Governor Janet Napolitano releases her first report on status ofchildren in Arizona

Governor releases her first report on status of children in Arizona

By Cindy Skalsky
Herald/Review

http://www.svherald.com/articles/200...e515685668.txt

Published on Thursday, August 09, 2007
Gov. Janet Napolitano last week released her first report on Arizona
Children and Youth, a 50-plus page document that compiled information
from members of her Children’s Cabinet, creating a portrait of the
status of Arizona’s youngest citizens.

Assembled by numerous state departments and agencies, contributors
included heads of the departments of Education, Corrections, Health
Services, Housing, Office of the Courts, Economic Security and
Environmental Quality.



“This is about common sense and getting some efficiency into the mix,”
said the governor in an interview with the Herald/Review.

“There are different funding streams, committees, people who should be
working and talking with each other on a daily basis for the benefit of
kids. We need to bust the barriers between them — not by looking at
budget line items, but by being child-focused … measuring how prepared a
child is to be healthy, go to school and succeed in life.”

The report demonstrates that the governor is working on a variety of
fronts, promoting multi-pronged ways to analyze and improve the
prospects for children in the state.

The report takes an in-depth look at three primary areas of children’s
lives — health, education and safety and security.

As the fastest-growing state in the nation, Arizona has seen a 15
percent increase in the past three years in the number of citizens under
age 18, versus a 2 percent growth nationally.

Some success statistics in the area of health include that fewer Arizona
children are living in poverty, the state’s Healthy Families program to
prevent child neglect and abuse now includes 58 sites throughout the
state, and that the juvenile crime rate has declined by 11 percent,
despite the rise in population of youths aged 8 to 17.

“We need to get more children into the health care system,” the governor
said. “It’s a key factor to get more kids covered under the SCHIP
program — the Arizona Kids Care insurance that covers medical, dental
and vision services. The Legislature is debating that now. And while
we’re showing real progress on substance abuse in general, it’s a
never-ending battle getting kids away from trying methamphetamine. It’s
a highly and quickly addictive substance we can’t ignore.”

In the area of health, the governor also is pleased that 82 percent of
2-year-old children are now immunized, up from 75 percent four years
ago, and that teen pregnancy rates and use of alcohol and tobacco
products among high schoolers is down from five years ago.

“Under our Healthy Families Arizona initiative,” Napolitano said, “we
offer voluntary, home visitation for the first few years of parenthood,
where there’s a risk of child abuse or neglect. Sometimes single parents
can be isolated and need advice on nutrition, hygiene and parenting
skills. We see a good preventative result from those who participate.”

The governor is also optimistic about the future of “First Things
First,” the preschool physical and mental health screenings and
educational opportunities arising from last fall’s passage of
Proposition 203, which directs money to promote early childhood
development and health programs.

“This will be key in getting all the state’s young children off to a
good start,” Napolitano said.

In the arena of education, Napolitano’s efforts once again show an
assault on several fronts at once.

“We need to increase the level of student achievement,” she said. “Not
just the numbers of students scoring at the basic level, but seeing more
of them scoring at higher levels. We need to add teachers, improve their
salaries, and raise our expectations dramatically of how teachers and
students can move up scores, and empower kids to go on to community
college or university.”

The governor’s P-20 Council, which recommends strategies and methods to
transition children from preschool to and through a college diploma, has
recently suggested that all sixth-graders be given a personalized
graduation plan to increase the rigor and relevance of their final six
years of education, resulting in an Arizona high school diploma that has
value, meaning and prepares them for post-secondary training.

“This shouldn’t be a burden to teachers or parents,” Napolitano said.
“It’s a way to give families an idea what to expect. What classes to
take in middle school to prepare for high school, to graduate and then
go on to college.”

Regarding other aspects of education, Napolitano declares overall
support of the No Child Left Behind Act, but believes it requires
changes prior to its renewal.

“We have five years experience with it now,” she said, “and schools get
labeled based on arbitrary criteria. There needs to be a better way to
inform parents how their schools are performing. The current methods
don’t give an accurate snapshot.”

Recognizing the need to keep Arizona’s children safe and secure, the
governor’s report showed gains in numbers of adoptions, foster care
placements, an increase of beds in shelters from violence and the number
of completed case plans for youth in the juvenile justice system.

“We’re helping families buy houses for the first time, prevent
foreclosures, and make schools aware of the problems faced by homeless
kids,” Napolitano said.

The Children and Youth Report noted that 19,000 Arizona school-age
children are homeless, defined as “doubling up” with relatives or
friends, living on the street, or in hotels, motels or shelters.

The report also stated that it takes “four to six months for a child to
recover academically from a change in schools and that 66 percent of
children who miss 20 or more days of school in the first, second or
third grade will drop out of school.”

Said the governor, “The next year or two should produce better results.”

Herald/Review reporter Cindy Skalsky can be reached at 515-4611 or by
e-mail at .




CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING HUNDREDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...