Policy Issue: Early Learning Programs

High quality early care and education is essential not only to healthy child development but also to a healthy economy and a strong community. Children who are ready for school will succeed and become the workforce we will need for our community's growth and prosperity.

The Florida Constitution mandates a high-quality Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK) for all 4 year olds whose parents want them to participate. More than 160,000, about 69 percent of the eligible state population, participated in VPK last year and the percentage continues to grow. However, due to program design and funding constraints, the VPK program meets only four of 10 nationally recommended quality standards and ranks 34th among 38 states in per pupil funding. Recommended quality improvement measures include required use of research-based curricula with proven outcomes and accurate, and comprehensive pre- and post-assessments for every child in a VPK program to identify successful programs and inform parents.

Florida’s School Readiness Program provides subsidized childcare for low-income working families, making quality child care affordable and thereby, supporting the economy, reducing absenteeism and increasing productivity. The School Readiness program prepares children for success in school through early learning opportunities, parent education, developmental screening and referrals to health and education specialists. However, due to funding constraints, more than 90,000 children in Florida, including more than 16,000 in Miami-Dade, remain on the waiting list for the School Readiness program.

United Way of Miami-Dade SUPPORTS adequate funding for Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) and School Readiness to provide access to high quality early learning opportunities for children.

Resources:

Bills Propose Sweeping Changes to Early Learning

The Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability Summary – Early Learning Programs

Florida Department of Education – Early Learning / Prekindergarten

Children’s Movement of Florida – 2012 Legislative Agenda

United Way of Florida Issue Paper – Early Learning

Policy Issue: Background Screening
SB 320 / HB943

In 2010 the Florida Legislature adopted sweeping changes to Florida’s background screening law in order to better protect children, the elderly and the disabled from abuse or exploitation. Thousands of prospective employees and volunteers are now required to get state and federal background (Level 2) screenings, which require submitting fingerprints to the FBI, before they can work or volunteer with vulnerable populations. The 2010 screening requirements have caused significant problems for many employers, employees, volunteers and nonprofits that work with volunteers. The consequence of implementing the 2010 legislation has been a patchwork of often conflicting or redundant requirements, as well as a significant cost burden to the organizations providing vital services.

United Way-funded organizations report serving nearly 1 million people in Miami-Dade County, many of who are children, elders and people living with disabilities. Staff and volunteers, working with these populations and requiring background screening, number in the tens of thousands. The burden of confusing, redundant and/or costly screening requirements affects these organizations’ ability to recruit and retain both staff and volunteers, slowing down or interfering with the services they provide.

United Way of Miami-Dade SUPPORTS legislation SB 320 / HB 943 to create a comprehensive background screening system that will ensure the protection of vulnerable populations, and not excessively burden volunteers, employers and employees, or impede the ability of well-meaning volunteers and legitimate nonprofit agencies to provide critically needed assistance to people in their communities.

Resources:

United Way of Florida Issue paper – Background Screening

Governor’s Interagency Workgroup Report

Background Screening Advocacy – United Way of Florida

Policy Issue: Home and Community-Based Care for the Elderly

Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) are a cost-effective alternative to nursing home care. These programs provide quality care that helps frail elders, who would otherwise require nursing home care, to remain at home or in other less restrictive settings such as Assisted Living Facilities (ALF) and Adult Day Care Centers. Two such programs are Community Care for the Elderly (CCE) and Home Care for the Elderly (HCE). Services may include adult companion, home-delivered meals, homemaker, case management and caregiver training and support.

In Florida, the Department of Elder Affairs is in charge of administering funding for nursing home care as well as HCBS waiver programs. However, the percentage of state funding invested in nursing home care is much higher than the percentage allocated to HCBS. Florida spends more than 80 percent of its Medicaid funds in nursing homes and less than 20 percent in HCBS waiver programs.

The difference between the funding for HCBS and nursing home care not only affects the quality of life of the individual, but it also impacts the state’s economy. In 2010, HCBS would have saved Florida approximately $65 million in nursing home costs. In FY 2009-10, the savings per individual who received HCBS rather than nursing home care was approximately $2,820.

