Blagojevich Axes $45 Million from Abused and Neglected Children Care

(Springfield, IL)— Abused and neglected kiddies got wacked, too.

Among the $1.4 billion vetoed by Governor Rod Blagojevich from the Illinois budget, the Governor cut more

Gov. Rod Blagojevich

than $45 million to fund foster care for the state’s 16,000 abused and neglected children, threatening care and jeopardizing federal government funding.

“The Governor’s vetoes undermine care for abused and neglected children. No way around it,” said Marge Berglind, CEO of Child Care Association of Illinois.

“What abused and neglected children need most is a caseworker’s attention, and they’ll get a whole lot less attention if Governor Blagojevich’s cuts stand,” said Berglind. “A caseworker’s caseload will jump from 15 to 1 to 20 to 1 in a heartbeat.”

If a caseworker’s caseload spikes to 20 to 1, then Illinois will risk failing federal outcome requirements for the foster children care. The state’s failure to meet those outcomes will jeopardize Illinois’ federal funding which constitutes almost one half of the annual DCFS foster care budget.

Balancing budget vetoes will unbalance the budget. Go figure.

Governor Blagojevich Threatens to Slash $600 Million from Healthcare, $110 Million from Education, $106 Million from Seniors and Veterans

(Springfield, IL) — Governor Rod Blagojevich today threatened to veto $1.5 billion in budget spending if the Illinois House refused to pass the Senate’s revenue package.

Reductions would be required to close a $2 billion dollar shortfall in the Fiscal Year 2009 budget passed by the General Assembly in May.

“As I’ve said before, the budget sent to me fails to meet the Constitutional requirement that spending be matched by funding to pay for it, and it jeopardizes the State’s ability to meet core responsibilities like teaching our children, providing healthcare, and protecting the public,” Blagojevich said. Blah, blah, blah.

Blagojevich gave the Illinois House until July 9 to adopt the Senate’s approved revenue bills. Or else. Bang. Granny gets it neck.

Items on the budget chopping block and consequences:

• Reductions in staffing throughout State government at agencies such as Department of Natural Resources, Department of Human Services, Department of Corrections, and others

• Increased workload for DCFS caseworkers.

• A $110 million reduction in education spending.

• Nearly $260 million in reductions to social services programs. Over 100,000 individuals would see a reduction in services or access to community health and prevention services; 21,000 individuals with developmental disabilities living in the community would face reductions in service; mental health services and programs for individuals with developmental disabilities would be reduced; rates for foster parents would not increase.

• A $257 million reduction to economic development and transit. More than 100,000 workers will not receive job-skills training, and state support for RTA fare subsidies for students and people with disabilities would be eliminated.

• More than $600 million in healthcare reductions. This includes a $530 million Medicaid reduction resulting in healthcare providers such as hospital and pharmacies waiting an additional 20 days for payment from the State, on top of the 70 days they already wait; 20,000 outpatients would not receive service at Oak Forest Hospital; and up to 10,000 uninsured residents who are unaware of their HIV status would not be identified and linked to healthcare.

• More than $106 million in reductions to services for seniors and Veterans. Expansion of the Elder Abuse Line would not be funded, despite a 25 percent increase in calls to the line since its inception. An additional 40 bed expansion at the LaSalle Veteran’s Home would not open.

That the “Health Care Governor” would threaten $600 million in health care cuts and $110 million in education spending reductions, a priority of chief Blagojevich ally Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago), suggests that Governor Blagojevich will risk his health care credentials and the Jones alliance sheerly to outmaneuver House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) in round 3,457 of their grudge match. Sheez.

And Speaker Madigan’s likely response? “Ok, cut.”

IL House Approves, 105-6, $24 Million Grant to Foster Parents to Off-Set Surging Food, Gas Prices

(Springfield, IL) –The Illinois House overwhelmingly approved legislation, House Bill 5095, on Tuesday to provide a one-time payment this year of $24 million to the state’s 7,500 foster parents to help offset surging food prices and energy costs.

The House endorsed the measure 105-6.

“It’s an embarrassment that DCFS seeks volunteer foster parents to care for abused and neglected children and then refuses to pay the full cost of care as food and energy prices rise,” said State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), left, the chief-sponsor of the plan.

The payments would average $145 per foster parent.

Foster parents, who have had only one state reimbursement increase in seven years, on average, spend $703 per month—of that $281 comes out of the foster parent’s pocket, according to Margaret Berglind, above, the CEO of the Child Care Association of Illinois.

“Governor Rod Blagojevich’s budget—which is flat out fiction—blatantly ignores that Illinois foster families are facing the fastest-rising food prices in 17 years,” said Berglind. “Rep. Lang’s bill recognizes the reality of foster parent expenses.

“The foster family budget reality is a dozen eggs are 38% more expensive than last year, a gallon of milk 30% more expensive, a pound-loaf of wheat bread, 24%,” said Berglind. “All these price increases are coming out of the pockets of foster parents.”

Berglind also cited a national report on foster parent under-funding released last year by two national organizations and the University of Maryland School of Social Work. The report said Illinois average rates (for children 2, 9, and 16) were $380, $422, and $458 per month and they needed to be raised to $661, $757, and $830 to meet actual costs.

IL Foster Parents Pinched $281 Out-of-Pocket Each Month; Governor Budgets $0 Hike; Rep. Lang Pushes $24 Million

PODCAST: Click Here to Hear Podcast on $24 Million Grant to Foster Parents

(Springfield, IL) — Illinois foster parents, child welfare advocates and lawmakers today appeared at a press conference in Springfield to push legislation, House Bill 5095, to provide a one-time payment this year of $24 million to the state’s 7,500 foster parents.

The plan, sponsored by State Rep. LOU LANG (D-Skokie), aims to help offset surging food and energy prices and the state’s moldy and flinty reimbursement rate for expenses, expenses which force foster parents to dig into their own pockets and pull out, apart from lint balls, $281 per month.

The Illinois House Appropriations Human Services Committee approved Lang’s legislation, co-sponsored by Committee Chair SARA FEIGENHOLTZ (D-Chicago) in a bipartisan vote, 11-Zip.

(State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie; Margaret Berglind, President & CEO, Child Care Association of Illinois, left; foster parent Michelle Roberts of Charleston, center; and foster parent Gladys Boyd of Richton Park, right, at a Springfield press conference.)

Child Care Association of Illinois President & CEO Margaret Berglind dinged Gov. Rod Blagojevich for failing to budget an increase for foster parents, while pleading during his recent budget speech the need to help Illinois families struggling under nose-bleed high grocery bills.

done

“The Governor’s budget—which is flat out fiction—blatantly ignores that Illinois foster families are facing the fastest-rising food prices in 17 years,” said Berglind. “Rep. Lang’s bill recognizes the reality of foster parent expenses.” Ouch. Double Ouch.

Lang, like most Democratic House legislators, is feuding with Blagojevich. Lang likely liked the dig.

Lang said including the foster parent grant in the final state budget is his priority. We’ll see if his fellow lawmakers follow his lead.

The legislators with kids to feed may well agree. Heck, the Governor, a father himself, may finally agree, too.

PODCAST: Click Here to Hear Podcast on $24 Million Grant to Foster Parents: