Children's Campaign 5 Promises 2008 State Legislative Agenda
Children’s Campaign, Inc. is dedicated to ensuring that every parent/guardian and child in Florida, regardless of gender, race, ability, creed, orientation or education has access to important programs and services encompassed by the 5 Promises:
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Promise 1
Promise 2
Promise 3
Promise 4
Promise 5
The 2008 Legislative Agenda provides the foundation for advocates to build a better future for Florida’s children.
Promise 1 –Maternal, Infant, and Children's Health
- $7.5 million increase in general state revenue dollars for Healthy Start Coalitions, earmarking $3.2 million for funding parity, expanding coverage to 58% of need while also increasing the intensity of services. Overall, the need is upwards of $50-million, requiring $37.5 million in state funds and the rest in federal match, to be spread across five years.
- Remove eligibility and bureaucratic barriers to enrollment in Florida KidCare and provide sufficient funds inclusive of outreach support to enroll no fewer than 300,000 children.
- Commission a study by the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) to recommend improvements in KidCare outreach.
- Expand those eligible for Medicaid to 200% of the poverty level.
- Use study to fund practical and effective outreach efforts to increase KidCare enrollment.
- Centralize systems responsible for the management, oversight and delivery of children’s health care.
Over 1,500 infants died in Florida in 2004, a continuing negative trend since 2000. Florida had more than 18,600 low birth weight babies in 2004. One out of every four babies born with low birth weight dies before age 1, and those that survive are at increased risk of long-term disability.
According to estimates by the American Academy of Pediatrics, approximately 674,000 Florida children are uninsured. Of these, 465,000 (69%) are eligible but not enrolled in Medicaid or Florida KidCare, the state children’s health insurance program (SCHIP). Florida’s federal SCHIP funding is based on shrunken enrollment numbers, resulting from state policy changes and a reduction in outreach efforts. This has resulted in $20 million federal dollars to be shifted away from Florida to other states.
Promise 2 –Safety, Permanence, and Services to Children in Out-of-Home Settings
- Increase Guardian ad Litem funding by $10.8 million to cover 10,978 additional children currently under the Department of Children and Families supervision and to fulfill the mandate in Florida statutes of 100% representation by a Guardian ad Litem.
- Increase funding of Independent Living Services by $18-million as recommended by the state created Independent Living Services Advisory Council (ILSAC).
- Remove barriers for youth aging out of foster care to obtain drivers licenses, limit liability and provide access to vehicle insurance.
- Improve reimbursement rates to relative caregivers by allocating an additional $14.4 million, raising the average rate to a fixed percentage of that provided to non-relative foster caregivers.
- Increase funding by $8 million to Healthy Families Florida to expand child abuse prevention services to un-served counties, to pilot the use of high-risk specialists in six projects and to continue services to 13,000 families.
- Increase funding for judicial masters to expedite the resolution of cases and to expedite moving foster children to a permanent home.
- Support evidence-based group homes for foster children unable to find permanency.
- Explore shifting child protection services to a sheriff/social worker model.
More than 43,000 children are in state custody in Florida. According to national data, more than half of these children will remain in foster care for an average of three years and, while in care, will change placement at least three times. One in five Florida children in foster care will languish in the foster care system for more than five years and a very high percentage will experience high dropout rates and homelessness.
Approximately 3,250 young adults who have “aged-out” of the Florida foster care system need independent living services and assistance. Experts estimate that the annual cost to provide needed services for these young adults is approximately $65 million ($20,000/per young adult). However, during 2006, only $5 million was allocated for foster teens after they turn 18.
Promise 3 –High Quality Pre-K, Child Care, and Early Learning
- Mandate degreed teacher credentials for Florida’s Universal Pre-kindergarten program.
- Use the 2004 UPK Advisory Council model to appoint a Birth to Five Advisory Council to advise the Governor and Legislature on the creation of an Office of Early Learning and Care.
- Create a Statewide Quality Rating System for child care, using best practices and research from national and state experts.
- Fund 45,000 new slots for subsidized child care/school readiness services to eliminate the current waiting list
- Increase the reimbursement rate for providers of Florida’s Universal Pre-kindergarten program from $2,650 per child to $3,899 per child commensurate with the cost of providing a high quality program, including improved teacher credentials and longer length of day.
- Mandate accreditation standards for child care based on the National Association for Education of Young Children and other national/state best practices and standards.
According to the latest annual report data from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), the quality of Florida’s UPK program requires immediate correction. Currently, the Florida program is under-funded, does not require a degreed teacher or an approved curriculum, has inappropriate assessments, and does not meet families’ needs in terms of availability.
Three out of five young children under age 6 are in child care. While adequate full-day early care and education costs upwards of $150 or more per week per child, financial aid is limited. Approximately 166,000 low income children receive financial aid which pays child care costs up to a fixed reimbursement rate (similar to fixed prices for medical services), but Florida has tens of thousands of eligible children on waiting lists.
Promise 4 –Safe and Enriching Before and After-School Experiences
- Commission the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) and/or other market research organizations or institutions, such as State Universities, to study the demand, affordability and availability of high quality after-school programs inclusive of the level of income of the families in need of services. .
Upwards of 68,000 Florida children will be unable to participate in after-school programs because the state does not have a cohesive policy for after-school and the U.S. Congress funded less money for Florida than the authorization level. In the America After 3 PM survey conducted by the Afterschool Alliance in May 2004, Florida parents advised that more than 27% of the state’s school-age children are responsible for taking care of themselves, and these children spend an average of 8 hours per week unsupervised after school.
Promise 5 –Delinquency Prevention and Juvenile Justice Reform
- Allocate $45 million to close the budget gap in contracted juvenile justice services, with an additional $2.6 million for CINS/FINS to fix budget issues and expand to underserved counties.
- Regulate the shackling of juvenile defendants in court, determining need for constraining devices on a case-by-case basis.
- Create a system of care of gender specific juvenile justice services for girls.
- Address improvements in the courts regarding access to counsel and quality of representation for juvenile defendants and turnover in judges.
Services available through Florida’s juvenile justice system have reached the breaking point. A $100-million budget hole (reduced to $80+ million by the 2006 Legislature) has developed over the past 12 years spurred by the lack of significant rate increases to providers even though costs have increased by nearly 40%. Placements do not effectively match the offenses or the control and supervision needs of troubled youth. Less expensive alternatives to secure detention that protect public safety are under-funded and under-utilized.