Children's Survey

1. Poll of Issues on Children and Families
By Bendixen & Associates
August, 2009

2. Methodology
Sample size 1,515 registered voters in
Florida likely to vote in
the general election
Dates of interviews July 13 – August 2, 2009
Margin of error 2.5 percentage points
Languages of interviews English, Spanish, Haitian‐
Creole
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3. Demographics of Florida Electorate

4. Region of Florida
7%
24%
32%
37%
North (Pensacola, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Gainesville)
Central (Orlando, Tampa‐St. Petersburg, Daytona Beach)
Southeast (West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami)
Southwest (Naples, Ft. Myers, Sarasota)
4

5. Race / Ethnicity
80% 70%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
15%
20% 12%
10% 3%
0%
Non‐Hispanic Black Hispanic Asian / Other
white
5

6. Party Registration
14%
Democrat
43%
Republican
Independent /
Other
43%
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7. The Importance of Children’s Issues

8. How important of a problem is it to you that Florida has
a shortage of quality services for children and families?
88%
Very / Somewhat
62% 26%
important
11%
Not important
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
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9. Rating and Ranking of Issues and Services for Children
and Families

10. Needs of Children and Families:
Rating the Proposals
Average
Providing health insurance for all children. 8.5
Providing screening for children whose parents are 8.3
concerned about their development and treatment for
those with autism, dyslexia, cerebral palsy and other
disorders.
Providing parenting education programs. 7.5
Improving the educational quality of child care programs 7.4
for children from birth to age five.
Improving quality standards for pre‐kindergarten 7.4
programs.
Expanding the school year from 180 to 220 days and 6.7
lengthening the school day by two hours.
10

11. Needs of Children and Families
70% 62%
60%
50%
40%
30% 21%
20% 13%
10%
0%
Health insurance Pre‐K School year
11

12. Needs of Children and Families
70%
60%
49%
50%
40%
26%
30% 21%
20%
10%
0%
Screening / Improving child Parenting
Treatment care education
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13. Ranking the Needs of Children and Families
1. Providing health insurance for all children
2. Providing screening for children whose parents are
concerned about their development and treatment for those
with autism, dyslexia, cerebral palsy and other disorders
3. Expanding the school year from 180 to 220 days and
lengthening the school day by two hours
4. Providing parenting education programs
5. Improving the quality of Florida’s pre‐kindergarten programs
6. Improving the educational quality of child care programs for
children from birth to age five
13

14. Messages on providing health insurance for all children
in Florida
1. We need to provide health insurance for all
children in the state because health is the
foundation to child development, learning and
future success.
2. We need to provide health insurance for all
children in the state because there are more than
800,000 Florida children without any health
insurance coverage today.
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15. Messages on providing screening opportunities for children whose parents
are concerned about their development and treatment for those at risk of
certain disorders
1. We need to provide early screening opportunities for
all children because early diagnoses of special
developmental, physical, or behavioral needs can lead
to greater developmental gains and fewer challenges
later in life.
2. We need to provide early screening opportunities for
all children because early screening can provide the
majority of parents with the peace of mind of knowing
that their child is healthy.
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16. Taxes

17. After hearing all these proposals, would you support or
oppose an increase in your taxes to make more quality
services available to children and families in Florida?
9%
Support
Oppose
50%
41% Don't know /
No answer
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18. Potential Activism

19. There may be a campaign in Florida next year to promote
quality services for children and families. Would you be
supportive of this campaign?
13% Yes, would be
supportive
20% No, would not
be supportive
Don't know /
67% No answer
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20. There may be a campaign in Florida next year to promote quality services
for children and families. Would you be supportive of this campaign?
By Region of Florida
North 57% 28%
Central 67% 19%
Southeast 73% 15%
Southwest 68% 21%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Yes, would be supportive No, would not be supportive
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21. What would you be willing to do for the campaign to promote
quality services for children and families in Florida?
Write elected 42%
officials
Community 7%
organizer
Financial 20%
contribution
No 45%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
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Multiple responses accepted

22. Poll of Issues on Children and Families
By The Tarrance Group
August, 2009

23. Party Registration
14%
Democrat
43%
Republican
Independent /
Other
43%
23

24. Political Ideology
Liberal 20%
Progressive 7%
Moderate 24%
Conservative 42%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
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25. Most Important Issue
Jobs and Economy 50%
Low‐quality of many public
schools
12%
High property taxes 11%
Cost of medical care and
insurance
11%
Increasing rates of home 4%
insurance
Shortage of quality services for
children and families
2%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
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26. How important of a problem is it to you that Florida has
a shortage of quality services for children and families?
By Party Registration
88%
ALL VOTERS 62% 26%
Democrat 76% 19% 95%
80%
Republican 46% 34%
Independent 67% 21%
88%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Very important Somewhat important
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27. Needs of Children and Families:
Rating the Proposals
Average GOP
Providing health insurance for all children. 8.5 7.2
Providing screening for children whose parents 8.3 7.6
are concerned about their development and
treatment for those with autism, dyslexia,
cerebral palsy and other disorders.
Providing parenting education programs. 7.5 6.6
Improving the educational quality of child care 7.4 6.7
programs for children from birth to age five.
Improving quality standards for pre‐ 7.4 6.5
kindergarten programs.
Expanding the school year from 180 to 220 days 6.7 6.2
and lengthening the school day by two hours.
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28. After hearing all these proposals, would you support or oppose an
increase in your taxes to make more quality services available to
children and families in Florida?
By Party Registration
100%
80% 30%
41% 37%
60% 54%
40%
63%
50% 53%
20% 36%
0%
ALL VOTERS Democrat Republican Independent
Support Oppose
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29. There may be a campaign in Florida next year to promote quality services
for children and families. Would you be supportive of this campaign?
By Party Registration
ALL VOTERS 67% 20%
Democrat 78% 10%
Republican 53% 32%
Independent 71% 14%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Yes, would be supportive No, would not be supportive
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