Good Afternoon, Folks-

 

Here are some NYSCAA News and Updates along with other items that may be of interest.

 

NYSCAA News and Updates

 

APR to Begin.  This year's Annual Performance Report (APR) cycle will begin the first week of October.  The APR will again be conducted on a website created as a joint project by Department of State and NYSCAA staff.  The site can be accessed off the main NYSCAA website (www.nyscaaonline.org ) by clicking on Members Area, then APR.  Select your agency name and then your username and enter your password.  There is a function on this page which allows you to retrieve your password by clicking on the 'What if I forgot my password' button.   Feedback from the 2006 APR cycle was incorporated into this year’s website, creating a more user friendly, robust tool.  Error checking was completely re-designed and now follows the same process as many popular sites such as TurboTax.  Also, much more detailed error messages have been incorporated.  In addition, the help section was expanded, including printable draft forms.  To further ease the use of the APR website, staff held 3 webinars this week to train users on the use of the website.  Response to these trainings was very strong, with over 75 registered attendees.  Look for the APR Staff memo in your email telling you the site has gone live.

 

NYSCAA Receives New Grant from OCS.  As you may recall, in the spring, several CAAs approached NYSCAA to apply for a competitive grant through the Office of Community Services designed to increase the capacity of CAAs and others to increase the number of families claiming the EITC on their tax returns.  In addition, the grant was to help move these families into financial literacy programs.  A coalition of 10 CAAs agreed to collaborate on the grant and we have been awarded $50,000/year for 3 years.  Key program activities include PSA development in partnership with Time Warner Cable; small mini-grants to the 10 collaborative partners, regional train the trainer financial literacy programs, and data collection.  All CAAs will be invited to participate in the Financial Literacy Trainings and we will keep up informed as we move forward.

 

Risk Management Sessions Scheduled.  NYSCAA is hosting two regional roundtables on agency risk management and changes to the Workers’ Compensation Law.  On Wednesday, October 31^st at the Saratoga Visitor’s Center, 10:00-2:00 and at the Yonkers Public Library (River branch) on Friday, November 2, 10:30-2:30.  The cost for these sessions is $10 and lunch will be provided.  See http://www.nyscaaonline.org/Events_Events_NYSCAAEvents.aspx for more information and registration 

 

NYSCAA Board Passes Resolution on Public Assistance Grant.  The Assembly’s Standing Committee on Social Services has held hearings over the past month in Westchester, Troy and New York City.  The NYSCAA board proactively added its voice to the process and unanimously passed the following resolution at the Board of Directors’ meeting last week, “The New York State Community Action Association’s Board of Directors calls on Governor Eliot Spitzer, the New York State Senate, and the New York State Assembly to increase the basic Public Assistance grant provided in New York State.  The basic public assistance grant has not been increased since 1990 and remains at $291 for a family of three.  We call for an increase in the grant in 2008 and ask that is it be indexed to inflation so that the neediest families of New York are able to meet their basic needs now and into the future.”  The CSBG Advisory Council passed a similar resolution at their meeting in mid-September.  NYSCAA’s testimony at the Troy hearing will be posted on the website shortly.

 

Congratulations!  Congratulations to Jennifer Burkey (Washington County EOC), Laura Rossman (ProAction of Steuben and Yates Counties) and Tine LaRocca-Marcellus (Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County) on receiving CCAP scholarships through NYSCAA for the upcoming CCAP testing cycle.  We have one remaining scholarship so please let Denise know if you have staff that are interested at dharlow@nyscaaonline.org. 

 

Partnership with Empire Justice Center.  NYSCAA is pleased to begin a new partnership with the Empire Justice Center this fall.  We will be working with members to host sessions for low-income families and front line staff on the web tool www.lawhelp.org.  This website offers links to legal services on a variety of issues including benefits, health, education, internet fraud, etc.  We will keep you informed of the scheduling of these free trainings.

