posted Apr 5, 2013, 1:04 PM by LaWanda Albright
GREAT NEWS! Gov. Susana Martinez has signed Senate Bill 113, sponsored by Sen. John Arthur Smith of Deming, which provides $9.75 million in increased funding for early childhood education. The money comes from tobacco settlement money the state receives.
The money will divided so that $2 million will go to home visiting, for a 36% increase; $5.75 million to NM PreK, for a 50% increase in funding for Public Education Department PreK and a 63% increase in funding for Children, Youth and Families Department PreK; and $2 million to increase child care assistance rates for 3-STAR, 4-STAR and 5-STAR early care and education programs. Wording in the state budget requires that CYFD PreK be equal to or greater than PED PreK in funding. With the signing of SB 113, it means that PED PreK and CYFD PreK will each receive $15 million, including the SB 113 money and a $5.5 million increase in general fund money for NM PreK.
An analysis done during the legislative session said the SB 113 money alone would mean that 1,500 to 1,700 more 4-year-olds will get NM PreK services, 500 to 600 more families will receive home visiting services; and about one-third of the state's 1,035 licensed early care and education programs would get higher reimbursement rates under child care assistance. In addition, about an equal number of NM PreK children would be served from the general fund increase to NM PreK.
The governor did veto the part of Senate Bill 113 to transfer $50 million from the General Fund Operating Reserve to the Tobacco Settlement Permanent Fund, to help build up that fund, which now has about $167 million. Rep. Gail Chasey wants to build up that fund over five or six years so that it will provide perpetual benefit to the state through money for health and education. However, the governor said keeping the $50 million in General Fund Operating Reserve "provides greater flexibility to respond to an unexpected decrease in revenue." The governor wrote that such unexpected crises are the "primary and critical purpose" of the reserve.
New Mexico receives about $40 million a year in tobacco settlement money from tobacco companies. In the past most of the money has gone into the state's general fund to help make up for reduced revenues from the recession.
Part of Senate Bill 113 also provided $10 million to help keep the Lottery Scholarship Program solvent. What the governor signed included that part of the bill, but she said she did not think the tobacco money allocation "represents a responsible, long-term approach to addressing the solvency issues of the Lottery Tuition Fund." She did not want students to suffer, she said, so she signed the bill anyway. She encouraged lawmakers to work toward a restructuring of the Lottery Scholarship Program in the future.
The governor also signed the main budget, and it did not appear initially that she had line-item vetoed any early childhood money in the budget, except for $500,000 in Medicaid money that would have been used for home visiting. The budget as passed by the Legislature included a $7 million increase in child care assistance, a $5 million increase in K-3 Plus (which provides extra school days in the summer for early elementary grades), and a $2.5 million increase in Reads to Lead, which provides reading coaches and reading interventions in the early grades of public schools.
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posted Apr 1, 2013, 4:58 PM by LaWanda Albright
Gov. Susana Martinez has signed Senate Bill 247, which will simplify the application process of applying for Children, Youth and Families Department PreK funding. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, a Republican, from Sandia Park. Beffort has said the bill will allow CYFD to use the same application process that the Public Education Department uses for its PreK funding, and make the process more accessible for early care and education programs that want to apply for funding. In New Mexico, about half of NM PreK funding goes to public schools and about half to community programs, such as private early care and education centers, Head Starts and family child care homes that contract with CYFD.
Diana Martinez-Gonzalez, director of early childhood services at CYFD, has said the department may still be required to use the old applications this spring since the legislation won't take effect until June.
THANK YOU for calling legislators to ensure passage of this bill and for calling the governor to ask her to sign it.
The governor still has not acted on Senate Bill 113, which would provide $9.75 million in funds for home visiting, NM PreK and increases in child care assistance rates. The state budget, HB 2, which includes funding for early childhood, has not been signed either. Senate Bill 365, the Home Visiting Accountability Act, is also awaiting action.
