Moving Forward During Coronavirus
We apologize for the delay in news updates. The pandemic has undoubtedly affected our foundation. However, myriad small businesses have suffered far worse. All of us must continue to do whatever we can to support these small business owners-employers so that they can survive and thrive once again.
We remain relentless in our mission to keep millions of children safe at thousands of California camps and to introduce the state’s first end-to-end drowning prevention solution. The following represent brief updates on our progress. All meetings were by teleconference as mandated under the stay-at-home order.
UPDATE
The American Academy of Pediatrics—California has just confirmed support for SB 955, The Roxie Rules Act. Meow Meow Foundation is deeply honored to be acknowledged in such a way by this influential 5,000-member organization of state pediatricians.
FEBRUARY 26: MEETING WITH THERESA EDY-KIENE, CEO OF GIRL SCOUTS OF GREATER LOS ANGELES
Although Ms. Kiene had a last minute personal challenge and could not appear at the meeting, officials from GSGLA met with us to discuss their camp programs as they relate to our bill SB 955, The Roxie Rules Act. The regional chapter follows the tenets of the 2.6 million-member national organization and thereby does not endorse or oppose proposed legislation. However, GSGLA officials posed questions related to how the MMF bill might affect their camp operations. MMF was especially steadfast in its belief that experienced, capable health supervisors must be available at day and overnight camps in order to meet the health and safety needs of thousands of regional youth members. Both organizations agreed to sustain a dialog throughout the legislative process.
MARCH 11: MEETING WITH KRIS CALVIN, CEO OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, CALIFORNIA
Kris Calvin helms the nation’s largest chapter of the AAP. She was kind enough to spend a considerable amount of time discussing organizational priorities and processes with Meow Meow Foundation. AAP-CA represents primary care and subspecialty pediatricians across California. Its mission is to attain optimal physical, mental and social health and wellbeing for all infants, children, adolescents and young adults living in California. MMF expressed its concerns about the fact that millions of children attend thousands of California camps without adequate health and safety standards. And, drowning continues to affect children at alarming rates. Ms. Calvin expressed her support of SB 955, The Roxie Rules Act, and pledged to present such support to her committee in an effort to publicly endorse the bill.
MARCH 16: MEETING WITH ARTHUR MANDEL, STATE AFFAIRS MANAGER FOR LOS ANGELES MAYOR ERIC GARCETTI
Mr. Mandel and MMF discussed SB 955 and ways by which the city of Los Angeles might explore implementation prior to the bill being signed into law. MMF explained the immensely important impact this bill now has. Thousands of children, camp counselors and staffers could have been severely affected by the coronavirus, primarily because camps are ill-prepared for such health crises. Though the virus had rightfully begun to consume the city’s attention at the time of the meeting, Mayor Garcetti’s office and MMF have nonetheless launched an important, substantive, solutions-oriented dialog with plenty more to be unveiled over the coming months.
MARCH 24: MEETING WITH SENATOR LENA GONZALEZ
Elected in June of 2019, Senator Lena A. Gonzalez represents California’s 33rd District. Long Beach, the largest city in her district, has been especially impacted by the virus. Sen. Gonzalez sits on the Senate’s Health and Judiciary committees. MMF will testify before both of those committees and the Government and Finance committee. Ms. Gonzalez was wholly supportive of SB 955, The Roxie Rules Act. She said she will do what she can to shore up additional committee support and work with MMF on effective enforcement for her district.
APRIL 3: MEETING WITH MARTHA MOLINA, HEALTH DEPUTY FOR LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERVISOR KATHRYN BARGER
Ms. Molina was kind enough to call us while neck-deep in the county’s coronavirus mitigation effort. Not only did she provide a detailed explanation of those mitigation efforts, she also confirmed that the county remains supportive of MMF’s efforts to implement critical health and safety measures once daily life returns to as close to normal as it will ever be. She confirmed that Summerkids camp, where Roxie was killed, will not receive a permit to operate from the county. She also answered another critical question posed by MMF a few weeks prior, which was whether or not camps in L.A. County were required to posssess business licenses. Her answer was “no.” This means that camps are not required to have any permits or licenses other than if they have a pool or offer food. She said that discovering this rather shocking reality was “a good catch.” Because she did not know why this was the operating standard, she arranged a meeting with a representative of the county Treasurer and Tax Collector office which handles licensing.
MEETING WITH ERIC BARNES, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE—BUSINESS LICENSING
Mr. Barnes informed MMF that it was correct — L.A. County camps are not even required to possess a business license, let alone a state-issued operating license similar to those required of child care facilities. This shocking fact illustrated yet another colossal gap in a system which now further jeopardizes thousands of children. Bingo suppliers need a business license. Funeral escort drivers need a business license. Hog ranches need a business license. Model studios need a business license. Massage parlors need a business license. And book stores need a business license. But camps with thousands of children shooting rifles, zip-lining over treetops, climbing sheer rock walls, riding horseback and submerged in pools, rivers, lakes and the ocean do not need business licenses. Mr. Barnes has informed his superiors about this incongruity that MMF discovered. A follow-up meeting is in the works, with MMF planning ways by which it can convince the county to bridge the gap.
SUPPORT FROM THE ROSE BOWL AQUATICS CENTER
MMF is eternally grateful to the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center, led by Pat Amsbry, Kurt Knop and Cristina Alvarado, for its public support of SB 955, The Roxie Rules Act. MMF looks forward to a long and deeply fruitful alliance with RBAC in our mutual efforts to keep children healthy and safe in and around water.
POTENTIAL STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH THE FAMILY ROOM
Karen Stoteraux is the CEO of The Family Room, with its mission to help families in the first days, early months, and young years of parenthood via a variety of dynamic classes and services. Karen was kind enough to reach out to MMF in order to explore ways by which MMF might contribute water safety/drowning prevention content and perhaps camp safety content. The two organizations are scheduled to further develop a plan by May 2020. These strategic alliances are the perfect example of how collaborations make communities grow even stronger.