May/June 2008

WisKids Journal, a publication of the
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families
Vol. XXVII, No. 3
Note: If you wish to unsubscribe, or change your subscription status to any or all WCCF e-newsletters, you may do so here.
 
In this issue:

Filling the Budget Hole...for Now
by Jon Peacock
Reaction to the budget repair bill recently passed by the Legislature and signed (after vetoes) by the Governor depends on one's perspective. This article analyzes the bill for the short-, medium- and long-term viewpoints.
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Unlocking the Mysteries: Adolescent Brain Development
by MaryAdele Revoy
Current research on adolescent brain development has major implications for public policy. In this article, MaryAdele describes some of that research and the trainings WCCF has been preparing based on that new knowledge.
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Quality Child Care Matters to Children with Disabilities and their Families
by Jeff Spitzer-Resnick
Jeff Spitzer-Resnick of Disability Rights Wisconsin--one of WCCF's partners in the Early Learning Coalition--discusses some of the challenges and issues surrounding quality early care and education services for young children with disabilities.
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The Juvenile Justice System as a Mechanism for Helping Delinquent Youth Overcome Effects of Trauma
by Kate Nast and Melanie Garunay
Current research on the effects of trauma on the developing brain strongly suggests that the services availabe through the juvenile justice system are crucial in helping young offenders get their lives back on track.
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On the ground with...
Samantha Twohig, Oral Health Program Director, Fond du Lac County Health Department
interview by Bob Jacobson
In this interview, Samantha Twohig describes Fond du Lac County's ambitious and successful approach to making dental services available to low-income families.
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Save the Date:
2008 Poverty Matters!
Renewing Economic Opportunity Conference
(formerly the Women & Poverty Conference)
September 18-19, 2008
Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, Appleton 
Sponsored by our Vision 2020 partners the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association (WISCAP), this unique opportunity supports the sharing of ideas, development of new strategies, greater integration of services, and a better understanding of how low-income residents in poverty and helping organizations in Wisconsin can work together toward self-sufficiency. The Conference will feature an entire track related to the Vision 2020 Campaign and taking action on poverty issues. Watch for registration materials in August at www.wiscap.org.


Did you know that you can access all sorts of useful data about the well-being of Wisconsin's children and families via the WisKids Count portion of our website? There are a lot of tools available for county-by-county comparisons and generating tables, charts, etc. Check it out.

And did you know that WCCF publishes e-newsletters on a variety of specific issues, including health care, early education, economic support, juvenile justice and other youth issues, and budget and tax matters? Well, we do. If you are interested in any of these issues, please consider signing up for one or more of these email bulletins. You can also sign up via that page for action alerts and for one or more of our campaigns. Once you see the impressive volume of work we are doing on the issues that matter to you, you will no doubt feel moved to help support this work by making a donation to WCCF.



 
Articles may be reproduced or quoted with credit to Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. Visit http://capwiz.com/wccf/mlm/signup/ to unsubscribe to WisKids Journal or to modify your WCCF email communication preferences.

The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, Inc. is a non-profit organization that has been on the cutting edge of social change in Wisconsin since its inception in 1881. It has worked through the years to improve the delivery of health and human services in the state.

WCCF has a statewide, volunteer board of directors which guides its work. Staff serve Council members by monitoring legislation, providing information on issues through newsletters, forums and conferences, and providing technical assistance and research on issues affecting children and families.

The Council is funded by memberships, contributions, and grants, in addition to an allocation from Community Shares of Wisconsin.

 

Officers and Administration

Marcia Engen, President - Appleton
William Perloff, MD, Vice President - Baileys Harbor
Steve Kinkade, Treasurer - Beloit
Tonya Brito, Secretary - Madison
Charity Eleson, Executive Director