Candidate Survey: District 39

General

1.) If elected, what are your three top priorities throughout your career as a legislator? (Do not limit to children?s issues)

Beau McCoy

Judy Domina

a.) Child Welfare including Developmental Disabilities
b.) Education including adequate funding and local control.
c.) Government waste, lack of planning, oversight and mismanagement.

2.) We are expected to have a significant state budget shortfall in 2013-2014. What child and family programs would you prioritize to be protected from cuts? (Choose as many as apply; Bold answers indicate candidate?s choices below)

Family Navigator/Helpline
Tax Credits for low-income working families
Aid to Dependent Children (ADC)
Staff to assist with public benefit applications
Funding for Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Centers
Juvenile Justice Aid to Counties
Child abuse prevention
Child Welfare/out-of-home care
Medicaid/Kids Connection
Child Care Subsidies
State aid to schools
Special Education
Early childhood education
School breakfast and lunch programs
Other
None of the above

Health

3.) In 2010, almost one in five Nebraska kids was living in poverty. What do you think state government can or should do to decrease the number of kids in poverty?

Poverty can be decreased when the state government provides a ?helping hand? rather than a ?hand out?. Families need non-judgmental assistance that provides them with the tools to navigate out of poverty. Charities are many times providing assistance when the families are in an immediate crisis. They need this assistance coupled with job training, basic skills training and affordable housing provided by state government.

4.) Quality affordable child care keeps children safe and helps parents to work. Do you support increasing access to child care subsidies for low-income working families?

Yes, I support increasing access to childcare subsides for low-income working families.
This not only gives parents an opportunity to hold a job without the families paying a large portion of their income for child care care. Children grow up witnessing their parents preparing and going to work each day. They learn first hand the importance of working. This is a hand-ups approach rather than a handout program.

5.) How do you think the state should respond to a child or adolescent who breaks the law?

Juveniles that break the law are children. High-risk offenders are a risk to pubic safety and for this reason must be incarcerated. They represent less than 20% of the juveniles in the system. Rate of rehabilitation is low and cost is high for Incarceration. The low risk offenders benefit from community based services. Community based services for juveniles in the justice system are effective. Community based services keeps the child in their community with their family. The services work both with the child and the family.

6.) The number of cases of child abuse and neglect has risen over the past decade in Nebraska. What should the legislature do to address this?

LB 993 is the start to curtailing the high rate of children being removed from their homes in Nebraska. The practice of removing children rather than providing services to families that improves their parenting and/or improving their home environment is not acceptable. The legislature needs to continue monitoring this dangerous practice and insisting that children remain with their families whenever possible. Services need to be provided for families in crisis. The right services at the right time must be the first response.

Source: http://votekidsnebraska.com/2012/09/03/candidate-survey-district-39/

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