Jeb Bush on Families & Children Republican FL Governor; V.P. prospect

Shame fathers who walk away from paternal obligations

In the book, "Profiles in Character," it said that "one of the reasons more young women are giving birth out of wedlock and more young men are walking away from their paternal obligations is that there is no longer a stigma attached to this behavior, no reason to feel shame. Shame is one of the great regulators of conduct."

Asked about the passage, Bush said his stances have evolved since 1995 but that "my views about the importance of dads being involved in the lives of their children haven't changed at all."

The problem, said Bush, has grown worse, not better. Bush said the original passage he wrote referred primarily to shaming fathers, though that is not clear from the wording in the book.

Conservatives and Hispanics share family values

What is most striking about Hispanic religious beliefs is their attachment to "renewalist" faiths--Pentecostal, evangelical, and charismatic. 2/3 of Hispanics say their religious beliefs are an important influence on their political thinking.

But conservatism among religious Hispanics has not translated into Republican partisan affiliation. Democrats outnumber Republicans by 55 to 18% among Hispanic Catholics, compared to a 39 to 32% Republican edge among non-Hispanic Catholics.

Obviously, a large part of Republican electoral successes since 1980 is attributable to mobilization of religious voters, particularly evangelicals. Republicans should make a similar effort to connect with Hispanics on religious faith and moral values.

Supper with kids keeps them away from drugs & booze

"Families are the first line of offense and the first line of defense in providing support for children," explained Jeb to a pretty television reporter. "It's common sense. I think everybody would understand how strong, wholesome family life really matters, but there is really data, real research that suggests that families that are united, families that eat together, just have dinner together will have a better chance of their children being drug free and alcohol free."

So I asked Jeb if he wished he had spent more time with his own children when they were growing up. He walked away without saying a word.

Privatized foster care via for-profit companies

Others became more agitated about the penny-pinching, particularly when they realized that Jeb's DCF was letting FOR-PROFIT companies in on the foster-care game. One, Family Preservation Services, actually made $1.3 million in profits on $19.2 revenues for foster-care contracts in southern and central Florida. That upset even Republicans, including state senator Evelyn Lynn: "If you can make a profit on anything we are doing, then that means we are doing something wrong."

No Place Like Home initiative: find families for DCF kids

We're actively looking for the right families, and streamlining the adoption process to remove the obstacles and frustrations that have been part of the process for far too long. I ask you to support these new families by approving the funds required to support adoption in Florida.

We are committed to supporting Florida's families, but government will never be the full answer to their needs. Our state is blessed with an incredibly strong network of community and faith-based partners that offer a helping hand, provide counseling, and teach skills required to build strong families and hold them together.

Increase KidCare; increase developmentally disabled services

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 1018, 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.