****Action Alert 4 a bill behavioral consultant bill needs hearing

[TheOnlyMe]

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Texas needs Early Childhood Behavioral Consultants

We have less than 2 months left in the 81st Texas Legislature!

As you may know already, TECEC’s 5th legislative agenda item is to establish an early childhood behavioral consultation program in Texas. Thankfully, Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. has authored SB 1613, which would create such a program in Texas.

We need your help to ensure that this bill makes it through the Texas Legislature.

Can you email Senator Jane Nelson, Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, asking her to schedule SB 1613 for a hearing in her committee immediately?

Thank you for all you do,
Your TECEC Team


Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Senator Jane Nelson

Below is the sample letter:

Subject: Please give SB 1613 a hearing

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

Thank you for your service to Texas as a Texas Senator and Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. I am writing you today to request that you schedule a hearing for SB 1613, relating to establishing an Early Childhood Behavioral Consultation Grant Program. This critical legislation would create a pilot Behavioral Consultation Program in Texas, which would support many child care providers and professionals in improving their response to very young children with behavioral challenges.

Too often, when young children display challenging behaviors, they are removed from their child care program instead of receiving the care and services needed to prepare them for school and life. The failure to appropriately respond to challenging behaviors can result in children entering more restrictive and costly systems, such as alternative education programs and the mental health, child welfare, or juvenile justice systems.

Behavioral challenges are being reported more and more as a problem for schools, families, and child care providers. For example, two-thirds of child care providers report caring for young children with behavioral or emotional difficulty, leading to these children being removed from care.

SB 1613 takes important first steps in managing with this issue in a proactive manner that seeks to identify and intervene in behavioral problems early in child's development, rather than later when creating change is much more difficult and expensive.

Thank you so much for your time and I hope you will schedule SB 1613 for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services in near future.

Sincerely,
{Your Name}



What's At Stake:

• 
  
  
  • Early positive behavioral influences often translate into healthy development for a child while a myriad of “harmful” influences generally are associated with social, emotional, behavior and physical problems
  • two-thirds of child care providers report caring for young children with behavioral or emotional difficulty
  • Child care workers often receive little or no training in behavioral and emotional health

Campaign Expiration Date:
April 20, 2009

 

[TheOnlyMe]

Just nine more Representatives needed

The House Committee on Public Education will not hear HB 130 this week. Be sure to stay tuned to TECEC e-alerts for upcoming information on this important hearing.

In the meantime, we invite you to help secure more co-authors for HB 130, which supports high-quality full-day pre-k through community-based partnerships. As you may know already, 67 members of the Texas House of Representatives have already signed on in support of this bill.
If early education advocates can convince just 9 more Representatives to sign on to HB 130, we could have a House majority in support of the bill before it even comes to the floor for a vote! Our advocates have already been extremely successful. This is an opportunity to be proactive and clear a path for HB 130 to pass the House safely.

Please review the short letter below and send it off to members of the Texas House who have not yet decided to sponsor HB 130. We encouraged you to add your own voice to the letter before sending.


Subject: Please Co Author HB 130


Dear [ Decision Maker ],


(Edit Letter Below)

As a supporter of early childhood education in Texas, I am asking you to co-author Representative Diane Patrick's HB 130, relating to an enhanced quality full-day prekindergarten program provided by public school districts in conjunction with community providers.

Investing in early childhood education is one of the best investments Texas can make. According to the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University, every $1.00 we invest in high-quality early education yields at least a $3.50 return on investment for Texas communities.

Financial benefits are realized through increased high-school graduation rates, lower grade retention rates, less special education referrals, and decreased involvement with the criminal justice system for those that experience high-quality early childhood education.

In recognition of the amazing benefits that high-quality early education provides for individuals and communities, 67 of your colleagues in the Texas House have joined in support of HB 130 as a joint or co-author. Please join these members today by adding your name to the growing list of co-authors on this critical legislation. Thank you for your service to Texas and for your consideration of this important request.

Sincerely,
{Your Name}