Witnesses in support of the bill included Operation Breakthrough, Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser, a small business owner in Jefferson City, Missouri Child Care Resource & Referral Network, Partnership for Children, MNEA, and the GKC Chamber of Commerce.

Child Care Licensing (HB383): Legislation seeking to reform Missouri’s child care licensing regulations was favorably received in the House Committee on Professional Registration & Licensing last Wednesday. State Auditor Susan Montee and Shelley Blecha, the mother of an infant who tragically died in an unlicensed child care home last year, were key witnesses supporting HB383.

Last year, a state audit of the child care licensing system found a home-provider who was licensed to care for 10 children, actually caring for as many as 18 children by herself. Her business was still legal because 8 of the children were related to her, and thus not counted under Missouri law. Even for providers caring for an illegal number of children, such as the case in Arnold resulting in an infant’s death, the state regulatory agency for child care has no authority to close illegal businesses and providers only risk being slapped with a $200 fine.

HB 383 would: 1) remove the exemption for unrelated children in determining child care licensure; 2) require license-exempt providers to disclose their exempt status to parents; 3) increase the fine for illegally operating a child care business to $200/per day with a cap of $10,000; 4) allow the Department of Health & Senior Services to close illegally operating unlicensed child care programs. Partnership for Children strongly supports HB383 as a positive first step towards improving safety in child care programs.

Parental Rights (HJR16): Partnership for Children joined MO Kids First in opposing HJR16 during a hearing in the House Children & Families Committee last Wednesday. This constitutional amendment proposed by Rep. Cynthia Davis (R-O’Fallon) would give parents and legal guardians a “natural and fundamental right to direct the care, education, and upbringing of their children.” The government would not be able to hinder this fundamental right unless there is “compelling governmental interest.”

The vague language of this legislation raises concerns over potential impact on the state’s ability to properly conduct child abuse investigations. In addition, a constitutional amendment could lead to a litany of court cases arguing the constitutionality of Missouri’s current state statutes designed to protect our vulnerable children when parents fail to look out for their well-being.

Earned Income Tax Credit (SB105): Missouri’s outdated and unfair income tax system came under scrutiny last week during a hearing in the Senate Government Accountability Committee on legislation establishing a State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). A State EITC could benefit as many as 440,000 Missouri families and is also proven to be a valuable economic stimulus, generating economic activity that would reach every corner of Missouri.

Though SB105, sponsored by Senator Justus (D-Kansas City), creates a refundable state EITC, the committee also discussed an alternative non-refundable EITC that would only be available to Missourians with incomes high enough to pay state income taxes.  Missouri has one of the highest tax burdens on working poor families, with a family of four starting to pay income tax at just 82% of federal poverty. Low-income families are most likely to spend any tax refund quickly in their local economy in order to meet basic needs, thus providing a critical economic stimulus during this time of financial turmoil.

Partnership for Children, the MO Budget Project, AARP, and the Missouri Association for Social Welfare testified in support of the legislation.

Drop-Out Prevention (SB116): Legislation establishing a state grant program for local drop-out prevention strategies was heard in the Senate Education Committee last Wednesday. SB116, sponsored by Senator Bray (D-St. Louis County), creates a Persistence to Graduation fund. School Districts with over 60% student eligibility for free and reduced lunch would be eligible for state funding to implement a holistic approach to drop-out prevention, covering early childhood to young adulthood.

Kansas City’s Metropolitan Organization for Racial & Economic Equity (MORE2) testified in support of SB116, stating that over 18,000 students did not graduate from Missouri high schools in 2008 at a loss of $4.8 billion in lifetime earnings.

PE Requirements (HB509): HB509, sponsored by Rep. Stream (R-St. Louis County) was heard in the House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education on Wednesday.  This bill would require daily physical education programs in grades K-8, plus a mandatory recess period from kindergarten through 5^th grade.  HB 509 does not allow for waivers if students participate in marching band or athletic teams.  Partnership for Children testified in favor of this bill because research continues to show that children who engage in physical activity have better behavior in class and are generally more prepared to learn.  While PFC testified in favor of the current version of the bill, we will be working with the bill sponsor, members of the committee and other advocates to ensure that the additional requirement will not have an adverse effect on the curriculum.

Thanks to our Partners at Kansas Action for Children for this update from Topeka on children’s issues relating to KAC’s 2009 Policy Agenda:

Autism Waiver. The House Aging and Long Term Care Committee will hear public testimony March 3 and March 5 on HB 2094, which addresses funding for Medicaid waivers. Kansas Action for Children will testify in support of funding for the autism waiver.

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