Originally Submitted by Rob Thompson, Executive Director of the Covenant with North Carolina's Children
Hi Folks,
As you already know, we, along with Action for Children, are hosting a Healthy Children Lobby Day. Please join us on Wednesday June 9th for a day of action to promote children's health in the General Assembly. We'll call on our state leaders to maintain funding for critical children's health services, including NC Health Choice and Infant Mortality Prevention
Mark Your Calendars:
When: Wednesday, June 9, 8:30 AM-2:00 PM
Where: Legislative Portico (outside, on the back of the Legislative Building, next to the bridge)
*Refreshments will be provided.
The time is NOW to give a strong voice to these programs critical to the health of NC's children. The House's budget just cut all of the enrollment expansion for Health Choice included in the Governor's and Senate's budgets. We must speak for the eligible children and families that will not receive quality health care if Health Choice isn't given proper funding. Please help us make sure that Legislators don't forget children's health in the budget!
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
Join us! As someone who works full time on behalf of children, your voice at the legislature is important!
Contact your members! Please forward this to your networks and anyone who may be interested in coming to speak with legislators about these important children's health issues. Also, if you know any constituents in the counties listed below that would be willing to speak with Legislators, let us know and we can make an appointment for them. We have briefing materials and trained advocates to help everyone feel comfortable in speaking with Legislators.
We need constituents for the following counties: Anson, Buncombe, Chatham, Cleveland, Davidson, Duplin, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Granville, Guilford, Lenoir, Mecklenburg, Nash, Orange, Richmond, Rutherford, Sampson, Scotland, Stanly, Vance, Warren, and Wilson Counties.
Please join us on June 9th for an exciting and important event! Our Legislators need to hear (repeatedly!) that we will not let them forget children's health during this time of economic hardship. If you or a representative from your organization is planning on coming, please RSVP by sending an email to our intern Margaret Stacy at margaret@nccovenant.org.
If you or someone you know wants to participate but can't get to Raleigh on the 9th, call and set up phone appointments with your legislators for June 9th or let us know and we'll set on up for you. If you wish to have a phone (or in-person) appointment set up for you, email our intern Elizabeth Ireland at elizabeth@nccovenant.org.
We look forward to seeing you on June 9th!
Thanks,
Rob, Margaret and Elizabeth
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Covenant Legislative Update and Announcements
Originally Submitted by Rob Thompson, Executive Director of the Covenant with North Carolina's Children
May 24, 2010:
In this update:
I. Budget Update
II. Update on Legislative Agenda Items
III. Upcoming Events
IV. Change to Legislative Agenda
I. Budget Update
Following the Senate's lead, the House is expected to work very quickly to pass a budget. The timeline that they're expected to follow would have sub-committees passing out recommendations by the end of this week and a vote by the full Appropriations Committee next Tuesday. The full House would then debate and vote on the budget bill next Wednesday and Thursday.
A note on the process - please remember that if funding for an item is not included in either the Senate or House proposals, then the conference committee cannot consider including that funding in the final budget bill. In short, if it's not in the Senate proposal, it has to be in the House proposal or it's off the table.
Child Advocates, Beware! (and take action)
Last Thursday, at the House HHS Appropriations meeting, the Appropriations Committee Chairs distributed a document that had some troubling recommendations for HHS Committee members. Here are two that are particularly problematic:
1. "Consider consolidating pre-k and child development programs (More at Four and Smart Start)."
2. "Propose cuts in Medicaid and Health Choice that slow growth."
As more and more North Carolinians lose their employer-provided health care, now is the absolute wrong time to limit growth in Medicaid and Health Choice. Please follow this link to tell legislators to increase, not decrease, funding for enrollment growth in Health Choice and Medicaid.
II. Update on Legislative Agenda Items
Corporal Punishment: On Tuesday, 5/24, we expect the House Education Committee to hear a bill that would allow parents of children with disabilities to opt their children out of corporal punishment. It's possible that we might see an outright ban for some cases. The Covenant strongly supports this legislation.
School Nutrition Standards: On Tuesday, 5/24, the House Health Committee will hear a bill that would establish minimum nutrition standards for all food sold in public schools. The Covenant strongly supports this legislation.
