Jeb Bush on Families & Children Republican FL Governor

No mandated child safety seats

The sponsors of Senate Bill 1412 truly have their hearts in the right place. The problem with the Bill [are] with the question of enforceability, its unintended consequences, how far this particular bill goes, and the appropriate role of state government In order to address a legitimate concern, Senate Bill 1412 initiates a government-imposed regulatory solution at the outset rather than as a last resort. For many parents this will be viewed as more government intrusion in their lives - a command and control approach to a problem more in need of education and awareness. It substitutes government’s judgment for that of the family, and fails to acknowledge that there is no law preventing parents from voluntarily purchasing a booster seat.

Parental consent over government intrusions into families

While I support the idea of providing comprehensive services for the early identification and intervention of learning disabilities, I have a number of concerns with Senate Bill 10185, grounded on the potential for excessive intrusiveness of government in the lives of Florida’s families.
1. The bill is silent on the issue of parental consent for referral, assessment and intervention services for identified children and their families. Referrals of “high risk children” are automatic and may be interpreted to be without parental consent.
2. The absence of a public records exemption to protect the privacy of families and children impacted is also problematic.
3. The Florida State Laboratory will be required to purchase an expensive piece of equipment to process required Tandem Mass Spectrometry tests of all newborns in the three demonstration counties.
4. And finally, this program is to be provided at an enormous cost to taxpayers, despite services already provided by the state.

Encourage fathers' participation in child-raising.

The Issue

NGA’s Position

Federal funds & state involvement in fatherhood initiatives.

The nation’s Governors recognize that governments at all levels can and should take immediate action including:
• providing additional education and information about the importance of fathers participating in raising their children;
• establishing a nongovernmental national clearinghouse to collect and disseminate information regarding responsible fatherhood;
• expanding efforts to prevent unintended and out-of-wedlock teen pregnancies;
• providing children with appropriate adult male role models, such as mentors, in the absence of a caring father;
• ensuring that young men are given opportunities to feel successful and valued, which will lead to the development of self-confidence and preparation for fatherhood;
• encouraging the involvement of the community, including the religious community, civic community, business community, and mentors in addressing the importance of father involvement;
• developing strategies that include both parents in activities focused on their children, such as training service providers and educators to include both parents in their service delivery;
• working with private employers and the education community to provide education and job training opportunities to unemployed, underemployed, and low-skilled fathers; and
• paternity establishment and child support enforcement efforts.

Any new federal funding stream designated for fatherhood initiatives should:
• support programs in states, at the discretion of each Governor, that encourage appropriate involvement of both parents in the life of a child, with priority given to programs that specifically address the issue of fatherhood;
• be coordinated with existing fatherhood programs, as well as with other federal funds that can be used for fatherhood initiatives, such as TANF; and
• not be funded at the expense of another vital human service program.