Legislative Update
Session 2008
Week 1
Governor Charlie Crist delivered his State of the State address from the capitol in an evening telecast and webcast on Tuesday, March 4th, where he outlined his priorities. In his 25-minute, 2,678 word speech, the Governor addressed three significant children’s issues, including KidCare, foster care, and childhood obesity - issues that advocates and providers can rally around in support. The Governor’s speech, however, did not mention major challenges facing Florida’s early learning system, before and after-school services, maternal health, child abuse, and the juvenile justice reform his office initiated with the appointment of the Blueprint Commission whose report was released at a press conference at the Cabinet Briefing Room on Tuesday, February 5th.
The absence in the State of the State address of a broad and forthcoming look at the pressing issues facing Florida’s 4-million children, and especially it’s growing “at-risk” population, would not be as conspicuous if children had been a major part of the Governor’s legislative priorities issued in a press release on Tuesday, February 19th. In that 1,899 word document, children were mentioned 6 times, all in the context of KidCare improvements. That press release did focus a large part of its attention on education issues, where improvements would certainly benefit children, but the priorities overlook the fact that the performance of children in Florida’s schools is as much, if not more dependent, on what is going on with their lives in the 16-hours of the day when they are not at school.
Improvements in educational outcomes cannot be attained without simultaneous attention by the state to community-based services and programs, inclusive of after-school opportunities and family supports.
Omitted from both the State of the State and the Governor’s legislative priorities was high level mention of pre-kindergarten. One year ago, “The People’s” Governor announced his support for high quality pre-kindergarten, the result of a constitutional amendment passed by “the people.” Legislation is now filed to move forward the bedrock of high quality – degreed teachers. This action follows the public championship of the issue last year by Governor Crist and six of Florida’s former governors and the surviving spouse of a seventh.
We know and trust that the Governor is committed to issues that hit hardest at the underprivileged, minority groups and business community. Closing the achievement gap and equipping Florida with a talented and competitive workforce – a proven outcome with high quality pre-kindergarten – combined with its long term and cost-saving educational benefits, align well with the Governor’s overall educational, minority engagement and economic vision.
Advocates are encouraged to contact the Governor’s Office and ask that the “People’s Governor” be visible and strong in his support of children’s initiatives.
The Governor in his first year of office supported juvenile justice reform, degreed teachers for pre-k, the creation of the Children’s Cabinet, and his desire to enroll more children in KidCare. Children need him to lead as actively this legislative session, especially with the budget problems that will result in service cutbacks and program closures.
The session is just starting and there is plenty of time for the Governor's legislative team and advisors to come forward with a more complete plan on behalf of all the children of this state. Let's encourage them to do it.
Promise 1:
In Governor Crist’s State of the State, he briefly referenced the over 650,000 Florida children without health insurance, and proposed a “$60.6-million increase to be targeted toward enrolling more than 46,000 additional children in the KidCare program.” There are currently four bills in the Legislature that focus on KidCare. SB 2472 by Senator Rich (D–Sunrise) and HB 1275 by Representative Ausley (D–Tallahassee) are similar bills that expand the application of Florida KidCare program to include all uninsured, low-income children and increase age for eligibility for coverage under program; neither has been scheduled as yet for a committee hearing. HB 1457 by Representative Garcia (R-Hialeah) is a similar bill to SB 2032 by Senator Fasano (R-New Port Richey) which revises provisions relating to the KidCare program expenditure ceiling, and has been referred to Health Policy, Banking and Insurance and Health and Human Service Appropriations.
The Healthy Teens Campaign was launched in January 2008 to ensure that Florida teens receive the information they need to make healthy decisions. The goal of the campaign is to put comprehensive sex education in Florida classrooms through grassroots organizing, media and through legislation. Broad-based voter support for sex education was highlighted in a statewide poll conducted and reported in the St. Petersburg Times last week.
Florida currently does not have any statewide standards for teaching sex education even though Florida had the 6th highest teen pregnancy rate in the country in 2006. Statewide standards are necessary in order for teens to learn the facts from trusted, responsible sources. To learn more visit www.HealthyTeensFlorida.org.
Promise 2:
A report released by the National Coalition for Child Protection Reform found that the number of Florida children taken from their birth parents after reports of abuse or neglect is dropping dramatically for the first time in a decade. Robert Wexler, the executive director of the Coalition stated “The trend suggests that the promises of change from Bob Butterworth since he took over DCF have not been just talk – it looks like he is backing the words with action.”
