CF Staff Report

Last  month’s vote on the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 was followed closely by most Georgians, and the details of the bill are just becoming clearer.

But beyond the issue of change and reform to the U.S. health insurance and heath care system, the legislation had significant benefits for those seeking a college education in Georgia.

Here’s a summary of what the bill means for Georgia:

1.)  Increases Pell Grants: The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act invests more than $40 billion in Pell Grants to ensure that all eligible students receive an award and that these awards will be increased in future years to help keep pace with the rising cost of college. These investments, coupled with the President’s previous investments, more than double the total amount of funding provided for Pell Grants since the President took office. The law increases the Federal Pell Grant maximum award by the Consumer Price Index from 2013 through 2017, which is estimated to raise the award from $5,550 to $5,975, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. By academic year 2020-2021, the Department of Education estimates Georgia’s students will receive an additional $951 million in Pell Grants due to the changes in the new law.

2.)  Expands Income Based Repayment: Because of the high cost of college, about two-thirds of students take out college loans with an average student debt of over $23,000. This debt is particularly burdensome for graduates who choose to enter lower-paying public service careers, suffer setbacks such as unemployment or serious illness, or fail to complete their degree. To ensure that Native Americans can afford their student loan payments, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act makes the existing income-based student loan repayment program more generous for new borrowers after July 1, 2014. They will be allowed to cap their student loan repayments at 10 percent of their discretionary income and, if they keep up with their payments over time, forgive their balance after 20 years. As under current law, public service workers—such as teachers, nurses, and those in military service—will see any remaining debt forgiven after only 10 years.  According to Department of Education estimates, 1.2 million borrowers are projected to qualify and take part in the expanded IBR program between 2014 and 2020.

3.)  Increases Support for Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), such as Savannah State: While many of today’s colleges and universities are facing a host of challenges—shrinking endowments, decreasing state appropriations, deteriorating facilities and increasing costs—many of America’s Minority Serving Institutions are feeling the pain more acutely. They do more with less and enroll higher proportions of low- and middle-income students. That’s why the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act provides $2.55 billion to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions over the next ten years.   These dollars can be used to renew, reform, and expand programming to ensure that students at these colleges and universities are given every chance to live up to their full potential. HBCUs and MSIs in Georgia will be eligible to receive an additional $73 million in funding under the new law.  
4.)  Funding for College Access Grants: The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act extends and increases mandatory funding for the existing College Access Challenge Grant Program to $150 million per year over the next four years.  This program provides grants to States to help organizations provide services that increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter college and manage their student loans, such as by developing financial literacy and debt management skills.  Georgia is expected to receive approximately $20 million in additional funding due to the changes in the new law.

5.)  Investments in Community Colleges & Career Training: As the largest part of the nation’s higher education system, community colleges enroll more than 6 million students and are growing rapidly. They feature affordable tuition, open admission policies, flexible course schedules, and convenient locations. Community colleges are particularly important for students who are older, working, or need remedial classes. Community colleges work with businesses, industry and government to tailor training programs to meet economic needs like nursing, health information technology, advanced manufacturing, and green jobs. The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act includes $2 billion over four years for community colleges. These resources will help community colleges and other institutions develop, improve, and provide education and career training programs suitable for workers who are eligible for trade adjustment assistance. Each state will receive at least 0.5 of the total funds appropriated to this program each fiscal year. 

Ultimately, the education related provisions of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act are fully paid for by ending the government subsidies currently given to financial institutions that make guaranteed federal student loans, according to the White House.

Starting July 1, all new federal student loans will be direct loans delivered and collected by private companies under performance-based contracts with the Department of Education. According to the Congressional Budget Office, ending these wasteful subsidies frees up nearly $68 billion which this new law reinvests back into students and into reducing the deficit. As a result of the savings and investments in this new law, Georgia and its students are expected to receive more than $1 billion by academic year 2020-2021 in additional benefits for higher education.

