You MUST fill out this page for your votes to count towards the OCOF 2015 Platform. Each individual can only vote once. We will separate this cover sheet from your ballot once we receive it, in order to maintain your confidentiality. You may also vote at ocofwv.org, starting on Thursday evening, November 20th.
I. Basic information:
Name
Phone
Address
City
State
Zip Code
II. Qualifications for voting:
Only individuals who are connected to the Our Children, Our Future Campaign are permitted to vote. How are you connected to the campaign? (Check all that apply.)
__ I attended the Policy Symposium in Charleston.
__ I have attended one of the Regional Policy Workshops.
__ I have attended a regional forum or candidate forum, where we talked about the issues.
__ I called or e-mailed my legislators about an issue on last year's platform.
__ My organization is a partner of the Our Children, Our Future Campaign (List organization here: ______)
III. Make a contribution:
Would you like to make a donation to help support this work? Your donations will help us organize Kids and Families Day, pay for materials, and set-up our on-line system for sending free faxes, phone calls, and e-mails. ______yes ______no
If you check yes, we will follow-up with you individually with instructions on how to make a contribution on-line. You can also send checks to WVHKFC / 1114 Quarrier St - 3rd Floor / Charleston, WV 25301; make sure to write "OCOF" in the Memo line.
Disclaimer:
Please return this ballot by Tuesday November 25th , to WVHKFC / 1114 Quarrier Street – 3rd Floor / Charleston, WV 25301, in order to have your vote tabulated. On-line voting begins on Thursday, November 20th, and we strongly encourage you to vote on-line, if you are able. On-line voting is a great way to make sure that your ballot does not get stuck in the mail. You can vote on-line at
#1: Juvenile Justice Reform
Goal: To amend the current truancy law back to what it was before 2010, in which a student could have 10 unexcused absences before being referred to the court system and to and to allow schools to take other steps instead of a court referral to address attendance (such as holding a multi-disciplinary team meeting).
Lead organizations: ACLU of West Virginia
Contact(s): Jennifer Meinig, (304) 345-9246, and Kathy Smith,
Legislation: Is not drafted and unsure if fiscal note will be needed to support.
How does this affect child poverty: Many youth involved in the juvenile justice system already come from backgrounds with limited financial resources, with youth who become involved in the court system experiencing even worse life outcomes. Out-of-home placement, in and of itself, limits the likelihood that children will finish school or obtain gainful employment. One study showed that incarceration by the age of 16 or earlier led to a 26% lower chance of graduating high school by the age of 19. In addition, the system affects a disproportionate number of minorities, who are put into out of home placement at higher rates than that of the general population. Youth who have the opportunity to stay at home, and are connected to community based alternatives to incarceration (like the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program) have better life outcomes, are more likely to graduate high school, and less likely to commit future crimes.
#2: Protect and Provide a Secure Funding Stream for Family Support Programs
Goal: Preserve and provide a secure funding stream for Family Resource Networks and Starting Points Family Resource Centers across the state, ensuring that the integrity of these two vital family support programs remains intact.
Lead organizations: West Virginia Alliance of Family Resource Networks (AFRN), West Virginia Starting Points Family Resource Centers Association, Prevent Child Abuse WV / TEAM for WV Children
Contact(s): April R. Miller, 304-478-3827 Marla Short, 304-846-4479
Legislation: No Legislation, no additional fiscal note.
How does this affect child poverty: How does this affect child poverty: Family Resource Networks serve a vital role in their communities fostering collaboration and planning for services that support families including actions to: assess community needs, develop local plans, promote changes, evaluate results, assist state agencies in improving the service delivery system, increase community awareness of local and state issues that affect children and families, support local partnerships to maximize community investments promote coordination of services, and reduce duplication of services promote opportunities for families to impact decisions that affect them Despite having a similar name, Starting Points Family Resource Centers serve a different vital role in their communities as a direct service provider for families in need. Providing services such as In-Home Family Education (home visiting), linkage to community resources, childcare, baby pantries, parent education, financial guidance, support groups, etc. Together, Family Resource Networks and Starting Points Family Resource Centers serve as the backbone for family support services across the state. Maintaining their funding is critical to ensuring that this infrastructure is not weakened.
#3: Drinking Water Protections
Goal: Protect clean, safe drinking water to prevent disproportionate impacts on low-income communities, minimum wage earners, children, pregnant women, and families by: a) Providing adequate investment in the development and implementation of source water protection plans as required by SB373. b) Defending against attempts to weaken regulation of above ground storage tanks as set forth in SB373.
