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Childhood Immunization Rates at Record High Levels
The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that the nation''s childhood immunization rates are at record high levels, including significant increases in rates of immunization for chickenpox and pneumonia, the two most recent additions to the childhood immunization schedule. The findings were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to kick off August as National Immunization Awareness Month.
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One-third of U.S. Children Lack Quality Health Care
A study in the journal Pediatrics reports that 34 percent of U.S. children age 4 months to 35 months do not receive high-quality, preventative health care. About 66 percent of children surveyed received "excellent" or "good" preventative care.
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Affordable Health Insurance For Children - KidCare
Affordable Health Insurance For Children - KidCare
The flyer is available at http://www.cscbroward.org/pdfs/ChildHealthInsuranceEnroll.pdf
To enroll go to http://www.floridakidcare.org/printapp.html
The application is available in 3 languages (just click on one of the languages below:
English, Spanish, Haitian Creole
Hurry applications must be received by January 30, 2005, no exceptions.
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Support 2-1-1 Resource and Referral!
2-1-1 First Call for Help makes it easier for Broward County residents to get the information they need to keep them out of emergency rooms, off of government assistance, out of “deep end” social service programs, safe from abuse, and in stable housing. Statewide 2-1-1 providers also help callers find job training and assistance, elder care and child care, and before-and-after-school care that will allow them to stay employed.
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Forum on Florida's Uninsured
Have some ideas on how the Florida Legislature can help meet the needs of the uninsured population? Then click for more information about an upcoming "idea-raiser" that will include key lawmakers and opinion leaders. Let your voice be heard on November 9th!
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Medicaid Reform Community Based Organization Breakfast
On October 27, 2006 the United Way of Broward County, in partnership with the Florida Medicaid Reform Program, will host a breakfast for Broward County’s community based organizations. The event is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the United Way of Broward County, located at 1300 South Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. Community based organizations who serve Broward’s Medicaid beneficiary community are encouraged to send a representative. Click above for more information.
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Black Infant and Fetal Mortality Prompts a CALL TO ACTION
Black babies in Broward County are dying at more than twice the rate of white babies. As a result, a group of Broward County community, governmental service agencies and businesses, including the CSC, have formed a Community Partnership to address the root causes of the problem.
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THE TAX COMMISSION’S TABOR: A PATH TO DETERIORATION IN FLORIDA
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities report on Florida's proposed Taxpayers Bill of Right (TABOR) CP45...This proposal, deserves a great deal of attention because it shares the fundamental characteristics of Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights.
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Capitol Connection, Week 9
Wrap-up edition on Florida's Legislative Session 2008. "Florida legislators concluded a somber 2008 Legislative Session Friday with the ceremonial sine die and farewells to 35 of their colleagues who will not return next year due to term limits. Lawmakers also approved a significantly reduced state budget of $66.2 billion - more than $5 billion less than the budget they passed just a year ago. The House approved the 2008-09 budget Thursday night largely along party lines, 75-44. In the Senate, the budget passed 32-8."
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State Budget Impact on Children and Families
Because of the problems Florida's economy is experiencing, it is virtually inevitable that the Legislature will need to make budget cuts before the regular 2009 legislative session. The Governor's Office has required all state agencies to report the services that would need to be cut, if it were necessary to reduce the budget by as much as 10%.
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Support a White House Conference on Children and Youth!
Bipartisan White House Conference legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate. If Congress does not pass this legislation, it will make it 40 years since the last White House Conference on Children and Youth was held. If Congress does pass this legislation, it will inform child welfare and health policy for the next decade.
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Calls Needed to Protect Florida's Human Services Safety Net
The stakes are high when it comes to the state budget. The House of Representatives has a position that would dramatically reduce the quality of life for all Floridians – and adds little or no additional revenue. It’s an absolutely untenable position given our current fiscal climate. Click to see how you can help today.
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Governor Crist Signs Foster Care Legislation at the CSC
At the Children's Services Council of Broward County, Governor Charlie Crist signed legislation that benefits children in foster care as well as young people leaving foster care. The April 14th bill signing ceremony also honored young advocates from Florida Youth Shine, a statewide group of former foster youth.
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Capitol Connection
News from our State and Nation's Capitol about Children and Families. The Legislative Session, Week 3.
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Last Chance to Defeat Budget Bill That Harms Children!
