http://www.cffo.org/ en Copyright 2010 2010-07-28T18:08:09+00:00 http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/save_erdc_save_jobs/ http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/save_erdc_save_jobs/#When:18:08:09Z Please act now to save ERDC! The Governor’s current cut will affect Oregon’s Employment Related Day Care (EDRC) program. ERDC impacts not only the economic stability of families, but the productivity of businesses and local economies throughout the state. At a time when Oregon most needs families to remain employed, it is critical for legislators to save ERDC and help keep Oregon families working. Call or write state budget leaders, urging them to fully fund ERDC: Senator Devlin 503-986-1719 Representative Hunt 503-986-1440 Send an Email 2010-07-28T18:08:09+00:00 http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/with_budgets_tight_child_care_subsidy_gets_cut/ http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/with_budgets_tight_child_care_subsidy_gets_cut/#When:20:07:57Z By Shellie Bailey-Shah KATU News and KATU.com Staff Click for Video PORTLAND, Ore. - Low-income parents may find themselves without child care in the next few months after a program meant to help many of them work is being slashed. The latest victim, Employment Related Day Care, is part of the nine percent cut Oregon’s Gov. Ted Kulongoski has ordered across all departments. Terra Buchanan, a single mother of two, will be one of 5,500 families out of 11,000 who will lose the day care subsidy by the end of the year. In all 10,250 children will be affected. She got a letter this weekend that said her day care subsidy will be eliminated Dec. 31. Buchanan gets $631 a month to pay for child care so that she can work at a $13- an-hour job at a call center. Without it, she says she’ll have no choice but to go back on state assistance. “It’s going to have to cost more in the end,” she said. “If they take away my ability to work, I now need their help to pay my rent, my electricity, food, everything that I was doing myself by having a job, I’m now going to need the state to help me with because there’s no way for me to afford it.” The subsidy she receives from the state pays for about two-thirds of her child care expense. But starting Dec. 31, only families who’ve received state welfare assistance - called TANF - in the past two years will qualify for the day care help. Gene Evans, with Oregon’s Department of Human Services, acknowledged these cuts will mean some working parents will lose their jobs. “A reduction in their child care is going to have an impact on their ability to stay employed,” he said. “It’s a bad choice for everybody involved.” Buchanan says it will ultimately cost taxpayers even more money. “If they take it away, there’s no way for me to support my kids, and I’m back on welfare again,” she said. “I’m technically in the system even more if they take this away from us.” At this point, the only thing that can save the day care subsidy is action by the state Emergency Board, which is made up of lawmakers. Last week the board saved a senior in-home care program that was on the chopping block, but the board likely will not meet again until the fall. 2010-07-27T20:07:57+00:00 http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/state_budget_oregon_cant_move_money_from_roads/ http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/state_budget_oregon_cant_move_money_from_roads/#When:22:45:32Z Sunday, July 25, 2010 Harry Esteve At Oregon State University in Corvallis, construction is under way on the $12 million Hallie Ford Center, where researchers will focus on the long-term well-being of children and families. At the same time, Malina Newell in Keizer worries that state cuts to day care will threaten the immediate needs of her family. 2010-07-26T22:45:32+00:00 http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/the_real_winners_in_health_care_reform_kids/ http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/the_real_winners_in_health_care_reform_kids/#When:16:49:02Z By Mary Brown, David Willis and Arthur Jaffe In March, America made history by passing the Affordable Care Act. As the summer heats up, so does the ongoing debate around the country about what the new health reform law actually means for all Americans. Not everyone is convinced that the law is good for the country. But there is one constituency group that clearly came out as winners in the fight, one group that—although literally necessary for the future survival of our country—can’t speak up for itself and often is ignored. They are our nation’s most important, yet most vulnerable resource: our children. 2010-07-22T16:49:02+00:00 http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/oregon_foster_care_improves_in_latest_federal_review/ http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/oregon_foster_care_improves_in_latest_federal_review/#When:21:04:28Z Yesterday the Oregonian released a story, Oregon Foster Care Improves in Latest Federal Review, discussing Oregon’s completion of 6 key federal requirements for the safety and well-being of children in foster care. These requirements included returning foster children to their families sooner, reducing abuse and maltreatment, and moving children less frequently while they’re in foster care. We are proud to recognize that the Vice President of Children First for Oregon’s youth program, the Oregon Foster Youth Connection (OFYC), is interviewed in the story, highlighting challenges youth face in state foster care. You can hear more from Nicole by watching her recent video.  Children First commends the Children, Adults and Families Division of DHS for taking the difficult steps necessary to meet the federal requirements, but we know there is still a long way to go. Last May, during National Foster Care Month, we released our 2009 Essay and Policy Recommendations, Keeping Children Safe: Improving Oregon’s Child Welfare System. This essay highlights 9 policy recommendations that CFFO believes will make further impact on keeping children safely in their homes, improving the experience of foster care, and ensuring that youth aging out of the system at age 18 have the support they need to successfully transition to adulthood. Individuals, lawmakers and community leaders all play a role in building a safer future for children and a stronger future for families. By continuing effective efforts that keep kids safe, Oregon can continue to focus on its core values and can be a national leader in child welfare issues. Thank you for the role you play in making Oregon a better place, and for supporting Children First for Oregon. 