MONDAY REPORT

January 21, 2003

SPECIAL NOTE:  Copyright 2003. The Monday Report is produced each week as a benefit to the member agencies of the Child Care Association. Please protect this membership benefit - DO NOT copy and distribute this report to agencies/staff that are not members of CCA. Thank you for your cooperation.

MENTAL HEALTH.. 1

ILLINOIS MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION.. 1

GENERAL.. 2

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL AND PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES PROGRAM (PSSF) 2

BUSH �GROWTH PLAN� WOULD WORSEN STATE BUDGET CRISES.. 2

WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.. 2

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORIES FOR 93^rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 3

UPCOMING EVENTS.. 3

CCAI�s SPRING MEMBERSHIP MEETING.. 3

CALENDAR.. 3

ILLINOIS MENTAL HEALTH LEGISLATION

The CCAI Policy Committee has begun the review of legislation that has been introduced so far during the 93^rd General Assembly.  Following is a brief summary of the bills related to Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities.

HB 69 This bill creates the State Facility Closing Act and requires that an economic impact statement be performed and a report submitted to the General Assembly prior to closing of a State facility or agency or the layoff of the lesser of 50 employees or 50% of the State facility or agency�s staff. It also provides that a community where the closure of a State facility or agency has occurred shall have priority for construction or location of a new facility.  CCAI will monitor the legislation at this point and do further research with the sponsor.

HB74 This bill amends the Community Services Act and provides that whenever any appropriation or any portion of an appropriation for any fiscal year relating to the funding of any State-operated facility operated by the Office of Developmental Disabilities within the Dept. of Human Services or any mental health facility operated by the Office of Mental Health within the DHS is reduced for the reasons listed that those moneys must be directed toward providing other services and support for persons with developmental disabilities or mental health needs.  CCAI will monitor this bill at this point and do further research with the sponsor.

HB75 This bill amends the State Finance Act and creates the Community Services, Disabilities and Mental Health Fund and provides that all moneys received by DHS as federal financial participation funds shall be deposited into this fund and used to fund only those programs that generate federal financial participation funds.  CCAI will monitor this bill at this point until we can secure additional information to determine the impact on previous passed legislation.

HB76 This bill creates the Illinois Disabilities Services Advisory Committee that will serve in an advisory capacity to state agencies charged with implementation of Disabilities Services Plan, conduct oversight, do analysis of service delivery and examine ways of funding services.  CCAI will monitor this legislation and do further research with the sponsor.

HB88 This bill amends the Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Administrative Act with regards to requirements of the State operated facilities for the mentally ill and developmentally disabled and eliminates the sunset language for the Office of Inspector General within DHS.  CCAI will monitor this legislation at this point and do further research with the sponsor to clarify intent of the language in the bill.  (JMS)

HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL AND PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES PROGRAM (PSSF)

In last week�s Monday Report we notified everyone about the status of the Education and Tuition Voucher funding and the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program and the need to contact your Congressional representatives to ask for full funding of these efforts in the FY2003 budget.  Since that alert, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health, Human Services and Education released their bill for FY03 on January 8.  It includes $39.8 million for Independent Living Training vouchers and $375 million for Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program.   This is good news in regard to training vouchers and puts the House appropriators on record in support of this funding.  But it is short of the $60 million that the President put in his budget and which the Senate approved in their appropriations bill.  With regards to the PSSF program, the $375 million funding level is a freeze and rejects the Administration�s February 2002 proposal to fully fund PSSF at $505 million. 

It is a good time to contact Senators Durbin and Fitzgerald and urge them to support the full $60 million in funding for Education and Training Vouchers for those youth aging out of foster care and to fully fund PSSF at $505 million.  Final negotiations are getting underway.  Either send an e-mail or fax a letter to their offices requesting their support on these funding increases.  (JMS)

BUSH �GROWTH PLAN� WOULD WORSEN STATE BUDGET CRISES

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has developed a set of papers analyzing the impact of the $674 billion �growth package� unveiled by President Bush.  In the paper addressing the issue as it relates to the states, it states that the Bush Administration�s proposal for �Economic Growth and Job Creation� provides no fiscal relief for the states, which are struggling with deficits likely to total at least $60 billion for the fiscal year beginning in July.  To the contrary, preliminary estimates suggest the plan�s federal tax cuts would cause states to lose more than $4 billion a year, making state budget deficits larger.  Since states must balance their budgets, this new revenue loss will require states to cut state programs more deeply and/or to raise state taxes to a greater degree.  For a complete copy of this paper go to: http://click.topica.com/maaaLM1aaViO7bb6LSZb/.  (JMS)

WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON FAITH BASED AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES

The White House, together with the Departments of Health & Human Services, Housing & Urban Development, Labor, Education, and Justice, has scheduled a series of conferences to help faith-based and community organizations learn more about President Bush's initiative. These free, day-long conferences will equip participants with information about the federal programs that are suited to their needs, the federal funding process, and the legal issues that may apply to recipients of federal funds. They will help organizations decide whether and how partnering with the Federal government could strengthen an organization's mission.  A conference is scheduled for March 14, 2003 in Chicago, Illinois.  The conference is free, but pre-registration is required and is on a first come first serve basis.  For more information about this conference go to: www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/conferences.html.  (JMS)

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORIES FOR 93^rd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The association received orders for close to 1000 directories from member agencies.  The directories will be printed as soon as all of the information can be collected.  Legislative offices, phone and fax numbers are still being assigned.  Initially we were told that the directories would be done by March 15^th.  However, that delivery date could be much later.  We will keep you posted.  (SKA)

CCAI�s SPRING MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Plans are underway for the association�s Spring Membership Meeting to be held on March 20, 2003 at the Marriott Hickory Ridge Conference Center, Lisle, Illinois.  Hickory Ridge is located 30 minutes west of downtown Chicago, on 26 wooded acres easily accessible to both I-88 and I-55.  Look in future Monday Reports and in your mailbox for information on the agenda.

If you need a room at Hickory Ridge you should call 630.971.5000 or toll free 800.228.9290.  The rate is $80.00.  Please indicate you are attending the Child Care Association meeting.  (SKA)

CALENDAR

Jan. 21 -- CWAC Finance and Administration Committee, Bloomington

Feb.  5 � Best Practice Training Steering Committee � SACWIS Workgroup - Bloomington

Feb.  6 -- RSN Workgroup

Feb. 17-21 --  "Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Training of Trainers", a Residential Child Care

                   Project of Cornell University, hosted by Allendale Association. 9:00 a.m.-5:00

                   p.m. Seating is limited. For more information regarding the training, fee, and hotel

                   accommodations, please contact Dave McKenna at Allendale (847) 245-6393 or

                   [email protected]

Feb. 20 -- Cook Agencies Meeting with Presiding Judge, Juvenile Court, Chicago

Feb. 20 -- CWAC

Feb. 26-March 1 -- Learning Disabilities Association 2003 National Conference, Palmer

                               House Hilton, Chicago.  For information, call Learning Disabilities

                               Association of Illinois (708) 430-7532

March 20 � CCAI Spring Membership Meeting, Hickory Ridge Conference Center, Lisle