Tagged With "Congress and President Donald Trump"
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A Public School That Not Only Keeps Children Safe, But Heals [nonprofitquarterly.org]
After the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida earlier this year, schools are at the epicenter of national debates on gun violence and mental health. How can teachers and administrators deal with troubled students? And how can they make schools safer for all? It’s not the first time that schools have been asked to address social problems that originate far outside their hallways. In a nation where more than 40 percent of kids are from low-income families, school teachers and...
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Bi-partisan trauma resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives
A bi-partisan resolution “Recognizing the importance and effectiveness of trauma-informed care” ( H. Res. 443 ) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 13 by Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and co-sponsor Danny K. Davis (D-IL). The impetus for the resolution resides with the First Lady of Wisconsin, Tonette Tonette Walker Walker, who has taken a strong leadership role in advancing trauma-informed policy and practice statewide through Fostering Futures and of late with the new...
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ACT NOW: Oppose Policies that Separate Children & Families
The Trump Administration has proposed a new rule that could penalize families in their immigration proceedings if they use critical public benefits, such as Medicaid for food-stamps. Nearly half of California's children live in immigrant families , meaning that this rule would do deep harm to families that make up the very fabric of California. It will force families to choose between providing basic needs for their children and keeping their families together. Right now, we have an...
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ACTION NEEDED: Oppose Adjusting the Federal Poverty Line
A proposed rule change to the Official Poverty Measure by the Trump Administration will negatively impact millions of children and families in our state, where, according to 2016 California Poverty Measure estimates, 21.3 percent of California's children live in poverty. If approved, the change would affect children and families' eligibility for federal programs that provide health care, nutrition and basic assistance, effectively reducing or eliminating their access to these needed...
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California becomes 'sanctuary state' in rebuke of Trump immigration policy (latimes.com)
Under threat of possible retaliation by the Trump administration, Gov. Jerry Brown signed landmark “sanctuary state” legislation Thursday, vastly limiting who state and local law enforcement agencies can hold, question and transfer at the request of federal immigration authorities. Senate Bill 54 , which takes effect in January, has been blasted as “unconscionable” by U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions , becoming the focus of a national debate over how far states and cities can go to prevent...
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California Child Welfare Policy and Progress, Winter Issue [Insight]
The California Child Welfare Co-Investment Partnership Report This issue of in sights provides an overview of the latest legislative developments in California, including data and perspectives on the policy and practice transformation taking place with the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR). Beyond a comprehensive summary of child welfare state legislation, this issue also includes a discussion on the key provisions of the Family First Prevention Services Act. The issue concludes with...
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California colleges undaunted by Trump's decision to phase out DACA [EdSource.org]
Undocumented immigrant students will remain welcome at California colleges and universities, regardless of President Donald Trump’s decision on Tuesday to roll back legal protections for so-called “Dreamers,” education leaders said. “Our doors will be wide open for all eligible undocumented students. They are welcome and wanted,” said Long Beach State President Jane Close Conoley. “And we will continue to offer state financial aid to those who are eligible.” Following up on a campaign...
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California considers prohibiting immigration enforcement at public schools and hospitals (latimes.com)
California would create "safe zones" prohibiting immigration enforcement on public schools, hospital and courthouse grounds under a new bill by state Senate leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) that is sure to clash with the tough enforcement plans of President-elect Donald Trump . By also proposing to bar state and local law enforcement from enforcing immigration laws, De León is doubling down on the issue at a time when Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding from “sanctuary...
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California could insure many more people — but it will come at a price [CenterforHealthJournalism.org]
State lawmakers are expected to receive a first look Feb, 1 at the costs tied to an ambitious plan to provide health insurance for more California residents. The report represents California’s response to the Trump administration’s retreat on the Affordable Care Act, analyzing how to provide more generous consumer subsidies to pay for costly health insurance, subsidies for insurance companies and a state penalty on residents who fail to maintain health coverage. The report, authored by a...
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California gets boost from federal government to expand early learning [edsource.org]
Though California has been at odds with the federal government on many fronts, the state is getting a boost from the Trump administration to lay the groundwork for expanding preschool and child care programs. California was one of 45 states to receive a Preschool Development Birth through Five Grant this year for improving access to child care and early learning for infants and children. California received $10.6 million. The grant will not create any new child care slots, but will help in...