III. Upcoming Events
House Budget Public Hearing, Monday, May 24th, 7 pm - 10 pm, McKimmon Center, NC State University. Come out to tell the House Budget Chairs what your priorities are for the state budget.
NCFAPA Lobby Day - On May 26st North Carolina Foster and Adoptive Parent Association is sponsoring a Legislative Awareness Day at the General Assembly. Please follow this link for more information.
Healthy Children Lobby Day - Wednesday, June 9. Join child advocates from across the state to urge legislators to increase funding for NC Health Choice and infant mortality prevention. More details to come.
IV. Change to Legislative Agenda
The second item on our Safety agenda now reads:
2. Promote policies that mitigate the impact of gun violence on children and the people who serve children and families.
May 18, 2010:
In this update:
I. Spending Comparison: Gov's Budget vs. Senate Budget
II. Senate Public Education Proposal
III. Revisions to Senate HHS Proposal
IV. Introduced Bills from Covenant Agenda
I. Below is a comparison of overall spending between the Governor's budget and the Senate budget proposal in our three main areas of concern:
Governor's Budget: Senate Budget:
Public Education: 7.046 billion $7.141 billion
HHS:$3.934 billion $3.915 billion
Juvenile Justice: $141.3 million $142.5 million
II. Public Education
Summary: Rather than taking the approach of the Governor and leaving the majority of cuts up to LEAs, the Senate makes lots of very deep and very specific cuts to Public Education budget. I've included a partial list of these cuts below. To see the full report, please follow this link.
More at Four - The Senate includes a recurring cut of $10 million and a one-time cut of $16,176,036 for More at Four. The one-time cut will be filled with federal dollars, so it should not impact services. Budget writers anticipate that the $10 million recurring cut will be offset partially by savings that result from new administrative efficiencies. If these savings don't materialize, then More at Four will have to absorb the full amount of the cut.
Teacher Salary - This $45 million cut is a revision of the teacher salary budget based on what teachers actually made in 2009. According the narrative in the Senate bill, no teacher's salary will be reduced as a result.
Instructional Supplies - $5 million recurring cut.
Central Office Administration - $10 million cut for LEA central office staff.
Mentoring - This item eliminates all funds ($9.2 million) for LEA mentoring programs. The cut is non-recurring, but it's always harder to get money back once it's been cut.
Instructional Support - This is $5 million (1.4%) cut for school nurses, social workers, counselors, etc.
Child and Family Support Teams - In addition to the $5 million cut for "instructional support," the Senate also proposes cutting $2.5 million from Child and Family Support Teams. This funding pays for social workers, as well.
Funding for At-risk Students - At-Risk Student Services ($1.2 million cut) and Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Funding ($1.975 million cut).
Dropout Prevention Grants - $13 million cut. This is pretty surprising given that it's a priority of the House Speaker.
Key Special Provision - The Senate also included a special provision that would allow local school districts to furlough teachers. This is very troubling.
III. HHS Adjustments
Smart Start - the proposed cut for Smart Start is doubled to $10 million.
Child Care Subsidy - the amount of subsidy money replaced with federal money is doubled to $24.756 million.
CCNC Savings - On Friday, the Senate thought that CCNC could help Medicaid save $26.7 million. On Monday, the Senate thought that CCNC could help Medicaid save $45 million. Interesting.
State Funding for Child Welfare - This is a $2.39 million cut to a variety of state funding authorizations - Foster Care/Adoption Title IV-E, Child Protective Services-State, and Child Protective Services Title IV-E.
IV. Introduced Bills
Here is a list of Covenant agenda items that have been introduced:
Early Childhood:
1. SB 1116 establishes the Joint Legislative Task Force on Consolidation of Early Childhood Education and Care. The sponsors are Blue, Jones, Preston, Purcell, and Swindell.
Education:
1. HB 1682 prohibits the use of corporal punishment for children with disabilities. Primary sponsors are Glazier, M. Alexander, Lucas and Rapp, and it was introduced on May 13.
2. SB 1138, sponsored by Foriest, Atwater, Dorsett, and Hartsell, also prohibits the use of corporal punishment for children with disabilities. The bill was introduced on May 17.