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posted Mar 19, 2013, 9:57 AM by LaWanda Albright
Hello to everyone reading this message! I do want to clarify one point J. As I testified in several committee hearings, I made the comparison between the Request for Proposal (RFP) that CYFD child care providers have to respond to when applying for PreK funds versus the Request for Application (RFA) that PED school districts have to respond to when applying for PreK funds. Historically, the RFP CYFD issues is anywhere from 100-150 pages. This fiscal year the PED RFA was 13 pages. SB247 will allow CYFD to utilize the RFA process that PED currently uses. This bill is the first step in simplifying the procurement process for PreK services. This does not mean the RFA the CYFD will issue will be 13 pages. I cannot commit, at this point, to the length of the RFA. It could be 10 pages, it could be 20 pages, it could be 30 pages, etc. This will be a new process for CYFD. I will commit, however, to working to make it the shortest RFA possible!! If this bill is signed by the Governor, CYFD will have the flexibility to work with PED to issue the same RFA. I want to make sure no one gets hung up on a specific number of pages J. Additionally, please keep in mind this bill will not become effective until sometime in June. If CYFD receives new PreK funding (dependant on legislation to be signed), we will have to issue an RFP soon (with the existing process) in order to get services funding in July/August. Lastly, I would like to thank Dan Ritchey and Rosa Barraza for making the trip to Santa Fe to stand and support this bill in committee hearings. I would also like to thank Linda Siegle (lobbyist for NMCCEA) and JD Bullington (lobbyist for United Way of SF County) for supporting this bill in committee hearings. I want to give a special thank you to Rick Tedrow, Barbara Tedrow, Ray Jaramillo and Kim Grider for not only standing and supporting this bill in committees, but meeting with legislators to help them understand the importance of this bill. I (alone) could not meet with all legislators on respective committees. I was grateful for the help. Ms. Grider spent the last month in Santa Fe not only helping me get this bill thru, but working her heart out for SB113. I truly appreciate you all taking time from your own priorities (like SB113) to help me. Thank you all for your support!! Diana Martinez-Gonzalez Director Early Childhood Services Children, Youth and Families Department (505) 827-7659 dianam.gonzalez@state.nm.us |
posted Mar 18, 2013, 2:20 PM by LaWanda Albright
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updated Mar 18, 2013, 2:28 PM
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The final state budget passed by the Legislature shows a sizable increase in early childhood education funding -- roughly $31.9 million -- IF the governor signs Senate Bill 113 and approves the early childhood funding in the main budget, HB 2. Senate Bill 113 -- providing tobacco settlement funds for early childhood education -- is responsible for $9.75 million of the increase in early childhood funding, so it is critical to urge Gov. Susana Martinez to sign the legislation.
Please call or email the governor and ask her to sign Senate Bill 113, and to support early childhood funding in HB 2. You may call at 505-476-2200. The governor's email is susana.martinez2@state.nm.us. The governor has 20 days in which to act on the bills.
The chart below shows the governor's and the Legislative Finance Committee's initial proposals for the Fiscal Year 2014 budget. The column on the right shows the budget amounts that passed the legislature before its adjournment Saturday.
The increase in child care assistance funding is sizable but still won't end waiting lists for child care assistance. The roughly 50% increase in NM PreK funding will help end waiting lists for PreK and add new programs around the state. The 37% increase in funding for home visitation -- counting both federal and state dollars -- will enable home visiting to continue substantial growth.
David Abbey, director of the Legislative Finance Committee staff, notes that in the past two years funding for early childhood programs by the state has increased from $137 million to $188.3 million under the budget adopted by the Legislature for FY 2014 -- marking a 37 percent increase. (Abbey's calculations do NOT include the $9.75 million provided in Senate Bill 113. If that is counted, state funding for early childhood will have increased 45% over the two years.) The $188.3 million includes funding for programs for young children in public schools -- such as Kindergarten to 3rd Grade Plus and Reads To Lead -- as well as programs for children birth to 5 -- such as home visiting, NM PreK and child care assistance.
