October 15, 2003

Dear Satori Staff and Families:

This Friday, October 17 is an early dismissal day for the full-day PreKindergarten through the fifth grade. They will dismiss at 12:45 p.m. The 2’s, 3’s and half-day PreKindergarten classes are not in session on Friday. Daycare is available the entire day. . Friday October 17 is DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) Day for everyone at Satori. Staff and students will be reading on their own and to each other. Preschool children attending daycare on Friday will be able to participate in DEAR time with Extended Care staff. On Monday, October 20, the full-day PreKindergarten through the fifth grade classes will have a 12:45 p.m. dismissal while the preschool classes will not be in session. There is daycare available the entire day. Parent-teacher conferences are on Friday the 17th or Monday, October 20. Teachers will post a schedule for you to sign up for a conference.

Our annual Oktoberfest Carnival is on Friday, October 24 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. All classes will participate in creating booths for the carnival. Classroom Coordinators will be getting in touch with you regarding details of how you can help. We need volunteers to help set up the booths, “man” the booths, and take the booths down. Cost: $10.00 for one child and adult, $5.00 for each additional child. The entry fee covers the booths and prizes; food is extra.

Thank you to Jim and Jackie Murphy for chairing the Innisbrook Gift Wrap Fundraiser and to all of you that participated. Satori will receive $3,800 from the sales. Orders will be delivered this week or next.

Beginning November 3, the gate off of the North parking lot at the Central Building will be open from 7:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m., .2:15- 3:15 p.m. At all other times, entrance will be through the office only.

There is a Special Legislative Session on Child Protective Services starting on Monday, October 20. Please contact your Legislators to address the problems with Child Protective Services. See below for detailed information from Children’s Action Alliance.

Please do not park in the drop-off zone. It is not necessary to sign your child in or out if he/she arrives between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. and leaves between 2:45 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. This applies to the Elementary Building only.

Please check out the extended care hallway (outside the office and library) in the Central Building. Kids are doing some fun activities. Misty Leland and Tori Colbert are extended care coordinators at the Central and Elementary Buildings respectively. Please give them feedback. We have scheduled an extended care evening (November 12) for you to meet the staff and talk about what goes on during the day.

Please include the name of the child on your tuition check. We have received money orders and counter checks where we are unable to decipher a signature.

UPCOMING EVENTS

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Please keep turning in General Mills box tops as we receive 10 cents apiece.
Register on-line with escrip.com at stores you shop e.g., Safeway, Wild Oats so Satori can receive a percentage of your purchases.
When you use your Target credit card, please let Target know to credit a portion of your purchases to Satori.
You may still order year round on www.Innisbrook.com using Satori’s number 117954.


Sincerely,

Special Session on Child Protective Services to Start
on Monday, October 20, 2003

Governor Janet Napolitano has called the state legislature into Special Session beginning Monday, October 20, 2003 to address the problems plaguing child protective services and the child welfare system.

While many of our state legislators do believe, as we do, that these problems need immediate attention; a number of legislative leaders are saying we need to study the issues more and that the issues can all wait until regular session in January. No promises for reform; no promises for adequate funding. The issues have been studied. The Governor convened the Commission on CPS Reform which issued its report in July 2003; three public forums were subsequently held. The Governor's Action Plan was released on September 30, 2003. (See <http://www.governor.state.az.us/global/action_plan3.pdf> for details.) Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley issued a report, In Harm's Way, in March 2003. For well over 20 years, the legislature has convened numerous committees and oversight groups to study CPS. We know what the problems are, and we should expect action now.

ACTION NEEDED

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE SENATOR AND TWO REPRESENTATIVES AND TELL THEM YOU ARE TIRED OF LOSING CHILDREN BECAUSE OF AN INADEQUATE SYSTEM AND IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS WITH CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.

Please refer to the Issues Paper below on the need for reform.

Please share this information with others and encourage everyone to contact their legislators. If you are uncertain of who your legislators may be, you may go to <http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm> for assistance.