Health:
1. HB 1756 updates nutritional standards in public elementary, middle, and high schools. Primary sponsors are Insko, Rapp, Weiss and Yongue. The bill will be introduced on May 18.
Safety:
1. HB 1702 was introduced May 13. The bill, sponsored by Weiss, M. Alexander, England and Insko sets aside $1,287,000 for FY 2010-11.
$350,000 funds the March of Dimes to continue to provide outreach, educational materials, and vitamins through the NC Folic Acid Campaign to reduce the occurrence of neural tube defects. $330,000 is allocated for the East Carolina School of Medicine to continue to operate a high-risk maternity clinic to improve the birth outcomes of women in the eastern counties. $150,000 funds the Healthy Start Foundation to continue to provide education and public awareness through the Safe Sleep Campaign to reduce the occurrence of SIDS and sleep-related suffocations. $97,000 will go to the UNC School of Medicine to continue to provide education and progesterone to reduce preterm births among low-income non-Medicaid women who have already experienced at least one preterm birth. $460,000 funds the Healthy Start Foundation to continue to provide education, outreach, and the distribution of materials to reduce infant mortality by improving maternal health prior to and during pregnancy.
2. SB 1147, sponsored by Purcell, Allran, Atwater, and Forrester, would allocate the same funding for infant mortality prevention. The bill was introduced on May 17.
May 17, 2010:
Dear Members,
On Friday, the Senate released the Health and Human Services and Justice and Public Safety portions of its budget proposal. We should see the Education proposal at some point later today.
It's hard to complete an overall analysis of the budget without seeing the education section and how spending is divided among areas of state government. However, we can take a look what the Senate decided to cut and expand within Health and Human Services and Juvenile Justice, and where the Senate differs from the Governor's budget. The biggest differences appear in the Social Services budget and the Juvenile Justice budget.
To see copies of the Senate HHS budget proposal, click here. To see the Juvenile Justice proposal, click here.
(Thanks to Mandy Ableidinger at Action for Children for identifying many of the major differences between the Governor's proposal and the Senate's. Please note that all editorial commentary is mine.)
Health and Human Services
Overall spending - The Senate proposes to spend $3.946 billion on the HHS budget. That's $11 million more than the Governor's proposal.
Division of Child Development
Child Care Subsidy - $6 million reduction. Like the Governor, the Senate anticipates $6 million in cost savings from an electronic payment system that hasn't yet been implemented. At this point, it's unclear what that system even looks like. If these savings aren't found, children will be forced of child care subsidy.
Smart Start - $5.8 million reduction (or 3%), which is less than the Governor's 4% cut. HOWEVER, the Senate also proposes cutting an additional $5 million from Smart Start for health initiatives. At a time when we've lost significant infrastructure in our health outreach systems, this cut could be quite significant.
Division of MH,DD, SA
School-based Child and Family Teams - Like the Governor, the Senate cuts state funding for this program - $523,864.
Whitaker School - Like the Governor, the Senate wants to convert the Whitaker School (serves the most troubled teens in the state) to a PRTF, so that it can provide Medicaid reimbursable services. This is a good thing.
Expansion Item - Community Service Funds - The Senate proposes to restore $23 million of state funding for mental health services. Furthermore, the Senate proposes to allocate $17 million in Federal dollars to fully restore the $40 million cut from last year's budget.
Public Health
27 positions eliminated - There's no explanation of which position. It's unclear to me if the Division can absorb this right now - $900,000 cut.
Immunizations - This item cuts out all state funding for the purchasing of vaccines ($15,894,853). The Senate states that these items can be billed to health insurers. While this may be true, we know that this cut will mean that vaccines will not be as readily available and that fewer children will be vaccinated. This is a complicated issue and I'll try to provide more guidance moving forward.
Expansion - School Health Nurses - $1 million to hire an additional 20 school health nurses.
Health Choice
Expansion - Enrollment Growth - Though a couple million less than what the Governor proposed, the Senate proposes to raise the enrollment cap for Health Choice by $6.5 million. It's unclear how many spots this would open up.
Division of Medical Assistance (Medicaid)
Maternal Outreach Workers - This item transitions women receiving services through the MOW program to Maternal Care Coordinators and Children Services Coordinators. This is troubling because the MCC and CSC programs are already stretched too thin. $292,974 cut.
