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 Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
Friday Notes
Friday Notes is intended to share current information, resources and notices.
If you have information or announcements that you would like to have included in the next issue, forward them to MCMCH.
April 29, 2011
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STATE BUDGET UPDATE
This week the full Senate passed their version of the Department of Community Health Budget, Senate Bill 172 by a 26-12 vote, in substantially the same form as it was reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee last week. The bill cuts approximately $60 million more from the DCH than the Executive recommendation.
The House moved their own version of the DCH budget as part of a multi-department budget in House Bill 4525 from the House Appropriations Committee. Voting by the full House is expected next week. Again, the bill is largely intact from the DCH subcommittee's work which cut an additional $25 million beyond the Executive recommendation.
With severe cuts proposed to graduate medical education and the Healthy Michigan Fund in both versions, it is diffcult not to be concerned. Both chambers are expected to quickly reject all budgets and send all to conference committees to work out teh final details. All action is likely to be help up now until the consensus revenue estimating conference on May 16. Please stay tuned!
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Join Us for the May 5 MCMCH General Membership Meeting
MCMCH's Quarterly Meeting is coming up next week and we encourage all members and their guests to register. This meeting's topic is the National Children's Study (NCS) and attendees will hear a presentation on the study and be able to ask questions and discuss its potential impact on maternal and child health in Michigan.
This is a general membership meeting of the Council designed to bring timely information to members and help set future policy for the Council. Register here to learn more about the meeting and find directions to Children's Hospital.
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Michigan's Children 'Budget Basics' Report Examines Early Childhood Investment
This week Michigan's Children released an overview of the early childhood provisions of the state budget as recommended by Governor Snyder, as passed by the Senate, and as passed by the House Appropriations Committee for fiscal year 2012. Early childhood provisions at-risk include the Healthy Michigan Fund, child care subsidies for unlicensed relatives and aides, and family preservation programs. For a detailed report on the budget and how it will impact Michigan's youngest citizens, read this Budget Basics report.
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Poll Shows Protecting Children's Programs in Federal Budget Top Priority for Voters
A poll released this week reveals strong public support for protecting federal investments that benefit children. In a battery of survey questions identifying a series of potential cuts that Congress may consider in the broader budget debate, the survey finds that voters are more likely to hold harmless programs affecting kids than any other programs on the chopping block.
Furthermore, results from the survey reveal cuts to programs affecting kids prove just as unpopular as cuts affecting seniors. In fact, voters are as likely to oppose reductions in Medicaid as in Medicare. Voters also are more concerned about protecting children's programs than a variety of other federal programs, such as transportation funding for highway construction, national defense, and medical and scientific research.
"The American people are sending a message that is loud and clear: don't cut kids," said Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus, the bipartisan child advocacy organization that commissioned the survey. "Many recent spending proposals have sacrificed the needs of children in order to protect the interests of others. However, results from this survey prove that protecting programs that improve the well-being of children is immensely important to voters. We urge policymakers to heed the priorities of their constituents by holding children harmless as they work to find solutions to our nation's budget challenges."
Key findings from the survey include:
· Voters believe children in America fare poorly. By a margin of 58-20 percent, or by almost a 3:1 margin, a majority of voters believe that the lives of children in America have gotten worse rather than better in the last ten years, including a quarter (26 percent) who believe children's lives have gotten much worse. Republican voters are the most concerned, as they believe the lives of children are worse by a margin of 62-16 percent, an almost 4:1 margin.
· Children's programs are most important to voters relative to other potential program cuts. When provided a battery of potential cuts some have considered in the budget debate, voters clearly protect children. In fact, the least popular cuts all directly affect children, including cuts to federal child nutrition programs, Head Start, k-12 education, CHIP, among others. When asked whether the following programs should receive no reduction, a minor reduction, or a major reduction, American voters responded as follows (see Figure 1).
· Voters strongly oppose the more than $750 billion in proposed cuts to Medicaid and funding shortfall created in the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) included in the House Budget Committee proposal. By a 70-27 percent margin, the majority of American voters oppose the cuts to Medicaid and, by a 73-23 percent margin, Americans oppose the proposed cuts to CHIP (51 percent strongly oppose). This includes opposition to the Medicaid and CHIP cuts by margins of 66-30 percent and 67-26 percent, respectively, in Republican congressional districts. Voters also oppose, by a 2:1 margin, a plan to provide governors more flexibility if it meant eliminating insurance coverage for some children (31 percent favor, 63 percent oppose)
The telephone survey, completed during the period of April 13-18, 2011, was commissioned by First Focus and conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, using a national probability sample of 1,023 likely 2012 voters. In order to better reflect the changing lifestyle of the voting population, the survey also includes a sample of 114 cell phone interviews. The survey's margin of error is +/- 3.10 points at 95 percent confidence interval.