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California Leads Multistate Lawsuit Over Migrant Children Detention Rules [politico.com]
By Angela Hart, Politico, August 26, 2019 California will lead a multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging a proposed federal regulation that would lift court-granted protections for young migrant detainees, allowing immigration authorities to detain children indefinitely — in quarters they see fit. The lawsuit, to be filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, challenges the Trump administration rule seeking to invalidate the 1997 Flores...
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Update: Stand Up for Immigrant Families in California [The Children's Movement in CA]
Two weeks ago, the President announced that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would begin the process of deporting millions of undocumented immigrants across the country. While these raids were temporarily halted, new information suggests that ICE may begin conducting enforcement actions in 10 cities, including San Francisco, as early as this Sunday, July 14. In California, where many kids are growing up in “mixed status” families (where some members are citizens and others are...
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Updated Community Health Assessment now available [Humboldtgov.org]
The Community Health Assessment (CHA), a comprehensive overview of the health of the Humboldt County community, was presented at the Board of Supervisors meeting this afternoon. The Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Public Health report looks at traditional public health measures of illness, mortality, nutrition and physical activity in the community. The CHA also includes data about income, housing status, community safety and access to care, as underlying...
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Use-of-Force Incidents Against Homeless People Are Up, LAPD Reports [latimes.com]
By Leila Miller, Los Angeles Times, January 21, 2020 More than one out of three times that a Los Angeles police officer used force in recent months involved a person experiencing homelessness, according to a new LAPD report. During the third quarter of 2019, officers used force on homeless people 217 times, a 26% increase from the same period in 2018 when that number was 172. LAPD homeless coordinator Cmdr. Donald Graham pointed to the city’s growing homeless population and an uptick in...
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Vinnie Pompei wants you to know that we're all biased, and we can work with that [edsource.org]
Vincent “Vinnie” Pompei is director of the Youth Well-Being Project of the Human Rights Campaign, a national civil rights organization, and the chair of Time to Thrive, an annual national conference about LGBT student inclusion. He spent more than 10 years as a middle school teacher and high school counselor in the Paramount and Val Verde unified school districts in Southern California. Pompei is also a past president of the California Association of School Counselors. On Oct. 5 at the...
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Who Knows Why California Crime By Youth Is Plummeting? [jjie.org]
By Mike Males, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, October 23, 2019 The good news: California’s arrests of youths plunged another 17% in 2018 to the lowest levels ever recorded. The bad news: An arrested youth’s odds of being formally sentenced by a juvenile or adult court (rather than receiving informal sanctions) and of being incarcerated are rising rapidly. What underlies these trends? The crime and violence plummet is phenomenal. In 2018, 84 Californians under age 18 were arrested for...
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Wisconsin First Lady Tonette Walker shares her knowledge and passion about trauma-informed programs on Capitol Hill and at HHS
Wisconsin First Lady Tonette Walker (Center), Naomi Goldstein (R), and Elizabeth Hudson (L) ________________________________________________ The signature issue of Wisconsin First Lady Tonette Walker—advancing trauma-informed policy and practice in the state—began early in Governor Scott Walker’s first term (2011-2014) and continues to grow. She leads the statewide collaborative “ Fostering Futures ” (see attached fact sheet) that has an ambitious aim: “to improve child and family well-being...
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Some Immigrants, Fearful Of Political Climate, Shy Away From Medi-Cal [KHN.org]
Some foreign-born Californians are canceling their Medi-Cal coverage or declining to enroll in the first place, citing fears of a Trump administration crackdown on immigrants. Among those dropping coverage are people in the country legally but concerned about jeopardizing family members who lack permanent legal status, according to government officials, immigration attorneys and health care advocates. Others worry they will be penalized in the future for using public benefits such as...
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Study: California Could Lose Millions As Immigrants Begin Disenrolling From Healthcare Programs (KPBS)
By Max Rivlin-Nadler, for KPBS, September 26, 2019 California could lose more than $500 million in federal funding if the Trump administration’s “public charge” rule goes into effect next month (Oct 15th). The “public charge” rule is meant to discourage immigrants from accessing social services. According to a study released last week by researchers at UCLA and the California Immigrant Policy Center, California could lose millions in federal funding that would have gone to hospitals, labs...
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Sacrifices Californians Make Together to Slow Spread of Coronavirus are Worth It [chcf.org]
By Sandra R. Hernandez, California Health Care Foundation, March 16, 2020 We have entered an important new chapter in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic: After a week filled with school closures and the cancellation of major public events of all kinds, Congress and President Donald Trump are hopefully close to a deal to address the spread of the dangerous coronavirus. This clear-headed collaboration by our political leaders is welcome for the immediate relief it will bring and because it...
