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Florida's priorities are skewed when it comes to children
By DAVID LAWRENCE, FLORIDA VOICE
I am a frustrated Floridian.
We don't have our priorities straight. Somehow, we can figure out how to get almost $3 billion for a bullet train that most Floridians won't be able to use. Somehow, we can get $51,000 every year to house a juvenile in a secure facility. Somehow, we can get $20,000 each year to house an adult prisoner. But we can't get even $7,000 for a public-school slot. Not even $3,000 for a prekindergarten slot.
What is wrong with us? Why can't we invest in wiser priorities with a much greater return on investment?
I refer not only to public resources. Private, business and civic leadership and resources are just as vital. During Gov. Jeb Bush's administration, for example, we had a genuine emphasis on model mentoring programs with private investment.
We've backslid since. With vision and energy -- private and public -- we could have the nation's best-practice mentoring and parent skill-building programs, as well as this country's best examples of high-quality early-childhood investment.
But we do not. By every objective standard, Florida -- the fourth largest state in the nation -- ranks poorly in measure after measure in how we invest in our youngest, most vulnerable citizens:
· Hundreds of thousands of Florida's children are not covered by health insurance and have little or no access to ongoing medical care.
· Despite a constitutional amendment that mandates the availability of free, high-quality prekindergarten for 4-year-olds, our state's program does not meet most national standards.
· Special needs -- autism, cerebral palsy, and so many more -- are evident in as many as one in eight children, but Florida's early screening and treatment programs are poorly coordinated, only sporadically available and of inconsistent quality and efficacy.
· Florida regularly ranks in the bottom half of states in child health.
We are neither a very educated state nor an especially healthy one. Leaving Florida this way is a recipe for a competitive debacle in this 21st century global economy.
Right now, right here in Volusia and Flagler counties, more than 20,000 children do not have health insurance. About one of every four public school third-grade students in these two counties cannot read with even minimum proficiency. Worse, by the time they get to 10th grade, more than 60 percent of public-school students cannot read at grade level. Meanwhile, more than 3,000 juveniles were detained by authorities in Flagler and Volusia in 2008.
With all this in mind and after 20 months of research and planning, we have launched the citizen-led, nonpartisan Children's Movement of Florida.
Overseen by a 27-member statewide steering committee of influential Floridians and by 15 local steering committees of children's advocates and other leaders, the movement is well-funded, well-organized and driven by this objective:
To educate political, business and civic leaders -- and all Floridians -- about the urgent need to improve the way we care for our children, making the well-being and education of our youngest and most vulnerable citizens Florida's highest priority.
All our funding comes from private resources, mostly from individual Floridians. Our mission is not about advocating higher or new statewide taxes. It is about working in coming years to ensure that all of Florida's children are the No. 1 priority in our state's spending and investment. The very future of our state -- including the safety and security of all of us -- depends on this.
As part of this movement, "Milk Party" rallies will be held at 15 locations throughout Florida from Pensacola to Key West, between Sept. 6 and Sept. 30. The events will include appearances by movement leaders, children's advocates, entertainers and local celebrities and supporters. Refreshments will include milk and cookies. A bus called "The Children's Express" will carry the group on The Children's Movement Road Tour from city to city.
Daytona Beach's free rally will be held Sept. 13, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Mainland High School Performing Arts Center on International Speedway Boulevard.
The magnitude of these rallies, and the passion of the thousands of Floridians who attend, can show our elected leaders that we have the power to obtain for Florida's children the resources they require and deserve.
Our children need us.
Lawrence is president and co-chairman of The Children's Movement of Florida, president of The Early Childhood Initiative Foundation of Miami, University Scholar for early- childhood development and readiness at the University of Florida, and retired publisher of The Miami Herald.
Copyright © 2010 The Daytona Beach News-Journal
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ZERO TO THREE Video Promotes Early Language and Literacy Development
Source: ZERO TO THREE Policy Center - Retrieved August 27, 2010
The ZERO TO THREE Policy Center has released a new video illustrating how early language and literacy development contributes to a child’s success throughout life. The video can be viewed online and can be shown to policymakers, advocates, community partners, and others. A Window to the World: Promoting Early Language and Literacy Development is available at http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid4250110001?bctid=587336352001
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Dental Services Coming in October 2010 to Bond Community Health Center, Inc.
A Full-Time Dentist, Dental Hygienist and Dental Assistant will provide:
Preventative Care - Sealants, Cleanings, Oral Cancer Screenings, Education and Outreach, Emergency Services, Basic Restorative Services, Periodontal Services, Evaluation of Occlusion Problems, TMJ Disorders, Third Molar Eruptions and Extractions.