Children's Mental Health - Requires prior authorization for mental health services at 16 visits versus the current 26 visits. This is a cut of $933,547, which suggests to me that fewer children will receive mental health services.
Division of Social Services
15 Position Eliminations ($959,632 cut) - This will be tough for the state DSS to absorb as it is already understaffed.
Child Support Enforcement ($1,282,777 cut) - This item transitions a significant portion of child care enforcement in 28 counties to local DSS. The local DSS offices do not have the ability to absorb this new responsibility.
Child Advocacy Centers ($375,000 cut) - This item replaces recurring state dollars with a one-time appropriation of federal funds. Unclear what happens next year without recurring money.
NC REACH - $1.58 million non-recurring cut and $160,507 recurring cut. This is a program that provides scholarships to children aging out of foster care.
Child and Family Team Facilitators ($420,804 cut) - This item removes state funding for facilitators in twelve relatively impoverished counties.
Contracts for Adoption Programs ($459,156 cut) - This is troubling as we already have a very difficult time finding permanent placements for children in foster care.
Expansion - Child Welfare Collaborative Program - $239,452 increase. This programs provides assistance to social work students who make a commitment to work in county departments of social services.
Juvenile Justice
Elimination of Positions - the Senate proposes to eliminate 31 vacant positions saving a total of $1,158,829. Even though these positions are vacant, many of them are still very much needed, especially with the hit the Department took last year.
YDC Budget - This a 5% ($3,538,342) reduction based on a drop in commitments. This would be fine if YDCs were adequately funded for their previous levels of commitments.
Gov's items not included in Senate budget -
1. Elimination of Woodson Wilderness Camp ($1 million)
2. Reduction of Eckerd Wilderness Camp ($7.4 million)
3. Close Macon County multi-purpose home ($600,000)
4. Restore Samarkand YDC $3.5 million
May 17, 2010, Part 2:
Hey Folks,
I wanted to include an update on two items that I left out of the first update:
1. Funding for infant mortality prevention;
2. Youth Accountability and Involvement Office
Infant Mortality: The Senate HHS Appropriations Committee proposed using Health and Wellness Trust Fund money to continue funding infant mortality prevention programs. Funding has been proposed to support the NC Folic Acid Campaign, Safe Sleep education campaign, and 17P distribution at the rates we encouraged ($350,000; $150,000; $97,000).
Although funding for the Healthy Start Foundation has not been specifically mentioned, no lump sum reductions or administrative cuts have been proposed, which is a good sign. We still hope that legislators will be able to find $330,000 for the ECU High-Risk Clinic, but funding has not yet been proposed.
The HHS Appropriations Committee will meet today to vote on these funding allocations.
Youth Advocacy and Involvement Office: The Senate makes no cuts or transfers to the Youth Advocacy and Involvement Office, which is great news! In the Governor's budget, the Office was dismantled, so we're very grateful that it is left intact in the Senate proposal.
Best, Rob
May 24, 2010:
In this update:
I. Budget Update
II. Update on Legislative Agenda Items
III. Upcoming Events
IV. Change to Legislative Agenda
I. Budget Update
Following the Senate's lead, the House is expected to work very quickly to pass a budget. The timeline that they're expected to follow would have sub-committees passing out recommendations by the end of this week and a vote by the full Appropriations Committee next Tuesday. The full House would then debate and vote on the budget bill next Wednesday and Thursday.
A note on the process - please remember that if funding for an item is not included in either the Senate or House proposals, then the conference committee cannot consider including that funding in the final budget bill. In short, if it's not in the Senate proposal, it has to be in the House proposal or it's off the table.
Child Advocates, Beware! (and take action)
Last Thursday, at the House HHS Appropriations meeting, the Appropriations Committee Chairs distributed a document that had some troubling recommendations for HHS Committee members. Here are two that are particularly problematic:
1. "Consider consolidating pre-k and child development programs (More at Four and Smart Start)."
2. "Propose cuts in Medicaid and Health Choice that slow growth."
