From: Nancy Scannell
Sent: Thu 5/19/2011 6:12 PM
To: MAFF Exec Board; Kid's Net Regional Directors; Marylou Sudders
Subject: CUT TO CLOTHING ALLOWANCE CLOSE TO FINAL- ACTION NEEDED!
Dear MAFF Board Members:
The Senate Ways and Means Committee released their fiscal year 2012 budget recommendations yesterday.
Funding for DCF is again cut by nearly $20 million from FY 11 levels bringing the cuts since FY 08 to nearly $60 million.
So we are still facing elimination of one of the quarterly clothing allowances-- a 25% reduction in coats, shoes, underwear etc…for foster children.
We have one more chance to turn this around! Senator Rodrigues, the new Senate Chairman of the Committee on Children and families is taking the lead on an amendment to restore $4 million for the clothing allowance.
This amendment is OUR LAST HOPE for this fiscal year. If it is not adopted the cut will go into effect on July 1st.
We need as many co-sponsors as we can get and we need to get lots of people to the event at the State House on Tuesday.
Please spread the word and get people calling and e-mailing their Senator today to ask them to sign on to co sponsor the amendments filed by Senator Rodrigues to to restore the quarterly clothing allowance and 2) to fully fund the tuition and fee waiver. For your reference a contact list for Senators is below.
Not sure who your Senator is?
Go to: www.malegislature.gov/People/FindMyLegislator
Not sure what to say?
- Tell them your name and your address
- Tell them that you are calling to ask them to sign on to amendments filed by Senator Rodrigues to restore the quarterly clothing allowance for foster children.
- Then make it personal to the kids who are or have been in your homes but to get you thinking some talking points and background on the two issues is below.
- Thank them for their time and support
CLOTHING ALLOWANCE
Talking Points
- We can’t Cut our way out of the budget crunch by cutting clothing off the backs of foster kids
- Think about this, if a parent failed to adequately clothe their children and instead spent the money other things we would call that neglect. But when the Commonwealth fails to provide proper clothing for the foster kids they call it balancing the budget.
- As a foster parent I stand in for all of the responsible adults in Massachusetts who are collectively responsible for foster kids. Together, we, like all other parents have a legal responsibility to provide our children with the basics. Cutting food, clothing and shelter for foster kids must be OFF LIMITS!
What the 25% reduction means in terms of $$
| Age | Current Yearly Clothing Allowance | Annual Clothing Allowance after HWM cut of 25% | Clothing allowance per month after HWM cut of 25% |
| 0-5 | $428 | $321 | 26.75 |
| 6-11 | $724 | $543 | 45.25 |
| 12-17 | $1128 | $846 | 70.5 |
- Most often kid’s arrive at foster homes with nothing.
- Kids Grow! Most go through 2-3 complete changes in clothing and shoe size each year.
A sampling of what clothing costs:
Baby
| Diapers (box of 200) $40 | Receiving Blankets: $10 to $20 | Onesies 5 pack $7 |
|
Infant socks 8 pack: $10 | Pajama set $12.99 | Outfit $10 |
|
Winter Coat: $20 | Fleece Jacket $10
|
|
5 year old Girl
| Canvas Sneakers $15 | Youth 2 pack flip-flops: $5.00 | Underwear(pack of 5) $8 |
| Underwear(pack of 5) $8 | Girls swim suit: $15
| Tights: $9 |
| PJ set: $10.00
| PJ set: $10.00
| Sweatshirt: $5 |
| tee shirt: $ 6 | Jeans: $13 | Rain coat: $8 |
| Light weight coat: $20 | Heavy jacket: $20 |
|
Teenage Boy
| Sneakers $40 and up | Outdoor Boots $30 | Underwear (9 pack) $12 |
| Athletic Sox (6pack) $10 | T-shirts: 7.99 |
Polo shirt $20 |
| Jeans $25 and up | Long sleeved Shirts: $16 | Sweatshirt: $20 |
| Fall Coat: $20 | Winter Coat: $30 |
|
The Commonwealth of MassachusettsList of Senate Members
| Name | Party | | Room | Phone |
| (D) | Room 208 | 617-722-1604 | ||
| (D) | Room 333 | 617-722-1410 | ||
| (D) | Room 212 | 617-722-1540 | ||
| (D) | Room 309 | 617-722-1291 | ||
| (D) | Room 312-D | 617-722-1544 | ||
| (D) | Room 413-C | 617-722-1673 | ||
| (D) | Room 313A | 617-722-1206 | ||
| (D) | Room 405 | 617-722-1639 | ||
| (D) | Room 218 | 617-722-1650 | ||
| (D) | Room 413D | 617-722-1432 | ||
| (D) | Room 112 | 617-722-1630 | ||
| (D) | Room 413F | 617-722-1625 | ||
| (D) | Room 413A | 617-722-1120 | ||
| (D) | Room 504 | 617-722-1572 | ||
| (D) | Room 416B | 617-722-1612 | ||
| (D) | Room 410 | 617-722-1230 | ||
| (D) | Room 109B | 617-722-1150 | ||
| (R) | Room 313-C | 617-722-1646 | ||
| (D) | Room 513 | 617-722-1578 | ||
| (D) | Room 109D | 617-722-1643 | ||
| (D) | Room 413B | 617-722-1494 | ||
| (D) | Room 109-E | 617- 722-1200 | ||
| (R) | Room 419 | 617-722-1415 | ||
| (D) | Room 109C | 617-722-1350 | ||
| (D) | Room 70 | 617-722-1440 | ||
| (D) | Room 215 | 617-722-1485 | ||
| (D) | Room 111 | 617-722-1420 | ||
| (D) | Suite 332 | 617-722-1500 | ||
| (D) | Room 312-B | 617-722-1551 | ||
| (D) | Room 424 | 617-722-1634 | ||
| (D) | Room Room 213B | 617-722-1114 | ||
| (D) | Room 320 | 617-722-1532 | ||
| (R) | Room 520 | 617-722-1555 | ||
| (D) | Room 213A | 617-722-1348 | ||
| (D) | Room 511-C | 617-722-1640 | ||
| (R) | Room 308 | 617-722-1600 | ||
| (D) | Room 507 | 617 722-1222 | ||
| (D) | Room 312C | 617-722-1280 | ||
| (D) | Room 416A | 617-722-1660 | ||
| (D) | Room 511B | 617-722-1570 |
