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Marian Wright Edelman visits California
Governor Brown releases May Revise budget proposal that threatens children CDF-CA supports legislation on health, school push out and juvenile justice CDF-CA in the news Marian Wright Edelman visits California
 Last week, Children’s Defense Fund Founder and President Marina Wright Edelman joined us in California for an inspiring series of events and meetings. Throughout her visit, Mrs. Edelman issued a strong call to action to California children’s advocates to continue fighting on behalf of our children and youth, particularly the most vulnerable. Mrs. Edelman also invited advocates to join her and 3,000 other leaders at the Children’s Defense Fund National Conference in Ohio on July 22-25. The week’s events included:Symposium on the Status on Children's Health in Santa Clara County: Mrs. Edelman was the keynote speaker at this second annual symposium for children’s health advocates in Santa Clara County. Mrs. Edelman shared the dramatic statistics highlighting the challenges facing children, particularly children of color. Mrs. Edelman called on attendees to continue to fight together for a national system of health coverage for children that is affordable, seamless and accessible. Special Briefing Hosted by Northern California Grantmakers, the Rosenberg Foundation, and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee: Mrs. Edelman delivered a sobering, yet inspiring talk on the state of children in this country and encouraged everyone in the room to do their part to change the plight of youth in this country. Mrs. Edelman urged the group to “close the courage gap” and work together to create a level playing field for all of our children. The COACH Foundation Fundraiser: Mrs. Edelman attended the COACH Foundation’s second fundraising event for CDF-California’s Beat the Odds Program on the evening of May 23rd organized by the COACH Foundation and CDF board members Katie McGrath and Ruth-Ann Huvane. The event was hosted by Katie McGrath and her husband J.J. Abrams at Bad Robot in Santa Monica. During the event, Mrs. Edelman was recognized and the 2012 Beat the Odds® scholarship recipients were applauded for their academic success and acceptance to some of the nation’s most prestigious institutions. Click here (link to Facebook photo album) for pictures from the event and visit our website to learn more the Beat the Odds scholarship program. Giant of Justice Breakfast: Mrs. Edelman served as a special guest presenter at the annual celebration sponsored by CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Interfaith Justice) at Los Angeles’s St. Anthony’s Croatian Catholic Church. Over 400 faith-leaders gathered to recognize change-agents in the Los Angeles faith community, and were moved by Mrs. Edelman’s call to action and invitation to join CDF’s movement for children. Excellence in Urban Education National Symposium: Mrs. Edelman spoke to nearly 400 San Diego area superintendents and school officials about CDF’s national goals and priorities, and encouraged increased coalition work around education issues in California. In addition, Mrs. Edelman congratulated the afternoon’s honorees as well as the Honor Roll schools that are achieving at high levels. Governor Brown releases May Revise budget proposal that threatens children On May 14th, Governor Jerry Brown released his May Revision of the 2012-13 budget proposal. The May Revision continues to put  children as risk by making substantial spending cuts to services for children and families, including CalWORKs cash assistance, child care and development, child health programs and services for children with disabilities. The budget proposal also includes $6.1 billion in additional “trigger cuts” to K-12 and higher education if voters fail to pass a ballot initiative to raise taxes.Read more about how the governor’s May Revise would impact children and families at our Children’s State Budget Watch webpage. See CDF-CA's press release on the May Revise. Take action to protect children’s health Governor Brown budget proposes to eliminate the state’s successful Healthy Families Program, which provides 875,000 children from low to moderate-income families the health coverage they need to stay healthy and succeed in school. The governor proposes to shift all of the children in the Healthy Families Program to the Medi-Cal program, which may make it more difficult for these children to see a doctor when they need one by increasing demand on the small number of doctors who currently treat children enrolled in Medi-Cal. Please act today to tell Governor Brown and your California state legislators to protect the Healthy Families Program. CDF-CA supports legislation on health, school push out and juvenile justice With a commitment to ensuring that all of California's children gain access to affordable, comprehensive health coverage, the Children's Defense Fund-California is diligently working to support successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in California. California has been a leader in the nation in passing reform legislation to put key elements of the ACA in place. A series of additional bills are necessary to fully implement the ACA, including creating California's Health Benefit Exchange, and assuring fair and quality essential health benefits are available for families. CDF has been working with the 100% Campaign, a collaborative effort of The Children's Partnership, Children Now, and Children's Defense Fund-California, to support these important policies through the process. CDF-CA is also working with partners to support several critical bills aimed at helping dismantle the "school to prison pipeline" and improve the treatment of children in the juvenile and criminal justice systems in California. CDF-CA, and our youth leaders, have testified in favor of legislation to address harsh and unjust school discipline policies and practices that are pushing youth out of school and criminalizing student behavior. Other bills we have supported this legislative session would improve California's juvenile justice system through fairer and more developmentally-appropriate youth sentencing and guaranteeing youth exiting the juvenile justice system can re-enroll in school. Please visit our California Legislation webpage to see a list of health, school push out and juvenile justice bills that CDF-CA has prioritized. CDF-CA in the news Calif. Children's Medical Therapy facing cuts May 28, 2012, San Francisco Chronicle Marian Wright Edelman delivers powerful message at Symposium for Children's Health May 24, 2012, San Jose Mercury News Child health advocates await Supreme Court decision May 24, 2012, KALW Governor’s Budget Choices Would Dismantle Child Health Programs Despite Chorus of Opposition May 21, 2012, California Progress Report Eliminación de Healthy Families afectaría a latinos May 30, 2012, La Opinion |
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