2010-07-15T21:04:28+00:00 http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/balancing_oregons_budget_the_cuts_we_just_cant_afford/ http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/balancing_oregons_budget_the_cuts_we_just_cant_afford/#When:22:40:24Z Monday, June 28, 2010, 9:00 AM Jerry Cohen, Robin Christian It’s been said that a society is measured by how it cares for those in the dawn of life, the twilight of life and the shadows of life. If we allow the governor’s plan to balance Oregon’s 2009-2011 budget with 9 percent across-the-board cuts to stand, our state will fall tragically short of that measure. The irony is that the governor’s plan is likely to slow—not speed up—our economic recovery. Why? 2010-06-28T22:40:24+00:00 http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/senate_fails_to_extend_fmap/ http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/senate_fails_to_extend_fmap/#When:23:20:52Z Yesterday morning, the Baucus-Reid substitute jobs bill (H.R. 4213) failed to garner enough votes to pass. Call your Oregon senators today! Urge them to work with their colleagues to get the 60 votes they need to reinstate FMAP into The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act.  In a time when our economic recovery is still fragile, it is vital to our state and many others that this money be added back into the bill. Background: H.R. 4213, The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act is considered an “extenders package” to continue relief money to the states. Funding for FMAP (Federal Medicaid Assistance Program) was removed from the package in the House last week. FMAP helps states pay for Medicaid services, but also goes to fund other vital programs that Oregonians value. (Many of the programs we just voted to protect last January.) Call Senators Merkley & Wyden today! Senator Jeff Merkley: 1-202-224-3753 Senator Ron Wyden: 1-202-224-5244 Tell them: Oregon desperately needs you to extend FMAP, please work with your fellow senators to make sure that FMAP is included in the final bill. Vulnerable Oregon children and families are relying on the programs these funds would protect. After your call: Email us and tell us how it went! Can’t Call? Send your senators an email instead 2010-06-17T23:20:52+00:00 http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/fmap/ http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/fmap/#When:16:55:25Z Protect important investments in programs that keep Oregon children healthy and safe and strengthen families: Reinstate FMAP. Last week as Congress considered an “extenders package” to continue relief money to the states, funding for FMAP (Federal Medicaid Assistance Program) was removed from the package. FMAP helps states pay for Medicaid services, but also goes to fund other vital programs that Oregonians value, like financial assistance programs and child welfare. (Many of the programs we just voted to protect last January.) As the bill moves to the Senate, Oregon Senators need to hear from you! Oregon has been expecting and desperately needs the money that FMAP funds provide, especially now that we are facing a nearly $600m shortfall.  Currently, we are looking at a reduction in the Department of Human Services budget of about $158m.  If this money is included in the bill, DHS will be able to avoid cuts.  If not, DHS will be making a number of cuts, including cuts to many of the programs we fought to protect last session.  If FMAP is not approved before the end of this month, DHS will move forward on implementing cuts in July to go into effect in August. Read more about the effect losing FMAP could have on state budgets: Counting on Medicaid Money, States Face Shortfalls (New York Times) Statement: Nicholas Johnson, Director, State Fiscal Project, on NGA and NASBO’s “Fiscal Survey of the States” (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) Call Senators Merkley & Wyden today! Senator Jeff Merkley: 1-202-224-3753 Senator Ron Wyden: 1-202-224-5244 Tell them: Please reinstate the six-month FMAP extension into The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, HR 4213. Vulnerable Oregon children and families are relying on the programs these funds would protect. After your call: Email us and tell us how it went! Can’t Call? Send your senators an email instead   2010-06-08T16:55:25+00:00 http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/may_is_national_foster_care_month1/ http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/may_is_national_foster_care_month1/#When:02:13:27Z The Oregon Foster Youth Connection (OFYC) Wraps up it’s 2nd Annual Duffle Bag Drive All month, Oregon Foster Youth Connection members created and sent out videos highlighting the complex network of relationships that youth face in the child welfare system. Today, we introduce one last video highlighting a current foster youth, Marcela, and her lawyer Angela. Watch it now to learn what a lawyer’s relationship looks like with a young person in care. To watch the entire series of National Foster Care Month videos, click here. In the absence of a parent, many children rely on items like a stuffed animal, blanket or a favorite book to help them feel secure and loved. Most children entering foster care are placed in new homes without these basic comfort items and with the few belongings they have stuffed in trash bags. By running a duffle bag drive this past month, OFYC members are working to provide new foster children a sense of security during such times of turmoil. This Sunday, members will gather to fill and distribute the donated bags to foster youth throughout the state. Though the duffle bag drive has ended, you can still support the work of OFYC. To learn more about the Oregon Foster Youth Connection, click here 2010-05-07T02:13:27+00:00 http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/15th_annual_essay_and_policy_recommendations_released/ http://www.cffo.org/site/blog_entry/15th_annual_essay_and_policy_recommendations_released/#When:01:44:49Z 2010-05-07T01:44:49+00:00