As more and more North Carolinians lose their employer-provided health care, now is the absolute wrong time to limit growth in Medicaid and Health Choice. Please follow this link to tell legislators to increase, not decrease, funding for enrollment growth in Health Choice and Medicaid.
II. Update on Legislative Agenda Items
Corporal Punishment: On Tuesday, 5/24, we expect the House Education Committee to hear a bill that would allow parents of children with disabilities to opt their children out of corporal punishment. It's possible that we might see an outright ban for some cases. The Covenant strongly supports this legislation.
School Nutrition Standards: On Tuesday, 5/24, the House Health Committee will hear a bill that would establish minimum nutrition standards for all food sold in public schools. The Covenant strongly supports this legislation.
III. Upcoming Events
House Budget Public Hearing, Monday, May 24th, 7 pm - 10 pm, McKimmon Center, NC State University. Come out to tell the House Budget Chairs what your priorities are for the state budget.
NCFAPA Lobby Day - On May 26st North Carolina Foster and Adoptive Parent Association is sponsoring a Legislative Awareness Day at the General Assembly. Please follow this link for more information.
Healthy Children Lobby Day - Wednesday, June 9. Join child advocates from across the state to urge legislators to increase funding for NC Health Choice and infant mortality prevention. More details to come.
IV. Change to Legislative Agenda
The second item on our Safety agenda now reads:
2. Promote policies that mitigate the impact of gun violence on children and the people who serve children and families.
May 18, 2010:
In this update:
I. Spending Comparison: Gov's Budget vs. Senate Budget
II. Senate Public Education Proposal
III. Revisions to Senate HHS Proposal
IV. Introduced Bills from Covenant Agenda
I. Below is a comparison of overall spending between the Governor's budget and the Senate budget proposal in our three main areas of concern:
Governor's Budget: Senate Budget:
Public Education: 7.046 billion $7.141 billion
HHS:$3.934 billion $3.915 billion
Juvenile Justice: $141.3 million $142.5 million
II. Public Education
Summary: Rather than taking the approach of the Governor and leaving the majority of cuts up to LEAs, the Senate makes lots of very deep and very specific cuts to Public Education budget. I've included a partial list of these cuts below. To see the full report, please follow this link.
More at Four - The Senate includes a recurring cut of $10 million and a one-time cut of $16,176,036 for More at Four. The one-time cut will be filled with federal dollars, so it should not impact services. Budget writers anticipate that the $10 million recurring cut will be offset partially by savings that result from new administrative efficiencies. If these savings don't materialize, then More at Four will have to absorb the full amount of the cut.
Teacher Salary - This $45 million cut is a revision of the teacher salary budget based on what teachers actually made in 2009. According the narrative in the Senate bill, no teacher's salary will be reduced as a result.
Instructional Supplies - $5 million recurring cut.
Central Office Administration - $10 million cut for LEA central office staff.
Mentoring - This item eliminates all funds ($9.2 million) for LEA mentoring programs. The cut is non-recurring, but it's always harder to get money back once it's been cut.
Instructional Support - This is $5 million (1.4%) cut for school nurses, social workers, counselors, etc.
Child and Family Support Teams - In addition to the $5 million cut for "instructional support," the Senate also proposes cutting $2.5 million from Child and Family Support Teams. This funding pays for social workers, as well.
Funding for At-risk Students - At-Risk Student Services ($1.2 million cut) and Disadvantaged Student Supplemental Funding ($1.975 million cut).
Dropout Prevention Grants - $13 million cut. This is pretty surprising given that it's a priority of the House Speaker.
Key Special Provision - The Senate also included a special provision that would allow local school districts to furlough teachers. This is very troubling.
III. HHS Adjustments
Smart Start - the proposed cut for Smart Start is doubled to $10 million.
Child Care Subsidy - the amount of subsidy money replaced with federal money is doubled to $24.756 million.
CCNC Savings - On Friday, the Senate thought that CCNC could help Medicaid save $26.7 million. On Monday, the Senate thought that CCNC could help Medicaid save $45 million. Interesting.
State Funding for Child Welfare - This is a $2.39 million cut to a variety of state funding authorizations - Foster Care/Adoption Title IV-E, Child Protective Services-State, and Child Protective Services Title IV-E.
