This past week, North Carolina's House and Senate leaders negotiated our state budget - often in closed door meetings where no press were allowed. The budget is not finalized, but we still anticipate a final budget early next week. Some preliminary details of the budget have emerged and show some positive signs for some of the issues Children First/CIS has supported. However, the state released new revenue reports that will further tighten the resources available for this year's budget. How this will impact programs that help children, youth, and their families is anyone's guess.
The budget is now mostly in the hands of a few legislative leaders. Please take a moment over the weekend or Monday morning to contact Speaker of the House
Joe Hackney and Senate President Pro Tempore
Marc Basnight (contact info in left column) with the following message:
"Thank you for your leadership on issues that impact children, youth, and their families in North Carolina. Please continue to place these issues as top priorities in the budget deliberations. Specifically, I ask for your support of the following:
- Expansion of NC Health Choice to cover more uninsured children.
- Affordable, accessible, high-quality child care through the child care subsidy program and Smart Start.
- Economic stimulus for working families through an increased state Earned Income Tax Credit.
- Increased rate payments for foster care and adoption.
- Increased funding for Juvenile Crime Prevention Councils."
For those of you that have contacted your legislators during this short session -
THANK YOU! We need everyone to pick up the phone or write a quick email during this final budgeting stage. Your five minutes today can multiple into a lifetime of change for our children.
For more information and background on the issues listed above click the links below:
