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Making Wisconsin Work for Kids – Wisconsin Council on Children and Families’ 2007-2009 Advocacy Agenda

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Ensure That Every Child Has Access To Quality Health Care

Expand the state’s BadgerCare program to cover all children;
Fund innovative strategies for increasing access to dental care;
Approve parity for mental health services;
Maintain adequate funding for the state’s health care safety net programs;
Reduce or eliminate bureaucratic hurdles that reduce families’ access to health care.

Make Smarter Investments For Quality Jobs And High-Skilled Workers

Ensure that taxpayer investments are used to create family supporting jobs;
Continue to fund the vital workforce supports needed by working families;
Expand eligibility for financial aid so working families can attend technical college;
Improve adult basic education services;
Implement a transitional jobs pilot program to assist W-2 participants with barriers to work

Support Quality Early Care and Education Initiatives

Establish a statewide child care quality rating system;
Expand support for professional development opportunities;
Enhance opportunities for inclusion of children with disabilities;
Expand four-year-old kindergarten (4K) options.

Expand Opportunities and Investments in Quality Afterschool Programs

Expand funding for public schools, community organizations and local units of government to support after school learning opportunities;
Maximize match for state dollars from federal, local and private partners to increase access to after school opportunities.

Ensure That All Kids Get Developmentally Appropriate Treatment In Court

Ensure that kids get developmentally appropriate services;
Return youth under age 18 to the original jurisdiction of the juvenile court system;
Return the decision-making power about who should be tried in adult court to the prosecutors and juvenile court judges.

Support Fair and Smart Tax Policies That Provide Funds To Maintain Quality Services

Increase the Homestead Tax Credit and index it for inflation;
Ensure adequate revenue to maintain Wisconsin’s strong public structures.
Reject efforts to create large new tax breaks by eliminating taxes on capital gains or estates;
Reject efforts to establish constitutional limits on taxes and spending.

Take Action to Turn These Advocacy Priorities Into Realities