Wednesdays4Kids March 10

Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things required for human decency – starting with food, shelter and clothing, employment, health care, and education. Corresponding to these rights are duties and responsibilities -- to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

-- Catholic Social Teaching, Major Themes

Free Materials to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect
We have free materials that are available to Key Advocates and congregations that would like to participate in our April Campaign to End Child Abuse and Neglect. Each year we work with Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota to raise awareness and advocate against child abuse and neglect in our state.

This year you can order quantities of blue ribbon stickers and parenting survival tip cards for your congregation that iCAN will send to you along with informational materials. If you are interested in ordering materials, please email Rachel at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  by March 15. We will be shipping materials in the next week or so!

We will also be developing an online toolkit, check back soon on our website for more!

Update from the Capitol: Child Care Funding
Read this and see why coming to Day on the Hill is so important! And please act on future action alerts! The Governor proposes two reductions that impact families using the Basic Sliding Fee child care program.

• Reduces funding for Basic Sliding Fee program by five percent (a $4.6 million reduction). As a result of the reduced resources, the Basic Sliding Fee program would serve fewer low- and moderate-income families. This cut is in addition to the five percent reduction in reimbursement rates mentioned above.
• Transfers $5 million of unspent Basic Sliding Fee reserves to the general fund. As a result of the Governor’s proposal, approximately 470 families will not get child care assistance.

The Governor also proposes to reduce reimbursement rates for child care assistance programs for low- and moderate-income families by five percent (a $1.9 million reduction).

In addition, the Governor proposes tightening income eligibility for child care assistance for families receiving disability payments, saving the state $116,000. to raise young children at the same time that they are handling a severe disability in the household. And in the higher education budget, the Governor also proposes cutting $500,000 in child care grants from the Office of Higher Education budget in FY 2010-11. These grants help low-income students pay for child care while attending classes.

We need your Help: Volunteer at Day on the Hill
Day on the Hill is two weeks away, March 25, and we are looking for volunteers on the day. Volunteers are a crucial part of making the day run smoothly. Please email Alison at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  if you are interested in:

• Registering JRLC/iCAN advocates as they arrive at the RiverCentre
• Coordinating the iCAN table
• Directing advocates to shuttle buses
• Overseeing the distribution of box lunches

Registration is now open. Take advantage of the early registration rate that ends TODAY (March 10).  Click here to register, and we will see you at Day on the Hill!