Dental Services for children, adolescents, and adults, including those living with HIV/AIDS and chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
Bond Community Health Center Inc. is located at 1720 S. Gadsden Street in Tallahassee, FL
(850) 576-4073 or www.bondchc.com
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Copyright ©2010 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
Heard on Morning Edition
July 28, 2010 - RENEE MONTAGNE, host:
The health risks of being overweight or obese are well-documented. Extra pounds increase the likelihood of diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers, even among children. New research also documents significant social and economic consequences of being chronically overweight or obese since childhood. NPR's Patti Neighmond reports.
PATTI NEIGHMOND: Philippa Clarke, a researcher at the University of Michigan, wanted to know what happens to people who've been overweight or obese since adolescence. She compared one group of 40-year-olds, who were normal weight at high school graduation but who gained weight gradually over time, to another group of 40-year-olds, who were overweight since age 19.
Ms. PHILIPPA CLARKE (University of Michigan): We found that those people who are persistently overweight were more likely to not have gone on to have any further education beyond their high school degree, to be receiving welfare or unemployment compensation at age 40, and to have no current partner.
NEIGHMOND: Clarke says her study didn't address why, but she speculates these adults probably experienced discrimination as children - discrimination that diminished their self-esteem and in turn, their aspirations.
Other research supports that theory. Yale psychologist Kelly Brownell has done research showing that overweight kids are far are more likely to report being teased.
Mr. KELLY BROWNELL (Psychologist, Yale University): Teasing that comes directly from teachers, in some cases; certainly, from peers; sometimes even by their own families. This gets internalized so overweight children feel inferior, feel like there's something defective with themselves and therefore, they tend not to aspire. And this isn't true in all cases, but a lot of them tend not to aspire to such heights because they don't believe they deserve it.
NEIGHMOND: Brownell says his studies have shown that overweight people are 26 times more likely to report discrimination than their normal-weight counterparts. And Brownell says discrimination against overweight individuals has increased significantly over the past decade despite the fact that more adults are becoming overweight.
One of the reasons, he says, may be that people think overweight adults have only themselves to blame. They should eat less and exercise more. But Brownell says blame is simply unreasonable, particularly when it comes to children and weight and especially in low-income neighborhoods, where markets are often inadequate, and places to exercise are nearly nonexistent.
Mr. BROWNELL: The social climate and our toxic food environment is so disastrous that more and more people are having trouble resisting it. And that's really what's explaining the high prevalence of obesity. So it's unfair to put people in an environment where weight gain is a very, very strong possibility and then to blame them for having the problem.
NEIGHMOND: Changing the environment is a key to solving the problem. Pediatrician Joe Thompson is a specialist in childhood obesity at the University of Arkansas College Of Medicine. Over the past decade, Thompson says, the state's made changes in schools to promote an environment where it's easier for kids to make healthy choices.
Dr. JOE THOMPSON (University of Arkansas College of Medicine): In Arkansas, we've actually tried to change the offerings in our school cafeterias, and tried to restrict some of the less nutritious available foods in vending machines and others - throughout the school campus.
NEIGHMOND: And Thompson says those efforts have paid off.
Dr. THOMPSON: The rate of the epidemic has slowed nationwide, and we have actually shown a halt to the epidemic.
NEIGHMOND: Supporting research findings that suggest the best way to confront the medical and social effects of being overweight or obese is to prevent it in the first place.
Patti Neighmond, NPR News.
Copyright © 2010 National Public Radio®. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to National Public Radio. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.
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July 20, 2010
TeenTruth.org Fosters Positive Youth Development
Tallahassee-based Wahi Media and the Florida Department of Health launched an interactive, web-based initiative to encourage young people across Florida to make positive choices by providing the information they need to make the right decisions. TeenTruth.org utilizes a new approach—interactive drama—to educate Florida’s youth in a way that extends the relevancy, reach, and retention of the information for teens.
Wahi stands for Web Automated Human Interaction. Wahi partnered with the Florida DOH’s Office of Positive Youth Development to provide over 90 minutes of content for TeenTruth.org. Each viewer navigates through the wahi much like an online “choose your own adventure” book. Each time the viewer interacts with the wahi, it responds and leads the viewer down the next branch.
The wahi also educates parents on the realities of teen life by simulating "real life" examples of good child/parent relationships and challenging ones, as well as encouraging parents to help their teens to make positive choices. The wahi targets community members, informing them on the realities of teen life and urging them to mentor kids and be empathetic to the challenges they face.
