Forward Fridays: December 17th, 2021

Welcome to my latest e-update. Here is a summary from the past week as your State Representative.

Here are some bills that I recently signed onto as a co-sponsor:

LRB-0620: (Sen. Agard/Rep. Pope) - Providing feminine hygiene products in school buildings and a school district revenue limit adjustment
Assembly Bill 717/Senate Bill 690: (Rep. Wittke & Sen. Roth) - an income and franchise tax exemption for restaurant revitalization grants.

Domestic violence funding to reach over 4,000 individuals statewide

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has closed the application process for the Living Independently Through Financial Empowerment (LIFE) program and will begin distribution of the $14 million of emergency funds allocated to the state through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021.

The LIFE program received strong interest from domestic violence survivors with over 4,000 applications in process, which fulfills the program funding available. The funds are scheduled to be distributed to approved applicants over the coming weeks.

DCF created the LIFE program to support families whose safety is at risk and assist them in becoming financially empowered to live independent, violence-free lives. The program provides temporary financial assistance to approved applicants totaling $3,500 over a three-month period ($1,500 in month one and $1,000 in months two and three) which can be used to meet basic needs and seek safety.

While the application process for the LIFE program is now closed, other assistance is available to help domestic violence survivors, including:

Local Resources

End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin: Local domestic abuse programs and services, including shelter. Website: https://www.endabusewi.org/get-help/.
Hmong Family Strengthening Helpline: A bilingual (Hmong-English) 24-hour helpline that provides support, contact, and referrals to anyone experiencing violence and abuse. Call 1-877-740-4292 (toll-free).
Deaf Unity Helpline: A helpline that assists deaf and hard-of-hearing persons experiencing violence and abuse. Contact by email at help@deafunitywi.org or by text at (608) 466-2881. Deaf Unity staff and advocates will respond to your message as soon as possible between the hours of 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday-Friday. For assistance between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m., contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance Program: Provides rental and utility assistance to eligible applicants. Website: https://www.wiscap.org/wera

To learn more about domestic violence, visit DCF’s website or follow @WisDCF on Twitter and Facebook.
See the full press release with more resources HERE.

Office of Children's Mental Health Focuses on Positive Childhood Experiences

Office of Children’s Mental Health Director Linda Hall announced a new fact sheet, The Power of Positive Childhood Experiences, and details what our communities, schools, parents, and policymakers can do to make a difference.

Highlights

Toxic stress and trauma, whether from the pandemic, poverty, or other life circumstances, can be hard on children. However, positive childhood experiences can make up for some of the negative experiences.
Recent studies show that positive experiences build a foundation for the ability to cope and thrive throughout life.
Some positive experiences are: enjoying school, good neighbors, having one good friend, predictable routines, opportunities to have fun, and a family that stands by you.
Children who had positive experiences were less likely to report only fair, or poor, health as an adult.

What We Can Do

Parents can start, or stick with, family routines such as meals together, bedtime stories, chore time, game night, or family walks.
Schools can find ways to help low-performing or marginalized students feel a sense of pride and belonging at school.
Communities can promote school, youth sports, and other youth functions where parents and other community members can support and encourage youth.
Policymakers can fund libraries, parks, and other public spaces where all children can connect positively with other people, regardless of family income.

See the complete fact sheet.

See previous fact sheets.

Governor Evers & DHS Mark the One-Year Anniversary of COVID-19 Vaccine Arriving in Wisconsin

More than two-thirds of Wisconsin adults now fully vaccinated and nearly 90,000 children ages 5 through 11 have received at least one dose

Governor Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) are marking the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 vaccine administered in the state. Wisconsin first began administering the COVID-19 vaccine on December 14, 2020. In one year, over 6.8 million COVID-19 primary series doses have been administered to more than 3.5 million people. DHS has also made updates to the COVID-19 Vaccines for Wisconsin Residents dashboard to include data on vaccinations in the 5- to 11-year-old age group.

“Wisconsin has been a national leader of getting available shots in arms, and this work has been essential to keeping our kids, families, and communities healthy and safe so we can put this pandemic behind us,” said Governor Tony Evers. “We couldn’t have gotten here without the dedication of our vaccinators, partners, and Wisconsinites in every corner of our state. I thank everyone for their hard work and tireless efforts.”

Since December 2020, the state has mobilized the largest vaccination effort in its history to make COVID-19 vaccines available to all eligible Wisconsin residents. Over the past year, nearly 3,000 providers registered as vaccinators and more than 2,500 providers are actively administering vaccines currently. These providers have administered over 8 million COVID-19 vaccinations, including more than 1.2 million additional and booster doses. More than 67% of Wisconsin adults 18 years of age and older have been fully vaccinated, including 82% of Wisconsinites 65 years of age and older, and nearly 90,000 children ages 5-11 years have received their first dose in just six weeks after becoming eligible.

View the entire news release.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

As of December 17th, 8,311,367 COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Wisconsin and 61.3% of Wisconsin residents have received at least one dose, with 57.7% fully vaccinated. Additionally, 1,392,079 additional or booster doses have been administered.

DHS has reported that new data indicates that unvaccinated individuals are 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with COVID-19, are 11 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, and die from COVID-19 at 15 times higher rates than fully vaccinated individuals.

If you have not yet been vaccinated, now is a critical time to get your vaccine. The vaccine protects individuals and communities from getting seriously ill or dying of COVID-19, including the variants. Find more information of COVID-19 variants HERE.

As of November 3rd, the Pfizer Biontech pediatric vaccine has been approved for children ages 5-11. This gives us another tool to protect kids and their teachers, caretakers, and peers from Covid-19. See the full statement from DHS HERE.

The new omicron variant is cause for concern, but not panic. The best protection against this new variant, or any variant of COVID-19, is to get fully vaccinated and get a booster shot. All Wisconsinites 18 years or older who had their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine at least six months ago, or got their Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at least two months ago, are eligible for a free booster shot. Getting your booster shot will provide the best protection from COVID-19, including this new variant.

Find additional information on booster shots HERE.

En español, AQUI. ¿Tiene preguntas sobre la vacuna contra el COVID-19? Llame al 844-684-1064 (llamada gratuita)

For more information about where you can get a vaccine, visit the DHS website HERE.

For more information about where to get vaccinated in Waukesha County, visit their website HERE.

For more information about where to get vaccinated in the city of Wauwatosa, visit their website HERE.

For more information about where to get vaccinated in the city of Milwaukee, visit their website HERE. En español AQUI.