 

Other News and Publications of Interest

 

State Hearings on Access to Quality Child Care for Working Families.  The Assembly’s standing committees on Labor, Children and Families, and Social Services are hosting three public hearings in October. The goal of the hearings is to examine the efforts made by New York State to provide quality child care and to determine what other steps are necessary to ensure the provision of high quality, affordable and accessible child care for working families. 

Ø       October 2, 2007-Rochester, City Hall Council Chambers

Ø       October 12, 2007-Syracuse, City Hall Council Chambers

Ø       October 16, 2007- Buffalo, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library Auditorium

All Hearings will be held at 10:30AM.  Hearings in New York City and on Long Island are planned and will be announced at a later date.

For more information and to register to offer testimony, go to http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/comm/Labor/20070920/

Key points they are looking for testimony to address are:

Ø       How will the Governor's Executive Order authorizing unionizing of day care workers affect availability, recruitment and retention or funding?

 

Ø       What private sector initiatives have helped, or undermined, availability of quality care?

 

Ø       Have other countries, Canadian provinces, or states initiated incentives or plans to increase available, quality care for children?

 

Ø       Many people work non-traditional hours. Many families also need supervised care for limited hours - from 3 pm to 6 pm, for example. What is the current system capacity for care for these families? What could employers do to increase that capacity? Are government incentives appropriate tools to expand day care opportunities?

 

Ø       Is availability of affordable day care an obstacle to employers in employee recruitment or employee retention?

 

Ø       Are children safe in child care? Does OCFS have a sufficient investigative process when an allegation is made against a child care provider? Please explain.

 

Ø       Do the state's licensing and or regulation requirements need to be strengthened or relaxed relating to prospective providers going into the field?

 

Ø       Are co-payments a barrier to families accessing affordable subsidized child care? If so, what are families doing in order to receive child care?

 

Ø       Should the state invest in a statewide rating system that would promote quality child care in New York? How would such a system be structured? Please explain.  

 

State Hearings on Universal Health Care – New York State took an important step towards universal health care by including in the budget $200,000 for independent studies of the merits of various approaches to universal health care. The Spitzer administration has also set up the “New York’s Partnership for Coverage” to be run by the Health Commissioner and Insurance Superintendent to study the obstacles to health coverage in the current system. They will then develop, evaluate and recommend proposals for achieving universal health insurance, including any interim steps necessary to ensure coverage.   The “Partnership for Coverage” hearings on universal health care will begin in Glens Falls on September 5. Governor Spitzer is expected to attend the first hearings.  The public hearings will require pre-registration.  See registration instructions at http://www.partnership4coverage.ny.gov/hearings/notice.htm  All are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The sites and dates are:

Ø       Oct. 3, Erie County Community College, Buffalo

Ø       Oct. 30, Fordham University, 113 West 60th St., Manhattan

Ø       Nov. 13, Onondaga Community College Syracuse

Ø       Dec. 5, SUNY Old Westbury

 

FY 2008 Head Start Monitoring Protocol. Now available on the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov.  A Spanish version will be available on the ECLKC in the near future.  Head Start grantees are encouraged to access the link to download the Protocol as OHS will not be disseminating printed copies. Changes to the Protocol include:

• Enhancing the Education and Early Childhood Development Services section to include a revised classroom observation instrument;
• Adding compliance questions to each Protocol section that address ongoing monitoring;
• Incorporating additional Head Start Program Performance Standards;
• Refining the language of some of the compliance questions; 
• Improving the guidance prompts to better direct reviewers while on-site.

Other Events.

 

Council of Community Services of NYS, Inc. 6^th Annual Camp Finance: Risky Business: Practicing Sound Financial Risk Management.  We know that good fiscal training can be hard to find.  Consider sending fiscal staff to CCSNYS’ annual Two-day Retreat for Executive Directors, Fiscal Staff, Board Members and Financial Professionals working with Nonprofit Organizations.  Being held October 11-12 at Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, the offers unique speakers, networking sessions, and workshops.  For more information, go to http://www.ccsnys.org/events_conferences/campfinance.asp.