You can read the survey's key findings and full results here.
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Help support the Children's Trust Fund annual fundraiser
The annual auction to benefit the Children's Trust Fund is coming soon! The Pam Posthumus Signature Event will be held in the Lansing Center starting at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18, with an exquisite one-of-a-kind silent and live auction for you, family and friends - from vacation destinations to golf packages to autographed sports collectibles! You can buy tickets, get details about the auction items and find out more about this year's at: www.michigan.gov/ctfsignature. Below is just a sampling of some terrific live auction items: - U.S. Open Golf Championship, Bethesda, Maryland
- Dinner with the Legislative Quadrant
- Sunset Beach Resort & Spa Junior Suite in Cabo San Lucas
- U2 360 Concert & Dinner
- A Trip to the Irish Countryside, Powerscourt, Ireland
- Jimmy Buffet Concert at DTE Energy Music Theatre
- Dinner & The Jersey Boys!
- Ft. Myers Beachfront Condo & Palm Harbor Boat Trip
...and much, much more!
To see full descriptions and additional live auction items, please visit the live auction preview website at: www.ctfsignatureevent.weebly.com . All funds raised go to support the CTF mission to fight child abuse and neglect in Michigan.
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Contributors to this Issue
AHIP HI-Wire
Michigan Children's Trust Fund
First Focus
HealthDay
Michigan's Children
Wiener Associates
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Quick Links . . .
Project Voice Set for May 16, Registration Now Open
The School Community Health Alliance of Michigan is hosting the second annual Project Voice: A Dynamic Approach to Youth Empowerment Conference on May 16, 2011, at Lansing Community College - West Campus. More than 200 middle and high school youth are expected to attend. Join SCHA-MI as they blaze the pathway for youth to become the next generation of public health and education leaders. Students will be empowered to actively learn how to best communicate and advocate about health and education topics. Learn more about the event and register online.
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California Officials Find Rise In Maternal Mortality
Maternal mortality is on the rise in California, with African-American mothers roughly four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than women in any other racial or ethnic groups, state health officials reported this week.
___________________________________________________________________________________________ Many Kids With Epilepsy Don't Take Meds as Prescribed: Study
Nearly three of every five children diagnosed with epilepsy do not take their antiseizure medicine as prescribed over the first six months of treatment, a new study shows. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ One in 1,000 Newborns Develops Blood Poisoning: Study
Most cases of bloodstream infections (sepsis) among newborns in the United States are caused by group B streptococci (GBS) and E. coli, a new study finds. Sepsis, also known as blood poisoning, occurs when bacteria invade the bloodstream and cause a system-wide infection. It can lead to serious complications and poses a high risk of death in newborns.
___________________________________________________________________________________________ Quick Screening May Help Spot Autism in Babies
A brief checklist that parents can fill out while waiting to see their child's pediatrician may aid in diagnosing autism earlier, new research suggests.
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Save the Date: Michigan Oral Health Conference, June 9-10 The Michigan Oral Health Coalition's premier education event promises a variety of education sessions, expert speakers and networking. The conference will be held June 9-10 at the Lexington Hotel in Lansing. Visit www.mohc.org for more information.
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Save the Date: Moving Toward Solutions Teen Pregnancy Prevention Conference, August 18-19
The fourth annual Moving Toward Solutions Conference will provide educators, providers and community stakeholders with practical strategies for day-to-day implementation and highlight programs that prevent adolescent pregnancy. The conference will be held August 18-19 at the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City. Learn more here. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Order your 2011-12 Watch Me Grow Calendars! This 24-month calendar highlights a different program each month - offering both program information and contact information. Activities and tips for parents are also offered throughout the calendar providing information on health, safety, nutrition, and parenting. The best part is that these calendars are $1 each. Visit the website for complete information and order form. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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The Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health is made up of
member organizations who share a commitment to the health of
Michigan's women, children and families.
To learn more go to http://www.mcmch.org or email info@mcmch.org.
Amy Zaagman - Executive Director - azaagman@mcmch.org
Jennifer Gorchow - Communications Manager - jgorchow@mcmch.org
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