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Let's ensure the 2010 state budget makes children and families a priority!
Public hearings on the budget begin March 17
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Please support programs for children that have been proven to work!
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
New Jersey is a national leader in passing legislation to offer high-quality preschool to all low-income children and to require that all children have health insurance. These legislative victories are important. But we know that making sure our children have access to high-quality preschool and quality, affordable health care should be our top priorities.
Please ensure that the 2010 budget meets the needs of New Jersey's children and families. Please include funding for programs that have been proven to work: preschool expansion, children's health coverage, and maintaining the state's critically important child welfare reforms.
Preschool: The final budget needs to preserve the governor's proposed $52 million increase for existing preschool programs. It also needs to maintain the creative mix of federal stimulus funds and state money for preschool expansion. This proposal would create a $25 million incentive fund for the 83 non-Abbott, "universal" school districts slated to offer preschool to all children in their communities. Districts would get the aid if they commit to spend new, federal stimulus Title I funds on preschool.
Children's health insurance: The budget needs to include funding to ensure coverage to the growing number of uninsured children. Research last year put the number of uninsured children in New Jersey at 240,000 and recent studies suggest that number is increasing because of the poor economy. But New Jersey's goal of covering all children is within reach! Thanks to the smart leadership in Trenton, the state last year passed a law mandating that all children have health coverage, either through a private or government-subsidized plan. The law gave us a clear and practical path to covering all children. It's time to get all uninsured children into coverage programs that have been proven to work.
Child welfare reform: The budget needs to have full funding to continue needed reforms in child welfare. It needs to include money toward prevention of child abuse and neglect: These are services that work with families to prevent child maltreatment so that children do not have to be removed from home.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
March 16, 2009
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New Jersey is a national leader in passing legislation to offer high-quality preschool to all low-income children and to require that all children have health insurance. These legislative victories are important. But we know that making sure our children have access to high-quality preschool and quality, affordable health care should be our top priorities.
Please ensure that the 2010 budget meets the needs of New Jersey’s children and families. Please include funding for programs that have been proven to work: preschool expansion, children’s health coverage, and maintaining the state’s critically important child welfare reforms:
Preschool: The final budget needs to preserve the governor’s proposed, $52 million increase for existing preschool programs. It also needs to maintain the creative mix of federal stimulus funds and state money for preschool expansion. This proposal would create a $25 million incentive fund for the 83 non-Abbott “universal” school districts slated to offer preschool to all children in their communities. Districts would get the aid if they commit to spend new, federal stimulus Title I funds on preschool.
Children’s health insurance: The budget needs to include funding to ensure coverage to the growing number of uninsured children. Research last year put the number of uninsured children in New Jersey at 240,000 and recent studies suggest that number is increasing because of the poor economy. But New Jersey’s goal of covering all children is within reach! Thanks to the smart leadership in Trenton, the state last year passed a law mandating that all children have health coverage, either through a private or government-subsidized plan. The law gave us a clear and practical path to covering all children. It’s time to get all uninsured children into coverage programs that have been proven to work.
Child welfare reform: The budget needs to have full funding to continue needed reforms in child welfare. It needs to include money toward prevention of child abuse and neglect: These are services that work with families to prevent child maltreatment so that children do not have to be removed from home.
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