If you have questions regarding the Special Session, this alert or want a presentation to your Board or community group on these issues, please contact Beth Rosenberg, Children's Action Alliance at brosenberg@azchildren.org <mailto:brosenberg@azchildren.org> or 602-266-0707.

Special Legislative Session on Child Protective Services (CPS)
Beginning Monday, October 20, 2003

ISSUES AT STAKE:

Budget: The Governor is requesting a supplemental appropriation of $35.5 million to support CPS services for the remainder of this fiscal year.

The majority of this money ($27 million) is to cover a deficit in children's services, adoption subsidy, and subsidized permanent guardianships. Some facts to consider:

• There are more than 6,800 children in foster care, an increase of 12 percent from last year. The number of children entering foster care has increased by 17% from last year. Children's Services pays for foster care costs as well as services to either help children to be reunited with their families or move to other permanent families. Due to caseload growth and under-funding for these services, a budget deficit of $11.3 million remains in FY 04. The state has an absolute obligation to protect children, and to provide services for them and their families to assure the child's safety, permanency and well-being.

• The legislature only provided funding for 300 children in permanent guardianships, but the need is for 1,022 children this year. Permanent Guardianships allow children to leave foster care for a stable permanent family, usually with a relative. The foster care costs far exceed the subsidy amounts allowed. The psychological cost of instability for children is far higher.

• The legislature only provided funding for 5,629 special needs children to be on Adoption Subsidy, but as of July 2003, there were 6,742 children in this program. Adoption Subsidies allow special needs children to be placed with safe, permanent families. The foster care costs far exceed the subsidy amounts allowed. The psychological cost of instability for children is far higher.

• The legislature authorized increased staff positions in FY 2002, but never appropriated to DES enough money to pay for those staff creating a deficit in operating expenses.

The remaining $8 million in the Governor's request is to lower caseloads, assure 100% investigations of reports by CPS staff and reduce barriers to recruiting and retaining qualified, professional staff and foster parents. Some facts to consider:

• The caseloads of CPS intake and on-going case managers are 27 percent over the recommended national standards. These numbers tell us that that there are not enough staff and resources to help preserve families, protect children or help them find permanent homes. The Governor is requesting funds to hire an additional 154 case managers and related support staff this fiscal year to meet national standards and investigate all reports.

• There is a 24 percent turnover rate in CPS case managers and supervisors. The Governor is requesting additional funds to support retention efforts by increasing salaries of CPS case managers and by providing incentives for bilingual staff and staff with MSW degrees.

• Over the past two years, there has been an 8 percent decrease in the number of available foster home beds available while there was an increase in the number of children in care. Appropriate foster home placements cannot be found for many children coming into care, and many kids are being placed in higher cost group care. Foster parents do an extraordinary job and our expectations are high; yet, they have not received an increase in the reimbursement they receive to care for a foster child since 1996. The Governor is requesting the base rate for foster home care be raised in two increments, one in January 2004 and the other in June 2004.

Legislation Needed to Protect Children: While we are waiting to see actual drafts of bills which may be introduced during this Special Session, we know that the Governor has proposed the following:

• Require Joint Investigations by CPS and Law Enforcement of Felony Child Abuse and Neglect
• Require Referral of Criminal Child Abuse Cases to County Attorney for Prosecution and Review of those Cases within 90 days
• Amend the Definition of Child Protective Services
• Establish Alcohol and Drug Abuse As a Factor in Determining Child Abuse/Neglect and Develop Medical Protocols to Identify Substance Exposed Newborns
• Clarify Legal Standards for Substantiating Abuse/Neglect and Allow the CPS Central Registry to be Checked for Employment Purposes
• Rewrite Confidentiality Laws To Allow Information to be Shared With Those Having a Legitimate Interest
• Create Alternatives to Formal Dependency Process that Require Families to Participate in Services
• Expand Juvenile Court Open Hearing Pilot

If you have questions regarding the Special Session, this issues brief or want a presentation to your Board or community group on these issues, please contact Beth Rosenberg, Children's Action Alliance at brosenberg@azchildren.org <mailto:brosenberg@azchildren.org> or 602-266-0707.