The new numbers place Florida in the middle of states, but do not necessarily assure better outcomes for children. Lower rates of removal can mean more chance for child welfare workers to deal with cases that need their attention or could mean that children in danger are being ignored. According to an article in the Palm Beach Post “It is too early to conclusively say how the drop in 2007 has affected children's safety…those numbers will not be available until later this year.”
Promise 3:
SB 702 by Senator Nan Rich and HB 741 by Representative Janet Long will ensure that every four-year-old in Florida benefits from a high quality pre-k program with a degreed teacher in each classroom by the year 2013. Children’s organizations across the state have spoken out in support of the legislation, including:
Children’s Campaign, Inc.
Children’s Forum
Docs for Tots
Early Childhood Association of Florida
Early Childhood Initiative Foundation – David Lawrence
Florida Children’s Services Council
Florida Education Association
Florida Family Childcare Home Association
Junior Leagues of Florida
Healthy Start of Orange County
Nap Ford Community Charter School
The Children’s Trust
If you would like to add your organization to the growing list please contact Linda Alexionok, 850-425-2600 x 14 or email lalexionok@iamforkids.org. You can also add your personal support by clicking here.
Promise 5:
Children’s Campaign, Inc. released this week a 3 Point Plan to Protect Public Safety and Preserve Quality Services . The goal is to help Florida face the current budget shortfall while protecting the high quality essential services considered necessary to address the increasingly complex needs of youth in the care of the juvenile justice system. The focus is to protect public safety and hold youth accountable for their actions while acknowledging that many youth can be served successfully in less restrictive and less costly community-based programs.
The 3-Point Plan includes:
- Reducing service slots and adjusting per diems upward to serve the children posing the greatest public safety risks while also saving taxpayer dollars by diverting children through timely prevention, status offense and early intervention services;
- Equitable funding reductions across the system of care inclusive of state-run and privately operated programs, and finding efficiencies and eliminating overlapping functions within the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ);
- Continuing existing services - whether supported by General Revenue (GR) or Non-Recurring Revenue (NRR) dollars - rather than funding expansions or new initiatives.
Looming budget cuts are on the minds of many providers. In an editorial published in the Daytona Beach News Journal, Chet Bell, the chief executive officer of the Stewart-Marchman Center, a residential facility, discussed the need to continue to provide quality research proven rehabilitation to Florida troubled juveniles. He stated “As we enter an economic downturn, we can't turn our backs on these kids. Our failure to adequately fund rehabilitation will result in less effective programs and more young lives lost to criminality.”
The angst about funding cutbacks was evident in an amendment introduced on the House floor that would have held PACE Center for Girls harmless in the current year’s budget cuts, with the money to be taken from residential services. Prominent legislative members active in juvenile justice committees appeared torn between supporting one quality program or addressing the needs of the entire continuum of services. As a result, the measure failed. There is a long way to go and a new round of cuts on the horizon. A clear and balanced cutback plan from the providers that supports quality services for all children would certainly be a valuable recommendation to put on the table.
HB 273 titled “Juvenile Justice” by Representative Adams (R-Oviedo) casts a wider net over children who are alleged to have committed a delinquent act, and expands the criteria under which they may be placed in detention and the length of time in which they could remain in detention. This effectively moves the juvenile justice system in the opposite direction of the Blueprint on Juvenile Justice Commission recommendations. The bill passed out of committee on its way to the Policy and Budget Council. Children’s Campaign will detail the bill's negative impact on girls in the coming week.
To read bills for each of the Promise areas simply click on the Promise of interest:
1. Promise 1 - Pre-natal, Infant, and Child Health Care
2. Promise 2 - Safety, Permanence, and Services to Children in Out-of-Home Settings
3. Promise 3 - High Quality Pre-K, Child Care, and Early Learning Opportunities
4. Promise 4 - Safe and Enriching Before and After-School Experience
5. Promise 5 - Delinquency Prevention Programs and Services to Treat Children with Problem
Legislative Update was brought to you by:
Amanda Ostrander, Editor, Legislative Update
Christen Smiley, Communications Coordinator
Roy Miller, President
We acknowledge the entire Legislative Team of Children’s Campaign, Inc. who work tirelessly during legislative session on behalf of Florida’s children.