Today, there are approximately 476,377 people over the age of 60+ in Miami-Dade County who meet the criteria for HCBS. Of these, 24.3 percent live 125 percent below the poverty guidelines and would benefit the most from this funding. In addition, HCBS agencies, nursing homes, home health care providers, caregivers and families of older adults would be impacted.

United Way of Miami-Dade SUPPORTS preserving current funding levels for Home and Community-Based Services that meet the needs of Florida’s aging population, create job opportunities for Floridians, and contribute to reducing the state’s Medicaid budget.

Resources:

The Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability Summary – Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services

White Paper – Long Term Care Reform

United Way of Florida Issue Paper – Home and Community-Based Care for the Elderly

Policy Issue: Class Size Penalties
SB 512 / HB 4135

In November 2002, Florida’s voters approved a state constitutional amendment setting limits for the maximum number of students in a classroom by the start of the 2010-11 school year. Under the law, kindergarten through third grade classes can have no more than 18 students; fourth- through eighth-graders are limited to 22; and core high school classes are capped at 25.

While the Constitution mandates class-size limits, it is the legislature that imposes penalties for noncompliance by school districts. Districts are fined based on the number of students who exceed the caps.

Of the state’s 67 county school districts, half met state class-size standards, but the majority of those districts are in smaller rural districts. Although Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) was able to reach a 99 percent level of compliance last year, it was still required to pay $1.6 million in fines. This year, under current law, M-DCPS faces a fine of $9.3 million.

M-DCPS penalty funds would be reallocated to school districts in full compliance, thus transferring critical funding from M-DCPS to other districts in Florida.

United Way of Miami-Dade SUPPORTS legislation SB 512 / HB 4135 that modifies the penalties for noncompliance with constitutional class size requirements and to provide relief from class size penalties that fall unequally on Miami-Dade County Public Schools.

Resources:

2012 Legislative Priority Issues - Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Policy Issue: Debt Settlement
SB 336 / HB 067

Debt settlement companies market their services to consumers who are not yet in bankruptcy, but are struggling to make minimum payments on their debts. For a fee, these companies promise to reduce the amount of consumers’ debts, but require them to first stop paying on the bills they owe. A large percentage of customers receive little or no benefit; many ending up in bankruptcy anyway, with larger debts than when they started.

Florida’s current law applies to debt settlement companies and provides important consumer protections by limiting the amount of fees charged ($50 initially and $30 monthly thereafter). The proposed legislation would allow debt settlement companies to collect fees totaling 30 percent of the difference between the debt enrolled and debt settled (net savings).

Supporters of the legislation, the out-of-state debt settlement companies, argue (say) they are not able to provide their services in Florida because the fees currently allowable by law are insufficient. They argue that the state should permit debt settlement services to be made available to those who need them without regulation to allow free consumer choice.

Opponents of the legislation strongly believe that these services are bad for consumers and therefore should be regulated.

United Way of Miami-Dade OPPOSES SB 336; Florida should enforce the existing law, rather than expand the flawed debt settlement model.

Resources:

SB 336 – Florida Senate Bill Analysis and Fiscal Impact Settlement

Debt Settlement Advocacy – United Way of Florida

Policy Issue: KidCare
SB 510 / SB 1294 / SB 1088

Florida KidCare is the state’s Children’s Health Insurance Program. Florida KidCare offers eligible families subsidized health insurance for their children from birth to age 18. There is a sliding-scale monthly premium based on family income. The federal government contributes up to 70 percent of the cost of the program, which is administered by the state. Florida KidCare includes four different parts: MediKids, Healthy Kids, Children’s Medical Services Network, and Medicaid.

In the state of Florida, more than half a million children lack health insurance. In Miami-Dade County, there are more than 100,000 uninsured children, many of whom are eligible for Florida KidCare.

Several bills have been filed this session, which would increase child enrollment and strengthen the Florida KidCare program. These include:

• SB 510 - would allow children of state employees who qualify for KidCare to enroll in the program;
• SB 1294 - would expand KidCare eligibility to include children of legal immigrants in the United States less than 5 years old (in accordance with federal guidelines); and
• SB 1088 - would require school districts to provide data on students participating in free and reduced-price lunch/breakfast programs for enrollment in KidCare.

United Way of Miami-Dade will continue to MONITOR Florida KidCare legislation and keep you informed.

Resources:

Children’s Movement of Florida - Children’s Health Insurance