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Sen. Kamala Harris on Immigrants: ‘Here’s the Truth, Mr. President’ (timesofsandiego.com)
California’s new Senator, Kamala Harris , delivered her maiden speech on the Senate floor Thursday, addressing the contributions of immigrants to society. This is a transcript of her remarks. I rise today humbled to offer my first official speech as the junior United States senator from the great state of California. x I rise with a deep sense of reverence for this institution, for its history, and for its unique role as a defender of our nation’s ideals. Above all, I rise today with a sense...
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Toxic stress: the other health crisis politicians should be talking about [STATnews.com]
By Jim Hickman, STATnews.com, June 21, 2019 A t nearly 50,000 deaths each year, the opioid epidemic is shaping up to be the central public health issue of the 2020 presidential election. From President Trump on the right with a declaration of national emergency to Sen. Elizabeth Warren on the left with a 10-year, $100 billion plan to fight addiction, the candidates are racing to outdo each other on one of the few issues that transcends our polarized politics. But there’s another burgeoning...
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Trump Administration has Separated 900 Migrant Children Despite Order to Stop Practice [latimes.com]
By Kristina Davis, Los Angeles Times, July 30, 2019 The Trump administration has separated 911 migrant children from their parents at the border since a San Diego federal judge last summer ordered an end to the systemic practice, the American Civil Liberties Union reported to the court Tuesday. The continuing separations are largely blamed on parental criminal history — an exception that U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw has carved out in the ongoing litigation. But lawyers with the ACLU argue...
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Trump's Food Stamp Cuts Threaten Children's Potential [sfchronicle.com]
By Kim Newell, San Francisco Chronicle, December 17, 2019 As a pediatrician, I know that one of the most powerful tools for ensuring the health of my patients and of all our nation’s children is nutritious food. As such, school lunch in particular is vital, not only to their health but also to their learning capacity. The Trump administration has recently proposed changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Nearly a million students may lose automatic eligibility for...
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Undocumented students react with fear and anger to election results [EdSource.org]
Marcos Mohammad, a senior at Berkeley High School, had a question the morning after Donald J. Trump was elected president of the United States: “How will he find me?” asked Mohammad, an undocumented immigrant from Peru. He walked along a wooded path on the UC Berkeley campus with six of his high school friends, all of them undocumented immigrants, all members of the small Newcomers Program for immigrants at Berkeley High and all of them anxious. They carried signs — “Love still trumps hate”...
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UPDATE: SCOTUS Public Charge Ruling Will Put Immigrant Families and Children at Risk (information below from the Center for the Study of Social Policy)
On Tuesday, January 27, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) allowed the Trump administration to enforce the "public charge" rule, denying certain immigrants to gain permanent resident if they're likely to need government assistance to basic needs like food, shelter, and health care. The SCOTUS 5-4 decision on the public charge rule, previously overturned by lower courts, broadens the definition of public charge to an immigrant who receives one or more public benefits for more than 12...
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Defiant California Legislature fast-tracks ‘sanctuary state’ bills (mercurynews.com)
As President Trump threatens to strip federal funding from so-called “sanctuary cities,” defiant Democrats in Sacramento are doubling down on policies to protect immigrants at risk of deportation — bills that many say would turn California into a sanctuary state. The fast-tracked proposals — set for hearings Tuesday — have become a key tactic in California’s resistance against the Trump administration’s policies on immigration. They have drawn plaudits from immigration advocates and...
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Demand for UC immigrant student legal services soars as Trump policies sow uncertainty [LA Times]
Maria Blanco did a double take when the Google alert popped up in her inbox late last week: President Trump had reversed his campaign pledge and decided to continue a federal program temporarily suspending deportations of young people who are in the country illegally. The news thrilled Blanco, an attorney who heads the University of California Immigrant Legal Services Center — the nation’s first and only university system to provide free legal aid to students without legal status and their...
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Documentary, "Portraits of Professional CAREgivers" Airing on Public Television
CAREgivers film will be airing on most public television stations around the US beginning this month in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Cleveland, Spokane, Boise, Springfield-Holyoke, Youngstown, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Fairbanks, ETC. Please check your local public TV stations for future dates and times. Broadcast times will also be posted in advance whenever possible at: http://caregiversfilm.com/screenings/see-the-film/ This documentary addresses secondary trauma (aka...