Lead Organization: West Virginia Rivers Coalition, People Concerned About Chemical Safety, West Virginia Citizen Action Group, WV Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, WV Sustainable Business Council
Contact(s): Angie Rosser, ; 304-637-7201, Maya Nye, ; 304-389-6859, Karan Ireland, ; 304-356-8774, Carey Jo Grace, 859-979-1967, Jeni Burns, 304-421-3736
Legislation: Legislation has been drafted, it will require fiscal note.
How does this affect child poverty: The water crisis disproportionately affected low income families - low-wage service industry workers lost pay; schools were closed, causing parents to either miss work or pay for additional child care; kids who eat mainly at school missed meals; when water distribution stopped, families had to choose between buying bottled water they couldn't afford and using tap water they didn't (and still don't) trust. In addition, children and pregnant women are two populations at the most risk from drinking contaminated water. The high rate of reproductive toxins found in our source water is very concerning to over 81% of West Virginians and fully 90% believe that their tap water has been contaminated in the past, but they weren’t told about it. Access to clean, safe drinking water is a basic human right. It is essential to a stable economy, and essential for communities to survive and thrive. We must rely on our government to ensure clean, safe water for everyone.
#4: Maintaining current water fluoridation
Goal: To require a 60-day WVDHHR Commissioner and public notification of fluoride discontinuation in any public water system.
Lead organizations: WV Oral Health Coalition
Contact(s): Deonna Williams, WVOHC Coordinator, 937-830-2003
Legislation: Legislation has been drafted it will not have a fiscal note.
How does this affect child poverty: Studies demonstrate that children who live in poverty have a higher percentage of caries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognize water fluoridation as a cost-effective public health prevention measure that effectively reduces tooth decay. By working to maintain the current water fluoridation communities in the State, the OHC will be working in alignment with the WVHKFC by improving health outcomes of children who live in poverty.
#5: Follow the lead of other states and legalize marijuana. Before dismissing this idea the possibilities for economic growth for our state need to be seriously considered.
Goal: 1. It would take a major source of income out of the hands of criminals and put that income to work for our state. If you compare the tax collected on tobacco with this product the minimum amount that could be collected is no less that triple. 2. Tourism would boom, hotels would be built, new restaurants would open, along with supporting industries and businesses. This in turn would increase job opportunities & income in every one of our small communities.
Contact(s): Virginia Butcher,
Legislation: Legislation has not been drafted and not sure if it would require state funding.
How does this affect child poverty: Tourism would boom, hotels would be built, new restaurants would open, along with supporting industries and businesses. This in turn would increase job opportunities & income in every one of our small communities. As job and business opportunities increase the overall status of all our citizens would improve. A major objection might be an increase in DUI arrests this can be overcome by making it clear that driving impaired, no matter the substance is still driving impaired. This is an idea that has not, as far as I know has even been addressed and with the potential of increase in tax revenue, job and business opportunities it is one we cannot afford to shy away from any longer.
#6: Economic Growth for Women in the State of West Virginia, "Strong Women Strong West Virginia" Campaign
Goal: 1. To increase economic empowerment for women in the state of West Virginia 2. Increase job training availability for good paying non traditional job positions, plumbers, electricians, cable splicers, welders 3. Increase number of college educated women in the state of WV 4. Increase minority women owned businesses. 5. Increase the number of A + certification for Women in the state of West Virginia 5. Increase minority college eduated women %. 6. Increase home ownership.
Lead Organization: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. West Virginia State Social Action Committee
Contact(s): Michelle Barnes Russell, West Virginia State Social Coordinator, and 304-267-9248
Legislation: No Legislation has been drafted and it will require state funding.
How does this affect child poverty: Women are 51% head of household. When women are working low paying jobs our children remain in the poverty cycle. Good jobs for women provide access to good health care benefits, education opportunities that break the poverty cycle, and also help address the issue of domestic violence by giving women a choice.
#7: Revitalizing Rural Education
Goal: To return schools as the center of rural communities to engage students, parents and community members in their children's education process. To exchange travel time for students with more on task time to increase focus on learning.
Lead Organization: Americans for Prosperity Foundation
Contact(s): Wendy McCuskey, 304-382-7588
Legislation: Legislation is drafted and it will not require state funding.
How does this affect child poverty: Schools closer to rural families would help increase family participation in education and decrease absenteeism. Schools can also be used jointly as community centers/health centers (Mary C. Snow Elementary). School consolidation has increased the cost of school building in WV, this money could be redirected to other budget items. Educating legislators on the challenges facing rural communities will open up the conversation to significant reforms. Allowing schools to be used as community centers will allow rural families and children more access to programs, training and education.
