Families Online Magazine

"This summer, nearly 15 million school children in this country will go without the lunchtime meals provided to them during the school year," said John J. Mack, Chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley.

During the school year, more than half of the 31 million children who participate in the National School Lunch Program are low-income. Last year, the Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program for Children (SFSP) provided nearly 130 million meals to 2.1 million children across the country. The program reimburses organizations for meals served, but often does not cover the infrastructure or programming costs organizations incur when operating a summer program for children.

"The Summer Food Service Program is a vital nutrition resource during the months students are not in school," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "We know that there are many children who need nutritious food but don't have access to a program in their area. We need more organizations to sponsor sites and sponsors need additional resources from the community in order to succeed in reaching children who need meals. Ongoing partnerships like this one are key to making sure our children have healthy meals during the school year, during the summer months, and all year long."

Boys & Girls Clubs of America, through its summer programs and network of more than 4,300 community-based Clubs, will distribute meals to hungry children.

"We are extremely grateful to the Morgan Stanley Foundation for their generous support that will ensure the young people we serve this summer will not go hungry," said Roxanne Spillett, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "The economic downturn that has impacted the entire country has been deeply felt by our Clubs, and many summer food programs have been placed in jeopardy. Hopefully others will follow Morgan Stanley's lead."

Reclaiming Our Children: Exposing the Nets That Snare Them by honored author, lecturer and social critic Robby G. Dixon is a call-to-action for our nation's youth

Theft, armed robbery, gang warfare and school shootings continue to permeate our society, and young people are paying the price with incarceration. With a timely message on today's critical topics, such as parenting and religious values, Robby Dixon takes the literary world by storm and with shock value in his first book - Reclaiming Our Children: Exposing the Nets That Snare Them - http://www.reclaimingourchildren.com.

He gives a universal call for an immediate "transformation in our nation's consciousness" to restore understanding of our youth before it's too late. Through a discussion of the spiritual and mental influences on self-image, the author presents the path to physical imprisonment as beginning with higher forms of imprisonment being spiritual and mental resulting in physical incarceration. Dixon argues that not only is this behavior preventable, but through the power of positive imagery, understanding self-perception and re-focusing the powers of desire and will even the recidivism rate may be reduced.

Reclaiming Our Children offers a fascinating look into what comprises good households verses conscious households and how the later serves as a transformative power for the lives of our children. Also learn how impoverished neighborhoods are linked to impoverished mindsets and sustained through the process of mind conditioning which breeds thoughts of self acceptance. Reclaiming Our Children also discusses how to unlock the transformative power that will rescind the power of negative thoughts and produce positive, productive fruit in the lives of our children far into adulthood breaking cycles that have plagued far too many generations of our youth.

Asking crucial questions, Reclaiming Our Children reveals the socio-psychological-
spiritual dynamics, which expose, influence and consequently guide our youth to deviant
behavior. "My first-hand research dissects societal reasons for this rampant distressed
conduct and the certain path to imprisonment if left unrecognized," says Dixon.

Texas author Robby Dixon has spent half a lifetime writing and essentially living his
book to help curtail the tangible cause of this effect; the growing epidemic of senseless
criminal conduct and physical incarceration. Citing extensive research based on
counseling families and prison inmates, Dixon gives startling evidence that prison serves
as a 'sinister profit-generator', which conditions inmates into revolving doors, returning
them to prisons over and over. "I have personally witnessed those who have left prison
and have returned, astonishingly, some within as little as two weeks' time. My research has revealed that some leave and then return two, three and four times, all within the same year," says Dixon.

As an activist for the well being of children and young adults using a Judeo-Christian perspective, his educational blogs appear on his Reader's Community Weblog - http://robbydixon.wordpress.com .

About the author:

Robby Dixon lectures and holds workshops at schools, churches, prisons, libraries and
other organizations in Dallas and Houston, and throughout Northern California. In 2009,
topics of Reclaiming Our Children will be used as the basis for curriculum for a high
school age workshop at the Center for Pre-College Programs (CPCP) at Missouri
University of Science & Technology. Robby Dixon resides in Corinth, Texas with his
wife and son.

Earth-Friendly Premiere Episodes from CURIOUS GEORGE, ARTHUR, CYBERCHASE and More Take Root on Wednesday, April 22

Earth Day Channel on PBSKIDSGO.org Allows Kids to Grow with Their Favorite Characters Whenever They Want

"Green" Web Activities on PBS Parents and PBS Teachers Inspire Families and Educators to "Share the Earth"

PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! celebrate Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22, with the fourth annual "PBS KIDS Share the Earth Day" and a new Web-based Earth Day Channel on pbskidsgo.org. The celebration features premiering episodes from CURIOUS GEORGE, ARTHUR and CYBERCHASE; themed favorites from SUPER WHY!, SID THE SCIENCE KID and more; and eco-focused Web content on pbskidsgo.org, pbskids.org, PBS Parents (pbsparents.org) and PBS Teachers (pbsteachers.org).

