TX          WA

Focus on Kids: South Carolina Appleseed has developed an initiative called “Focus on Kids” by bringing together more than 65 partner organizations that work on behalf of children's issues. Its recent report, “The Children’s Budget Behind the Numbers,” reveals the devastating effects the recent budget cuts have had on state agencies' ability to deliver services and programs to children. A copy of the report was distributed to each member of the General Assembly, along with a letter to each legislator arguing against budget reductions in the Children's Health Insurance Program.

School Discipline: To help close early gateways to school dropout and incarceration, Texas Appleseed is researching the impact of discretionary school disciplinary policies; ticketing, arrest and use of force policies in public schools; court involvement in student discipline; and the effectiveness of alternative education programs. Its April 2010 report, “Texas’ School-to-Prison Pipeline—School Expulsion, The Path from Lockout to Dropout,” reveals that a disproportionate share of minority and special education students are being expelled from Texas public schools for non-criminal, non-violent offenses.

Predatory Lending Practices: Texas Appleseed and its partners launch a new website supporting local and statewide efforts to stop abusive payday and auto title practices in Texas. The site, www.stoppaydayabuse.org, is part of a “500% Interest is Wrong” campaign. In addition, the Texas Appleseed Board of Directors wrote to Texas' Congressional delegation to support the inclusion of payday and auto title regulation within an upcoming proposal to create a federal Consumer Finance Protection Agency.

Fair Treatment for Immigrants with Mental Illnesses: Texas Appleseed investigated the unfair treatment of immigrant detainees with mental disabilities and published its findings in “Justice for Immigration’s Hidden Population.” The Center presented its concrete recommendations for immigration court reform to the U.S. Senate, the Department of Justice, and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Asset Building Collaborative: Washington Appleseed began a project connecting King County and Seattle low-income and working people with the services they need to achieve their financial goals. The Center provides the staffing for the collaborative program, which is currently engaged in five major projects: Bank on Seattle King-County; the Seattle Asset Building Initiative; Mortgage Intervention; Earned Income Tax Credit/Free Tax Prep Campaign; and the Working Benefits Project.

Multiple Sclerosis: The 60-page Washington Appleseed booklet "Know Your Rights: A Legal Guide for People Living with Multiple Sclerosis" is the first document of its kind for individuals living with MS. The guide covers employment law, insurance law, family law, Supplementary Security Income and how to find legal resources.

Craniofacial Insurance Guide: Washington Appleseed produced a resource guide for parents of children with craniofacial medical conditions, a disorder which carries complex insurance reimbursement requirements. The booklet includes specific form letters that parents can use when advocating for insurance coverage of their children's medical procedures.