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Dozens of stakeholders representing thousands of practitioners send public comments on Calif. ACEs-screening plan
Update: We posted this story on Tuesday evening and received a response from the Department of Health Care Services Wednesday that clarifies additional information. DHCS information Officer Katharine Weir said that subject to budget approval by the legislature and the governor: The reimbursement rate will be $29. Federally Qualified Health Centers will also be reimbursed for screening pediatric patients for trauma through Prop 56 funds and federal matching funds. In response to a question...
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From ASM Kevin McCarty: DACA Renewal Workshops
From ASM Kevin McCarty: https://a07.asmdc.org/event/daca-renewal-workshop DACA Renewal Workshop As you may know, the Trump administration recently announced plans to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) federal program which allows immigrants who came to the United States as children to apply for temporary protections from deportation and to receive work permits. As a result of the President's decision, only DACA recipients whose benefits expire on or before March 5, 2018...
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Leaders in SF public housing deal with their own and community trauma head on
Sengthong Sithounnolat, Jeris Woodson, Donald Greene, Ashley Blanco On a recent Saturday, 10 people gather around a table at the offices of Trauma Transformed in Oakland, Calif., where quotes from figures like Frederick Douglas, Nelson Mandela, and Coretta Scott King grace one wall as light streams in from a skylight above. The group is known as the Resident Warriors, which meets weekly. One participant talks of her recovery from addiction and her mother’s murder. Another mentions being...
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Merced College NextUp Center Celebrates Foster Youth Services with Grand Opening [yourcentralvalley.com]
By YourCentralValley.com Staff, February 5, 2020 Merced College celebrated the grand opening on Wednesday of the NextUp Center to support current and former foster youth under the age of 26. Merced College says it was one of 45 community colleges to receive a NextUp grant from California Community Colleges in the amount of $643,840 to establish the program which offers support and resources including academic and vocational counseling, meal and gas cards, educational supplies, and more.
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New Trump Rule Could Eliminate Food Stamps for Almost 200,000 Californians [calmatters.org]
By Manuela Tobias, Cal Matters, December 4, 2019 The Trump administration finalized a rule Wednesday that will cut off food stamps to roughly 688,000 American adults by requiring states to enforce work requirements. The U.S. Agriculture Department said the move will save about $5.5 billion over five years. The rule takes effect in April 2020. “This is about restoring the original intent of food stamps,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on a call to reporters. “Moving more able-bodied...
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New Webinar: Opportunities to Advocate for Equity in Your Local Schools
Join this free webinar to find out the latest on Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) policy developments and ways in which local groups can use these opportunities to advocate for greater equity in local schools. Children Now presenters will review the new LCAP template and the LCFF evaluation rubric. In addition, the webinar will cover opportunities in federal policy for local organizing efforts, and possible changes under the Trump administration. Opportunities to Advocate for Equity in...
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Next "A Better Normal" community discussion series: April 2, 2020/ Secondary Traumatic Stress and Caregivers
Our next COVID-19 "Better Normal" community discussion is Thursday, April 2, with Vic Compher and Rodney Whittenberg, producers of CAREGIVERS (Portraits of Professional CAREgivers: Their Passion, Their Pain). These wonderful folks are bringing an entire team of people from the secondary traumatic stress committees from the Philadelphia ACE Task Force (PATF).
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Next "A Better Normal" community discussion series: April 3, 2020/ Maternal health and pediatrics in the time of COVID-19
Steve Sack • Star Tribune The "Better Normal" community discussion for Friday, April 3, 2020, features two wonderful staff members from ACEs Connection: Karen Clemmer, community facilitator for the Northwest, Far Northern California, Alaska and Hawaii; and reporter Laurie Udesky, who is also community manager for the ACEs in Pediatrics community on ACEsConnection.com. Karen Clemmer Join them at noon PT/ 1 pm MT/ 2 pm CT/ 3 pm ET and share your thoughts, ideas, questions, concerns, and...
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One California mayor has tried universal basic income. His advice for Trump: 'Think Big' [theguardian.com]
By Lois Beckett, The Guardian, March 21, 2020 As the Trump administration and lawmakers in Washington debate cash payments to support Americans during the coronavirus crisis, the mayor of one California city that has experimented with universal basic income has advice. Early findings from Stockton, California, which launched a basic income experiment last year, may offer American policymakers some reassurance – and a few notes of caution. It’s “heartening” to see a national focus on...