 

Community Action Partnership Winter Conference.  Community Action Partnership Winter Management Training and Leadership Conference, has been re-located to New Orleans!  We are pleased to announce that the Conference will be held at the New Orleans Marriott. The new dates are January 9 – 11, 2008. The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina changed everything for the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region. Since the unavoidable cancellation of the 2005 Annual Convention, we have been waiting for an opportunity to bring Community Action back to New Orleans. This is the time. It is especially appropriate since we are planning to release the Community Action network recommendations which are being developed and finalized by the National Conversation on Poverty and Economic Security (NCPES) Steering Committee.  For more information, go to http://www.communityactionpartnership.com/.

 

National Community Action Foundation.  NCAF’s 2007 Energy Programs Leveraging Conference in St. Petersburg Florida  

Tuesday, November 13 to Thursday, November 15, 2007. For more information, go to http://www.ncaf.org/index.asp?Type=B_EV&SEC={59E1978E-A5D4-4828-A6FD-21B1A21D55B6}&DE={DEE5E105-A522-4414-9FCE-8DD003FCDCBA}

 

HUD and IRS to air Webcast on Expanded Renewal Community and Empowerment Zone Tax Incentives: October 11, 2007, 2-4 p.m. EST. A panel of IRS experts will discuss the $11 billion package of tax incentives available to businesses in Renewal Communities (RCs) and Empowerment Zones (EZs) and provide updates on changes to these incentives.  These Federal tax incentives include increased deductions, accelerated depreciation, low-interest loans through facility bonds, tax savings on capital gains, and employment tax credits. The work opportunity tax credit has recently been expanded to provide even greater savings to employers who hire residents of these areas. A link to the webcast will be available at www.hud.gov/webcasts.

 

Preschool Kindergarten Consortium. Please join them for our Fall 2007 Preschool-Kindergarten Consortium Conference.  The theme is Arts in Education and they have a keynote presenter from the CUNY Creative Arts Team in the morning entitled "Early Learning and the Arts".  There are several workshops planned for the two afternoon break-out sessions - theater, storytelling, music, dance and other ways to use your imagination!

This full-day conference will be held at the Bulmer Auditorium at Hudson Valley Community College on Friday, October 26, 2007.  It is FREE and we encourage participation from early childhood educators, including kindergarten and primary teachers, and all others interested in early learning!   Here is a direct link to the flyer:  http://www.cohoes.org/Homepage/PKCConf.pdf

Email your registration to:  jheroux@cohoes.org 

 

How to Raise $50K in 6 Weeks.  Nov 9th (1 PM EST)

In this fast paced webinar, Kim Klein details one of the most important ideas in fundraising today: bringing volunteers together for a short specific intensive campaign, and then letting them go for the rest of the year. In this webinar you will learn both the specifics of raising a large amount of money in a short time and the process of designing all of your fundraising in short bursts.

Cost: $150 per site/per webinar (more than one person can view the webinar at a single location; with a data projector your entire staff and board can participate!

For more information and to register please visit: www.grassrootsfundraising.org or call 1-888-458-8588

 

SAVE THE DATE: NYSCAA’s Second Annual Symposium on Poverty and Economic Security will be February 25-26 in Albany.

 

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Denise

 

Denise Harlow, CEO

New York State Community Action Association, Inc.

2 Charles Blvd.

Guilderland, NY  12084

518-690-0491, ext. 24

FAX 518-690-0498

dharlow@nyscaaonline.org

 

Join the Call for a Statewide Commission on Poverty and Economic Security.  Learn more and add your name and organization to the list of supporters at http://www.nyscaaonline.org/FirstPageNewsArticles/StateWidePovAndEcoSec.aspx.