North Carolina General Assembly to hear from hundreds of Child & Family Advocates Today, Home in Henderson

May 2012

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North Carolina General Assembly to hear from hundreds of Child & Family Advocates Today, Home in Henderson (05.17.2012)

(Raleigh, N.C.) – Hundreds of child and family advocates from across the state will be making personal visits to the members of the General Assembly during Child & Family Advocacy Day on May 17.  Action for Children North Carolina and the United Way of North Carolina are co-sponsoring Advocacy Day to let legislators hear from their constituents directly. A Rally will be held on the lawn of the Legislative Building at 10:30 a.m. (Legislative Auditorium is the rain location)

Among the public policy issues advocates will discuss with legislators is a pending bill to raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction to age 18 for those committing misdemeanors (N.C. is one of only two states that sends all 16-and 17-year-olds to adult court regardless of the severity of the offense). Research shows that treating those under age 18 as juveniles improves public safety and saves money while placing them in the adult system increases recidivism.
Advocates also want the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) strengthened. In 2010,
893,213 working families (21 percent of all NC taxpayers) filed for the credit and received a total of more than $2.05 billion, an average of $2,291 per family. To be eligible for the state EITC in 2011, a taxpayer must have worked in the past year and earned less than $36,000 to $49,000 (depending on marital status and the number of dependent children). The credit puts money back in the pockets of hard working North Carolinians and those businesses which benefit from consumers’ spending on necessities

The United Way 211 information network will also be discussed with legislators.

“North Carolina must be very thoughtful about where to make spending cuts. Consistent state investments in children and families are critical. Our businesses and corporations need qualified, world-class employees. Our State needs taxpayers who make at least a liveable wage. We must invest in our children today. Not to do so is foolish and short-sighted.” says Barbara Bradley, President & CEO of Action for Children North Carolina. “Research shows that public investments in children and their families is smart public policy for the future.”

Recent state cuts to programs that advocates view as essential such as K-12 education and early education as well as recent legislative threats to alter eligibility requirements for programs targeting low-income families have advocates up in arms:

  • Funding to North Carolina’s nationally recognized pre-kindergarten program NC Pre-K, formerly More at Four, was slashed by 20 percent last session, resulting in a reduced number of enrollment slots available to at-risk four-year-olds. The program has been shown to be effective in reducing achievement gaps between economically disadvantaged children and their peers, and has been linked to gains in the state’s high school graduation rate.
  • School districts were asked to make $429 million in discretionary reductions during the 2011-12 school year, leading to fewer support personnel and teachers, larger classrooms, and fewer advanced course offerings at many local schools. School districts now face an additional $500 million in cuts and discretionary reductions during the 2012-13 school year.
  • Support for post-secondary education as a percent of the state economy has reached a 40-year low. Allocations to post-secondary institutions in North Carolina declined by more than $900 million during the FY 2011-13 budget biennium.