Go to www.TeenTruth.org to view the wahi.
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New National Healthcare Website
As you know, we are in a period of change for our healthcare system. As healthcare professionals, you probably have a lot of questions about how the Affordable Care Act is going to affect you. And I'm sure you're getting a lot of questions from your patients as well. Recently, we launched a brand new Website, www.HealthCare.gov, that will help answer those questions and give consumers a powerful new tool for navigating our health insurance markets.
Healthcare.gov already has more than 500 pages of new content about the Affordable Care Act and what it means for our healthcare system. This includes a section just for professionals. If you have a question -- for example, about efforts to simplify insurance paperwork or the new Medicare primary care payment bonuses -- chances are that you can find the answer here.
Healthcare.gov will also give consumers the ability to see all their public and private health insurance options in one place for the first time ever. The Website is already loaded with data from more than 1000 insurance carriers in addition to government programs like Medicaid and [Children's Health Insurance Program] CHIP. And it's all personalized so people can see the plans offered in their community that make sense for their situation.
This new site is a great resource for your patients whether they have insurance and are searching for a new plan or are uninsured and considering options like the new state-based Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans. Consumers can also use the site's "health finder" tool to find recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on how to stay healthy.
Your patients trust you to help them understand the Affordable Care Act and choose among their health insurance options. As we continue to work to give Americans and their doctors more control over their healthcare, HealthCare.gov can be a great resource to help answer your questions and theirs.
Authors and Disclosures
Author(s)
Kathleen Sebelius, MPA, HHS Secretary
Secretary, US Department of Health & Human Services, Washington, DC
Disclosure: Kathleen Sebelius, MPA, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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Grants Available for Children's Medical Expenses
UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation grants help families pay for children's medical expenses not covered by a commercial health insurance plan . More than 1,500 families have received grants since 2007.
MINNEAPOLIS (March 11, 2010) - The UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation (UHCCF) is seeking grant applications from families in need of financial assistance to pay for their child's health care treatments, services or equipment not covered by their commercial health insurance plans.
Qualifying families could receive up to $5,000 to help pay for medical services and equipment such as physical and occupational therapy, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids. Grants are also provided in cases where insurance may cover only a portion of the expenses.
"The UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation is dedicated to facilitating greater access to medical-related services that can help improve children's health and quality of life," said UHCCF President Matt Peterson. "We recognize some families experience gaps in coverage for certain medical treatments and equipment, and we are committed to helping fill this void. Since expanding our grant program nationwide in 2007, we have provided more than 1,500 grants to families in need of financial assistance."
Last year, UHCCF awarded grants to more than 450 families for treatments associated with medical conditions such as speech and developmental delays, hearing loss, autism, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. "I'll never forget the day the grant acceptance letter arrived," said Jessica Melville, whose daughter required therapy as a result of Down syndrome. "We are very thankful to the UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation for the grant. It is a huge relief to know that my daughter is getting the therapy she needs, and the bills are not overshadowing it all."
To be eligible for grants, children must be 16 years of age or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States and have a commercial health insurance plan. Parents and legal guardians may apply for grants online at www.uhccf.org.
The Web site includes additional grant application criteria, video clips, stories about recently helped children, and a new "live chat" feature that enables visitors to speak directly with a UHCCF representative. Visitors can also make tax-deductible donations directly online.
About UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation
The UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation (UHCCF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity that strives to enhance either the clinical condition or quality of life of children who have health care needs not fully covered by their commercial health benefit plan. UHCCF provides medical grants of up to $5,000 for costs associated with medical services and equipment. UHCCF's funding is provided by contributions from individuals, corporations and UnitedHealth Group employees. Donations to help provide assistance are deeply appreciated. To donate or learn more, please visit www.uhccf.org.
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Breast-feeding Support Group
Free support group for breastfeeding moms at Best Beginnings located at 1415 Timberlane Road in Tallahassee, FL 32312 every week on Wednesday at 10-11am. Check out their online calendar for a series of other support groups as well.
Call (850) 668-2119 for more information.
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Mommy & Me Ballet!
Brand new "Mommy & Me" Ballet and movement classes at The Tallahassee Ballet. Nurture your child’s spirit and have a blast with your little one. Weekly classes on Wednesday morning and Saturday morning. Contact The Tallahassee Ballet (located in the heart of Midtown) for more information, at (850)224-6917.
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