The Children's Aid Society Endorses Critical Components of Governor Spitzer's Proposed...

The Children's Aid Society Endorses Critical Components of Governor Spitzer's
Proposed 2008-2009 State Budget

NEW YORK, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- C. Warren Moses, Chief Executive
Officer of The Children's Aid Society, one of New York City's largest
providers of children's and family services, enthusiastically endorses
Governor Eliot Spitzer's proposed 2008-2009 budget.

"Governor Spitzer has made tough choices and come down on the side of poor
children in this budget," states Moses. "While the economic climate in New
York State worsens every day, the Governor's proposed budget makes wise
decisions during this difficult time. The changes announced by the Governor
this morning are changes that we strongly support," he said. "Clearly, the
welfare of disadvantaged children has remained foremost in his mind, and we
are pleased to see that the governmental tone and the pattern of investments
are in the right place."

The Children's Aid Society enthusiastically supports these budget provisions:

1) Closing of severely underutilized facilities for the incarceration of
juveniles, paving the way for smarter investments in community programs that
reduce recidivism, length of incarceration, and the number of juveniles
incarcerated, while correspondingly expanding community-based preventive and
re-entry programs.

2) Expansion of eligibility of poor children for Child Health Plus. We are
very enthusiastic about the expansion of Child Health Plus to 400% of the
federal poverty level, so that 400,000 uninsured children in New York State
will now be able to obtain health insurance coverage. We also applaud the
addition of Medicaid reimbursement for social work services (therapy) for
children, adolescents and those with pregnancy-related issues. In addition, we
strongly support the expansion of Medicaid coverage for foster children and
youth no longer in care to age 21.

3) Extension of the Human Services COLA for three years. We applaud extending
this increase for another three years. We regret that this extension does not
provide a COLA for youth development program workers.

4) Retention of the 65% Child Welfare funding formula without a cap. This is
critical and we are very thankful for its inclusion.

5) Maintenance of Summer Youth Employment Program funding. We feel that this
is a very important budget feature.

6) The Governor's Education initiatives, which provide support for healthier
schools that address the needs of the whole child in many ways.
a.) We support his use of funding to encourage the legislature to adopt
hisHealthy Schools Initiative, which would provide healthier, fresher foods to
more schoolchildren in the state;
b.) We support his expansion of the state's pre-Kindergarten program to move
towards true universality. This is a goal of all children's services
providers, who know that educational and developmental programs begin
optimally at a child's birth;
c.) We applaud the continuation of the Advantage after-school program and the
Governor's commitment to add another $10 million to the 21st Century after
school program.

"Children's Aid welcomes the intelligent approach to budgeting and the
Governor's commitment to spending limited resources efficiently on society's
major child-focused issues: education, health and juvenile justice. We look
forward to the day when all children in New York State receive all that is
necessary to achieve their highest potentials."

The Children's Aid Society was founded in 1853. It is one of the nation's
largest and most innovative non-sectarian agencies, serving more than 150,000
of New York's neediest children and their families with a network of services
that includes community schools, neighborhood centers, camps, adoption and
foster care services, teen pregnancy prevention, education, health and
recreation. For more information, please call 212-949-4938 or visit
http://www.childrensaidsociety.org.

SOURCE The Children's Aid Society

Ellen Lubell of The Children's Aid Society, +1-212-949-4938, +1-917-854-6864
(cell), ellenl@childrensaidsociety.org