Child Advocate Insider - July 16, 2008

This week's issue, in brief: On June 26th, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Children and Families held a hearing on the reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA.) The Senate Finance Committee is expected to consider the Improved Adoption Incentives & Guardianship Support Act (S. 3038) prior to leaving for the August recess. Each week, Child Welfare League of America hosts a live Internet radio program focusing on subjects, stories, and strategies of special interest to child welfare policymakers, providers, and practitioners. On July 9-10, over 300 business leaders, philanthropists, policymakers, and advocates from across the country convened at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for the annual Partnership for America’s Economic Success (PAES) conference. Missouri was one of 14 states to recently to attend a National Symposium on Early Childhood Science and Policy. Missouri’s Pre-K Panel will convene for its 2^nd meeting on July 22^nd.The Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) announced a new online application for the MoHealthNet Program. DSS will also hold a series of Town Hall meetings on MoHealthNet throughout the state this summer. Children’s advocates will have the opportunity this fall to educate candidates for office about the issues impacting children and families. Partnership for Children and Kansas Action for Children will both be exploring ways to engage our communities and engage our candidates during this election cycle. Finally, check out our “In the News” section where you’ll find the Kansas City Star’s recent four-part series examining the process and problems of prosecuting child sexual crimes as well as several news articles relating to child care regulations in Missouri.

NATIONAL NEWS

Senate Committee hears CAPTA Reauthorization

On June 26, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Children and Families held a hearing on the reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA.) Subcommittee Chair Chris Dodd offered his own testimony and heard from several experts, including Tanya Long, a mother and former drug addict who attributed her rehabilitation to a CAPTA-funded program called Parents Anonymous.

CAPTA was originally enacted in 1974. Over the past 34 years, CAPTA has been reauthorized and changed to adapt to emerging trends and needs in specific areas of child welfare. CAPTA also includes the Adoption Opportunities grants and the Abandoned Infants program.

Cheryl Anne Boyce, Director of the Child Abuse and Neglect Program at the National Institute of Mental Health, testified that a comprehensive research program focused on understanding and addressing the underlying issues triggering abuse is necessary. Research suggests child abuse and neglect have adverse effects on children's academic, intellectual, and occupational functioning, which are likely to affect later development. A comprehensive approach to solving or, better yet, preventing these problems, therefore, is important to preserving the physical, emotional, and mental health of maltreated children.

CAPTA is due for reauthorization this year, but whether Congress will have enough time to complete the task is unclear. If not, Congress will probably extend current law. The House Committee on Education and Labor has not held a hearing on the act. One of the major challenges is funding. CAPTA state grants are now limited to $27 million for all 50 states, although authorized funding is significantly higher.

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Senate Committee Prepares for Child Welfare Improvements

The Senate Finance Committee is expected to consider the Improved Adoption Incentives & Guardianship Support Act (S. 3038) prior to leaving for the August recess, which if a comprise is reached with the House, is setting up to be the most significant improvements to child welfare services in over a decade.

The legislation, introduced by Ranking member Charles Grassley (R-IA), reauthorizes the Adoption Incentives program that allows states to receive bonuses for the amount of adoptions completed each year—additional incentive payments are provided for adoptions of special needs or older children. The legislation also allows federal supports to be provided for relatives to care for children who would otherwise be in foster care.

Just before leaving for the Independence Day recess, the House passed the Fostering Connections to Success Act (H.R. 6307) that allows the currently restrictive Title IV-E Foster and Adoption Supports to be provided for kin and guardian caregivers, former foster youth up to their 21^st birthday, expanding training of the child welfare workforce, direct IV-E access for tribal nations, while also promoting greater health and education stability and coordination for foster children.

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Online with Child Welfare League of America

Each week, Child Welfare League of America hosts a live Internet radio program focusing on subjects, stories, and strategies of special interest to child welfare policymakers, providers, and practitioners. The program, devoted solely to discussions about the welfare of America's vulnerable children, features a forum where numerous points of view and voices of experience within the child welfare universe can be heard. The broadcast can be heard online at www.blogtalkradio.com/CWLA-Radio, Wednesdays, 2:00-2:30 pm ET.

Here is the schedule for the rest of the month:

Wednesday, July 23
Indian Child Welfare: Meeting the Challenges in Tribal Communities

In response to the high number of Native American children being removed from their families and placed outside of their native communities, Congress passed the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in 1978. Today, ICWA often goes unenforced, as child welfare agencies are either not aware of children's Native American heritage or unclear about what the law requires them to do on behalf of those children.

Wednesday, July 30
Disproportionality: A Disturbing Reality of Foster Care

Disproportionate representation (or disproportionality) refers to the current situation in which particular racial and ethnic groups of children are represented in foster care at a higher or lower percentage than their representation in the general population. Disproportionality refers to both the overrepresentation of children of color in foster care and to the unequal outcomes they experience while in foster care.

