Legislative Wrap-Up Missouri Children’s Leadership Council 2 nd Quarter Meeting June 23, 2017
We Welcome and Introductions
LE LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP UP TH MI 99 TH 1S 1ST SESSION, 99 MISSOURI GENERAL ASSEMBLY MISSOURI CHILDREN'S LEADERSHIP COUNCIL JUDY DUNGAN JUNE 2017
Ov Overview Session marked by Senate drama and gridlock ◦ Drama — FY18 Budget amended on Senate floor to fully fund the school foundation formula ◦ Gridlock — Near record low number of bills sent to the Governor Only 75 bills TAFP — lowest since 2000 As significant for what didn’t happen as what did ◦ Efforts to phase in PreK spending were thwarted
Ma Major Highlights � Full funding of the school foundation formula has triggered 2014 PreK law � Level funding for most children’s programs in the FY18 budget � Funding for early childhood provider quality review � Micro grants for disproportionate share providers � Omnibus Child Safety Bill � First step in neonatal/maternal levels of care designation
2014 Law/HB1689 � provided for foundation formula funding of PreK when the state aid formula was fully funded. ▪ Fiscal note of $64M to add 4% at-risk children. � The FY18 budget included $3.4B — full funding. � Once achieved, legislators and some education lobbyists began to pursue a phase-in of PreK to control the added PreK cost. ▪ The last three weeks of the session were spent working against a phase-in. ▪ A MOCLC priority was to allow school districts to contract with local childcare providers for PreK. ▪ Shorter phase-in in exchange for authority to contract? ▪ While avoided this year, the expectation is that phase-in efforts will resume for the FY19 budget .
FY2018 Budget
Children’s Division Program FY2017 FY2018 Children’s Division $6,858,318 $6,784,490 Administration Children’s Division Field $86,384,302 $85,976,302 Staff Child Assessment Centers $2,950,523 $2,950,523 Children’s Treatment $22,462,111 $22,154,961* Services Crisis Care $2,050,000 $2,050,000 Home Visitation $4,364,500 $4,364,500
Child Welfare Program FY2017 FY2018 Cyber Crimes Task Force $0 $500,000 Medicaid Case $1,750,000 (restricted) $1,750,000 Management/ Traumatized Children Children’s Trauma $500,000 (restricted) $500,000 Network Child Abuse Prosecutor $0 $74,000 SAFE-CARE $0 $250,000 CASA Project Launch $901,659 $901,659
Children’s Division/Childcare Subsidy Program FY2017 FY2018 Child Care Subsidy $189.2M $186.4M Reimbursement rates remain the same: ▪ 138FPL and below for full benefit ▪ 138FPL to 165FPL for 75% of benefit ▪ 165FPL to 190FPL for 50% of benefit ▪ 190FPL to 215 for 25% benefit Disproportionate share program remains the same: ▪ 50% or more subsidy children ▪ Required to be accredited or making progress toward accreditation ▪ Micro grants of up to $5,000 for help in achieving accreditation
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education/K-12 Program FY2017 FY2018 Foundation Formula $3,344,691,268 $3,392,907,149 Foundation Formula $105,297,713 $105,297,713 Transportation Special Education, High $46,555,141 $59,536,351 Need Dyslexia Training $100,000 (restricted) $250,000
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education/Early Ed Program FY2017 FY2018 Early Childhood Special Ed $170,840,842 $183,209,718 First Steps $53,312,710 $53,312,710 Parents as Teachers $18,000,000 $18,000,000 Missouri PreSchool Project $12,313,317 $12,851,554 Child Development $399,500 $399,500 Associate Early Learning Quality $0 $59,713 Report Right from the Start $900,000 $900,000
Children’s Division, Foster Care and Adoption Program FY2017 FY2018 Residential Treatment $135,460,360 $122,051,305* Services $17,000,000 to DMH Parent Training $576,399 $576,399 Educational Assistance $1,688,848 $1,688,848 Case Management $39,719,303 $39,183,803* Adoption/Guardianship $84,458,978 $88,478,796* Subsidy Adoption Resource Centers $2,620,000 $3,850,000 Independent Living $2,999,900 $2,999,900 Transitional Living $2,918,887 $2,918,887 Public Placement Fund $11,099,337 $5,000,000
� Foster Care Bill of Rights (SB160 Sater) � Investigative records of “unknown perpetrator” (HB1158 Franklin) � Convicted sex offenders prevented from approaching children’s museum (HB572 Swan) SB160 Omnibus � Joint Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect Child Safety Bill extended � Kinship placement (HB260 Brown) � Legal rights of juveniles in custody (HB768 Lant) � Sex trafficking included in definition of abuse and neglect (HB260, Brown)