"As the future leaders of our world, children need to understand the importance of cultivating a healthy environment for themselves and generations to come," said Lesli Rotenberg, SVP, Children's Media, PBS. "With our online, in-home and in-classroom resources and content, we're encouraging kids, parents and educators to explore the role they can play in helping sustain the Earth's resources."

Whether it's the importance of dirt on SID THE SCIENCE KID, water conservation on SUPER WHY!, planting a garden on MAYA & MIGUEL or the effects of pollution on CYBERCHASE, no seed of knowledge is left unsown. The on-air event also will feature a music video from the award-winning kids' rock band Milkshake, as well as Earth-friendly tips from PBS KIDS hosts Mr. Steve, Miss Rosa and Miss Lori.

The new PBS KIDS GO! video player (http://www.pbskids.org/go/video) will host an Earth Day channel with themed content from ARTHUR, DESIGN SQUAD, THE GREENS and MAYA & MIGUEL. This new online channel invites kids to learn about how their favorite character role models share the Earth, whenever they want. In addition to Web content from PBS KIDS GO! TV series, Web-exclusive sites such as EEKOWORLD -- an environment where kids create their own creatures and monitor them in the wild -- and THE GREENS -- a pbskidsgo.org series about the Green family and their exploration of sustainability, ecology and environmental care -- will further explore what it means to be green.

On pbskids.org, younger children and their parents can create an original Earth Day-centered tale at "Dot's Story Factory" and enjoy games and activities with environmental themes. Additionally, pbskids.org/video will feature themed videos from CURIOUS GEORGE, SID THE SCIENCE KID, IT'S A BIG BIG WORLD and more.

For parents and caregivers, PBS Parents features two new guests as part of its popular "Expert Q&A" series. Dr. Alan Fortescue of the Earthwatch Institute and advisor to THE GREENS, will take questions from April 1-15 on how to raise environmentally conscious children. Halle Stanford, Executive Vice President of Children's Entertainment for The Jim Henson Company and an Executive Producer on SID THE SCIENCE KID and the upcoming PBS KIDS series DINOSAUR TRAIN, will take questions from April 16-30. Ms. Stanford's discussion will focus on relating the character experiences on SID THE SCIENCE KID to children's everyday world and the collaborative process of creating the series, including the careful balance and integration of curriculum and entertainment.

PBS Parents also will feature ideas on creating crafts from recyclable materials as well as links to activities at pbskids.org, related book recommendations, an article on "How to Grow Green Kids," ideas for how to throw an eco-friendly birthday party and more.

To help bring the "green" theme into classrooms nationwide, PBS Teachers offers a new Earth Day Activity Pack for educators to use in the classroom or to post on their classroom, school or favorite social networking Web sites. The Activity Pack is designed for multiple grade levels and contains links to Earth Day-themed education resources and activities from PBS to support environmental awareness.

Episodes for April 22 include:

PBS KIDS (check local listings for air times)

CURIOUS GEORGE - NEW!
Night of the Weiner Dog

Poor Hundley! It's the first time he's been apart from the Doorman in over three years and George's room isn't exactly this dapper daschund's idea of "neat and orderly." Being a good host, George follows the Doorman's detailed instructions. George accurately measures Hundley's food, graciously lets him watch his favorite TV show, "Poodle Groomers," and even rearranges his living room to make Hundley feel more at home. Though Hundley's strict demands are not George's idea of a fun sleepover, George comes through for his friend by rescuing Hundley's squeaky mouse from the balcony. Now, at last, Hundley can fall asleep! Later that night, when George is having a nightmare, how can Hundley return the favor and help his friend?

Animal Trackers

It's Nature Week and George is taking pictures of wild animals and their tracks for the big exhibit. Bullfrogs, squirrels, raccoons and hawks are all nice, but George wants a picture of something really exciting and unusual. While George searches for the fawn Bill spotted, he finds an unusual set of tracks that look like a cross between a gigantic duck and a colossal snake. George decides there must be a duckbilled dinosaur on the loose, which would make for a perfect photo for Nature Week! George leaves a trail of fruits and vegetables to lure the dinosaur, but then he remembers that not all dinosaurs are friendly! George frantically rushes to warn everyone, when he bumps into the real culprit behind those tracks -- and it's very different than a dinosaur!

SID THE SCIENCE KID
The Dirt on Dirt

In an Earth Day-themed episode, Sid wants to know what makes dirt so dirty? At school, Sid and his friends discover that dirt is really important to the Earth because it helps things grow, and it's also filled with tiny rocks, pieces of leaves, and even living things like bugs and worms!