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote again on February 1 on the Budget Conference bill that makes deep cuts in health care, child support, child care, foster care and student loans. Click to see how you can help defeat this Budget Conference bill that would hard children and families...
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On Voting!
Some words on the importance of voting from uber-advocate Jack Levine...
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Agency for Persons with Disabilities Created
A new state Agency for Persons with Disabilities will be created Oct. 1 to be an advocate for people with disabilities and administer policy and funding in this arena. Gov. Jeb Bush has a new blue-ribbon task force working on better integrating the lives of Floridians with disabilities into schools, jobs and community services. Its report is due Dec. 15.
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Join Worst to First!
As the 4th largest state in the country, and one of the most prosperous, Florida should be a leader in the health, education, and investment we make in our children’s future. Sadly, in nearly every measure of how our state pays for and provides care to vulnerable children, our state is at or near the bottom of the national rankings.
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Early Care
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Capitol Connection Session Review
Throughout the 2009 Session of the Florida Legislature, the FL CSC Capitol Connection has been your source of policy information relating to children and families. Click to see the session review and access archived editions.
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Urge Congress to Cover All Kids!
Funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) expires this year and at any moment Congress will consider renewing the Program and ultimately decide how many children will remain uninsured. Over the past ten years, SCHIP has been effective at reducing the number of uninsured children. However, nine million children are still uninsured and millions more are underinsured. That means millions of children in America are not getting the care they need to lead healthy and happy lives.
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Gov. Bush vetoes Universal Pre-kindergarten Bill!
Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed HB 821, the Universal Pre-kindergarten bill that fell woefully short of recommendations made by the UPK Advisory Council led by Lt. Governor Toni Jennings. It failed to meet key principles for quality developed by a broad coalition of private and public organizations and issue experts. Click above to read the Governor’s veto message.
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Pre-K Legislation Misses Mark
While the Universal Pre-K legislation passed by the legislature during a December, 2004 Special Session and signed in law by Governor Bush is an improvement over legislation that was previously vetoed, it falls significantly short of meeting many important quality standards for children entering school. Click here for a detailed analysis of the Pre-K Legislation.
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Act now for Quality Pre-K
In Special Session the legislature took baby steps, passing improved childcare, not a high quality educational program. Quality components missing in the program include a proven curriculum taught by educated teachers; an assessment tool that measures each child''s progress and informs parents; and a meal or a healthy snack. How can you help? Click here to find out.
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Act now for Quality Pre-K
In Special Session the legislature took "baby steps" towards a quality Pre-K program by passing improved childcare, not a high quality educational program. Quality components missing in the program include a proven curriculum taught by educated teachers; an assessment tool that measures each child''s progress and informs parents; and a meal or a healthy snack. How can you help? Click above to find out.
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Support Quality Universal Pre-Kindergarten!
Nearly 3-million Floridians supported education reform by casting their vote for a high quality pre-kindergarten program to be available to all four-year-olds. These 3-million Floridians promised our parents and grandparents that their children and grandchildren will be prepared for a lifetime of educational success. Visit www.qualityprek.org for more information on how you can help make make early childhood education the best it can be in the state of Florida.
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Support HR 1376, the Medicaid Foster Care Coverage Act of 2007.
This critical bill addresses a fundemental concern for young people leaving foster care, lack of health insurance. Given the high rates of physical and mental health problems extensively documented among children and youth in foster care, access to health services is a critical factor as young people transition to adulthood. While some states have taken the option to extend Medicaid coverage to age 21, the best way to ensure coverage for Florida''s transitioning population is simply to require Medicaid coverage for these former foster youth.
CWLA joins with you in recognizing the need to better protect our nation''s youth who leave care and looks forward to working with you as Congress takes action on your proposed legislation.
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The Children’s Services Council of Broward County is moving!
The Children’s Services Council of Broward County is moving. Our office will be closed at 3:00 PM on Thursday, October 22nd and all day Friday, October 23rd. During that time, our phone lines and email will be down and staff will have limited cell availability.
We will re-open for business on Monday, October 26th in our new location at 6600 W. Commercial Blvd, Lauderhill, FL 33319. Our phone & fax numbers remain the same.
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Hunger
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More Babies, Young Kids Going Hungry in US
Increasing numbers of young American children are showing signs of serious malnourishment, fueled by a greater prevalence of hunger in the United States, while, paradoxically, two-thirds of the US population is either overweight or obese.
