MCCTF April 3, 2002 MEETING MINUTES

MICHIGAN CHILD CARE TASK FORCE Minutes taken by: Victoria Martinez, Oakland Child Care Council (4C), Michigan State University Family and Child Ecology Department and Steve Manchester, Michigan AEYC PLEASE NOTE: CHANGE IN GUEST SPEAKER FOR MAY MEETING. PLEASE NOTE: A LEGISLATIVE BREAKFAST IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 1 AT 7:30 a.m. AT 121 W. ALLEGAN, LANSING-DETAILS TO FOLLOW SOON. The meeting was called to order shortly after 9:30, each person gave a brief self-introduction and the group adopted the agenda. EARLY ANNOUNCEMENTS: Richard Lower, Michigan's Children, announced that the Michigan Council for Children & Families (MCCF) would meet on April 8. Lisa Brewer announced that quantities of up to 500 copies of the "Children's Agenda," a recent publication of MCCF were available. Contact Michigan's Children at 517-485-3500. Bob Redmond, Superintendent of Branch Intermediate School District, announced an upcoming meeting of ASAP-PIE program providers and various ECEC advocates, tentatively scheduled for June 10. The meeting will consider ways to continue the collaboration and success that ASAP-PIE programs have had so far. Invitees will include families that receive ASAP-PIE services, ISD representatives, other community leaders, and childcare advocates. The meeting will discuss lessons learned and organize advocacy to retain state support for PIE. Details will follow including a firm date and location. For more information contact Bob at Redmondb@branch-isd.org. UPDATES ON THE BUSINESS OF THE TASK FORCE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - Judy Levine presented a written report to the task force (you may request a copy via email at smanchester@miaeyc.org). Check the MDE web site for various technical assistance sessions and deadlines for grant applications - go to: http://www.state.mi.us/mde/off/staa/earlychild/index.htm. The 21st century community learning program will relinquish federal control over grants and let each state plan and operate its own program. Check The Michigan Department of Education web site for information. If you want to be a grant reader, contact Lindy Busch or Judy Levine at (517) 373-8483, or Judy at levinejd@mi.gov. ASAP-PIE programs hope the new school aid budget will permit them to carry funds for fiscal year 2002 beyond FY '02. (NOTE: the legislature sent to the Governor a provision allowing grantees to carry forward their PIE funds.) MDE has derived some preliminary findings about ASAP-PIE: * Since ASAP-PIE addresses all children, it builds from an "asset" model instead of only from a "risk" or "deficiency" model. This makes the program more acceptable to the many families that avoid the "problem family" label. S. Manchester pointed out the mild tension that exists for ECEC advocates because so much emphasis is placed on "prevention," which is a too narrow a focus for ECEC; he believes that many families relate better to ECEC advocacy that stresses developmental opportunities for children. * For many communities, PIE has greatly increased collaboration among major community organizations on behalf of children. * Many PIE communities have developed a heightened commitment to community networking on behalf of children. MDE is bringing the Michigan Electronic Grants System (MEGS) into use. People seeking and implementing department grants will have to use MEGS in the relative near future. You can obtain lots of information on how to use MEGS at 517-335-0505 or help-desk@michigan.gov. Barb Roth is leaving MDEd to take a national position with YMCA - USA. Her work is being reassigned and MDEd hopes to hire two new ECEC staff. You can get information about these open jobs at MiAEYC.org or by calling 517-373-8483. Guest Speaker: SHARON PARKS, Senior Research Associate & Director, Michigan Budget and Tax Policy Project for the Michigan League for Human Services.Sharon discussed TANF reauthorization, which Congress will finish by September 30, 2002. TANF, a federal funding stream, is Michigan's largest source of public child care money for low income families. It replaced the old AFDC program, which provided cash allowances for stay-at-home parents. Now welfare parents must enter the job market and rely on TANF to provide supports such as child care. Michigan currently gets from the federal government annual TANF funding of $775 million based on AFDC caseloads of 1994. The annual maintenance of effort requirement, which the state must provide to pull down the federal dollars, is $468 million. (based on 75% of the state's 1994 state effort in welfare support). New TANF legislation being discussed in Congress contains increased work requirements and financial penalties for states that fail to meet the requirements. A difficulty for welfare recipients is that TANF funds used for "assistance" are limited to five years. However, child care support is not considered "assistance," which means there is no five year limit for child care. Michigan has almost the poorest record in the nation in qualifying for federal child care funds because it fails to provide the needed state match. Michigan has failed to produce required matching funds because doing so would require the use of General Fund money, which the state would rather have available for additional tax cuts. Until recently, Michigan had surplus TANF funds above the $775 million annual allocation. Now, the surpluses are gone and Michigan only receives its $775 million. Now, as caseloads rise due to the slow economy the state is cutting its budget, which may diminish child care support. President Bush has put out a TANF reauthorization proposal (but no bill), which consists of the following: 1. FLAT FUNDING for the TANF block grant. This means the funding stream is losing its purchasing power due to inflation. Governors and advocates are all supporting an inflationary increase. 