The document discusses New York state's proposed budget for kinship care programming for 2011-2012. It proposes lumping various programs including kinship care together and cutting total funding to 50%, leaving distribution of funds up to local municipalities. This proposal lacks details on funding levels for kinship care and how programs would be evaluated. It could result in current programs closing or having uncertain future funding. Advocates plan to provide information to kinship care programs, launch a website for updates, meet with legislators, and begin a press campaign highlighting that kinship care saves the state money compared to foster care. They are asking that 10% of the proposed funding be dedicated to kinship programming.

1. February 2011 Kinship care in the new york state budget

2. Overview The budget process

3. The Governor proposes a budget (Feb 1)  The Governor can make amendments (late February)  The Legislature convenes conference committees (February/March) 

4. The Legislature negotiates with the Division of Budget (Governor’s representative) and comes up with a final budget  The budget gets passed through the Legislature (April 1)  The Governor signs the budget (or vetoes) and fiscal year begins

5. 2009-2011 The past

6. $2.75 million (2009-10 budget) funds 21 programs almost to 2010-11  $922 thousand (2010-11 budget) additional received to fully fund 21 programs to 2010-11  $2.75 million needed in the 2011-12 budget to fully fund 21 programs to 2012-13

7. The current proposal 2011-12

8. Pull kinship care programming from the OCFS budget into an Article VII bill (though kinship programming not specifically listed). Lump kinship care programming together with a variety of other programs (home visiting, runaway youth, Children’s Trust Fund, other juvenile justice programs) to form a Primary Prevention Incentive Programthat’s performance-based.

9. Take the total funding from all of the lumped programs (from last year’s budget) and cut it to 50%. Leave it to OCFS and communities to determine how to spend the money, including a 38% local match. The only entities eligible to apply for funding are municipalities (local districts).

10. What it means ? ? ? ? ? ?

11. We don’t know what funding level kinship care programming would be funded at (not determined by a line item in the budget, but rather through an RFP process for local districts). This proposal is for use of general funds, not TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), which had been the previous source of funding. We don’t know how data collection, evaluation, monitoring would occur in this structure of funding.

12. We don’t know what would happen to current programs – whether their funding could continue or if they would have to close and later reopen (if the local district applied for funds). We don’t know why this particular process was proposed since it is not cost-efficient.

13. Our plan Starting Today

14. Offer webinar explaining the current proposal in the Governor’s budget Develop talking points for providers and talking points for families Develop checklist for kinship care programs to implement Develop list of legislators and contacts for each kinship care program Distribute cost benefit one-pager to kinship care programs Step one: information

15. Launch website for kinship care programs and advocates to locate information and updates http://www.grandparentsforchildren.org/newyork.html Collect and distribute community-based information about kinship care to each program Step one: information

16. Leadership to call all agency CEOs and EDs to ensure advocacy strategies are in place Staff to contact each program with their program-specific information and get them started on their advocacy work Albany-based programs and advocates to meet with: Division of Budget Office of the Governor Senate Finance Committee and Counsel/Program staff Assembly Ways and Means Committee and Counsel/Program staff Senate and Assembly’s respective Children and Families Committees Step two: action in albany

17. Programs begin utilizing checklist: Write letter to the Governor Sign on to collective letter to the Governor Meet with local legislators Invite local legislators to visit program Begin letter-writing and phone call campaign with families Distribute letters to the editor to local newspapers Additional ideas Step two: action on the ground

18. Begin press campaign, including series of releases and conferences for: Budget implications Census data Cost-benefit release Summit report release Other Step three: press

19. $ $ $ $ $ Our message

20. An estimated 250,000 to 300,00 children live with grandparents or other relative caregivers in New York State. One in ten children live in grandparent-led households. Of those children, 41% are being raised by their grandparents. Twenty-one programs funded by OCFS provide services to over 5,000 children who otherwise are at high risk of foster care. New York State spends $1.37 billion annually on foster care services, and less than $3 million on kinship programs. Kinship $aves

21. Funding for FY2011-12 needs to be $3 million to fully fund kinship programming. If the kinship programs are not funded and 60 children enter foster care placements, the cost will equal the entire cost of fully funding the OCFS kinship programs. Without these programs, an estimated 475 children will leave informal kinship care and enter foster care during FY2011-12, at an increased cost of over $23 million to New York State. Kinship $aves

22. Children live with grandparents and other relatives for the same reasons that children enter foster care – parental abuse, neglect, mental illness, abandonment, military deployment and more. A representative sample of private kinship families shows that 60% of the children in private kinship families served by the programs had histories of potential or possible child maltreatment. Community kinship programming provides case management, respite, benefit and legal information, advocacy, and other supports, and facilitate enrollment in appropriate services. Kinship saves

23. 2011-12 Our ask

24. We ask that 10% of the Primary Prevention Incentive Program funding be dedicated to kinship programming (potential of $3.5 million). We ask that the PPIP be funded without a local match and allows for current programs to continue operating, rather than incurring the cost and lost experience of closing and reopening programs. Our ask

25. Webinars Keeping in touch

26. Each week, you’ll receive an eNewsletter with updates from New York State. Each week, we’ll host a webinar to update advocates and programs, field questions, and demonstrate new materials. Each day, we’ll update the website with any new information available. Each week, staff will contact each program to ensure they have the support they need to get through the checklist.