#8: Expanding quality early childhood programs
Goal: To support recommendations of the WV Early Childhood Planning Task Force to improve access, quality and funding of critical early childhood programs, as outlined in "Building a System for Early Success: A Development Plan for Early Childhood in West Virginia." These programs include In-Home Family Education (Home Visitation), Child Care, Head Start, Pre-K and Birth to Three.
Lead Organization: Prevent Child Abuse WV, a program of TEAM for WV Children
Contact(s):Jim McKay, (304) 617-0099
Legislation: Legislation has not been drafted and it will require state funding
How does this affect child poverty: Poverty is a particular concern for our youngest children due to its potential impact on early brain development. One-third of West Virginia’s children under age five live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. Young children have the highest poverty rate of all age groups, and there are large disparities in poverty rates across racial groups.
#9: Providing Earned, Paid Sick Days & Schedules that Work
Goal: The goal is to provide workers and their families with better policies that enable them to maintain their health, income and support of their family. There are two separate policies that fit this goal.
The first is to mandate that earned sick days be provided by private employers with more than 6 employees at a rate of one hour for every 40 hours works, up to 5 days annually. Employers with less than six workers must provide unpaid, job protected leave at the same accrual rate. Employees can use the time to care for themselves or for a family member who is ill or needs preventative medical care, or under certain circumstances in the case of a public health emergency.
The second policy would amend West Virginia's wage and hour law to require reporting time pay for shift workers who are sent home early or assigned to call-in shifts. The proposed legislation would amend West Virginia's wage and hour law to allow workers to whom the overtime rules apply to receive four hours of reporting time pay at their regular rate of pay if they are sent home early from work, or to be paid for the hours in their scheduled shift, whichever is less. It would also require employers to pay a minimum of four hours of pay to workers who are assigned to call-in or on-call shifts. These requirements do not apply if the employer’s operation is suspended due to events beyond the employer’s control.
Lead Organizations: SEIU, WV Center on Budget & Policy & WV FREE
Contact(s): Eric Rosso- , 614.461.1199 Erin Snyder- , 304.382.7779 Rachel Huff- , 304.342.9188
Legislation: Legislation is drafted and it will not require state funding.
How does this affect child poverty: Supporting earned sick days and schedules that work will allow the OCOF campaign to further advance workforce protection policies as the next step following the minimum wage. Together, these three policies would help West Virginians balance work and family responsibilities. They would also affect populations who are most likely to face the challenge of living at or below the poverty line, including women and people of color. The campaign will reach a new audience for promoting family-friendly policies in West Virginia. Earned sick days and schedules that work allow a better balance between work and family life. Both policies provide families with the ability to care for their children, while also maintaining their income and job. Some of the specifics on the need in West Virginia for earned sick days and schedules that work are below:
More than 260,000 workers in West Virginia, nearly half of its private sector workforce, are not able to take an earned, paid sick day when they are ill. While workers at all ends of the wage spectrum are affected by a lack of paid sick time, those affected are heavily concentrated in low-wage service sector jobs. For example, a two-child family with a single working parent earning the average wage for workers without paid sick time ($10/hour) cannot miss more than three days of work in a month without falling below the federal poverty line. Sick Days offer a number of tangible benefits for low-income families. These policies strengthen families economically by boosting earnings, employment, and job security. Earned sick days are also good for children, the future U.S. workforce. Studies reveal a host of positive effects on child health and cognitive development as well as parental relationships. Evidence shows that when parents have access to paid sick days, children are twenty percent less likely to send a child to school sick. Keeping children at home when they are sick is likely to prevent absences among other children and faculty as well. Many parents in working families reported feeling that their work had negatively impacted the health of their children.
When workers are sent home from work without being paid for the hours in their scheduled shifts, they have already paid for transportation to work, and foregone the opportunity of other work for the day or to go to school. When workers with children are sent home early they have also often already paid for child care. In fact, many workers who are sent home pay more to go to work for the day than they earn. Some workers are also routinely assigned call-in or on-call shifts, meaning that they must either call in to work or wait to be called to find out whether they have to report to work on a given day. If workers assigned to these shifts are told to report to work but are unable to do so, they are often penalized. Workers who are required to work often must report within a couple of hours, and thus scramble to schedule child care -- often having to rely on whoever happens to be around at that moment -- and to find transportation to and from work. Reporting time pay legislation discourages employers from sending employees home or calling them in on a whim, and provides important additional compensation to employees to offset the cost and inconvenience of these practices. Out of touch scheduling practices make it difficult for workers in West Virginia to balance work and family responsibilities. These practices are most common in low wage jobs where families are already struggling to make ends meet. When employers provide fair work schedules, parents are able to maintain their job, spend more time with their children and find affordable, stable child care.