FY2014 NM State Budget
| Governor Proposal | LFC Proposal | FY14 Budget Passed | Home Visiting | Flat funding | $1.8 million increase | $3.8 million increase (an 118% increase in state funding IF governor signs Senate Bill 113, the tobacco funds bill) The increase partly makes up for expected loss of $1.7 million in federal funds. TOTAL of federal & state funding in FY 2014 will be $8.1 million IF SB 113 is signed by governor, up from $5.9 million in FY 2013 -- a 37% increase. | PED PreK (public schools) | $2.7 million increase | $5.5 million increase | $4.94 million increase (or roughly 49%) IF governor signs SB 113, the tobacco funds bill (TOTAL spending on CYFD PreK will equal spending on PED PreK -- $14,942,950 each -- under wording in budget that requires equal spending in both departments.) | CYFD PreK (community-based) | $0 increase | Flat funding | $5.71 million increase (or roughly 56%) IF governor signs SB 113, the tobacco funds bill | Child Care | $7.0 million increase ($5 million from GRF and $2 million from TANF) | $7.0M increase ($3.5 million from GRF and $3.5 million from TANF) | $9 million increase (plus about $1.8 million increase in federal funding) IF SB 113 is signed by governor -- or roughly 12% increase overall. (FY 2014 TOTAL funding -- federal & state -- $98 million, up from $87.2 million in FY 2013.) | FIT (Part C) | Flat funding | $500,000 increase | $500,000 increase, a 3.5% increase in state funds. TOTAL state funding for FIT will be $14.5 million. | TTAPS | Will be covered by federal Race to the Top | Will be covered by federal Race to the Top | Flat funding but federal Race to the Top will be providing help for improving early care and education program quality | TEACH | Will be covered by federal Race to the Top | Will be covered by federal Race to the Top | Flat funding in main T.E.A.C.H. grant plus whatever NM PreK decides to apportion from its grants, and federal Race to the Top is to provide $200,000 yearly starting in next couple of months. | K3Plus | $500,000 increase | $5.5 million increase | $4.95 million increase, a 41% increase, to total of $16 million. | New Mexico Reads to Lead (coaches in schools by grant application/not targeted) | $5.0M increase (total $13.5M) | Flat funding | $3 million increase, a 37% increase, to total of $11.5 million. |
Dan Ritchey Early Childhood Educator NM Association for the Education of Young Children
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posted Mar 18, 2013, 2:18 PM by LaWanda Albright
The House passed a bill sponsored by Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort to simplify the application process for Children, Youth and Families Department PreK funding in a 63-0 vote on Friday. It had previously passed the Senate 40-1. The bill is now awaiting action by Gov. Susana Martinez.
Please call or email the governor to ask her to sign the bill. You may call at 505-476-2200. The governor's email is susana.martinez2@state.nm.us.
Beffort has said the bill will allow CYFD to use the same application process that the Public Education Department uses for its PreK funding, and make the process more accessible for early care and education programs that want to apply for funding. In New Mexico, about half of NM PreK funding goes to public schools and about half to community programs, such as private early care and education centers, Head Starts and family child care homes that contract with CYFD.
Diana Martinez-Gonzalez, director of early childhood services at CYFD, has said applications for funding will still be competitive but will involve a 13-page application instead of a 100- to 150-page proposal. Last year, CYFD had $1 million in new money for PreK programs and got only four proposals. The process needs to be simpler if CYFD is to reach areas of the state that don't have NM PreK services now. She said 10 counties have no NM PreK at all.
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posted Mar 18, 2013, 2:11 PM by LaWanda Albright
We have exciting news! Senate Bill 365 (SB365), the New Mexico Home Visiting Accountability Act, sponsored by Senator Sapien, has passed the Legislature, and is on its way to the Governor’s office! We sincerely thank everyone who has generously given of themselves, and of their time, to help this crucial piece of legislation get through the Legislature. BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP! HOW YOU CAN HELP: Please contact the Governor’s office to ask her to sign Senate Bill 365 (SB365) NOW! The Governor only has 20 days to act on this legislation, so we need your help to encourage her to do so within the time allotted. Governor’s office: 505-476-2200 BACKGROUND ON SB365: SB365 accomplishes the following things: - The Act defines home visiting.
- It creates a framework for “standards-based” home visiting, ensuring a level of quality and consistency in home visiting programs around the State.
- It ensures a level of accountability for reporting, sharing outcomes, and understanding the State’s return on investment.
- It uses data to drive decision-making: by requiring that programs report their data and analyzing it in a uniform way, we will be able to measure whether programs are working as well as predicted.
This is a critical piece of legislation that will have a huge positive effect on young children and parents, today... and even more importantly, for generations to come. Home Visiting has been proven throughout our nation to make a significant difference in the lives of children five years old and under, as well as in the lives of their parents. And for the most "at-risk" children in our state, the disparity between those who grow up to lead a prosperous, productive life as an adult, and those who become victims of poverty and crime, or are sustained by public assistance, can be traced back to these early years. Home Visitation is a critical component of effective Early Childhood Education programs and I urge you to call the Governor and ask her to sign this legislation as soon as possible. Thank you. It will make a difference, now and for generations to come.
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posted Mar 17, 2013, 11:12 AM by LaWanda Albright
A memorial, sponsored by Rep. Gail Chasey of Albuquerque, to create a J. Paul Taylor Early Childhood Task Force passed the House, 59-4, in the last hour before adjournment of the Legislature today. The bill needed only House approval and does not require action by the governor.