2. STRICT WORKING REQUIREMENTS for recipients. The government is proposing a 40-hour workweek for recipients but does not provide time for education and training. The recipient will have to find and pay for childcare arrangements for 40 hours and more. For welfare recipients with special-needs children, TANF may become more strict. "Automatic exception of work activity" for parents of special-needs children could be closed under the Bush proposal. Few case workers are trained in assessing special needs children and few day care facilities are prepared to take care of them, which could add to the difficulties. If you want a side-by-side comparison of various TANF proposals that have been introduced, check out www.milhs.org or www.midwestpartners.org. Sharon called for strong advocacy, saying this was a critical period. Legislators should know that there are people out here who care about the program. Child care advocates should write letters or email seeking increased TANF funding; write to Representatives Dave Camp, Sander Levin and the House Ways and Means Subcommittee member. Say the following: 1. Do not freeze TANF and CCDF funding. Both programs should allow for inflationary increase. 2. Do not reduce the flexibility of the states in managing the funding streams. 3. Let welfare recipients use time spent in education and training to meet work hour requirements. The task force asked Steve Manchester to send out an alert regarding TANF. People may go to Michigan's Children, Michigan Head Start or Michigan 4-C Association for more information. UPDATES: Steve Manchester discussed the School Aid budget. Five ECEC programs - ASAP-PIE, 0-3 collaboration grants, School Readiness/Head Start and two reading programs - were cut in the school aid budget. However, the legislature inserted "place holder" language stating "legislative intent" that these five programs would be the first to be funded if a "Revenue Estimating Conference" held in late May estimated new growth in the School Aid Fund. Steve predicts that the estimate, at best, will be for an amount that falls far short of the $108 million needed to fund everything listed in the "intent language." He suggested that an estimated increase of, say, $50 million would invite each child advocate to fight other advocates on behalf of his/her own ECEC program. After discussion, the task force agreed to advocate for full funding of the $108 million with information sent to legislators on where to find the money. The money is available from a combination of higher estimates for the School Aid Fund, use of the "Rainy Day Fund" ($270 million is in it now) and "pausing" the Single Business Tax tax cut, which provides another $120 million ("pausing" this tax cut occurs automatically if the Rainy Day Fund is drawn down under $250 million). After the estimating conference, this should total over $400 million in currently available funds, enough to fund ECEC. A brief fact sheet on the "intent language" and the revenue estimating conference is available upon request from smanchester@MiAEYC.org. (Note: these days, you can use "org" or "com" with Steve's email address.) The meeting adjourned at 11:50 a.m. NEXT MEETING: Wednesday, May 1, 2002 - 9:30 a.m. - noon, State of Michigan Library; Lake Ontario Room, 717 W. Allegan, Lansing. GUEST SPEAKER: STATE REPRESENTATIVE (and Reverend) MICHAEL C. MURPHY. Mike, the State Representative from Lansing, is the Minority Vice-Chair on the House Family and Children Services Committee and also sits on the House Appropriations Sub-committee on the Family Independence Agency Budget. He served as Children's Services Advisor to Governor Blanchard. He is the Pastor of St. Stephen's Community Church (non-denominational) in Lansing. Mike has a long record of leadership in children's issues and will share his insights about child advocacy and policy making, including issues now before the Michigan Legislature. NOTE: Heath Meriwether - Publisher, The Detroit Free Press had to postpone his appearance with us until the June 5 meeting. NOTE: A legislative breakfast on May 1, 7:30 to 9:00 a.m., will precede the task force meeting. Feel free to attend and also to invite your state legislators. You will receive information about this soon. Kristen McDonald-Stone, Michigan Head Start Association Lisa Brewer, Michigan 4-C Association/T.E.A.C.H.® Co-chairs, Michigan Child Care Task Force Please FORWARD THIS NOTICE TO OTHERS; we invite people to join this email network. Comments, suggestions, or requests to be removed from this list should be directed to smanchester@MiAEYC.org. This message is made possible, in part, by generous support from the Frey Foundation of Grand Rapids.

 

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