� SB160 (Sater) ▪ Became omnibus vehicle ▪ Best interest of child is first priority ▪ The practice of Children’s Division will be, whenever appropriate, to return a child to the custody of their parent or guardian with whom the child resided immediately before state custody ▪ When return to parent or guardian is not possible, the first priority is to place the child with suitable relatives Foster Care Bill ▪ Children’s Division shall pursue continuity in foster care ▪ Children’s Division will work with each child to pursue a of Rights permanency and case plan ▪ Practice of the state will be to place siblings in the same care arrangement ▪ When appropriate, Children’s division will support regular visitation and communication between siblings and between children and their parents ▪ When in the best interest of the child, Children’s Division will support the attendance of those 12 years of age or older at any hearings regarding their placement, custody or care
� Court ruled that Children’s Division did not have the authority to retain investigative records when child abuse has been substantiated, but perpetrator is unknown. Investigative � CD faced a December 30, 2017 deadline to Records/Unknown destroy records. Perpetrator � HB1158 (Franklin) provided necessary authority. � Also allows Children’s Division to revisit records if new evidence arises. ▪ Included in Omnibus Children’s Safety Bill SB160 (Sater)
2014 Child Care Development Block Grant reauthorization included new requirements to protect the safety and security of children in care. � New regulations require FBI fingerprint background check for all employees and volunteers in contact with children. � Also requires National Sex Offender Registry check. Disappointment � Includes licensed, license exempt and regulated providers. � Requires new background checks whether or not provider receives subsidy. � Committee chairs with jurisdiction feared that new compliance requirements will unduly burden providers and limit access to care. � Issue will need to be revisited in 2018 to avoid penalty.
Federal Issues
CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM � Insures 78,000 children in Missouri not eligible for Medicaid (up to 300%FPL) � Authorization expires on September 30, 2017 � Favorable state match with federal government covering 97% of cost � Advocates are asking Congress to extend CHIP: ▪ Through 2022 ▪ With the 23% enhanced FMAP ▪ With continued MOE (maintenance of effort requirements) � MOCLC will sponsor CHIP conference call/info with federal partners � No bill introduced
MATERNAL INFANT EARLY CHILDHOOD HOME VISITING � Voluntary, evidence based home visiting models � Partner with families from pregnancy through kindergarten ▪ Improved maternal and newborn health ▪ Reduced child injuries, abuse and neglect ▪ Improved school readiness and achievement ▪ Reduced crime and domestic violence ▪ Improved economic self-sufficiency � Missouri funding of $3.9 M serving four counties in the bootheel (Dunklin, Pemiscot, Butler, Ripley) � Advocates asking for 5 year extension and annual funding increased to $800M � HR2824 — Five year extension @ $400M annually
Trump Budget � $54B in cuts to non-defense programs to fund a $54B increase in defense spending � $600B cut in Medicaid over 10 years � $6B cut in CHIP ▪ Two year extension ▪ Eliminates the 23% increased federal match rate ▪ Cap eligibility level at 250%FPL ▪ Eliminate MOE � $95M cut in Child Care Development Block Grant (funding at FY16 level) � $85M cut in Head Start and Early Head Start (funding at FY16 level) � $1.6B reduction in TANF funds for states (10%) � Eliminates 21 st Century Community Learning Center (summer, before and after school child care)
2017 Policy Priorities Review
Early Childhood Education • Raise the income eligibility for subsidized child care to support low income working families • Raise reimbursement rates to child care providers who serve families who receive subsidies to assure they have quality choices • Permit school districts to contract with childcare providers for pre-K classrooms • Increase funding for Parents as Teachers
Income Security and Budget Issues • Enact a state earned income tax credit for low income families to reward work and stabilize families • Enact “streamlined” legislation to capture online sales tax and earmark receipts to increase childcare subsidies • Evaluate the impact of recent changes in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program to assure evidence-based decision making and to evaluate the impact of policy decisions
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