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Act now for Quality Pre-K
In Special Session the legislature took "baby steps" towards a quality Pre-K program by passing improved childcare, not a high quality educational program. Quality components missing in the program include a proven curriculum taught by educated teachers; an assessment tool that measures each child''s progress and informs parents; and a meal or a healthy snack. How can you help? Click to find out.
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Affordable Health Insurance For Children - KidCare
Affordable Health Insurance For Children - KidCare
The flyer is available at http://www.cscbroward.org/pdfs/ChildHealthInsuranceEnroll.pdf
To enroll go to http://www.floridakidcare.org/printapp.html
The application is available in 3 languages (just click on one of the languages below:
English, Spanish, Haitian Creole
Hurry applications must be received by January 30, 2005, no exceptions.
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Girl juvenile offenders exhibit more problems, risks than boys
Girls in the juvenile justice system exhibit more risks than do boys for problem behaviors that may lead them to serious trouble, according to new research. Girls had more problems than boys in areas such as family and peer relations, physical health, mental health, traumatic events, and accountability issues.
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Kinship
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Grandparents need state's help when adopting
It was a love story from the beginning, and now the Rev. Joseph Hardy wants to make it legal. For the past four years, the Rev. Hardy, a Baptist minister from Tampa, and his wife have been raising their great-grandchildren, ages 2, 4 and 6.
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Save the Florida Kinship Center
Th Florida Kinship Center will close its doors on June 30th if $400,000 in state funding is not reinstated. Please help save the Florida Kinship Center. It saves our state money and serves thousands of children being raised by grandparents and other relatives.
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Prosperity
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Support the effort to regulate Predatory Lenders
In communities across Broward, working families are losing their homes and their investments because of predatory lenders. See how you can join the effort to curb these harmful practices.
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DREAM ACT AND AGJOBS CONTINUTE TO GAIN MOMENTUM
Immigrant communities and organizations are calling on the President to support the AgJOBS (H.R. 3142/S. 1645) and DREAM Act (S. 1545) bills already under consideration and with wide bipartisan support.
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IMMIGRATION REFORM PLAN PRESENTED
On May 4, Senate and House Congress members introduced the Safe, Orderly, Legal Visas and Enforcement (SOLVE) Act, S. 2381 and H.R. 4262.
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Fairness for Immigrant Students -- 2005
Every year hundreds of bright, hard working immigrant students graduate from Florida high schools but are unable to attend college because they are asked to pay out-of-state tuition. These children have lived in our communities for many years and consider themselves Floridians but unfortunately have been unable to attain an immigration status.
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“Shake those Cost of Living Blues”
Join a timely and topical panel discussion addressing the state of Florida's economy. Panelists from across South Florida will address key concerns for the future and preview the 2009 Florida Legislature.
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STATES HURT BY ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
Florida is one of 17 states which project shortfalls totaling more than $18 billion for fiscal year 2010 (which in most states begins July 1, 2009): Alabama, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. As Florida and other states cut back, they cannot respond to the rising need for health care and other services impacting children and families.
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Youth Development
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Florida Falters In Children's Healthcare Comparison
A recent study by The Commonwealth Fund, which averaged and compared children's health performance indicators for each state and the District of Columbia, placed Florida 50th, barely above bottom-ranked Oklahoma. Researchers analyzed 13 indicators of child health, grouped into five dimensions: access, quality, costs, equity, and potential to lead long, healthy lives.
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The latest from the Florida Capitol
What''s the best way to keep up with issues impacting children and during the 2007 Florida Legislative Session? Click to read "The Capitol Connection!" Each week, government affairs staff from the Florida Children''s Services Councils will report the latest happenings from Tallahassee. A recap of Week 3 is attached.
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The latest from the Florida Capitol
What's the best way to keep up with issues impacting children and during the 2007 Florida Legislative Session? Click to read "The Capitol Connection!" Each week, government affairs staff from the Florida Children's Services Councils will report the latest happenings from Tallahassee. A recap of Week 6 is attached.
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Final Week of the Florida Legislature
What's the best way to keep up with issues impacting children and during the 2007 Florida Legislative Session? Click to read "The Capitol Connection!" Each week, government affairs staff from the Florida Children's Services Councils will report the latest happenings from Tallahassee. A recap of Week 8 is attached.
