Harmful Florida Children's Services Bill Needs YOUR Attention TODAY

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April 6, 2010

Harmful Florida Children's Services Bill

Needs YOUR Attention TODAY

House Bill 1227 will be voted on this week in committee!

At a time when funding for children's programs is in danger of cuts that will negatively impact services to thousands of children, Children's Services Councils (CSCs) and the children's programs they support are in imminent jeopardy because of HB 1227.

The proposals call for all of the Children's Services Councils to seek reauthorization from voters every six years.

CALL OR E-MAIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND TELL THEM THAT

PASSAGE OF THIS BILL WILL BE HARMFUL TO CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY.

Here are just a few reasons why this unnecessary bill attempts to fix a problem that does not exist:

Local voters already approved the creation and reauthorization of our CSC, The Children's Trust, twice by large margins - in 2002 and again in 2008.

Why single out only those special districts devoted to children for a referendum out of the more than 1,000 special districts in the state?

We already have laws in place that allow for a referendum any time the county commission decides one is needed.

Talking points are included below

Please contact the bill sponsor, Committee Chair and the House Military and Local Affairs committee members immediately!

Bill Sponsor: Debbie Mayfield, , debbie.mayfield@...

Committee Chair: Dorothy Hukill, , dorothy.hukill@...

House Military & Local Affairs Committee

Members

Contact Information

Dorothy Hukill,

Chair

dorothy.hukill@...

Dorworth,

Vice Chair

chris.dorworth@...

Ron Schultz

ron.schultz@...

Esteban L. Bovo, Jr.

esteban.bovo@...

C. Zapata

juan.zapata@...

Wood

john.wood@...

Janet C. Long

janet.long@...

Janet Adkins

janet.adkins@...

Mackenson "Mack" Bernard

mack.bernard@...

Fitzgerald

keith.fitzgerald@...

Evan Jenne

evan.jenne@...

Mark S. Pafford

mark.pafford@...

Renuart

ronald.renuart@...

E. Van Zant

charles.vanzant@...

Talking Points

Protect Florida's most vulnerable

by voting "NO" on SB 1216 / HB 1227.

Children's Services Councils are...

A Local Funding Solution

Creating a local revenue stream for children's programs

Investing local dollars locally

Helping to decrease counties' dependence on limited state and federal funds

Accountable and Transparent

Subject to the same rules and requirements that apply to city and county governments

Operating under Sunshine laws with all meetings, records, budgets, financial reports and annual reports open to the public

Mandated to conduct independent annual audits and submit them to the county and state

Required to submit quarterly financial reports to counties

Operating under multiple levels of scrutiny - the community, CSC board, county and state

A Positive Return on Investment

Leveraging local dollars to secure millions in state and federal matching money and private donations

Reducing the rate of juvenile crime, infant mortality, and child abuse and neglect

Saving taxpayers money by reducing the number of children in state foster care and the juvenile justice system

By The People, For The Children

Established by the voters

Representative of the community

Governed by elected officials, gubernatorial appointees, local leaders and state employees

If SB 1216 / HB 1227 Passes, Children Lose

Requires more than half of Florida Children's Services Councils to go on the ballot for reauthorization this August

Provides less than six months to conduct effective voter outreach and education

Deprives voters of adequate time to make informed decisions about investments in children

Mandates voter reauthorization every six years

Prevents Children's Services Councils from operating with a long-term vision and strategy

Diverts resources and energy away from the core mission of serving children

Jeopardizes sustained investments in children

Allow Florida Children's Services Councils

to continue operating under their

current model of success.

Please contact Ragbeer at diana@... should you need further information.

Ragbeer

Director of Public Policy and Communications

The Children's Trust

email: diana@...

phone:

web: http://www.thechildrenstrust.org

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