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Oppose the Citizenship Question!
Plans for the 2020 United States Census are already underway to count every person in the country, as defined by the Constitution. Ensuring an accurate count of all persons in the United States is not only essential to the basic principles of a representative government but also to make certain that federal funding is allocated fairly and efficiently for programs such as special education, Child Care and Development Block Grant, Head Start, and Early Start. California has a lot at stake in...
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Public Charge Rule Could Erode Enrollment in Insurance Coverage [chcf.org]
By Xenia Shih Bion, California Health Care Foundation, February 3, 2020 In a 5-4 vote reflecting the ideological split among the justices, the US Supreme Court on January 27 decided to allow the Trump administration to commence enforcement (PDF) of its “public charge” rule nationwide. Only Illinois, where a statewide injunction is currently in effect, will not begin enforcing the rule. The regulation was slated to take effect last October, but federal judges in California, Illinois,...
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California's Homelessness Crisis - and Possible Solutions - Explained [calmatters.org]
By Matt Levin and Jackie Botts, Cal Matters, December 31, 2019 California’s most vexing issue is also its most shameful: the large and rising number of residents who lack a safe place to call home. In a state with vast amounts of wealth, more than 150,000 of its residents sleep in shelters, cars, or on the street. The United Nations compared the tent encampments of San Francisco to the slums of New Delhi and Mexico City. Nearly 5,000 people live in the half square mile of Los Angeles’ Skid...
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Center for Youth Wellness Announces New CEO & Board Chair
CYW has also expanded its model for healing families and communities facing childhood trauma.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom throws California into battle against health-care costs [sfchronicle.com]
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a broad overhaul of health care on his first day in office Monday, promising to throw the financial power of the state into an effort to lower prescription drug costs, expand Obamacare so middle-class families can receive subsidies to buy insurance, and offer Medi-Cal coverage to undocumented immigrants up to age 26. Newsom aides said the changes would be funded in part by a California version of the individual mandate — the former federal requirement...
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Islamophobic Incidents in California Have Skyrocketed Under Trump (psmag.com)
I slamophobic incidents in California are skyrocketing under the administration of President Donald Trump , according to a report released Wednesday by the Council on American Islamic Relations advocacy group. Analysts say the sobering new numbers indicate how xenophobic rhetoric and policy from on high inspire hate at the grassroots level, even in a state like California, typically viewed as a bastion of liberalism and diversity. Reports of Islamophobic incidents in 2017 skyrocketed by 82...
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2020 Census Update – We’re Making Progress, but Our Work is Not Done! [childrennow.org]
WE HAVE THREE MONTHS LEFT: LET’S ENSURE EVERYONE IS COUNTED! Since our last 2020 Census update, there have been some new developments we are pleased to share. In April, our California Census response rate was 54 percent, and as of July 27th, 2020 , it is 63.9% . That is a nearly 10-percent increase during a once-in-a-century pandemic – which is amazing progress! Let’s keep the momentum going and increase the self-response numbers through October 31, 2020. The California Complete Count –...
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California Schools Chief’s ’End Hate Initiative’ Prompts Contrast with President Trump [edsource.org]
By JOHN FENSTERWALD , September 22nd, 2020, on Ed Source State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond announced an “Education to End Hate” initiative Monday that he and others presented as an alternative to President Donald Trump’s call for “patriotic education” and as an antidote to acts of hate and hate speech that have risen during his presidency. A $1 million foundation donation kick started the effort. It will include resources and training grants for teachers to teach...
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Where Do I Go?
“If he wins I'm going to Canada.” ”I need to find and marry someone with E.U. citizenship.” “I'm going to apply for grad school in one of the Scandinavian countries!” “My family always kept dual citizenship, just in case we ever needed it.” These are just a few of the comments I have heard when people contemplate what they’ll do if Donald Trump wins the 2020 election. I would be dishonest if I said that leaving the United States had not crossed my mind. After all, I want to provide my...
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Many unemployed California workers are about to get a $300 payment - but it won't continue [sacbee.com]
By David Lightman, The Sacramento Bee, October 8, 2020 Hundreds of thousands of Californians who were out of work at the start of last month will be getting another week of supplemental $300 payments from the federal government, the state’s Employment Development Department said Thursday. The Lost Wages Assistance Program payments to qualified claimants should start going out next week. They are likely to be the last such supplemental benefits for a long time. President Donald Trump...
