Click here to view the presentations provided at the DDD Sustainability and Innovation Workgroup meeting that took place December 8th. The Coalition will continue to share the information provided at every meeting with our members and the community. Contact Jessica Lewis if you have any questions.

As an early childhood advocate, you know how important the federal budget is to sustaining critical early childhood education programs. To make sure that the FY 2011 federal budget includes the funds that these programs need to support children and families, the early childhood community is joining forces to contact the White House.

On Wednesday and Thursday, December 9th and 10th, advocates from across the country will contact the White House to ask them to increase funding for early childhood programs in the 2011 budget.

So why contact the Obama administration now? The administration is currently working on its budget recommendations for the next fiscal year and we need to make sure that early childhood programs are prioritized. The President’s budget sends a signal to Congress on what should be the top investments in the next budget cycle — ultimately setting the blueprint for what gets in the budget.

Please take action today by contacting the White House. There are two ways you can contact the President:

Leave a message for President Obama on the White House Comments line in support of early childhood education programs. To call the comments line dial 202-456-1111. (You may need to call more than once if you get a busy signal.) Here is a sample script:

My name is ________ and I’m from (Insert Organization) in (City), (State). Please help children get the strong start they need to succeed in school by including a $3.7 billion increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, another $3.7 billion increase for Head Start and Early Head Start, a $400 million increase for IDEA Preschool and a $500 million increase for infants and toddlers with disabilities.

Send President Obama an e-mail in support of early childhood education programs. To e-mail the President, fill out the form on this website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact. Here is a sample message:

Dear President Obama, Please help children get the strong start they need to succeed in school by including a $3.7 billion increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant, another $3.7 billion increase for Head Start and Early Head Start, a $400 million increase for IDEA Preschool and a $500 million increase for infants & toddlers with disabilities. These programs help children learn and develop skills they need to succeed in school and in life. They also help families get ahead by giving parents the support and peace of mind they need to be productive at work. Please make sure to include these increases in your budget recommendations for FY 2011.

Please urge your networks and friends to take action on Wednesday and Thursday, December 9th and 10th. The more people who take action, the more our voices will be heard in this very important budget process.

As you are likely aware, the Governor called the Legislature into a special session on Tuesday. The purpose of the special session is to make the necessary adjustments to the state budget that have not yet been addressed due to the Governor’s vetoes in September 2009. This includes reductions to K-12 education and to DES, as well as other legislation and adjustments that need to be addressed.

As we have previously discussed, the Department has been managing its budget to the reductions that were passed by the Legislature on July 1st. This budget level is consistent with the bills that have been introduced during the special session. So far there have been no surprises in the bills. Therefore, the bills in their current form do not require any deeper cuts to the department. However, the special session will only be able to address a portion of the state’s current $2 billion deficit, making further reductions before the end of fiscal year 2010 likely.

As soon as I know more about the outcome of the special session and its impact to DES, our clients, staff and providers, I will be in touch. Thank you for your continued commitment to DES and the people we serve.

Neal

Some of our community stakeholders recently brought their concerns to the attention of the Arizona Autism Coalition. Click here to read a statement by Susan Golubock, Arizona Autism Coalition Advisory Committee Member, outlining the views of many including adults with ASD who self identify as “autistics” that Autism Speaks and other members of the autism community do not understand or acknowledge their concerns. Click here to read a response to Susan Golubock’s statement from Arizona Autism Coalition Member Autism Speaks.

If you are interested in leading a work group dedicated to this subject, or you would just like to be a participant, please contact Coalition Coordinator, Jessica Lewis.

Click here to view the national standards project addressing the need for evidence-based practice guidelines for autism spectrum disorders.

With potential budget cuts coming to the Department of Economic Security, which includes the Division of Developmental Disabilities, you can let your legislators know now how your family could be impacted by their budgetary decisions. To view the 2010 DES budget review, click here.

If you need assistance finding you legislators, visit www.azleg.gov. You can send them an email or give them a call, but always remember to be polite and respectful when speaking. You are a constituent and your voice should be heard, but these are difficult economic times that are affecting us all. Click here to learn more about how to be an effective advocate and engage appropriately with your legislators.