Dear Safe Schools Coalition Members and Friends:

(1)  ACTION ALERT: Washington State's Youth Suicide Prevention Program is at risk
(2)  Action Alert from Family Equality Council - Tell Virginia's Governor: Every Child Deserves a Family.

Note: We are sharing these items because we believe that they are issues Safe Schools Coalition members and friends may be interested in.
If you have opinions about them, please let your voice be heard.

Safe Schools Coalition's Law and Policy Work Group has reported that Youth Suicide Prevention Program (YSPP) is at risk, but you can make a difference on it today! 

Youth in Washington are still very much in need of the services provided by the Youth Suicide Prevention Program.
http://www.yspp.org/

The House of Representatives has released their budget proposal, and while they don't eliminate the program, they have only funded it at 50% of the prior biennium's level. 

The Washington Senate is finalizing their budget proposal now.
We expect it to come out on Tuesday, April 12th, so there's still time to urge Senate Ways and Means Committee members to fully fund the Youth Suicide Prevention Program! 

NOW is an important time to contact members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee to ask them to fully fund the Youth Suicide Prevention Program!  It would cost only another $85,000 to protect and fully fund this important program.

If your Senator is on the Ways and Means Committee, please contact him or her RIGHT NOW, and ask them to ensure the Youth Suicide Prevention Program is fully funded in the Senate budget!  You can find the Committee members and their contact information here:  http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/WM/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx.

Suggested message:

Senator xxxx:
Please keep the only state program working to prevent youth suicide whole by providing 85,000 dollars. This small amount of money will help the Youth Suicide Prevention Program continue saving lives!

Thank you!

(2)  Action Alert from Family Equality Council - Tell Virginia's Governor: Every Child Deserves a Family.

From: Jennifer Chrisler [mailto:info@familyequality.org]
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2011 1:41 PM
Subject: Tell Virginia's Governor: Every Child Deserves a Family.

We are so close to ending discrimination in adoption practices in Virginia.

In 2009, under then-Governor Tim Kaine new regulations were proposed that would prevent child welfare agencies in the state from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. These regulations have been considered carefully for over a year by the State Board of Social Services and were very close to passing until a recent period of public comment brought the issue to media attention.

Now one man, current GOP Governor Bob McDonnell, stands in the way of ending this discrimination. Gov. McDonnell recently indicated that he opposes the regulations because he is allowing his politics to get in the way of the best interests of the children under his watch.

How, in a state where 32% of youth age out of the foster care system without permanent placements, where over 1600 children are waiting to find a home, and where over 45% of youth in the foster care system have been through 3 or more placements, can Governor McDonnell possibly justify limiting the number of potential qualified parents?

It's because he doesn't know what you and I know: that gay and lesbian individuals make great parents. Nearly every mainstream professional child welfare organization agrees.

I know it. You know it. Isn't it time Gov. McDonnell knows it too?

He has until April 16th to make recommendations to the State Board of Social Services, which means we have until then to ensure the children of Virginia's foster care system have access to every option for finding a suitable home.

Will you join me in signing this petition calling on Gov. McDonnell to allow these regulations to take effect?

We will deliver your message to the Governor and to the Board in time to stand up against discrimination in Virginia.

Thanks for all you do for our families,

Jennifer Chrisler
Executive Director
Family Equality Council
PO Box 206 | Boston, MA | 02

DONATE TO THE SAFE SCHOOLS COALITION: Click here to make a donation online 

Or mail this form with your check made to "Safe Schools Coalition":

Safe Schools Coalition 
c/o Rosehedge
1401 East Jefferson Street, Suite 401
Seattle, WA  98122 

About this Listserv
To SUBSCRIBE to the Safe Schools Coalition's  IMPORTANTNEWS  List, which averages 2 messages/week including only: urgent messages, action items, SSC meeting minutes

To SUBSCRIBE to the Safe Schools Coalition's  NEWS  List, which averages 2 messages/day including THOSE SAME THINGS plus: events (conferences, courses, rallies, TV specials, activism opportunities) , resources (books, DVDs, scholarships, curricula, and more), jobs and volunteer and internship opportunities, news digests, opinion digests

To UNSUBSCRIBE or
To SWITCH LISTS (from NEWS to IMPORTANT NEWS or vice versa) or
To  CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS , if you are already a subscriber,
GO TO http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/listsub.asp



The Safe Schools Coalition is a public-private partnership of 60+ organizations (government agencies, schools, community agencies, churches, youth/student groups, gay/lesbian groups, human rights groups) and 100+ individuals working to help schools become safe places where every family can belong, where every educator can teach, and where every child can learn,  regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

Safe Schools' website: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org
Safe Schools' blog: http://safeschoolscoalition.blogspot.com/
Join SSC's group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43732067796
Join SSC's group on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1110307
Follow SSC on Twitter: http://twitter.com/safeschoolsc

Got a problem at school with anti-gay harassment?
In Washington State:
1-877-SAFE-SAFE  (1-877-723-3723) 24 hours a day - the phone line is answered at the Sexual Assault Hotline and they will have a Safe Schools Coalition Intervention Specialist volunteer get back to you within 24 hours. Or contact us by email: Intervention: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=10 and we will respond within 24 hours.

 

For non-emergencies:  206-451-SAFE (7233).
Or email us here: http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=8 

Speakers Bureau (student/community workshops, professional training): http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=9

Membership http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=5
Publications and Listserv http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=7
Website http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=11

Co-Chairs:
Frieda Takamura, retired from the Washington Education Association.
Beth Reis, Public Health - Seattle & King County, 206-296-4970.
Heather Murphy, Ph.D., school psychologist.
Stefanie Fox, community organizer.

 

Listserv Managers: 

Beth Reis for Action Items, Resource messages (books, films, curricula, etc.), Professional Journal messages and Help Needed by Reporters/Authors, Researchers, and Member Organizations

Joseph Bonnell and Robyn Walters for News messages

Tara DeZao for Event messages

Joyful Freeman for Jobs, Internships, and Volunteer Opportunity messages

Ryan Schwartz for Right Wing Watch messages

Brad A. Palmertree for Opinion (blogs, editorials, letters to the editor)

Nicole Lee for Lesson Planning Guide messages

Beth Reis for

Gabi Clayton for Legislative/Elective messages and Fundraising* messages 

* Note: Fundraising messages are only sent for member organizations.

 

Send Events to be Posted on the Safe Schools Coalition Calendar!

Buy cool Safe Schools T-Shirts & Gear

This message has been distributed as a free, non-profit informational service, to members of the Coalition and others who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. Please do not publish or post in a public place on the Internet, copyrighted material without attribution. Forwarding of this material should not necessarily be construed as an endorsement of the content.