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This page last updated on Sunday May 17, 2009

KASSW is a a proud supporter of Kansas Action for Children - the State's preeminent child advocacy agency.  We help fund their agency and we back their legislative agenda.  We also depend heavily on their tracking of legislation affecting our clients.  We will carry such information on this page throughout the year, and especially during the legislative session.  Of course we will also endeavor to track education and professional (licensing) legislation as well, issues not covered by KAC.

CAPITOL CONNECTION | May 12, 2009

Your link to children's issues at the Statehouse

 

Welcome to Capitol Connection! Kansas Action for Children is pleased to provide this weekly update - during the Legislative Session - about issues impacting Kansas children and their families, and to help you get involved in the legislative process on the issues that matter most to you. As the 2009 Session draws to a close, this will be our last Capitol Connection for this year. We will resume our weekly updates once the 2010 Session convenes.


This Week at the Kansas Statehouse.
 

The Legislature has wrapped up its 2009 Session. The following action took place on children's issues during the wrap-up:

Budget. The Legislature addressed the state's $328 million budget shortfall by implementing a combination of cuts and revenue enhancements. However, this action leaves the state with a very small ending balance that will likely result in the need for further budget cuts before the 2010 Legislative Session begins in January.

 

Children's Health Care. Funding for the HealthWave expansion was included in the budget. The $1.2 million will expand eligibility for the state children's health insurance program from 200% to 250% of poverty. The expansion is expected to serve an additional 9,000 uninsured Kansas children.

 

Autism Waiver. Although money was not appropriated for any additional children to access services through the autism waiver, children currently being served by the waiver will continue to receive services. We anticipate that this issue will gain more traction during the next Legislative Session.

 

Children's Initiatives Fund (CIF). The Legislature continued to keep Children's Initiatives Fund (CIF) dollars dedicated to children's programs, including the Early Childhood Block Grant which supports programs like Parents as Teachers and Early Head Start.

KIDS College Savings Match Program. The Omnibus Appropriations Bill removed an expenditure limitation that had been placed on the KIDS Matching Grant Program earlier in the Legislative Session. This action allows for funding of the program in Fiscal Year 2010. The KIDS Matching Grant program encourages low-income Kansas families to save for their children's education in a 529 account and matches up to $600 of the family contributions per year.

 

Child Care Assistance. Funding for the Child Care Assistance program, which is a state and federal partnership to help low-income parents enter and remain in the workforce, escaped cuts in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill. The Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, the agency that administers the Child Care Assistance program, sustained across-the-board funding cuts. However, the agency did not include Child Care Assistance in the list of likely program cuts. Kansas is expected to receive $18 million in federal stimulus dollars specifically designed to bolster the Child Care assistance program.

About Kansas Action for Children.
Founded in 1979, Kansas Action for Children is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of Kansas children and their families. KAC works alongside policymakers at both the Kansas Statehouse and on Capitol Hill to shape policy that impacts the education, health and economic stability of our next generation.

KAC's 2009 Legislative Agenda

HEALTH

Teen Drivers

Update our drivers licensing system to ensure that Kansas teens are properly prepared for the lifelong responsibility of driving.

Uninsured Children

Keep our promise to address the growing number of uninsured children in Kansas by implementing the Legislature’s expansion of HealthWave from 200 to 250% of poverty.

Autism

Lessen the number of Kansas children that lack access to early autism intervention services by extending capacity of the st ate’s Autism Waiver from 45 children to 205 children.

EDUCATION

Kansas Preschool Program

Streamline Pre-K efforts by consolidating the state’s preschool programs — Pre-K Pilot and Four-Year-Old-At-Risk — into one seamless program that maintains the best elements of both.

Early Childhood Block Grant

Strengthen the state’s long-standing commitment to early childhood education by continuing to fund the Early Childhood Block Grant.

Economic Success

College Savings Plan for Low-Income Families

Renew the KIDS College Savings Program, which provides low-income Kansas families with the opportunity to save for their children’s education.

Child Care Assistance Program

Ensure that Kansas parents have access to affordable child care and can remain in the workforce by maintaining eligibility levels of the Child Care Assistance program.

Predatory Lending

Stabilize the financial health of Kansas families and communities by providing consumer protection from predatory car title lending practices.