Statement from Abdul Rasheed on the N.C. Senate’s Cut of All Funding for the N.C. Community Development Initiative:
We are deeply disappointed that the North Carolina Senate failed to provide any funding to enable the N.C. Community Development Initiative to continue helping North Carolina’s most economically distressed communities recover and rebuild their economies.
Businesses, families and the state’s fragile recovery cannot withstand this move by state legislators and the governor to dismantle 20 years of progress made through public-private investments in housing, infrastructure and small business development.
During the past two decades, the Initiative and its nonprofit partners have created more than 11,000 jobs, built $600 million in commercial development and affordable housing, and helped more than 50,000 North Carolinians become more financially secure.
We urge members of the N.C. House of Representatives to act responsibly and restore funding for the Initiative so we do not put at risk this proven and effective engine of economic growth and prosperity in our state.
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Senate Budget Hurts Early Childhood Education
The Senate Budget will drastically impact early childhood education programs and sets a course toward destroying program quality and the local infrastructure for early childhood care and education.
Here’s the link to the budget money report and here’s the link to the special provisions. ?
Division of Child Development and Early Education ??
NC Pre-K Transfer – The DCDEE budget transfers 2,500 NC Pre-K slots ($12.4M) in FY14 and 5,000 NC Pre-K slots ($24.9M) in FY15 to the Child Care Subsidy program. This will reduce the availability of Pre-K services for disadvantaged children in the state and reduce program quality as child care subsidies do not have the same quality standards.
Transfers $62.5 million in child care subsidies dollars from Smart Start to local DSS agencies – Special provisions require that all Child Care Subsidy dollars be administered by local DSS agencies, which means that Smart Start would no longer have the ability to use Child Care Subsidies to boost quality and serve different children. This will undermine the mission and funding of local Smart Start agencies across the state, and will destroy the early childhood education delivery system at the local level.
Shifts funding for regulatory positions to CCDF block grant – This line shifts $900K in state-funded regulatory positions to CCDF support. These CCDF dollars would have likely gone to child care quality improvement. ??
Take Action Now!
The Senate will move quickly to enact its budget this week.
Contact Senate Appropriations leaders and the Senate Appropriations Health and Human Services Committee members (see below) TODAY
Contact Senate Base Appropriations Members TOMORROW before the Senate votes on Wednesday.
Contact all Senate members who will vote on the budget this week.
Tell them to Vote No – Don’t destroy early childhood education programs!
- Program quality will be reduced. Local DSS agencies are not equipped to develop, monitor, or promote early childhood education programs, have no expertise in early childhood education or child development, and are not committed to program quality standards.
- Parent choice and customer service will be diminished when there is only one door at the local DSS agency open for children and families to access early care and education services.
- Local control and Accountability will be lost. Smart Start agencies, with local Boards of Directors, are best equipped to make local decisions regarding local early childhood programs and to ensure maximum efficiency and effectiveness of services and funding through annual state audits ongoing program monitoring.
- Early childhood education infrastructure will be destroyed. Local partnerships for children are essential for ensuring program quality standards, fair rates, NC PreK administration and funding, program monitoring, and community collaboration. Local DSS agencies are not designed, structured, or funded to provide these essential services for ensuring a high quality early childhood education system.
Key Senate Contacts
Appropriations on Health and Human Services
Co-Chairman: Senator Pate,?Senator Hise?
Members: Senators Allran, Barringer, McKissick, Robinson
Appropriations/Base Budget
Co-Chairman: Senator Brown?Senator Brunstetter,?Senator Hunt?
Members: Senators Apodaca, Blue, Brock, D. Davis, Ford, Goolsby, Harrington,Jackson, Jenkins, Nesbitt, Parmon, Pate, Rabon, Rucho, Tillman, Tucker