SUPER WHY!
Tiddalick the Frog

Whyatt's mom tells him that he's wasting water. This is a really big problem and he's not sure how to fix it. So the Super Readers dash into the Australian folk tale of Tiddalick the Frog and make the acquaintance of a funny amphibian whose puddle jumping is using up all the water and leaving his neighbors in the dust -- literally! As the Super Readers help Tiddalick and his dry friends, they learn how important water is to the planet along with a valuable lesson about conservation.

CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG
Doggie Garden

It is Keep Birdwell Beautiful month and the kids are doing their part by planting a flower garden. Seeing this, the dogs decide to create a doggie flower garden of their own. But when Cleo hears that almost anything grows in Birdwell Island soil, she decides she'd much rather grow a garden full of dog toys! She soon learns, however, that working alone for a selfish end is not nearly as rewarding as working together for the whole community.

Captain Birdwell's Treasure

Clifford and his dog friends find the long-lost trunk of Captain Birdwell, filled with wonderful items brought to the Island by the explorer long ago. But through a misunderstanding, Jetta is given credit for the discovery. She knows that telling the truth is the right thing to do, but she can't resist the promise of a gold medal award. It doesn't take long for her to realize, however, that awards don't give much pleasure when they're not deserved.

IT'S A BIG BIG WORLD
World Tree Day

It is World Tree Day and Snook has made badges to give to all of the residents who do something nice for the tree. While everyone finds their own ways to care for the tree, Bob is worried because he can't think of anything to do. After a talk with Snook and Oko, Bob writes a song to celebrate the tree and earns a badge from Snook.

World Tree Cuisine

It is time to celebrate the World Tree's birthday and Madge and Snook are planning a surprise party for the tree's residents. But when Burdette and Wartz overhear them say they are baking a cake, all of the animals start dropping hints to ensure that foods they eat are included in the cake. When everyone gathers for the celebration, they are excited to find individually flavored cupcakes!

BARNEY & FRIENDS
Rabbits

BJ is pretending to be a great detective, but all great detectives need a mystery to solve! A case quickly comes his way when something nibbles on one of Baby Bop's healthy snacks. BJ, Barney, and Baby Bop uncover several clues along the way and soon realize the animal is someone's pet rabbit. Educational objective: To learn about rabbits.

Ducks and Fish

Barney sees Riff protecting a nest full of duck eggs. Together, they leave the eggs to look for food for when the ducklings hatch. When they return, Riff is pleasantly surprised to find the eggs have cracked open and the baby ducklings have hatched! Educational objective: To learn about ducks and fish. Music curriculum: musical instruments (guitar).

PBS KIDS GO! (check local listings for air times)

ARTHUR - NEW!
The Blackout

It's the hottest day in Elwood City, when a total blackout leaves its residents without any electricity. Will Arthur and DW survive without AC and TV? Luckily, the Molina family steps in to teach the Reads a lesson on how to keep cool and have fun as a community even under the toughest of weather conditions!

Mei Lin Takes a Stand

Binky's baby sister Mei Lin isn't keen on learning to walk and would rather stick to crawling. But then Baby Kate and Pal's flea friends, brothers Sale and Pepe, return to Elwood City and share a tale of a little princess in the land of "Hanzan-Niis" who learns to walk in order to save her beloved court jester. Will Mei Lin be inspired to take a stand or continue to stumble?

CYBERCHASE - NEW!
The X-Factor

All is not well in Perfectamundo, a dome-enclosed cybersite, when orange spots are discovered building up on the dome's interior surface, blocking the site's precious sunlight. What source could be responsible for the spots multiplying so fast? Is it Hacker's new factory that pours out orange clouds through smoky stacks? It can't be that new Digifizz toy, with its tiny burst of colorful sparkles shooting into the air each time it gets used. With time running out, the CyberSquad must come to grips with the power of multiplication and use it to undo the site's pollution problem.

MAYA & MIGUEL
Every Day is Earth Day

For a school Earth Day project, the kids decide to clean up an old lot and plant a community garden. But as the deadline approaches, a rainstorm hits, turning the patch of dirt into a muddy mess. How will Maya get her friends out of the muck this time?

About PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO!

PBS KIDS, for preschoolers, and PBS KIDS GO!, for early elementary school kids, offer all children -- from every walk of life -- the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and outreach programs. With positive character role models and content designed to nurture a child's total well-being, PBS's online and community resources -- including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS KIDS GO! online (pbskidsgo.org), PBS Parents (pbsparents.org), PBS Teachers (pbsteachers.org), PBS KIDS Raising Readers and literacy events across the country -- leverage the full spectrum of media, technology and community to build knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and curiosity. Empowering children for success in school and in life, only PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! have earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 356 public television stations, serving more than 115 million people on-air and online each month.

