NC Budget Update: Health and Human Services Programs at Risk in Senate Budget

At Risk: Health Insurance, Child Care Subsidies and Adoption/Foster Care Rate Increases

I received this in an email alert yesterday, and haven't had the time to bring it here. Children's advocates are hearing that the Senate budget worker bees are looking at cutting crucial programs in order to fund other priorities. The priorities being funded are good things, like raises for teachers, but the programs being cut cannot sustain these reductions and maintain adequate services across the state for children and families.

I suppose because it's an election year, no one wants to raise a tax to actually pay for needed services. Well, make no mistake, these services are vital to the health of NC, and are desperately needed.

(From our friends at the NC Justice Center)

As the Senate throws together its budget over the weekend, they are threatening to:

* Not fund the $10.4M Health Choice expansion included in the House budget. These funds would cover an additional 10,000 currently uninsured children.

* Eliminate funding for NC Kids’ Care, delaying implementation until at least July 1, 2009.

* Reduce or eliminate child care subsidy increases proposed in the House. These funds would prevent children from losing current subsidies and help some of the 30,000 children on the waiting list.

* Reduce or eliminate foster care and adoption rate increases proposed in the House.

You can use the form at the NC Justice Center to email your Senator to urge them to protect these priority programs.

Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) Expansion Funding
(From our friends at the Covenant with North Carolina’s Children)

The House budget included full restoration of JCPC recurring funding, plus a $1M increase. The Senate, while including the restoration of recurring dollars, is dropping the expansion to $200K. This program—one of the core services of the Department—has not received an increase in a decade. The Senate JPS Committee meets Monday at 4 pm.

Email your Senator and Senate leadership to tell them to support the House budget for JCPCs.

Bill: Amend Release of Juvenile Escapee Information

HB 2492 would mandate release of juvenile escapees’ personal identifying information, potentially putting them in danger and leaving an internet trail that will follow them the rest of their lives.

The bill has been returned to the House Judiciary III Committee for revision. Contact the members of the committee and urge them to amend the bill so that it:

*Applies only to youth who have been adjudicated. DJJDP should not be required to release photos and information about children only alleged to have committed a crime.

* Gives DJJDP discretion about whether to release identifying information about any youth other than those adjudicated of A-E felonies.

Members of the committee to contact include Reps. Sutton (Chair), Daughtry, Faison, Warren, Furr, Cotham, Fisher, Haire, Jeffus, Lewis, Michaux, Tillis, Underhill, Walend and Wiley.

If you want to receive alerts about this kind of information, please go to
Action for Children North Carolina and sign up for their email alerts.