Legislative Platform

EDUCATION: GOAL: TO IMPROVE CHILDREN'S SUCCESS IN SCHOOL BY ASSURING EDUCATIONAL SERVICES ARE RESPONSIVE TO CHANGING FAMILY NEEDS.

 

We support the following promising approaches:

1. Support child care services which offer families a range of high-quality child care options.

2. Support State reform of education financing; rules should eliminate barriers to quality.

3. Support efforts to ensure equitable access to high-quality school facilities for all children regardless of economic status.

4. Support efforts to assure availability or high-quality child care facilities.

5. Support an extended school day.

6. Support wider community use of school facilities.

7. Support after school programs offered by community groups and school districts, for all ages of school children, including older teens.

8. Support education and child care/development programs that are sensitive to the cultural needs of the population they serve.

9. Support inclusion of required age appropriate courses on nutrition, including breastfeeding, and importance of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle in all health classes at the primary, middle and high school level.

10. Support provision of mainstream educational programs for pregnant and parenting teen/pre-teen mothers and fathers.

11. Support family life education for middle school and high school age children.

12. Support programs including child care that improve teen parents' high school graduation rates.

13. Support pre-school education for children and child development education for parents/caregivers.

14. Support public education models that work for children who have special needs related to physical, emotional or developmental challenges including "mainstreaming" as appropriate.

15. Support technology education for all children.

16. Support implementation of the state requirement for physical education in all grades.

17. Support efforts to increase child care funding for low income/working poor families including funding for stages 1, 2, and 3, with 3 as a priority.

18. Support increased State General Funds for Child Care Resource and Referral and Alternative Payment Programs.

19. Support increased funding for high-quality training in child development for parents and child care providers.

20. Support increased child care quality and availability.

21. Support child care tax credits.

22. Support careful planning for the successful transition from direct support of child care costs to child care tax credits.
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ECONOMIC SECURITY: GOAL: THE REDUCTION OF CHILD POVERTY AND THE AMELIORATION OF THE ADVERSE IMPACTS OF POVERTY UPON CHILDREN.

 

We support the following promising approaches:

1. Support adequate funding to enable increased child support collections.

2. Support low income working people with income tax credits and increases in minimum wage, food stamps, and child care assistance.

3. Support efforts to strengthen Welfare Reform transitional supports, abolish TANF time limits, at least for non-cash assistance (i.e. child care), and support increased access to non-cash aid (i.e. Medi-Cal, food stamps).

4. Support and advocate for increased education and training opportunities that can lead to economic self-sufficiency, including age appropriate apprentice programs.

5. Support for additional low-cost housing.

6. Support the requirement that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) monies go only to children and their families, and oppose TANF cuts.

7. Assure that thorough evaluation of the impact of Welfare Reform upon children is undertaken and that the technical support and funding necessary for such an evaluation are provided.

8. Support Census Bureau efforts to appropriately redefine the poverty line and encourage the development of regional variations in that definition.
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SAFETY: GOAL: TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM HARM BY REDUCING INJURY AND EXPOSURE TO VIOLENCE AND ASSURE ALL CHILDREN HAVE SAFE AND SUPPORTING LIVING ENVIRONMENTS.

 

We support the following promising approaches:

1. Support increased funding and utilization of family support programs such as Family Resource Centers.

2. Support increased Federal and State funding for child abuse prevention efforts and Child Welfare Services (i.e., CAPTA, PSSF, CAPIT, and CBCAP).

3. Support legislation, policies, and programs that help to prevent child abuse and neglect and family violence and that support healthy childhood development and strengthen families.

4. Support adequate, dedicated funding streams for front-end, prevention services and child welfare programming that is comprehensive and provides a full continuum of care.

5. Support services for grandparents and other relatives caring for abused and neglected children.

6. Support policies and programs to assure continuing Medi-Cal eligibility and access to health and mental health services for foster care and kinship care children regardless of county of origin or county of placement.

7. Support services for youth transitioning to independence including continued educational and economic assistance through age 21.

8. Support improved recruitment and support services for licensed foster care facilities.

9. Support adequate funding for Community Care Licensing to assure the well-being of children in licensed settings.

10. Support significant expansion of state investment in quality after school programs for youth and teens through high school to provide mentors, homework assistance, tutoring, recreational and social outlets and the supervision necessary to keep them out of harm's way between the critical hours when school is dismissed and parents return home from work, including alternative hours programs for parents working evenings.

11. Support the development of safe areas where children and families can walk, bike, and participate in play or other recreational opportunities.

12. Support policies and programs that assure juveniles are not incarcerated with adults, including the establishment of adequate and appropriate facilities and services for incarcerated juveniles.

13. Support programs to monitor the impact of Welfare Reform on families as it pertains to children's well-being.

14. Support policies, practices, and programs that promote health, safety and well-being of the children of incarcerated parents and enable incarcerated parents, their children and families to build healthy family and community relations.
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HEALTH: GOAL: ASSURE ALL CHILDREN AGES 0 TO 18 HAVE THE FULL RANGE OF COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH BENEFITS.

 

We support the following promising approaches:

1. Support programs that help increase the percentage of pregnant women having access to and utilizing prenatal care during the first trimester.

2. Support programs that provide comprehensive case management services to pregnant females at risk for poor birth outcomes.

3. Support programs that help increase breastfeeding, including community programs that provide prenatal breastfeeding education to mothers, and their families, and that provide postpartum-breastfeeding support.

4. Support workplace policies that meet the requirements of California's Lactation Accommodation Law.

5. Support programs that insure all children have health coverage, including access to free or low cost children's health insurance and medical, dental, vision, and mental health services.

6. Support programs that help focus attention on adolescent health issues, including implementing innovative programs for hard to reach and high-risk youth.

7. Support expansion of health coverage to children and their families to include education, early screening and adequate services for substance abuse treatment and mental health.

8. Support improving access to health care services, including mental health.

9. Support expanding state and local diagnostic mental health criteria for disorders of infancy and early childhood.

10. Support successful outreach, enrollment, retention, and utilization programs focused on children's health coverage and use of preventative health care services.

11. Support improved community education regarding environmental health hazards and avoiding childhood obesity.

12. Support universal health care, both access and utilization including mental health, vision and dental services.
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GOVERNANCE: GOAL: TO ASSURE EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT, ACCOUNTABLE SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEMS.

 

We support the following promising approaches:

1. Support effective citizen participation in the development and implementation of public policy, including the provision of information and tools needed for their meaningful participation.

2. Support the rights and responsibilities of non-profit organizations to advocate for the populations they serve.

3. Support results-based budgeting.

4. Support de-categorization of public funds and increased local flexibility and control, while locally maintaining protection of underserved populations.

5. Support reduction of administrative barriers to inclusive, collaborative integrated services.

6. Support efforts to assure all services are provided in an atmosphere of dignity, respect, and cultural competence.

7. Oppose efforts to shift costs for state or federal responsibilities to the counties.
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Adopted by Solano Children's Alliance on 10/4/2006