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The latest from the Florida Capitol
What's the best way to keep up with issues impacting children and during the 2008 Florida Legislative Session? Click to read "The Capitol Connection!" Each week, government affairs staff from the Florida Children's Services Councils will report the latest happenings from Tallahassee. A recap of Week 1 is attached.
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Is Your Child a Victim or a Bully?
It''s a concern for parents and children alike during the school year: What if not all that goes on at a school playground is fun and games? Click to find out more!
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Action Needed on Funding for Youth Employment Programs
Continuing a trend of reducing funding for youth employment programs under the Department of Labor’s (DOL) budget, the Administration’s FY 2006 budget proposal would fund the Workforce Investment Act’s (WIA) Youth Formula at just $950 million, down 3.6 percent from $986 million in FY 2005.
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Resources for Kartrina victims
Hurricane Katrina has wreaked havoc on the lives of many children and families from the Gulf Coast region. Many evacuees are in Broward County and others will follow. Click for Connect for Kids'' comprehensive list of human service resources.
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CSC Welcomes Andrew Leone
On October 15, 2007, the Children's Services Council welcomed Andrew Leone to the Public Affairs and Organizational Development staff. Andrew comes to the CSC with extensive policy experience from FL CHAIN and other community-based organizations.
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Expanding the EITC for Childless Workers: An Important Step to Make Work Pay
A number of bills currently before Congress would expand the component of the Earned Income Tax Credit available to low-income working adults who are not raising minor children. The most recent congressional proposal (H.R. 2951), introduced by Representatives John Yarmuth and Keith Ellison (and cosponsored by seven other representatives), is the most expansive of these proposals. Legislation to expand the childless workers’ EITC also has been introduced this year by Senators Barack Obama and Evan Bayh, and by Senator John Kerry and Representative Bill Pascrell.
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Tell Congress to Reject Cuts to Critical Human Service Needs!
President Bush recently unveiled a budget that contains harmful and unnecessary to human service programs. Act today and ask Congress to reject any budget resolution that cuts Medicaid, nutrition programs, child care and Head Start, education and training, adoption and foster care, or other vital services.
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Removing the Bully Factor
As the new school year begins, many kids are going to demand attention—literally. Some are going to intentionally harm their peers to get what they want. What makes a child become a bully in the first place? How can it be prevented?
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WIA Reauthorization Bill Introduced in the Senate
On Monday, Jan. 24, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, introduced the “Lifelong Education Opportunities Act of 2005” (S. 9), which, among other things, would reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act. The bill also includes “Sense of the Senate” provisions addressing Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, Teacher Preparation; and Higher Education, including college affordability. (Sense of the Senate provisions offer the opinion of the Senate, but do not make law.) The first 10 Senate bills (S. 1-10) signal the initial legislative agenda for the Congressional session, thus the bill’s number, S. 9, has added importance and significance. NYEC’s WIA side by side has been updated to reflect the recently-introduced Senate bill.
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BEWARE OF THE TAX REFUND LOAN!!!
RAL’s are short-term loans backed by a tax refund that is a bad deal because of all the fees involved. Be patient. File your taxes electronically, have your refund directly deposited into your bank account and it should take just two weeks.
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US HOUSE DEBATE - DISTRICT 22
Broward County is home to one of the most hotly contested Congressional races in the nation. So come to the Coral Springs Center for the Arts on October 10th and watch Congressman E. Clay Shaw (R), State Senator Ron Klein (D) and Neil Evangelista (NPA) debate key issues, including those that impact children and families. Click for more details.
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CHILDREN AND FAMILIES SCORE VICTORIES IN 2005 LEGISLATURE
Although issues such as slots and a new stadium for the Marlins attracted headlines during the 2005 legislative session, the real news from Tallahassee involved the passage of significant legislation that will improve the lives of children and families.
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Resources for Kartrina victims
Hurricane Katrina has wreaked havoc on the lives of many children and families from the Gulf Coast region. Some evacuees are in Broward County and others may follow. Click for Connect for Kids'' comprehensive list of human service resources.
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Cigarette User Fee Near the Finish Line
Thanks to your hard work, a $1 Cigarette User Fee is close to reality. Don't give up now. There's one more hurdle to clear. Click to see how you can support this important issue and promote children's health.
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