs across Florida have invested
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results for their community's children and families. bottom

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