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As social interaction has changed from verbal conversations to texted acronyms or 140-character bites, parents and adolescents find themselves in a generational gap, widening a chasm of non-communication within families, says Dr. Jimmy Myers, owner and director of the Timothy Center in Austin, Texas, and author of “Toe to Toe with Your Teens.”
The Nielsen Company reports that teens average 80 texts per day, or 2,272 a month. Inside Facebook reported 5.4 million users between the ages of 13 and 17 were using Facebook in February. According to Myers, parenting and adolescent issues associated with the emergence of technology is the most recent trend of concerns facing the family dynamic.
“Unrestrained access and usage of social networking technology not only opens our kids up to cyber bullying and unhealthy levels of social involvement, it also gives sexual predators and pornographers a fertile field of young minds to exploit,” said Myers. “Setting down a set of rules, which both the parent and the teen can agree to and live by, is essential to guiding families through these potential mine fields.”
Myers has spent more than 25 years counseling teens and parents, including the last seven years through The Timothy Center, which is a unique counseling practice that focuses on helping adolescents and families find God’s solutions to life’s challenges. Through his countless experience, he has discovered it is never too late to turn a family around.
“Texting is allowing our kids to communicate without communication,” Myers said. “Due to the unrestricted influence of personal texting technology, there is an ever-expanding gap that is developing between our kids and the truthful, respectful and successful skill of communication. Learning how to properly and effectively communicate with one another has always been one of the primary skills that were honed during adolescence. Unrestrained texting is negatively impacting the development of that vital social skill.”
Many parents give up on trying to relate and reach their children of the Technology Age, not realizing they have just given access to a potential Pandora’s Box of problems for their children. Countless adolescents are left creating their own rules and getting lost in the maze of unrestricted information.
As Myers states in his book, “In the pursuit of their own sense of independence and identity, teenagers have created their own ‘world’ of existence. Most parents simply do not understand the complexity of this world, or the power it holds over their teenagers.”
As with any other aspect in adolescent development, it is important to create boundaries and set rules for texting and social media use. Opportunities for both parent and teen to communicate with one another need to be identified and used to reestablish relationships and build new bridges of communication and create an environment of trust.
“We parents may not understand or be welcomed into our kid’s ‘world beneath,’ but it is incumbent upon us to make every effort to learn as much as we can about it, because this is where our teens spend so much of their time,” Myers writes. “Parents of teenagers should proactively keep abreast of teen culture because this knowledge offers a window into their child’s heart, mind and driving interests.”
Myers offers additional practical advice to parents about dealing with a variety of teen issues, including bridging the generation gap, in his new book, “Toe to Toe With Your Teen: A Guide to Successfully Parenting a Defiant Teen Without Giving Up or Giving In,” available now in bookstores nationwide (Regal Books, $14.99). His book is full of stories of parents who were driven to their wits’ ends but found fresh hope in their struggle with rebellious teenagers. Myers offers his proven strategy for putting a stop to unruly behavior, exerting a parent’s God-given authority and regaining control of the family. Myers received a bachelor’s degree in theology from Howard Payne University and a master’s degree and doctoral degree in professional counseling from Liberty University. He also serves as an adjunct professor in the master’s programs at Howard Payne University and Liberty University. For more information, visit www.TimothyCenter.com.
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By Janine Sherman

You and your 12-15-year-old have just come from your second visit to the pediatrician for your daughter’s continued problems with menstrual cramps. They again gave you a prescription for pain medication and also recommended that you take your daughter to a women’s healthcare provider to better deal with this problem.
You asked your pediatrician who you should take her to and he gives you the name of a large Ob/Gyn group and says that they are all good. The gynecologist who delivered your children is in that group. He/she is a great physician; however, is he/she the right one for your teenage daughter? Maybe he/she is but maybe not. The doctor can treat her cramps very competently and you are comfortable because you have known this person for years, but is it really the best choice? In making the decision whom your daughter should see, there are many factors to consider.
First and foremost, it is important to make sure your daughter’s first encounter with a women’s health care provider is a positive one. Of course, you also want to be sure she will be getting the appropriate care. When you think back to your first visit to a gynecologist, how was it? For many women, the first encounter with a women’s health care provider was a negative experience and it set the tone for how they perceive health care for the rest of their life.
Since most gynecologists or other women’s health care providers see women between the ages of 18-50 for their primary care, you want to choose wisely. So, how do you find the right one and how do you prepare your daughter for the visit?

Finding the Right Doctor
Finding the right person may take some ground work, but, to ensure it is a positive experience it is worth the extra effort. Most of the time an appointment like this is not an emergency, so make the effort to find the person who will be the best match for your daughter. Do your homework! Here are some ideas of where to start.
• Talk to your pediatrician. Ask your pediatrician who he/she gets the most positive feedback about. Is there a particular doctor that sees more adolescent patients than others?
• Talk to your gynecologist. Many times if you ask your provider, he/she will honestly tell you who sees the most adolescent patients and who specializes in dealing with this age group.
• Talk to your friends with daughters around the same age. They may have already had a experience that they can share with you.
• Ask your daughter if any of her friends have been to a doctor that they particularly like or dislike. Take into consideration her preferences as well as gender, age, and her maturity level.
Call the school nurse or counselor. They often have a list of people they know who specialize in this age group.