The memorial, which provides no state money to support the task force, asks the Health Sciences Center of the University of New Mexico to appoint members of the committee from various organizations and agencies outlined in the legislation. It asks the center to support work of the task force, too. The chair is to be the chair of the Children's Trust Fund, currently Kim Straus of the Brindle Foundation in Santa Fe. The bill stipulates 13 other members of the task force representing particular agencies or populations, plus four advisory members from state government departments.
The task force is to report to the legislative Health and Human Services Committee. The task force is to:
--Recommend means to improve collaboration among early childhood stakeholders.
--Develop a system to Identify underserved or unserved at-risk children and infants.
--Develop an early childhood mental health plan for children from infants through age 8, and deal with prevention and early intervention and treatment.
--Identify how the early childhood system can be used to prevent child abuse.
--Promote evidence-based, community early education programs in New Mexico.
Dan Ritchey Early Childhood Educator NM Association for the Education of Young Children
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posted Mar 14, 2013, 7:48 AM by LaWanda Albright
The House Judiciary Committee tonight endorsed a bill to simplify the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) PreK application process. The bill, Senate Bill 247, sponsored by Sen. Sue Wilson Beffort, now goes to the House floor for a vote of the whole chamber. The Senate has already approved the measure.
Beffort said the bill will allow CYFD to use the same application process that the Public Education Department uses for its PreK funding, and make the process more accessible for early care and education programs that want to apply for funding.
Diana Martinez-Gonzalez, director of early childhood services at CYFD, said applications for funding will still be competitive but will involve a 13-page application instead of a 100- to 150-page proposal. Last year, CYFD had $1 million in new money for PreK programs and got only four proposals. The process needs to be simpler if CYFD is to reach areas of the state that don't have NM PreK services now. She said 10 counties have no NM PreK at all.
Rep. Eliseo Alcon said, "I'm always very leery when we find ways to get around the Procurement Code." He was glad to hear that Larry Maxwell, the state purchasing officer, was in favor of SB 247. Alcon asked why CYFD couldn't call up state purchasing to get guidance. Martinez-Gonzalez replied that the private early care and education programs are not part of state government and can't call up Maxwell for help. The bill will also allow CYFD to help applicants.
Numerous people attended the late hearing in support of SB 247, including Linda Siegle, lobbyist for the NM Child Care and Education Association; Alpha School Director Ray Jaramillo of Las Cruces, representing the Southern NM Early Childhood Alliance; Tina Klose, Full House director, of Alamogordo; J.D. Bullington, representing United Way of Santa Fe; Kim Grider of Toy Box Preschool in Las Cruces; and Dan Ritchey of the NM Association for the Education of Young Children.
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posted Mar 11, 2013, 10:17 AM by LaWanda Albright
UPDATE: There is exciting news on three bills moving through the Legislature that, if passed, will make a huge difference in the lives of New Mexico children and families. We need you to TAKE ACTION NOW to help get these measures passed. We’ve been keeping you updated on Senate Bill 365 (SB365) and House Bill 333 (HB333), the New Mexico Home Visiting Accountability Acts sponsored by Senator Sapien and Representative Larrañaga respectively. Both bills continue to move through the Legislature, and we still need your help to get them to the next stages. We also wanted to make you aware of Senate Bill 113 (SB113),sponsored by Senator John Arthur Smith, which would, if passed, provide additional funding for Early Childhood Services in New Mexico: funding that is badly needed to help crucial services reach at-risk children and families. HOW YOU CAN HELP: 1) Senate Bill 365 will be heard on the House Floor TODAY! Please contact your State Representatives NOW, and ask them to support this crucial legislation! You can find contact information for your State Senators and Representatives at the following location: 2) House Bill 333 will be heard before the Senate Public Affairs Committee TOMORROW, Tuesday, March 12, at 8:00 a.m. in Capitol Room 321 Please contact members of the Senate Public Affairs Committee to ask for their support of HB333. SENATE PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Name | Email | Legislative Office Phone | Craig Brandt | | 986-4267 | Jacob Candelaria | | 986-4391 | Ron Griggs | | 986-4276 | Daniel A. Ivey-Soto | | 986-4270 | Timothy M. Keller | | 986-4726 | Gay G. Kernan | | 986-4274 | Bill B. O'Neill | | 986-4260 | Gerald Ortiz y Pino | | 986-4482 |
