American Baptist Women
of Wisconsin
Church & Community
II
MAIL FROM THE COORDINATOR OF CHURCH
AND COMMUNITY OF ABW OF WISCONSIN
Lynette Miller
FOCUS ON CHILDREN IN POVERTY
American Baptist Women and ABC USA National Ministries are focusing
on children in poverty for the next three years. Major impacts on
children in poverty include access to healthcare, living wage requirements,
and quality of public education.
National Ministries is looking at public education
as the first emphasis of this focus. With the help of the office of
Government Relations of ABC they are looking at the No Child Left
Behind (NCLB) Act which comes up for reauthorization in 2007. In the
November issue of The Christian Citizen, a free publication
from this office, there will be an interview with U.S. Senator Barach
Obama from Illinois about the NCLB Act. This interview will help inform
us about the virtues and problems of the act.
It is suggested that churches learn from educators in their communities
about the effects of NCLB on local education. Then share this information
with their U.S. representatives. From the National Ministries website
you will find Letters Project on Ten Moral Concerns about the NCLB
Act. Each of these letters can be sent to your representatives. It
is suggested you add personal stories to these letters when you send
them.
To learn more go to www.nationalministries.org.
Click on "Full Story" under the "Letters Project Addresses
Moral Concerns" and then on www.faithfulamerica.org
to get the ten letters. It is possible to sign up for an e-mail copy
of Christian Citizen at the bottom of the page. You can also
click on publications at the top of the National Ministries home page.
Or for a mailed free issue call 300-ABC-3USA ext 2394. Also under
Nat'l Ministries home page click on Children in Poverty in the side
bar to learn about monthly projects and other sources of information.
American Baptist Women are providing bible studies on Children
in Poverty which will be new every two months. Go to www.abwministries.org.
In the bar on the right click on Children in Poverty Bible Studies.
CHILDREN IN POVERTY IN WISCONSIN
Dialogue, the Madison-area Urban Ministry newsletter, reports
that from 2000 to 2004 the number of children in Wisconsin living
in deep poverty increased from 44,000 to 84,000. The Casey Foundation
reports there is an increase in the percentage of low birth-weight
babies, an increase in the teen death rate and in the percentage of
teens who are high school dropouts, and a decrease in the number of
parents employed full-time. Wisconsin ranks dead last among all 50
states in provision of school breakfasts to low income children.
The Wisconsin Council of Churches is concerned about health care.
Executive Director, Scott Anderson, writes, "The consequences
of having no health insurance is daunting… Unpaid medical expenses
are one of the leading causes of bankruptcy… Children from uninsured
families are 70% less likely to be treated for common childhood diseases
such as asthma, ear infections, and sore throats."
The Wisconsin Council of Churches plans to advocate for fundamental
reform in Wisconsin's health care system next year. The Council is
looking for 150 congregations which will commit to study the issues
facing our health care system using adult education resources produced
by the council. The Council will be holding community forums in the
next nine months. Anderson reports, "Early in 2007, as the new
state legislature convenes, I believe that health care reform can
be at the top of the policy agenda for our state lawmakers if the
religious community demands it. Currently, there are several laudable
proposals in the mix to create a universal health care system for
our state - a system that will provide health insurance for nearly
every Wisconsin resident. Two of these proposals already have bi-partisan
support."
Early childcare and education in Wisconsin. In the past Wisconsin
has been a progressive voice at the forefront of education for our
youngest children. The first kindergarten in the US was established
here. There are several ways we can encourage legislators to continue
this traditional support for young children:
Give strong funding for Wisconsin Shares. This program gives subsidies
to low-income working families to help pay child care costs, thus
enabling parents to hold a steady jobs while their kids are in a safe
environment. The number of parents needing financial assistance to
pay for child care has grown along with the cost of childcare, but
the funding available has not been increased to meet the need.
Support the Quality Ratings Initiative, a plan to improve day care
standards and assessment and build child care quality for the kids
in the state who need it most.
Support four year old kindergarten (4K) in Wisconsin. Minnesota and
Illinois have statewide initiatives promoting universal pre-K education.
Wisconsin 4K is a voluntary, optional program that 50% of school districts
statewide participate in. Research shows that 4K can help increase
school readiness and reduce achievement gaps. The legislative task
force evaluating the program seems to be focusing only on the negative
aspects.
I hope that the information provided will encourage your women's
groups to consider some of the needs of Children in Poverty and prompt
you to be part of the solution.
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