VOICES for Alabama’s Children Urges Lawmakers to Prioritize Children at 2016 Legislative Session
VOICES for Alabama’s Children, the state’s longest-standing child advocacy organization, announced its top policy priorities this week, focusing on clear-cut solutions to issues affecting Alabama’s children and families. This progressive policy agenda urges lawmakers to prioritize Alabama’s children during the 2016 legislative session that promises to present several fiscal and political challenges.
For more than two decades, VOICES for Alabama’s Children has been the unwavering voice for children at the Alabama State Legislature. VOICES’ policy priorities are aligned with key findings from the 2016 Alabama Kids Count Data Book, which has served as a roadmap and benchmark for policy making to improve the landscape for the state’s children since 1992.
VOICES for Alabama’s Children has been a perennial leader on some of the state’s most critical legislative successes for children, including the establishment of the state’s Healthy Food Financing Program, creation of the Alabama Child Death Review System, formation of the state’s child health insurance program (ALL Kids) and expansion of Alabama’s First Class Pre-K Program. Each year, the organization determines priority advocacy efforts based on a solid foundation of research and the pressing needs of Alabama’s children.
“We work for every single child in Alabama, serving as their voice and making sure they have a seat at the table when important policy decisions are being made,” said VOICES for Alabama’s Children’s executive director, Melanie R. Bridgeforth. “We have to continue building on recent policy successes, including passing the Healthy Food Financing Act and prioritizing funding for high-quality Pre-K. Data from our most recent Alabama Kids Count Data Book demonstrates that we have a significant amount of work to do if we are going to create an environment that fosters long-term success for our youngest residents.
VOICES for Alabama’s Children’s key policy initiatives for the 2016 legislative session include:
Increase Healthy Food Access for Children and Families
Nearly half a million children in Alabama live in areas with limited access to fresh, healthy food placing them at increased risk for diet related illness such as obesity and diabetes. In 2015, VOICES for Alabama’s Children led a coalition of more than 100 state and local advocates in a successful legislative campaign resulting in the creation of a statewide Healthy Food Financing program housed at the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. The passage of the enabling legislation puts Alabama one step closer to addressing the growing issue of food access by incentivizing farmers markets, grocery stores and other fresh food retailers to locate in underserved communities across the state. In 2016, VOICES for Alabama’s children is advocating for public and private seed dollars to support full implementation and operationalization of Alabama’s Healthy Food Financing program to bring healthy food retailers to communities where they are needed most.
Require Uniform Regulation and Inspection for Child Care in Alabama
By age 5, over 90 percent of a child’s brain is developed, making these years of life the most critical and underscores the need for safe, quality early care and education experiences for young children. A key indicator of quality is that child care services rendered are safe and inspected. Alabama is one of a handful of states that do not require all child care facilities to be regulated and inspected despite some receiving state and federal child care funding. VOICES for Alabama’s Children is advocating for full implementation of new federal policy aimed in part at strengthening health and safety requirements as well as uniform regulation and inspection by the Department of Human Resources of for all child care programs operating in the state of Alabama.
Promote Healthy Early Childcare Education (ECE) Settings
Alabama has the 8th highest childhood obesity rate in the United States. With over 60 percent of young Alabama children having parents in the workforce, early childhood education settings are ideal targets for obesity prevention in young children. Currently regulations regarding physical activity, nutrition, and screen time vary among child care settings by type (e.g., Head Start, center-based child care, family-based child care, etc.). VOICES for Alabama’s Children is advocating for improved and standardized standards for early childhood education settings statewide for nutrition, physical activity, screen time and other core obesity prevention strategies in child care settings that promote healthy weight.
Expand Funding for High-Quality Pre-K
High quality Pre-K improves educational achievement, closes the achievement gap among children entering kindergarten and helps build a skilled workforce for Alabama. Alabama’s First Class Pre-K program has ranked top in the nation for quality for nine consecutive years, yet only 20 percent of Alabama four- and five-year-olds have access. VOICES for Alabama’s Children, as a lead partner and founder of the Alabama School Readiness Alliance, is advocating to increase First Class Pre-K funding by $20 million in the 2016 session with the intent of fully funding high-quality pre-k by the 2022-2023 school year if not before.
In addition to these four major policy agenda items, VOICES for Alabama’s Children will closely monitor the General Fund and Education Trust Fund Budgets to ensure state appropriations for child-serving programs and services impacting child health, safety, education, economic security and school readiness are protected. VOICES also announced support for other key legislative items that impact the state’s children, including supporting enhancements to Alabama’s human trafficking statute, eliminating predatory lending practices and expanding Medicaid coverage for Alabama families.
“Each year, we track upwards of 80 pieces of legislation, including state budgets, which could impact Alabama’s children. Unfortunately, Alabama fell even lower in the national rankings for child well-being last year to 45th. However, we are confident we are moving in the right direction to make Alabama a better place for children and families. The policy work we do with our state and local partners, state agencies and other key advocates will ensure Alabama’s children have a bright, blossoming future,” said Bridgeforth.
