Care4Kids Update
REMINDER as we close the month of July. The Care4Kids program will close to most new applicants on August 1. Currently, families who are 30% SMI and under can apply through the end of July. If you know families who should be applying for Care4Kids, encourage them to do so before August 1. Even if they're in the 31-50% SMI range, it should help establish a waiting list.
On Where We Live Monday morning, Helene Figueroa, CSEA/SEIU's Director of Family Child Care Team, spoke to the upcoming changes to the Care4Kids program (closing to most new applicants as of August 1). Interview starts around the 36th minute.
Thousands of CT Parents to Lose Medicaid Coverage as of August 1
Have you received notification that you will lose your HUSKY health insurance? The following documents can help you navigate through the system, as you secure new insurance. The Access Health CT website offers information to help navigate the process and these English and Spanish fliers will help as well. CT NewsJunkie has an article on the topic.
No August Alliance Meeting
There will be no meeting of the Alliance membership in August. We will resume with our monthly meetings in September (9/1). Watch for more details in the coming weeks.
DNC Event Discusses Politics of Work, Childcare and Family
The Service Employees International Union (and others) hosted a discussion called “Whose Issues Are They?: The Politics of Work, Childcare and Family in an Election Year." You can watch the panel discussion on YouTube by clicking HERE.
Karen Rainville Accepts Position at Waterbury's Bridge to Success
Karen Rainville has joined Bridge to Success as Executive Director. Bridge to Success is the first “cradle to career” partnership in Connecticut, implemented to assure that Waterbury’s youth succeed in school, work and life. Karen will lead the work of the formal partnership of 90 local organizations, parents, the office of the mayor, public schools, foundations, religious organizations, social service agencies and others work together to improve the lives of Waterbury’s children and families.
Karen brings a wealth of knowledge to the position, having recently served as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC).
Oral Health Action Alert: Call DSS to Prevent Across-the-Board Rate Reductions That Will Reduce Children's Access to Dental Care
CT Oral Health Initiative (COHI) is asking for our help. DSS has announced a 2% reduction to the pediatric dental reimbursement rate as of September 1, 2016 as well as other changes (you can read the State Plan Amendment here). While the 2% reduction is an improvement from the 5% that was previously proposed, it will still have an impact on the number of providers serving children on HUSKY. Ensuring access to oral health services is an important element of overall healthy child development.
You can oppose these cuts by sending written comments to Ginny Mahoney and Dr. Donna Balaski at DSS by August 25, 2016. Tell them you oppose the 2% rate reduction as it will reduce access to dental care for children! COHI is providing a letter/email template and a fact sheet to assist you. Please copy Mary Boudreau at the CT Oral Health Initiative or just drop her an email that states you sent an email. If you have any questions, please contact Mary at [email protected] or call 860-246-2644.
Celebrating Kathy Queen at Annual Family Picnic
Please join the Wallingford Community Day Care Center at its annual family picnic onWednesday, August 17, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., as they honor Kathy Queen for her years of dedicated service to the center. Please RSVP at [email protected] or by calling 203-294-4176. For more information, click HERE.
Support for the Alliance comes from of our members and our funders: The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund, Connecticut Health Foundation, Children's Fund of Connecticut, Connecticut Community Foundation, and The Eder Family Foundation.