September Children's Advocate online!

The full September-October issue is online at http://www.4children.org/issues/2009/september_october/ -- for Spanish or Chinese, click the link at the top of any page.

Articles in this issue:

• Grassroots snapshot: Oakland parents successfully push for school repairs
• Hot topics: Parents design L.A. parent involvement model
• Early care and education: Classroom projects offer rich learning opportunities
• Raising kids: Families and parent educators share tips for stopping bullying
• Parent Voices: Parents and providers call on legislators to protect child care
• California Child Development CORPS: Riverside Corps participants build leadership
• Children's Advocates Roundtable: call for parent input, Childhood Matters returns to KISS 98.1FM, new food stamps and nutrition laws, health care reform, state budget cuts services for families

Food stamps and nutrition: New Laws

New state laws and policies went into effect July 1:

• Food stamps eligibility change—families with children that receive food stamps no longer have to meet the “asset test” (which limits most households to $2000 in savings and other assets) to qualify for benefits
  
  
• School trans-fat ban—schools can no longer sell foods outside the federal school meal program with trans fat to students
  
  
• Menu labeling—large chain restaurants are required to disclose nutrition information to consumers and post this information by Jan 2011.

Read more news in the September-October Children's Advocates Roundtable report from the Children's Advocate (for Spanish or Chinese, click the link at the top of the page)

Call for parent input

Action: Parents are invited to give input on a new early care and education quality rating system.

Background: The Early Learning Quality Improvement System Advisory Committee wants your ideas on how to provide the information you need to make informed decisions about providers and programs. The committee is asking that you attend public meetings in various locations around the state.

The next meetings will be held on October 29 & December 2, 2009. In 2010, meetings are scheduled in March, May, August, & November. For more info, contact Margot Hunkins or Carolyn Loveridge, 916-322-4269 or visit www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/engagementsubc.asp