For more information on these shows, visit: www.cwla.org/newsevents/cwlaradio.htm

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Business Leaders and Advocates Convene to Discuss Investments in Early Childhood Policies

On July 9-10, over 300 business leaders, philanthropists, policymakers, and advocates from across the country convened at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for the annual Partnership for America’s Economic Success (PAES) conference. Established two years ago, PAES seeks to provide evidence on the benefits of investing in our country’s youngest citizens. The conference focused on the many reasons—including increased global competition, a growing national debt, and senior’s increasing share of the national budget—that lawmakers, economists, and business leaders must start investing in our youngest children for our economy to continue to grow and flourish.

During this year’s conference, new research was released on the lack of affordable housing and its impact on children. The report, entitled “The Hidden Costs of the Housing Crisis,” found that children who move at least three times between the ages of 4 and 7 are 13% less likely to graduate from high school.

For further information about PAES, please click here. To view a recent op/ed in The Washington Times by the managing partners of the PAES, Rebecca Rimel and Robert Dugger, click here.

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MISSOURI NEWS

MO Team Attends National Early Childhood Symposium

The symposium, held on June 26^th and 27^th at Harvard University, was sponsored by the National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the Harvard Center for the Developing Child.

The symposium focused on three main topic areas: 1) Early brain research on factors that promote and inhibit positive development; 2) Research on program attributes that are related to positive outcomes for children; and 3) Implications of this research on state policy making.

The Missouri team identified several strategies for strengthening Missouri’s early childhood system in order to improve outcomes for young children, including: creating a plan to educate state lawmakers on the science of brain development, the importance of investing in the early years, and investing in programs with proven outcomes; convening key private businesses and foundations in Missouri to pursue a public-private partnership benefiting Missouri’s youngest children; and identifying the highest priorities for investments with public resources within an early childhood comprehensive system.

Members of Missouri’s early childhood team included Senator Rita Days (D-St.Louis), Rep. Jeff Grisamore (R-Lee’s Summit), Director of the Department of Social Services Deborah Scott, Commissioner of Education Kent King, Paula Nickelson with Department of Health and Senior Services , Parents as Teachers National Center CEO Sue Stepleton, St. Joseph attorney Thomas Watkins, and the Early Childhood Coordinating Board Chair Karen Bartz.

Partnership for Children will continue to work with the members of this MO team and the MO Coordinating Board for Early Childhood to implement strategies for advancing early childhood issues and we will continue to update our advocates on action steps being taken following this important symposium.

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MO Pre-K Panel to Convene for 2^nd Meeting on July 22^nd

In the last edition of the Child Advocate Insider, we reported that a statewide panel of educators, community & business leaders, state department directors, legislators, and family service providers would be convening three times in 2008 to examine the specific issue of pre-k in Missouri and to develop recommendations for the state’s incoming Governor by November of this year.

The first meeting was held on May 29th^th & 30^th in Jefferson City. Materials and information about this meeting are available on the MO Child Care Resource & Referral Network website at http://www.moccrrn.org/. Click on the heading “MO Panel on School Readiness: Focus on Pre-K Education.”

The panel will be meeting for the second time next Tuesday, July 22^nd at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City from 10am to 3pm. These meetings are open to the public and advocates are welcome and encouraged to attend and observe this important work! Partnership for Children will be attending and will report on the discussion and actions taken by the panel in our next edition of the Child Advocate Insider.

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State to Hold Public Forums on MO Healthnet

The Missouri Department of Social Services, MO HealthNet Division will be conducting a series of town hall meetings throughout the state to discuss the transition from Medicaid to MO HealthNet and gather public input on the promotion of patient-centered health care homes. The following meetings have been scheduled:

July 16, 2008 - 10:30 am - 12:30 pm - St. Louis County Library, East Room, 1640 S. Lindbergh, St. Louis, MO
July 16, 2008 - 3:00 - 5:00 pm - St. Louis Public Library, Central Branch, 1301 Olive Street, Meeting Room 1, St. Louis, MO
July 23, 2008 - 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm – Family Support Division County Office, 3415 Division Drive, West Plains, MO
Jul 28, 2008 - 5:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. - Sedalia Public Library, Queen City Room, 311 W. Third, Sedalia, MO
Aug 07, 2008 - 5:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. - Columbia Public Library, Friends Room, 100 W. Broadway, Columbia, MO
Aug 12, 2008 - 4:00 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. - Truman High School Lecture Hall 3301 S. Noland Road, Independence, MO
Aug 13, 2008 - 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. - Bruce Watkins Culture Center, 3700 Blue Parkway, Kansas City, MO
Aug 20, 2008 - 1:30 p.m.- 3:30 p.m. – Family Support Division County Office, 10325 Highway 21, Hillsboro, MO
Aug 27, 2008 - 5:30 p.m.- 7:30 p.m. –Family Support Division County Office, 1100 Highway 25 S Bypass Suite 1, Kennett, MO
Aug 28, 2008 - 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. - Cape Girardeau Family Support Division, 220 N. Fountain, Cape Girardeau, MO