Source: PBS KIDS

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced
the availability of Recovery Act funds for state programs that
establish, enforce, collect and distribute child support.
Currently, the federal government provides incentive payments to states
based on the strength of their child support enforcement programs.
States are required to use these incentive payments to strengthen their
child support enforcement programs. Under a new provision in the
Recovery Act, these incentive payments will be matched by the federal
government. The change will make approximately $1 billion in new
resources available to states across the country.
"Every child deserves the support of both parents," said HHS Spokeswoman
Jenny Backus. "The Recovery Act will increase resources for child
support enforcement and will help parents make ends meet and children
receive the money they are due."

The Recovery Act temporarily reverses a provision in the Deficit
Reduction Act of 2005 that ended the practice of providing federal
matching funds for the state expenditure of incentive payments.

The new Recovery Act provision is effective Oct. 1, 2008 through Sept.
30, 2010. States will receive the additional match funding based on any
incentive funds used during FY 2009 and FY 2010, including incentives
earned and not spent in prior years. States will access the additional
funds as they currently do, through grant awards based on quarterly
expenditures.
The activities described in this release are being funded through the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). To track the progress of
HHS activities funded through the ARRA, visit www.hhs.gov/recovery. To
track all federal funds provided through the ARRA, visit
www.recovery.gov.

HEALTH INSURANCE FOR 4.1 MILLION UNINSURED CHILDREN

By 2013, a total of 4.1 million children who would otherwise be uninsured would have health care coverage under children’s health insurance legislation the House is scheduled to consider today.

About 3.4 million of the 4.1 million children who would gain coverage — or nearly 83 percent of them — are children who are already eligible under current eligibility limits that their states have set but remained uninsured, according to CBO.

The cost of the legislation is fully offset, primarily through an increase in tobacco taxes.

The CBO estimates show that 1.6 million of these children are uninsured children who would be eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid under current state eligibility rules but, in the absence of the legislation, would be unenrolled and uninsured.[1] Another 1.8 million are SCHIP children who would otherwise lose their coverage in coming years and end up uninsured because states would (under the “budget baseline” that CBO uses) receive insufficient federal SCHIP funding to sustain their existing programs.[2]

Thus, CBO estimates that a total of about 3.4 million of the 4.1 million children who would gain coverage — or nearly 83 percent of them — are children with incomes below the current eligibility limits that their states have set.
Only about 700,000 of the 4.1 million children gaining coverage are children who would newly gain eligibility for SCHIP or Medicaid as a result of actions that their states would take to broaden their SCHIP eligibility criteria. (All of these figures represent CBO’s estimates of the number of children who would be covered in an average month in 2013, the final year that the bill would be in effect.)

Key elements of the legislation would extend the SCHIP program for 4.5 years and raise SCHIP funding levels so states can both sustain existing enrollment by children and cover more low-income children. According to CBO, the provisions to maintain and expand children’s health coverage would cost $32.3 billion over five years (2009-2013). These costs would be fully offset, primarily through an increase in federal tobacco taxes.[3] (The bill also includes a Medicare provision affecting certain referrals of patients to so-called specialty hospitals, a measure that produces modest savings of $300 million over five years, and a Medicaid provision prohibiting new Health Opportunity Account demonstration projects, a measure that saves $100 million over this period; these provisions offset a small portion of the legislation’s cost.)

The SCHIP reauthorization legislation largely mirrors the SCHIP reauthorization bills (H.R. 976 and H.R. 3963) that President Bush vetoed in 2007. As under the vetoed bills, the legislation would, over time, scale back existing SCHIP coverage of low-income parents of children who are enrolled in SCHIP or Medicaid in a small number of states, as well as adults without children, who are covered in a few states. (Various studies have found, however, that covering children and their parents jointly results in more of the eligible children signing up and receiving health care services.[4])

In addition, the bill would provide financial incentives to states to enroll more uninsured children who already are eligible for Medicaid. CBO estimates show that these provisions would help the bill make significant progress in reaching the lowest-income uninsured children. According to CBO, some 1.4 million children who are eligible for Medicaid but otherwise would be uninsured would gain coverage under the bill. Most of these would likely be children living below the poverty line.

The bill would also add a provision from the original House-passed SCHIP reauthorization bill in 2007 that would permit states, at their option, to cover certain legal immigrant children (and pregnant women) through Medicaid and SCHIP who are otherwise eligible for those programs.[5] Under current law, states are prohibited from providing federally-funded Medicaid and SCHIP coverage to legal immigrant children for the first five years after entering the United States, though 18 states now provide such coverage at 100 percent state expense.[6] (The provision is of very modest cost: $1.3 billion over five years or four percent of the cost of the SCHIP legislation.)