Preparing Your Daughter for the Visit
First of all, if you have had a previous bad experience, now is not the time to share it with her. Remind her that most women don’t love going to a gynecologist’s office but it is important.
If the first appointment is for common problems such as irregular periods or cramps or just a general visit, then for most girls this will not include a pelvic exam. This is something you should ask before scheduling the appointment. Ask to talk to the provider’s medical assistant and ask how often they do pelvic exams on young virginal women. If they say most of the time, find someone else to see your child. A non-invasive abdominal ultrasound can be done if an ovarian or structural problem is suspected. If it is determined that your daughter needs a pelvic exam, and she is not mentally prepared, ask if she can have it done at another appointment.
Help your daughter formulate questions prior to the visit, and go in with your child to meet the provider. Get a sense of how comfortable your daughter is. Encourage your daughter to answer the questions that are asked of her and try not to answer for her unless you need to. After the visit is underway — and if it seems to be going well — excuse yourself and step out of the room for them to talk privately. This is very empowering to a girl because you are saying, “I want you to begin to be in charge of your health care and I trust you.” Reassure your daughter that you will be right outside and if she needs you, you will step back in. At the end of the visit, go over the instructions with them and make sure that neither of you have any questions.
After the appointment, talk to your daughter and get her opinion of how the visit went. Make sure she felt comfortable with the doctor and, if she wasn’t, find out what made her uncomfortable. Praise her for taking her first major step in becoming the person responsible for her health and body. Remember, this whole process can give you great opportunities to talk about health and sex, so make the most of it!

Janine Sherman is an OB/GYN nurse practitioner in Houston, TX, who specializes in caring for teens and their moms. She is also the co-author of the book “Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You & Your Mom.” This easy-to read, lively, down-to-earth book is definitely teen-friendly and is ideal to help both mothers and daughters have engaging conversations about tough topics.
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By Dr. Laura Kastner & Jenny Wyatt

Call it “entitle-mania.” The average American kid has more stuff, wants more stuff and gets away with fewer chores around the house than any previous generation. This trend is not limited to the affluent — it cuts across all socioeconomic classes.

As parents, most of us haven’t made it a priority to train our children to roll up their sleeves and dig into daily household drudgery. The fallout? Many children today feel entitled to all the benefits of family life — without giving much back.

This is a pickle we’ve created. Many parents feel that their children are spoiled to some degree, from “somewhat” to “excessively.” Most are in the “somewhat” category. These children pout and drag their heels, but eventually do some chores.

They collect goodies such as clothes, electronics and athletic gear. Once they reach the teen years, the average kid spends $100 a week, regardless of family income level (Teen Research Unlimited, October 2003).

Kids being kids, they’ll use their verbal and emotional talents to try to persuade parents they have to have something and, likewise, to get off the hook with family jobs. Compared to parents of the 1950s and 1960s, we place more of a value on our children’s feelings than on strict obedience.

When we insist that they pitch in or we deprive them of their wants, they tell us we’re meaner than other parents, that “everybody else has one” or the big showstopper: “My friends feel sorry for me.”

Highly indulged kids are not happy kids. They typically have a false, inflated sense of importance, which is inversely related to genuine self-esteem. Happy kids work toward achieving goals. Research shows that a strong sense of self develops when kids buckle down and master challenges.

Indulging children is too easy. What’s hard is sticking to our guns and making it a priority to teach children the skills they need to delay gratification, to budget resources and to be contributing members of the family.

Chores: a way of life
When parents build chores into the family routine, they are helping their kids build character. This character development instills a sense of responsibility, an expectation to give back to the community of home and a work ethic. These behaviors — desired by all parents — are the opposite of “spoiled rotten.”

But here’s the reality: Most children don’t do chores with smiles on their faces.

Getting kids to help out around the house takes years of training, starting when they are toddlers picking up their toys, progressing to youngsters clearing dinner dishes and leading to teens who feel obliged (albeit begrudgingly) to participate in household tasks.

The more that families make household duties a way of life for children, the more easily kids comply. But even then, children might show some attitude; parents might have to ask more than once; siblings might argue over whose turn it is; and there might be some tiffs and theatrics and a hard lesson or two. We may feel the urge to call our kid a “spoiled brat,” but losing our cool is counterproductive, so it’s best to stay calm and firm — and keep nagging to a minimum.

With small children, parents can work side by side and offer other support. With tweens, parents can say, “You don’t like being badgered, and I don’t like your heel-dragging. Let’s make a deal and figure out when this will be done.” Link privileges to responsibilities: “After you clean your room, we’ll pick up Jason and go to the park.” Later, that can translate to access to car keys.

