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What's New:

2008 Solano County Child Care Needs Assessment (pdf 5.1 mb)

Spring 2009 Newsletter (pdf 268 kb)

Video: Child Care - An Investment Worth Making

Volunteers needed

2008 EITC returns are in.

Significant Issues Report
(December 2008, pdf 63kb)

Proposed State Budget Will Decimate Children’s Services: Act Now!!

As parents and grandparents, teachers and nurses, faith-leaders and students we must make our voices heard on behalf of our children! We must insist on a budget that balances cuts with revenues, because the cuts we would sustain otherwise will lead to an unprecedented number of homeless and hungry children in our community.

Solano County has been especially hard hit by the recession – our foreclosure rate is one of the highest in the nation. Requests for assistance with basic needs have gone up by as much as 300% at our Family Resource Centers. Our school districts are closing multiple school sites. There is already disruption and despair throughout our county. Additional cuts to children’s programs would be utterly devastating.

The Governor’s Proposals include:

• Eliminating CalWorks entirely, which would almost overnight add about 16,000 women and children to the ranks of homeless and hungry people in Solano

• Eliminating the Healthy Families Program – the low cost health insurance program for kids that covers over 5000 local children

• Additional severe cuts to all aspects of education, from child development programs to state universities

• Additional severe cuts to Child Welfare and Foster Care

We can stop this insanity if we all pull together!!

Please join the Children’s Network in insisting the budget issues be resolved in a balanced way – we must include new revenues, not just more cuts!!  Take these two steps to save our kids:

Be informed:

• Read the CBP analyses of proposed cuts here & here and the Tax Reform Association’s alternative revenue list here

• Watch Senators Steinberg and Leno on the Internet Town Hall on the budget tonight, 6pm, here:  http://senweb03.senate.ca.gov/focus/townhall/

• Read Assembly Member Evan’s Blog http://californiabudget.blogspot.com/

• Check this website for updated info as we receive it

• Alternatively, go to http://www.fixthebudgetnow.org/

Take Action:

• If you can go to Sacramento June 16th, there is large faith-based protest rally planned. An updated flyer is here

• The Governor has asked the public to contact him with their budget suggestions via Twitter. Tell him to raise revenues! Tweet to #myidea4CA

• Post your concerns on your facebook or myspace page, use your email lists, or reach out to your friends and colleagues in other ways to encourage them to join you in voicing opposition to these draconian budget proposals

• Send letters to your legislators and the governor via email, in person at local offices, or overnight mail. Sample letter here. 

• Call your legislators today, tomorrow, throughout the week as these decisions are being made (contact info below)

Many of you participated with us in the local campaign to defeat props 1D and 1E; we were the underdogs, but we won because each of us took the steps we could, whether by donating or by phone banking or by simply and most profoundly voting the thoughtful way. Let’s continue to be united in speaking up for kids. These budget proposals are not a done deal. Together we can make a difference!!

Contact info for Legislators:

Senator Patricia Wiggins
State Capitol Building, Room 4081
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4002
Fax: (916) 323-6958
Website: http://dist02.casen.govoffice.com

email : http://legplcms01.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.aspx?district=SD02

District Office:
Vallejo
444 Georgia Street
Vallejo, CA 94590
Phone: (707) 648-5312
Fax: (707) 648-5383

Senator Lois Wolk
State Capitol Building, Room 4032
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4005
Fax: (916) 323-2304
Website: http://dist05.casen.govoffice.com
Email: http://legplcms01.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.aspx?district=SD05

District Office:
Vacaville:
555 Mason Street, Suite 230
Vacaville, CA 95687
Phone: (707) 454-3808
Fax: (707) 454-3811

Assemblywoman Noreen Evans
State Capitol
3152 State Capitol,
California 94249-0007
Phone: (916) 319-2007
Fax: (916) 319-2107
Website: http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a07/default.htm

Email: Assemblymember.Evans@assembly.ca.gov

District Office:

Vallejo:
1713 Sonoma Blvd
Vallejo, CA 94590
Phone: (707) 649-2307
Fax: (707) 649-2311

Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada
State Capitol
P.O. Box  942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0008
Phone: (916) 319-2008
Fax: (916) 319-2108
Website: http://democrats.assembly.ca.gov/members/a08/

Email: http://legplcms01.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.aspx?district=AD08&

District Office
555 Mason Street, Suite 275
Vacaville, CA 95688
Phone: (707) 455-8025
Fax: (707) 455-0490