IV. Introduced Bills
Here is a list of Covenant agenda items that have been introduced:
Early Childhood:
1. SB 1116 establishes the Joint Legislative Task Force on Consolidation of Early Childhood Education and Care. The sponsors are Blue, Jones, Preston, Purcell, and Swindell.
Education:
1. HB 1682 prohibits the use of corporal punishment for children with disabilities. Primary sponsors are Glazier, M. Alexander, Lucas and Rapp, and it was introduced on May 13.
2. SB 1138, sponsored by Foriest, Atwater, Dorsett, and Hartsell, also prohibits the use of corporal punishment for children with disabilities. The bill was introduced on May 17.
Health:
1. HB 1756 updates nutritional standards in public elementary, middle, and high schools. Primary sponsors are Insko, Rapp, Weiss and Yongue. The bill will be introduced on May 18.
Safety:
1. HB 1702 was introduced May 13. The bill, sponsored by Weiss, M. Alexander, England and Insko sets aside $1,287,000 for FY 2010-11.
$350,000 funds the March of Dimes to continue to provide outreach, educational materials, and vitamins through the NC Folic Acid Campaign to reduce the occurrence of neural tube defects. $330,000 is allocated for the East Carolina School of Medicine to continue to operate a high-risk maternity clinic to improve the birth outcomes of women in the eastern counties. $150,000 funds the Healthy Start Foundation to continue to provide education and public awareness through the Safe Sleep Campaign to reduce the occurrence of SIDS and sleep-related suffocations. $97,000 will go to the UNC School of Medicine to continue to provide education and progesterone to reduce preterm births among low-income non-Medicaid women who have already experienced at least one preterm birth. $460,000 funds the Healthy Start Foundation to continue to provide education, outreach, and the distribution of materials to reduce infant mortality by improving maternal health prior to and during pregnancy.
2. SB 1147, sponsored by Purcell, Allran, Atwater, and Forrester, would allocate the same funding for infant mortality prevention. The bill was introduced on May 17.
May 17, 2010:
Dear Members,
On Friday, the Senate released the Health and Human Services and Justice and Public Safety portions of its budget proposal. We should see the Education proposal at some point later today.
It's hard to complete an overall analysis of the budget without seeing the education section and how spending is divided among areas of state government. However, we can take a look what the Senate decided to cut and expand within Health and Human Services and Juvenile Justice, and where the Senate differs from the Governor's budget. The biggest differences appear in the Social Services budget and the Juvenile Justice budget.
To see copies of the Senate HHS budget proposal, click here. To see the Juvenile Justice proposal, click here.
(Thanks to Mandy Ableidinger at Action for Children for identifying many of the major differences between the Governor's proposal and the Senate's. Please note that all editorial commentary is mine.)
Health and Human Services
Overall spending - The Senate proposes to spend $3.946 billion on the HHS budget. That's $11 million more than the Governor's proposal.
Division of Child Development
Child Care Subsidy - $6 million reduction. Like the Governor, the Senate anticipates $6 million in cost savings from an electronic payment system that hasn't yet been implemented. At this point, it's unclear what that system even looks like. If these savings aren't found, children will be forced of child care subsidy.
Smart Start - $5.8 million reduction (or 3%), which is less than the Governor's 4% cut. HOWEVER, the Senate also proposes cutting an additional $5 million from Smart Start for health initiatives. At a time when we've lost significant infrastructure in our health outreach systems, this cut could be quite significant.
Division of MH,DD, SA
School-based Child and Family Teams - Like the Governor, the Senate cuts state funding for this program - $523,864.
Whitaker School - Like the Governor, the Senate wants to convert the Whitaker School (serves the most troubled teens in the state) to a PRTF, so that it can provide Medicaid reimbursable services. This is a good thing.
Expansion Item - Community Service Funds - The Senate proposes to restore $23 million of state funding for mental health services. Furthermore, the Senate proposes to allocate $17 million in Federal dollars to fully restore the $40 million cut from last year's budget.
Public Health
27 positions eliminated - There's no explanation of which position. It's unclear to me if the Division can absorb this right now - $900,000 cut.
