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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Nava

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/20/07

HB

SHORT TITLE Southern NM Parent-Child Education Program

SB 855

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

$500.0

Recurring

General

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Human Services Department (HSD)

Children Youth and Families (CYFD)

Public Education Department (PED)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 855 appropriates $500 thousand from the general fund to the Human Services

Department for the purpose of funding a parent-child education program for approximately 150

families in Chaparral, Anthony, Dona Ana and Sunland Park in order to prepare children from

birth to age three for future school success.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $500 thousand contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general

fund. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of Fiscal Year 2008 shall

revert to the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

CYFD reports that it funds over 75 comprehensive early childhood programs, including PreK,

which focus on the total development of the child (including school readiness). The programs

Senate Bill 855 – Page

2

are also required to have a parent component.

PED contributes that among the consistent components of successful parent-child education

programs are the following:

•

Teaching parents to be the primary teachers and full partners in their child’s education

•

Preparing children for success in school and life

•

Adult literacy education that leads to economic self-sufficiency

•

Community resource awareness so that parents are able to help themselves

•

Home visits to provide one-to-one guidance on more effective parenting and home

teaching skills

•

Transportation and other support services to help families participate on a consistent basis

•

Regular attendance by participating families.

Research has shown that student performance is enhanced when parents are actively involved

with the school in their child’s education. Research produced by the Southwest Educational

Development Laboratory’s National Center for Family and Community Connections with

Schools examines the impact of different family and community connections on student

achievement. (

http://www.sedl.org/connections/resources/readiness-synthesis.pdf

).

This study

finds evidence that when schools, families and community groups work together to support

learning, children have a tendency to do better in school, stay in school longer and enjoy school

more. Others studies have found that students with involved parents, no matter what their

income or background, were more likely to do the following:

•

Earn higher grades and test scores and enroll in higher-level programs

•

Be promoted, pass their classes and earn credits

•

Attend school regularly

•

Have better social skills, show improved behavior and adapt well to school,

graduate and go on to postsecondary education.

HSD inquires regarding the efficiency of making the appropriation to that agency.

The program

described in SB 855 is educational, rather than medical, in nature; therefore, the appropriation

and services would not be appropriately managed by the HSD Medical Assistance Division

(MAD). It would be more fitting that the appropriation contained in SB 855 be given to the

Public Education Department (PED) or Children, Youth & Families Department (CYFD).

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

Since other agencies are already engaged in programs of this nature should the appropriation be

made to CYFD or PED.

MW/mt