Calm After the Storm

News | Monday, October 3, 2011

The great news is that Any Baby Can has diverse funding streams. The curious news is that since January of this year, several of our largest funding sources have experienced change simultaneously. State and Federal legislative initiatives threatened wholesale program cuts. The City of Austin reconfigured their long-standing process for health and human services funding. During the same period, United Way re-bid services. In response, for months Any Baby Can conducted major advocacy efforts to maintain our capacity to serve the community. Early Childhood Intervention staff and Nurse-Family Partnership clients like Maggie (pictured right with her baby, Zoe) testified at Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committee Hearings. One NFP client even shared her story at a funding discussion led by Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst. On location at Any Baby Can, the agency hosted policy leaders to showcase Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services via a mock home visit. Throughout the summer, the Citizens Comment portion of City Council meetings found speakers who reinforced the need for, and importance of, services to young children and families in our community.

Pictured right: NFP client, Maggie, with baby, Zoe, testified at Senate Finance Committee Hearings in support of the program.

The efforts proved to have an impact, and there seems to be calm after the storm. The House/Senate Conference Committee fully restored the state’s portion of funding for the Nurse-Family Partnership Program. State decisions on Early Childhood Intervention tightened eligibility and pushed responsibility for the billing of some services covered by Medicaid out to local providers like ABC. With an aggressive plan and reconfigured staffing, Any Baby Can will be able to maintain most ECI services. After months of intensive negotiations, financial support from the City of Austin was secured at close to current levels. Unfortunately, our newly expanded child abuse and neglect prevention services in Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell Counties had to be discontinued. The Meadows Foundation and Anderson Foundation have generously stepped in with “bridge” funding as we reconfigure services and ramp up Medicaid billing capacity, but there is still work to be done. Moving forward, individual support will be crucial in filling the ap left by decreased government funding. What our community gives will be more than returned, as the positive impact of services to young children and families will be seen for generations to come.