Immunizations - This item cuts out all state funding for the purchasing of vaccines ($15,894,853). The Senate states that these items can be billed to health insurers. While this may be true, we know that this cut will mean that vaccines will not be as readily available and that fewer children will be vaccinated. This is a complicated issue and I'll try to provide more guidance moving forward.
Expansion - School Health Nurses - $1 million to hire an additional 20 school health nurses.
Health Choice
Expansion - Enrollment Growth - Though a couple million less than what the Governor proposed, the Senate proposes to raise the enrollment cap for Health Choice by $6.5 million. It's unclear how many spots this would open up.
Division of Medical Assistance (Medicaid)
Maternal Outreach Workers - This item transitions women receiving services through the MOW program to Maternal Care Coordinators and Children Services Coordinators. This is troubling because the MCC and CSC programs are already stretched too thin. $292,974 cut.
Children's Mental Health - Requires prior authorization for mental health services at 16 visits versus the current 26 visits. This is a cut of $933,547, which suggests to me that fewer children will receive mental health services.
Division of Social Services
15 Position Eliminations ($959,632 cut) - This will be tough for the state DSS to absorb as it is already understaffed.
Child Support Enforcement ($1,282,777 cut) - This item transitions a significant portion of child care enforcement in 28 counties to local DSS. The local DSS offices do not have the ability to absorb this new responsibility.
Child Advocacy Centers ($375,000 cut) - This item replaces recurring state dollars with a one-time appropriation of federal funds. Unclear what happens next year without recurring money.
NC REACH - $1.58 million non-recurring cut and $160,507 recurring cut. This is a program that provides scholarships to children aging out of foster care.
Child and Family Team Facilitators ($420,804 cut) - This item removes state funding for facilitators in twelve relatively impoverished counties.
Contracts for Adoption Programs ($459,156 cut) - This is troubling as we already have a very difficult time finding permanent placements for children in foster care.
Expansion - Child Welfare Collaborative Program - $239,452 increase. This programs provides assistance to social work students who make a commitment to work in county departments of social services.
Juvenile Justice
Elimination of Positions - the Senate proposes to eliminate 31 vacant positions saving a total of $1,158,829. Even though these positions are vacant, many of them are still very much needed, especially with the hit the Department took last year.
YDC Budget - This a 5% ($3,538,342) reduction based on a drop in commitments. This would be fine if YDCs were adequately funded for their previous levels of commitments.
Gov's items not included in Senate budget -
1. Elimination of Woodson Wilderness Camp ($1 million)
2. Reduction of Eckerd Wilderness Camp ($7.4 million)
3. Close Macon County multi-purpose home ($600,000)
4. Restore Samarkand YDC $3.5 million
May 17, 2010, Part 2:
Hey Folks,
I wanted to include an update on two items that I left out of the first update:
1. Funding for infant mortality prevention;
2. Youth Accountability and Involvement Office
Infant Mortality: The Senate HHS Appropriations Committee proposed using Health and Wellness Trust Fund money to continue funding infant mortality prevention programs. Funding has been proposed to support the NC Folic Acid Campaign, Safe Sleep education campaign, and 17P distribution at the rates we encouraged ($350,000; $150,000; $97,000).
Although funding for the Healthy Start Foundation has not been specifically mentioned, no lump sum reductions or administrative cuts have been proposed, which is a good sign. We still hope that legislators will be able to find $330,000 for the ECU High-Risk Clinic, but funding has not yet been proposed.
The HHS Appropriations Committee will meet today to vote on these funding allocations.
Youth Advocacy and Involvement Office: The Senate makes no cuts or transfers to the Youth Advocacy and Involvement Office, which is great news! In the Governor's budget, the Office was dismantled, so we're very grateful that it is left intact in the Senate proposal.
Best, Rob
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Covenant Membership News
Originally Submitted by Rob Thompson, Executive Director of the Covenant with North Carolina's Children
Hey Folks,
Below is our 2010 Legislative Agenda. Please follow this link (https://ssl.capwiz.com/cwncc/attachments/1_2010_leg_agenda.pdf) to access a formatted PDF version.
Preamble:
Despite facing profound challenges stemming from the recession, North Carolina's children and families have the ability to bounce back and grow strong, so long as we pull together and maintain investments in public structures like education, public safety, and health services. Now is not the time to be short-sighted or overly-cautious--our state's leaders must play an active role in supporting our children, families and communities to ensure long-term success and stability.
