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Advocacy
Following Through on Welfare Reform
The latest report released by The Home and MassBudget examines the impact of welfare reform.
READ REPORT >> |
For more information about The Home's advocacy efforts, please contact:
Brian Condron
Director of Advocacy and Public Policy
bcondron@thehome.org
tel: (617) 927-0620
The main role of The Home's Advocacy Department is to educate and engage political leaders and policymakers on key child welfare issues.
We strive to:
- Educate and engage child welfare professionals, political leaders and other stakeholders around key issues that have an impact on the welfare of children.
- Influence state policy to have greater emphasis on the positive development of children, their families and communities.
- Establish The Home as a statewide leader to increase coordination of policy efforts on behalf of the children we serve.
Click the links below to view:
State Budget News
The Commonwealth’s annual budget cycle has begun. On January 27th, Governor Patrick released his recommendations for state spending for Fiscal Year 2011 that begins on July 1. Some highlights relative to The Home include:
- Consolidating several Department of Children and Families (DCF) administrative accounts into one line item
- A proposal to combine DCF’s stabilization and group care accounts
- Maintaining the strides we have made in Aging Out services
- Increased funding for Early Childhood Mental Health Consultations
- Substantially increasing funding for the Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative.
- New proposals to extend the sales tax to candy, soda, cigars and smokeless tobacco, and to extend the “Bottle Bill” to include water, juice, coffee-based and sports (i.e. Gatorade) drinks
The 2009-2010 Legislative Session
The 2009-2010 legislative session began on January 7, 2009. On January 14th, over 6,000 bills were filed. The Home will track the progress of related bills throughout the session. Public hearings on these bills will begin in late winter at the State House . The 186th General Court should be vastly different that its immediate predecessor. Foremost, there is a new Speaker of the House of Representatives: Robert A. DeLeo, D-Winthrop, succeeded Salvatore E. DiMasi to the speakership on January 28th.
The Home will focus on several issues over the next two years including, but not limited to:
- The Commonwealth’s budget in these times of global fiscal uncertainty
- Working with The Child Advocate, Judge Gail Garinger, as her office continues to implement the sweeping new child welfare law that was approved in July 2008
- Pursuing Federal matching funds for non-Medicaid support to youth who age out of foster care
Recent Legislative Testimony
The Home testifies on matters of importance to us and our mission of ensuring the healthy emotional, mental, and social development of children at risk, their families, and communities.We are pleased to make that testimony available to you:
11/13/2008
Letter of testimony to the Division of Health Care Finance & Policy regarding Rates of payment for Children's Mental Health Services.
3/7/2008
Letter to DPH Regarding Proposed Changes in Early Intervention Eligibility Criteria
3/4/2008
Letter in support of bringing equality to transgender people.
3/3/2008
Letter in support of a social worker loan forgiveness program.
2/25/2008
Letter in support of reforming the procurement and funding systems of the human services provider industry.
6/6/2007
Supporting Bills Benefiting Foster Care and Adoption
5/9/2007
Testimony in Support of Welfare Reform
3/14/2007
In support of the Children's Medical Security Plan and extending MassHealth to those "aging out" of foster care.
1/25/2007
Testimony Before the Special House Committee on Child Abuse
For more information about our advocacy efforts, please contact
Brian Condron, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, at bcondron@thehome.org or
617-927-0620.
Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center Reports
The Home for Little Wanderers has teamed up with Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MBPC) to examine the impact of state policies on low and moderate-income children and families in the Commonwealth.
For more information or to download the reports click here.
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