3) Senate Bill 113 will be heard before the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee TOMORROW, Tuesday, March 12, at 1:30 p.m. in Capitol Room 315 Please contact members of the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee to ask for their support of SB113. HOUSE CONSUMER & PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE Name | email | Legislative Office Phone | Eliseo Lee Alcon | | 986-4844 | Patricia Roybal Caballero | | 986-4243 | Thomas A. Anderson | | 986-4451 | Gail Chasey | | 986-4412 | Jason C. Harper | | 986-4254 |
BACKGROUND ON SB365 & HB333: SB365 & HB333 accomplish the following things: · They define Home Visiting. · They create a framework for “standards-based” Home Visiting, ensuring a level of quality and consistency in Home Visiting programs around the State. · They ensure a level of accountability for reporting, sharing outcomes, and understanding the State’s return on investment. · They use data to drive decision-making: by requiring that programs report their data and analyzing it in a uniform way, we will be able to measure whether programs are working as well as predicted. This is a critical piece of legislation that will have a huge positive effect on young children and parents, today... and even more importantly, for generations to come. Home Visiting has been proven throughout our nation to make a significant difference in the lives of children five years old and under, as well as in the lives of their parents. And for the most "at-risk" children in our state, the disparity between those who grow up to lead a prosperous, productive life as an adult, and those who become victims of poverty and crime, or are sustained by public assistance, can be traced back to these early years. Home Visiting is a critical component of effective Early Childhood Education programs and I urge you to do what you can to get the legislature to pass these acts. Thank you. It will make a difference. Now and for generations to come.
Katherine Freeman, Chair 440 Cerrillos Rd Ste A Santa Fe, NM 87501 505-216-2976
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posted Mar 10, 2013, 6:38 PM by LaWanda Albright
Hello everyone,
I was writing too fast yesterday, and I put down the wrong figure for what is slated to be spent on NM PreK if Senate Bill 113 is approved to use $9.75 million from the tobacco settlement fund for early childhood services.
SB 113, sponsored by Sen. John Arthur Smith of Deming, calls for $2 million for home visiting services, $5.75 million (NOT $4.75 million as I wrote yesterday) for NM PreK and $2 million for rate increases for 3-STAR, 4-STAR and 5-STAR early care and education programs. The bill has passed the Senate already.
If SB 113 passes the House, too, the total INCREASE in the NM PreK funding will be $10.7 million (NOT $9.7 million as I wrote yesterday) to be split between PED and CYFD. If SB 113 fails to pass, the total INCREASE in NM PreK funding will be $4.95 million to be split between PED and CYFD. The Senate Finance Committee added language to the state budget last week to require the total appropriation for NM PreK to be split evenly between PED and CYFD.
Home visiting will have only a $300,000 increase without SB 113, because a $1.7 million general fund increase will merely cover $1.7 million in federal funds to be lost in the coming year. No increase in child care assistance rates is planned without SB 113.
SB 113 will be heard Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in Room 315 before the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee, whose members are listed below. Please urge them to support the bill, which would add 1,500 to 1,700 4-year-olds to the NM PreK Program and add 500 to 600 families per year to the state's home visiting program. A substantial number of early care and education programs would get higher child care assistance rates, too.
The debate is likely to involve whether to put the money into early childhood services now -- and into lottery scholarships (for which the bill calls for another $10 million in tobacco money). The alternative is to put the tobacco settlement money into the tobacco permanent fund to grow the fund -- which now has $158 million -- into a larger permanent fund that could provide money for health and education perpetually in the future. The Fiscal Impact Report on the bill says the fund needs to grow to about $850 million to provide perpetual benefit to the state from its annual income. Under the court settlement with tobacco companies, New Mexico receives about $40 million per year.
In recent years most of the annual settlement money has been diverted to the state's general fund to shore up New Mexico's finances during the recession.
Dan Ritchey Early Childhood Educator NM Association for the Education of Young Children (505) 243-5437
House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee
Chair Eliseo Lee Alcon, Democrat, District 6, of Milan, disabled veteran, (Capitol) 505-986-4844, eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov
Gail Chasey, Democrat, District 18, of Albuquerque, attorney, (Capitol) 505-986-4412, gail@gailchasey.com
Jason C. Harper, Republican, District 57, of Rio Rancho, research engineer, (Capitol) 505-986-4254, JasonHarperNM@gmail.com
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