Child Welfare
1. Assure the safety and health of North Carolina's most vulnerable children by protecting existing child welfare services from further cuts.
2. Appropriate $2.8 million to the NC Division of Social Services for family preservation services and $6.6 million for facilitators of child and family teams.
Early Childhood
1. Sustain funding for all early childhood education programs including Smart Start, More at Four, subsidy and TEACCH®.
2. Support the bills developed by the Joint Legislative Task Force on Consolidation of Early Childhood Education and include expanded membership of the study committee.
Economic Security
1. Maintain funding for the state refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
2. Sustain and, if possible, increase funding for the NC Housing Trust Fund, Home Protection Program, and State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project.
Education
1. Ban the use of corporal punishment on children with disabilities.
2. Preserve the integrity of the public school classroom and the services and supports that students and teachers need to be successful.
Health
1. Ensure that all foods sold in NC public schools meet minimum, science-based nutrition standards.
2. Protect Medicaid/Health Choice funding and raise the Health Choice enrollment cap so all eligible children can access affordable, quality healthcare.
Juvenile Justice
1. Preserve the current $23 million allocation to county Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils (JCPCs).
2. Avoid additional cuts/reductions to DJJDP facilities and personnel, which were subjected to disproportionate cuts in the 2009 -2010 budget.
MH/DD/SA
1. Continue and expand funding for early screening and intervention for mental illness and developmental disabilities.
2. Develop and fund a continuum of research supported, community-based services for children and adolescents to prevent harmful confinement in hospitals and detention centers.
Safety
1. Preserve current funding for proven Infant Mortality Prevention Programs.
2. Recognizing that 63 percent of intimate partner violence child homicides are firearm related, prevent passage of Senate Bill 928 (Castle Doctrine).
Hey Folks,
Below is our 2010 Legislative Agenda. Please follow this link (https://ssl.capwiz.com/cwncc/attachments/1_2010_leg_agenda.pdf) to access a formatted PDF version.
Preamble:
Despite facing profound challenges stemming from the recession, North Carolina's children and families have the ability to bounce back and grow strong, so long as we pull together and maintain investments in public structures like education, public safety, and health services. Now is not the time to be short-sighted or overly-cautious--our state's leaders must play an active role in supporting our children, families and communities to ensure long-term success and stability.
Child Welfare
1. Assure the safety and health of North Carolina's most vulnerable children by protecting existing child welfare services from further cuts.
2. Appropriate $2.8 million to the NC Division of Social Services for family preservation services and $6.6 million for facilitators of child and family teams.
Early Childhood
1. Sustain funding for all early childhood education programs including Smart Start, More at Four, subsidy and TEACCH®.
2. Support the bills developed by the Joint Legislative Task Force on Consolidation of Early Childhood Education and include expanded membership of the study committee.
Economic Security
1. Maintain funding for the state refundable Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
2. Sustain and, if possible, increase funding for the NC Housing Trust Fund, Home Protection Program, and State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project.
Education
1. Ban the use of corporal punishment on children with disabilities.
2. Preserve the integrity of the public school classroom and the services and supports that students and teachers need to be successful.
Health
1. Ensure that all foods sold in NC public schools meet minimum, science-based nutrition standards.
2. Protect Medicaid/Health Choice funding and raise the Health Choice enrollment cap so all eligible children can access affordable, quality healthcare.
Juvenile Justice
1. Preserve the current $23 million allocation to county Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils (JCPCs).
2. Avoid additional cuts/reductions to DJJDP facilities and personnel, which were subjected to disproportionate cuts in the 2009 -2010 budget.
MH/DD/SA
1. Continue and expand funding for early screening and intervention for mental illness and developmental disabilities.
2. Develop and fund a continuum of research supported, community-based services for children and adolescents to prevent harmful confinement in hospitals and detention centers.
Safety
1. Preserve current funding for proven Infant Mortality Prevention Programs.
2. Recognizing that 63 percent of intimate partner violence child homicides are firearm related, prevent passage of Senate Bill 928 (Castle Doctrine).
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