$42 Million for Child Care

Thanks to the federal American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, Missouri will receive approximately $42 million for child care assistance and quality improvement over the next two years. Lawmakers decided to use $3.4 million of this funding to maintain the state’s current eligibility limits at 127% of poverty with transitional assistance up to 139% FPL, but PFC and other child advocates hope that the Department of Social Services will also expand child care assistance guidelines for two years to aid low-income working families who are struggling during this economic recession. ~back to top~

Funding for Foster Care Clothing & Diapers

With the help of Sen. Frank Barnitz (D-Lake Spring), Partnership for Children successfully advocated for a $1.6 million one-time appropriation to increase the clothing and diaper allowance for Missouri’s foster and adoptive children.  In the budget submitted to the General Assembly, Governor Nixon included a similar proposal using state dollars that would continue year after year.  However, legislative leaders contended there wasn’t enough funding in the state budget this year, so PFC went after federal stimulus dollars to provide some help for the immediate future.  We will continue to fight next year to get this funding included in the state’s budget. ~back to top~

P-20 Council

The legislature approved a new and improved state P-20 council proposed by Sen. Brad Lager (R-Maryville), bringing together leaders in higher ed, K-12 education, early childhood education, and the business sector to create a more efficient and effective education system from early childhood through college. ~back to top~

Foster Care Education Bill of Rights

Championed by Sen. Jolie Justus (D-Kansas City), the Foster Care Education Bill of Rights would require schools districts to designate an educational liaison for children in foster care and would ease academic and bureaucratic hurdles for foster students who often transfer schools. Foster care students will now have the right to remain enrolled in their original school in order to promote educational stability. The proposal passed as part of two larger bills: SB 291, an omnibus education bill, and HB 154, making grandparents the first preference for children needing emergency placements. ~back to top~

Persistence to Graduation Fund

This new fund within the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education would provide grants to school districts to implement drop-out prevention strategies that holistically address education from early childhood through early adulthood. Originally sponsored by Sen. Joan Bray (D-St. Louis County), the new grant program passed as part of the omnibus education bill, SB 291, but is currently unfunded. ~back to top~

Stronger PE Requirements

Originally sponsored by Rep. Rick Stream (R-Kirkwood), HB 509 mandated Physical Education requirements in all school districts.  Like many other education proposals, a compromise version of this language was rolled into SB 291, requiring school districts to ensure that students in elementary schools participate in “moderate physical activity” for the entire school year for an average of 150 minutes per week, or 30 minutes per day.  These requirements will be effective beginning in the 2010-2011 school year.  Provisions mandating similar requirements for middle schools were changed so that schools “may” offer such activities, but they are not required to do so.  In addition, elementary school students must be provided a minimum of one recess period of 20 minutes per day, which may be incorporated into the lunch period.   While the passed language falls short of what we were originally advocating for, this is a good first step down the road to creating active and healthy lifestyles for Missouri’s kids. ~back to top~

Child Witness Protection Act

HB 863, known as the “Child Witness Protection Act”, was approved by the legislature and now awaits Governor Nixon’s signature.  Sponsored by Rep. Bob Dixon (R-Springfield), the bill creates a more child-friendly atmosphere for children under the age of 17 who are required to testify in a court of law.  This legislation is especially critical for child victims of abuse who are at risk of further trauma from aggressive questioning in court or from testifying in front of their abuser. ~back to top~

Maintained Funding for Presumptive Eligibility for SCHIP

Partnership for Children successfully advocated to continue funding this year for Presumptive Eligibility for children’s health insurance after the initiative was first funded in 2008.  Presumptive Eligibility allows families to take their children to children’s hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and rural health clinics to receive health services.  At these facilities, families are “presumed” to be eligible for SCHIP without having to jump through any administrative hoops before their sick children can receive care.  The families then have a certain amount of time to complete the necessary paperwork so their children can be enrolled in the state children’s health insurance program.  The program has been running since late last year, and hundreds of children have been able to receive health care as a result.  Our thanks go out to Rep. Ryan Silvey (R-Kansas City) for fighting for the appropriation last year and for working tirelessly to maintain funding this year. ~back to top~

MO Preschool Plus Grant Program

A proposal sponsored by Sen. Jeff Smith (D-St. Louis) to fund preschool for up to 1,250 young children in unaccredited school districts was approved by the legislature as part of SB 291, but lacks funding for implementation. The Department of Elementary & Secondary Education is charged with creating the “MO Preschool Plus Grant Program” by Jan 1, 2010, but grant funding will be subject to annual appropriation. ~back to top~

Grandparents First Preference for Foster Care

Sponsored by Rep. Marilyn Ruestman (R-Joplin), HB 154 successfully passed both chambers and was sent to the governor during the final week of the session.  HB 154 requires the Department of Social Services to “make diligent efforts” to contact the grandparents of a child in the event of an emergency separation.  The department has 24 hours to contact grandparents to see if they are interested in taking control of the child before a court hearing can be completed.  PFC believes this will have the positive impact of keeping more children within their biological families and keep many children out of the foster care system. ~back to top~

TABOR and Regressive Tax Proposals Fail

In a victory for Missouri’s children and low-income families, the legislature failed to pass any regressive tax proposals or TABOR-like restrictions on state spending this year. Proposals to limit state spending growth to an inflationary formula (HJR 23), replace the state income tax with a vastly expanded sales tax (HJR 36), and use over $500 million in one-time stimulus dollars for a permanent income tax cut (SB 71) all passed the House but failed to gain any support in the Senate. These regressive tax and revenue measures would give more help to wealthy Missourians than to low-income working families and would severely restrict the state’s ability to aid our most vulnerable citizens. ~back to top~

Parental Right to Child Abuse Defeated

A proposed constitutional amendment to guarantee parents “the right to care, educate, and raise his or her children without governmental hindrance unless there is a compelling interest” failed to gain support from the legislature this year, marking a victory for advocates of child abuse victims. HJR 16, sponsored by Rep. Cynthia Davis (R-O’Fallon), could have invalidated every child abuse law currently in MO statute and made it more difficult to remove a child from an abusive environment. The bill passed out of the House Children & Families Committee in late March but was never taken up for debate by the full House. ~back to top~