While parents should expect 100 percent compliance on family responsibilities, they shouldn’t expect a joyful response — or a perfect job. When, what and how the chores get done is negotiable; whether they will is not.

Creating new habits
What can parents do when they find themselves with a child who does zilch and expects a lot? For parents needing to initiate new and better habits for defiant kids, here are some tips:

• Avoid threats and ultimatums.
“Do it or else” statements are like red flags in front of a bull and are more likely to arouse defiance instead of cooperation. A negotiated deal and an ongoing, working alliance will always be more effective.

When children have a pattern of not doing as asked, parents can announce a new policy. Let them know that you’ll remind them once and if they don’t comply, they’ll owe you “payback of time plus additional interest time” with another chore.

If the child protests the task of emptying the dishwasher, you can say, “I expect you to do it in the next 20 minutes. You’re right, I can’t make you. It’s your choice, but you’ll owe me the time so it’s in your best interest to play by the rules.” Then leave the room, because it’s hard for kids to buckle in a battle.

• Positive strategies work better than punishment.
Once in a while, we may have to punish kids, but a steady stream of negative threats doesn’t inspire cooperation. If we’ve already consented to something, even tacitly, it’s dirty pool and coercive to yank permission at the last minute. Often, we pull the big guns out of anger, not because they work.

• Flip the language and set up incentives.
Giving the child plenty of notice, we can make an upbeat offer like, “After you make your bed, we can get out the Legos.”

Think of it as translating from Greek to Italian. Instead of “Do X or you don’t get to do Y,” it’s “First you do X, and then you get to do Y.”

Steer clear of enticing a child with something highly desirable and out of the ordinary, such as a special birthday celebration, a car or a new puppy. This is almost always a bad idea, since parents as well as children buy into special things emotionally. Parents then have grave misgivings about withdrawing the offer if the child isn’t successful. Parents should never create situations (promises or threats) they’re not willing to follow through on, since it erodes their credibility. And they shouldn’t shoot for a goal beyond the child’s reach, since it sets the child up for failure.

The best way to kick-start a new habit or a new regime is to break it into chunks and use small rewards. Determine your “new program,” preferably with input from the child. Then, supply small rewards for small steps in the right direction, which are easily earned and easily taken away.

For example, for every day’s completion of chores, the child might earn TV or cell phone privileges. Third, adapt the program as needed, since we rarely get it exactly right from the get-go. A new habit takes time, repetition and rewards along the way in order for it to take root. Emphasize the positive, cheer your kids’ success and say little — no threats, no finger wagging — when they fail.

Tell children that you expect them to do chores, no ifs, ands or buts. Part of a parent’s job is to prepare children for the world, and the way of the world is: First you do your work, then you get your reward or privilege. However, terms are negotiable. Kids can be allowed some say on which chores, which deadlines and which rewards. This input can mean the difference of night and day in their attitude, because the kids buy in to the task through their participation.

Although it’s hard to give more goodies to an indulged child, it may be necessary. The child’s new regime, whether it’s sleeping in her own bed, doing dishes or walking the dog, is burdensome and bad news to her. That’s why we override their resistance (and ours to fighting) with the goody. If necessary, parents may need to revoke privileges previously given and make them contingent on task completion, and they should expect protest.

If it becomes clear in a few weeks that the plan isn’t working, call it off and come up with something else. If the child isn’t going to succeed, there’s no reason to keep going. Consistency is desirable once you have the new routine under way. Good parenting involves consistency and stability, but it also requires adaptability and innovation. In this instance, it’s perfectly OK to say to the child, “Look, what we’re doing isn’t working. We need to adjust the plan to get back on track.”

Don’t be discouraged if things get worse before they get better. Most indulged kids are very good at wearing parents down. Because tantrums have worked before, kids will not only keep at it, they’ll double their intensity — following parents into the bathroom, telling parents they hate them, threatening to go live with Aunt Betty.

This is called “extinction surge.” Their freak-out is an honest outburst, as if to say, “How dare you change the program on me like this!” The surge is their last-ditch effort to weaken the parents’ resolve and express their strong emotion or frustration. Withstanding their wrath can be awful the first time, but behaviors will improve once the child knows parents mean business.

The later we take action, the more inconvenient it will be, but it’s never too late! In the same way that brushing teeth is not up for debate, kids can acquire new habits and be trained, for example, to get up from the table and do the dishes. Routine is a beautiful thing.

Clinical psychologist Laura Kastner, Ph.D., and writer Jennifer Wyatt, Ph.D., are co-authors of three books, including “Getting to Calm: Cool-headed Strategies for Parenting Tweens and Teens,” released last month by ParentMap Books (parentmap.com/books).
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