E-Notes
June 2, 2005

In this issue of E-Notes, you'll find:

A.  SAVE THE DATE: PROTECTING CONNECTICUT'S CHILDREN: PROMOTING PERMANENT
FAMILIES

B.  NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM CT VOICES
*  Family Assets Scorecard 2005  
*  Avoiding Past Mistakes: Increasing HUSKY B Premiums Would Leave Thousands
of Children Uninsured
*  Separating Fact from Fiction: Myths About the Adequacy of Funding for
Care 4 Kids  
*  A Review of the Effects of Care 4 Kids Eligibility and Funding Changes in
Hartford

C.  BIOGRAPHIES OF YOUTH SPIRIT AWARDEES


A.  SAVE THE DATE: PROTECTING CONNECTICUT'S CHILDREN: PROMOTING PERMANENT
FAMILIES

Protecting Connecticut's Children: Promoting Permanent Families

When: Monday, June 27, 2005, 9:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Where: Torp Theater, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT

Please join us as we hear first hand accounts of those most affected by
child welfare policies and discuss how we can do more to protect
Connecticut's children and promote permanent families.

Several young adults and adoptive, foster and kinship caregivers will share
their personal stories with an audience of local, state and federal policy
leaders and others interested in child welfare.  We will also discuss the
recommendations of the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care to improve
outcomes for kids.

Representative Nancy Johnson (5th Congressional District) has confirmed her
participation in this important event; other state and local leaders will
also attend.  We will send more detailed information about the program
within the next few weeks.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Katie McKeon, CT Voices for
Children at (203) 498-4240 or via e-mail at katiem@ctki...

This event is co-sponsored by the North American Council on Adoptable
Children (NACAC), CT Voices for Children, CT's Office of the Child Advocate,
the CT Department of Children and Families, the CT Association of Foster and
Adoptive Parents, and Casey Family Services

For directions and a campus map, see
http://www.ctkidslink.org/announcement_31.html


B.  NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM CT VOICES

1.  Family Assets Scorecard 2005
While Connecticut ranks among the top states on measures on net family worth
and educational achievement, disparities in family assets on the basis of
race, income, and gender threaten Connecticut's economic strength and
quality of life, according to this report. The report, developed in
partnership with CFED, a national organization that works to expand economic
opportunities, ranks Connecticut against other states in its performance on
31 asset measures in the areas of financial security, business development,
homeownership, health care, and education.  Key findings from the report
include:

On overall statewide measures of assets, Connecticut ranks well compared to
other states.
*   Connecticut ranks second among states in the net worth of its
households.
*   Connecticut ranks among the top states on important educational
measures, including reading proficiency among fourth graders (1st), math
proficiency among fourth graders (4th) and adults with four years of college
(8th).

However, these statewide rankings mask serious disparities by race, income,
and gender.  
*   Nearly 1 in 5 Connecticut households are "asset poor."  This means if
their incomes were interrupted, the families would have too few financial
assets to pay their bills for even 3 months, even while cutting expenses to
living at the federal poverty level.
*   On many measures of family assets, Connecticut's minority population
fares less well than white families in the state.  White households at the
median in Connecticut are 28 times more wealthy than are minority households
at the median.
*   Households headed by women in Connecticut tend to have fewer assets than
those headed by men.
*   CT ranks last among all states in private loans to small businesses
(though many new CT jobs are being created by our small businesses).

http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_240.html


2.  Avoiding Past Mistakes: Increasing HUSKY B Premiums Would Leave
Thousands of Children Uninsured

The Governor and the General Assembly's Appropriations Committee have
proposed a combination of new premiums and increased premiums for families
of children enrolled in HUSKY B. This issue brief argues that based on CT's
recent experience, thousands of children will lose HUSKY coverage if the
premiums are imposed because their families will not be able to afford the
cost.
http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_241.html


3.  Separating Fact from Fiction: Myths About the Adequacy of Funding for
Care 4 Kids  

Care 4 Kids is a child care subsidy program that provides monetary support
for moderate- and low-income families who need care for their infants,
toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children. This brief addresses common
misconceptions about Care 4 Kids funding.
http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_238.html

4.  A Review of the Effects of Care 4 Kids Eligibility and Funding Changes
in Hartford    

>From 2002 to 2005, funding for Connecticut's Care 4 Kids program decreased
by about 44% ($53.5 million).  This brief finds that in Hartford, the number
of children enrolled in the child care subsidy program dropped by nearly one
half (4,374 to 2,422) from 2002 to 2004.
http://www.ctkidslink.org/pub_detail_239.html


C.  BIOGRAPHIES OF YOUTH SPIRIT AWARDEES

On Wednesday, May 25, 2005, Connecticut Voices for Children sponsored our
9th Annual Youth Spirit Awards, which recognize Connecticut youth who have
shown an extraordinary ability to overcome adversity.  Each year, the
awardees amaze us with their stories and insights.  They also inspire us and
remind us to value those who have impacted our lives, to speak out about the
decisions that will impact our futures, and to demonstrate leadership and
resolve in all that we do.

The program guide for the event, available for download below, offers
biographies of each of this year's recipients.
http://www.ctkidslink.org/announcement_27.html



-----------------------------------------

Connecticut Voices for Children
New Haven office: 33 Whitney Ave, New Haven CT 06510, (203) 498-4240
Hartford office: 60 Gillett St, Hartford CT 06105, (860) 548-1661
www.ctkidslink.org
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