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Minutes
Taken by Joyce Blais and Steve Manchester, Michigan
AEYC
NOTE:
The Child Care Task Force WILL
MEET ONE WEEK LATER THAN NORMAL
in OCTOBER on October 9, the 2nd Wednesday.
Co-chairs Kristen McDonald-Stone and Lisa Brewer called the
meeting to order shortly after 9:30. Each person gave a
self-introduction and the group adopted the agenda.
UPDATES
Department of
Education, Early Childhood and Parenting Programs -
Judy Levine presented a written report. She reported on
the Michigan School Readiness Program and various grants
managed by her office. To access Early Childhood and
Parenting Programs go to the MDE home page at
http:/michigan.gov.med; click on "Keywords", click on "Early
Childhood and Parenting Programs."
TANF, CCDBG, Head Start Reauthorization - Kristen
McDonald-Stone reported on Head Start reauthorization,
which happens in 2003. President Bush has discussed making
Head Start a literacy program and moving it from the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services to the U.S.
Department of Education. Moving Head Start from HHS would
jeopardize the comprehensive nature of its services to
children and parents. There is also a fear that Head Start
will be block granted. Steve Manchester asked members of the
Task Force to help find organizations to sign-on to letters
to U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow regarding
reauthorization of welfare reform and the Child Care and
Development Block Grant. The task force voted to become a
signer of these letters.
GUEST
SPEAKER: Dr. Robert Geake, Michigan Children's Ombudsman
The office was created
by legislators out of frustration. Confidentially
requirements make it difficult for legislators to get
information to help constituents with child abuse and
neglect cases. The Ombudsman was created to deal with child
abuse and neglect. The law gives the Ombudsman access to
confidential information involving child protective
services, foster care, and adoptions. The Ombudsman responds
to complaints and reports back to complainants. Current law
limits who can lodge a complaint. However, the Ombudsman can
lodge the complaint if he has good reason for concern and a
complainant recognized by the law is unavailable. The
ombudsman office is to be used when the usual chain of
command is not working. The office deals mostly with
neglect; sexual abuse comprises just 11% of its cases.
Parental neglect of their children is highly correlated with
alcohol and/or drug abuse. Parental poverty also correlates
highly with child neglect. The most difficult cases involve
"low level" chronic neglect in which small things happen to
the child continuously. The caseload has gone up because
drug abuse among young parents has increased.
Rep. Lauren Hager has prepared legislation to revamp
the duties of the Ombudsman office to include juveniles. Dr.
Geake has problems with the bill as it stands now, but is
working with Hager's office on it. Dr. Geake took questions
and comments from the audience. One person said that the
Ombudsman cases commonly miss mental health pieces in their
reports. Mr. Geake said that should not be happening and
wanted to talk with the person privately to gather more
information. Recent news reports about "missing" children
are inaccurate. Most of the children considered missing are
teens who have the power and opportunities to move about.
The rest of the children are missing because parents choose
to duck out of contact with the state. Dr. Geake concluded
with advice on lobbying legislators. The time to contact
legislators is before you need them. Working on a campaign
is a good way to meet your legislator. Once the person is in
office--make sure you keep your legislator aware of your
feelings on issues. A letter on a topic, even a form letter,
from 30 constituents goes a long way. But the letter is much
more powerful if from a constituent. Special interest groups
gain respect if they provide legislative leaders with good
information. At the conclusion, Dr. Geake was thanked for
his efforts as a State Senator in getting the Michigan
Legislature to fund the Ready to Succeed Partnership back in
1998.
FURTHER
UPDATES
Gubernatorial Candidate Forum - Jennie McAlpine,
Washtenaw 4C, reported that they had a verbal commitment
from the Granholm campaign to participate in a forum on
children's issues; they were working to contact the
Posthumus campaign. The Skillman Foundation is interested in
supporting this forum but wants to address children's issues
in a very broad sense. Somebody asked whether the forum
should be for all 4 candidates. The task force voted
unanimously to recommend that all 4 candidates be invited to
such forums.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Michigan Coalition
for Children and Families - The Coalition will meet on
9/9/02 at 2:30 p.m. at the State of Michigan Library, Lake
Huron Room. They will begin work on the 2003 Children's
Agenda. The focus is on prevention. Everyone is welcome.
Be Their Hero From Age Zero Candidates Night -
Advocates in Northern Oakland County are hosting a candidate
forum on October 7 at Lake Orion High School Auditorium from
6-8:30 p.m. For information call Teresa Kolasse at
248-693-5439, ext.6417.
Bringing Democracy Home: Vote Poster - Michele
Strasz, Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health,
had available a beautiful poster to encourage people to vote
with children in mind. This poster is inspiring (and
suitable for framing). Contact MCMCH at 517-482-5807 if you
wish to distribute a few of these posters.
Michigan Public Policy Initiative's Spotlight - Steve
Manchester called attention the from MPPI and the lead
story, "Explaining Challenging Behavior in Early Childhood."
MPPI, a program of the Michigan Nonprofit Association,
strives to bring Michigan's nonprofit organizations into
collaboration with other policy makers to deal with pressing
social issues. MPPI recognizes that early childhood issues
deserve serious attention from all policy makers. For more
information about MPPI or MNA, call Erin Skene at
517-492-2400.
The Email Network has 823 members; snail mail has 146
members for a total of 969.
NOTE:
The October meeting is OCTOBER 9, which is THE SECOND
WEDNESDAY(due to the unavailability of meeting space at the
Michigan Library on the first Wednesday).
Thanking You for Your Support:
Kristen McDonald-Stone, Michigan Head Start Association
Lisa Brewer, Michigan 4-C Association/T.E.A.C.H.®
Co-chairs, Michigan Child Care Task Force
o Please FORWARD THIS NOTICE
TO OTHERS; we invite people to join this email network.
o Comments, suggestions, or requests to be removed from this
list should be directed to @MiAEYC.org.
o This message is made possible, in part, by generous
support from the Frey Foundation of Grand Rapids.
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