Thursday, March 20, 2014

Knowledge Equals Power



Written by Eric Kilbride, MCCOY Board Member

There was a man who collected birds, among them a rare bird from Africa. When the collector planned a trip to Africa, he asked if the bird if there was anything he could bring back.  “The best thing to do is to let me out of this cage,” the bird said, but the man refused.  In Africa, members of the bird’s family asked about their cousin.  When the collector told them their relative was in a cage, one of the birds fell out of a tree, dead.  Upon his return, the collector told the caged bird what had happened, and the bird collapsed, just as his relative had.  The man took the bird out of the cage, and suddenly it revived, flying off.  As it escaped the bird said, “Thank you for the information.”


In early 2000, as we were writing “Community YouthMapping: A Guide and Toolkit,” Richard Murphy rightly suggested we include this story in the foreward.  As a youth development pioneer, Richard was a staunch believer in the message of the story: KNOWLEDGE EQUALS POWER.  He knew that, whatever its immediate cause, a deficit in knowledge is severely limiting.  This hasn’t changed—we know that youth who don’t have a view past their immediate circumstances are unlikely to move beyond them.

But what about us, the youth development advocates and workers who are attempting to empower them? What knowledge deficits do we have and how have they impeded progress?

If we examine our databases, we find stores of deficit data that tell us what’s not working—juvenile detention statistics, teen pregnancies, school drop out rates, and so on.  But what data are being collected to broaden our view, to inform us with respect to what IS working—the number of young people who spend time in structured after school activities, volunteer around the city, etc.?  Wouldn’t we be better served collecting data with a broader view to better inform and shape budgets, policies and programs? 

I spent the past seven years running businesses and we used the maxim “What gets measured gets done.” Lets add to what we are measuring about young people and become a leader for what “gets done” for young people.   Our community has been a beacon for many groundbreaking initiatives that have positively changed lives. Let’s begin to collect and report data surrounding our many successes to broaden our knowledge, breathe new life into our efforts, and to put the “positive” back into positive youth development.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Statehouse Update



This week marked the final passage or defeat of bills in their house of origin and the start of conference committees - the time when bills that had significant changes to them are deliberated by both chambers and either passed into law or defeated.

MCCOY has been working in concert with other state and local education associations and child advocacy organizations on a bill that popped up late in the process.  Next week the House and Senate are likely to consider language that was added to Senate Bill 229, that would greatly increase the access of young people to guns in schools, day cares, preschools, residential child care facilities, and Head Start programs.  Attached is a letter that more fully details the concerns with the new language in SB 229, excerpted below.

1.  SB 229 takes away all power from schools and teachers to create gun safe zones for the safety of their students and staff, by prohibiting rules banning employees from bringing guns locked in their cars.

2. By redefining on what school property it would be a crime to possess firearms, SB 229 would allow firearms inside school buildings, if that building is not being used exclusively for a school function. 

3. By redefining school property, SB 229 also completely decriminalizes possession of a firearm, by anyone other than an enrolled student, in the parking lots of schools, day cares, preschools, residential child care facilities, and Head Start programs.

4. SB 229 almost completely decriminalizes leaving a gun in plain view on the seat of an unlocked car in school parking lots.It protects irresponsible gun owners who leave loaded weapons unlocked and in plain view of children.

The Senate has never held a public hearing to hear and consider the consequences of this very serious change in the law.

Please call your state Senator to express your concerns with this language. Ask that the House amendment be taken out of SB 229 as it was never heard in the Senate, and that this is such a serious issue, with significant ramifications, that it should not pass at least until fully considered and vetted by the Senate.

In addition to your state senator, please also contact:

Senator Jim Tomes: s49@in.gov
317-232-9442 (Business)
812-985-5473 (District)
317-232-9414 (Statehouse)

Senator Richard Young: s47@in.gov
(317)232-9847

President Pro-Tem David Long: s16@in.gov
260-436-7100 (Business)
317-232-9416 (Statehouse)

Speaker Brian Bosma: h88@iga.in.gov
317-232-9605 (Business)
317-233-0539 (Statehouse Fax)
317-232-9657 (Statehouse)

Below is a status update of the bills that MCCOY has been following and links to our tracking reports.



IN StatehouseMCCOY’s High Priority Bills
HB1036 CHILD CARE & DEVELOPMENT FUND ELIGIBILITY (MAHAN K) Specifies health, education, safety, and training requirements that a child care provider must meet as a condition of eligibility to receive a federal Child Care and Development Fund voucher payment.
Current Status:      3/10/14 conference committee meeting 11:00 a.m. Rm. 404
Position:
Support

HB1137    REPORTING OF SEX CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN (HALE C) Requires the commission on improving the status of children in Indiana to study and evaluate the underreporting of crimes against children.
Current Status:  2/3/2014 - DEAD BILL; Fails to advance by House 3rd reading deadline; amended into SB227
Position:  Support


HB1220 CRIMINAL GANG LAWS AND JUVENILE COURT JURISDICTION (LAWSON L) Modifies the definition of "criminal gang" to include a group with at least three members that collectively engages in a pattern of criminal gang activity and is a covert or overt organization that has a command structure. Specifies that criminal gang activity can only be committed by a member of a criminal gang. Removes criminal gang activity, criminal gang intimidation, and certain drug offenses from the list of crimes that a juvenile court does not have jurisdiction over.
  Current Status:  Language amended into HB1006 Criminal Code Revision
  Position:           Support
 
HB1351 WELFARE MATTERS; DRUG TESTING (MCMILLIN J) Requires the division of family resources to establish a statewide program for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that allows SNAP benefits to be used only for food and beverages that have sufficient nutritional value, as determined by the division of family resources. Requires the office of the secretary of family and social services (office) to administer a drug testing program (program) for individuals who are receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assistance or receiving TANF assistance on behalf of a child. Establishes requirements for the program and ineligibility penalties. Prohibits an individual who is ineligible to receive TANF assistance under the program from receiving assistance on behalf of a child and provides for an exception. Requires the office to collect data to assess and avoid discrimination in the program. Requires the office to provide information to the Indiana housing and community development authority and any division of the office that implements the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program concerning an individual who tests positive for controlled substances. Requires the department of workforce development to submit a report to the legislative council and the unemployment insurance oversight committee concerning certain unemployment topics.
Current Status:  3/6/14 conference committee meeting




If you have any questions about the bills or MCCOY's public policy priorities, please feel free to contact me.  If there is any other information that you would like to see added to these updates, or that you would like to pass on to others for information or support, please e-mail me and I will add to the next update.  Thank you!

Sincerely,



Mindi Kensinger Goodpaster, MSW
Director, Public Policy & Advocacy
MCCOY, Inc.
3901 N. Meridian St., Suite 201
Indianapolis, IN 46208
P 317-921-1286
F 317-921-1298
 

MCCOY Provider Council: What's In It for Me?



The MCCOY Provider Councils are a valuable opportunity for all youth workers and youth/family serving agencies. Moving forward, these events will focus primarily on connections.   We envision the Provider Council as a place where you can acquire program resources, build new peer relationships and connect to partners that can provide valuable services for your program or the families you serve.   We encourage all organizations/agencies that provide services to youth and families to attend.  We want to connect your services to the amazing individuals that work with young children daily. These connections will continue to build the capacity to support the developmental needs of young people. 

To register for an upcoming Provider Council, click here.