To view a complete list of DSS public meetings, visit: http://www.dss.mo.gov/mhd/global/pages/calendar.htm. If you have any questions, please email: Ask.MHD@dss.mo.gov

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Department of Social Services Announces New Online MoHealthNet Application

The Missouri Department of Social Services’ (DSS) announced this week that a new Internet application for Mo HealthNet is now available. The electronic application offers one more way for Missourians and families to find out if they are eligible for services under the state’s medical assistance program.

Paper applications remain available in local offices, or can also be printed from the same Internet site. As with paper applications, proof of income, Social Security Numbers and birth certificates are required to complete the application process. Documents can be mailed for ease of application. Applicants are notified by mail regarding their eligibility within 30 days (15 days if applying for Mo HealthNet for Pregnant Women).

During the application process, applicants can call the Mo HealthNet Service Center toll free at 1-888-275-5908 or they can contact their local FSD Office for assistance.

The application can be accessed at http://www.dss.mo.gov/mhk/appl.htm by clicking on the "Complete the Application Online" link. Applicants are guided through the application which takes only about 15 minutes to complete.

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PFC Electoral Advocacy in Missouri

During the election season, Partnership for Children will be hosting a series of candidate briefings and candidate forums with the following goals in mind -- to raise awareness about the needs of children as campaign issues, build relationships with candidates, and educate candidates and voters about the needs of children.

Candidate briefings give candidates the opportunity to learn about several key children’s issues and allow organizations to begin a dialogue that continues once candidates take office. Likewise, candidate forums also function in the same manner, but also seek to educate voters about the candidates. Candidate forums give the public the opportunity to question candidates for office about where they stand on children’s issues.

Stay tuned for more information about events in your area and opportunities to become involved.

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KANSAS NEWS

Kansas Action for Children Launches Citizen Education Project

Kansas Action for Children recently launched "I Vote for Our Future," a citizen education project aimed at engaging community members, the media, and policymakers in a conversation about issues that impact our next generation.

Show your support for our future by displaying and distributing free "I Vote for Our Future" materials.

The project will run from July 1 through August 8, and will focus on three Kansas counties: Johnson, Sedgwick and Shawnee.

Contact Kansas Action for Children at 785.232.0550 or kac@kac.org to request complimentary copies of any of the following. Please include your name and mailing address in your request e-mail.

Yard Signs. 16x26 yard signs to display outside your home or business.
Lapel Stickers. 3" round lapel stickers for wearing or sharing. Sport a sticker at community events you attend and take along extras to distribute to colleagues, friends, family and neighbors.
Citizen's Guides. An eight-page guide that discusses the current well-being of Kansas children, what types of public policy we could implement to improve outcomes for our next generation, and sample questions to start a conversation in your community.

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IN THE NEWS: Media Coverage of Children's Issues

Jessica’s Trial: The Kansas City Star unveiled a powerful four-part series this week which follows The State of Missouri v. David A. Brake in order to examine the process and problems of prosecuting child sexual crimes.

Part 1: First one trauma, and now another – July 13

For 13 of her 18 years in the Jackson County prosecutor’s office, Fluegel has been trying child sex crimes — longer and more continuously than any of her colleagues. In that time, reports of suspected child sexual abuse in the county have more than doubled, although the number of substantiated cases has been declining steeply, as it has nationwide.

Still, in all her years, Fluegel has rarely met a child as truly alone as Jessica. No family. No friends. No real home anymore. And everyone who was supposed to protect her didn’t just fail, they hurt her. Read more>>>

Part 2: Sexual Abuse Casts Long Shadow Over Jury Selection Process – July 14

Is there anyone here who has been a victim of — or who has had a friend or relative who has been a victim of — rape, sodomy or sexual assault? More than 15 hands crept into the air. Read more>>>

Part 3: At last, Jessica’s Time to Testify – July 15

For much of the May afternoon the court heard the details of Jessica’s life of squalor and abuse, and of the alleged rape by David Brake, her dead mother’s onetime boyfriend. She now settles into the witness chair, and if she’s able, will tell the story herself. Read more>>>

Part 4: Incriminating evidence comes forth, and a witness is surprised on the stand – July 16

The evidence from David Brake’s black box is incriminating. Lori Fluegel knows it.