Elinor Goldberg to Receive National Child Advocacy Award
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>AUGUSTA - Elinor Goldberg, president of the Maine Children's Alliance, will receive
>the Florette Angel Memorial Award on June 20 in Washington, D.C., at the annual
>forum of Voices for America's Children, a network of state child advocacy organizations.
>
>This national award is named for a legendary child advocate from West Virginia,
>and has been granted annually since 1996.
>
>In presenting the Florette Angel award, Bill Bentley, president and CEO of Voices
>for America's Children, said, "Ellie Goldberg's impact has been felt far beyond
>the boundaries of Maine. She has built a national reputation for her exceptional
> organization and energetic advocacy on behalf of children." He added, "This award
>is made in recognition of her dynamic leadership and the remarkable contribution
> she has made toward improving children's lives." Goldberg has led the Maine Children's
>Alliance since its inception in 1994, and has been influential is establishing numerous
>programs for children over the past 14 years. She organized the "Start ME Right"
> coalition that reserved a significant portion of tobacco settlement funds for early
>childhood programs and child care assistance. She also helped establish the Child
>Welfare Ombudsman program that has prompted major reforms in state child protective
>policies. Her leadership in the State Children's Health Insurance (SCHIP) initiative
>that was launched by the federal government in 1997 helped Maine launch one of the
>most successful of all the state programs, cutting Maine's number of uninsured children
>by half.
>
>MCA publishes its own Maine Kids Count data book each year, complementing a similar
>national report. It has become one of the most trusted and reliable guides for evidenced-based
>policymaking to benefit the state's children and families.
>
>Gov. John Baldacci praised Goldberg's work, saying she has been "my go-to expert
> on issues regarding children's welfare during my time in the U.S. Congress and
>the Governor's Office," and that she has "continually provided sound data and impassioned
>advocacy that helps build strong families and healthy youth."
>
>First Lady Karen Baldacci, who chairs the Children's Cabinet, said that Goldberg
> "provides a voice to Maine's children at the policy level in our state Legislature
>and our nation's Capitol," and added, "Ellie has a gift of working with all parties
>to come together to help solve the problems facing our youth." Goldberg, she said,
>"is a national leader and a state treasure."
>
>Goldberg's nomination was also supported by House Speaker Glenn Cummings, who cited
>her work in the recent state budget debate, saying she "was integral in convincing
>legislators to preserve funding for vital programs." Without her advocacy, he said,
>"The cuts could have been disastrous to the health and safety of Maine's children."
>
>Senate Majority Leader Elizabeth Mitchell said that Goldberg "is the face and the
>force behind the Maine Children's Alliance. Ellie's energy commitment and dogged
> determination hold us all accountable to improving the outcomes for Maine's children."
>
>Health and Human Services Commissioner Brenda Harvey, who has worked closely with
>Goldberg throughout her tenure at HHS, called her "a driving force, a vocal contributor
>and a constant presence at the State House. She has continued her advocacy for children
>with passion, dignity, and most importantly, respect."
>
>Goldberg has had a long and varied career in public service, and worked for more
> than a decade as a Maine child protective worker before joining MCA. She served
> as executive director of the Mid-Coast Council on Alcoholism, and was a video producer
>and director for the University of Maine and the Waldo County Committee for Social
>Action. She began her career as a welfare case manager in Harlem for the New York
>City Department of Social Services.
>
>A graduate of the University of Connecticut with a BA in psychology, Goldberg was
>also chosen for the Kennedy School of Government's program for Senior Executives
> in State and Local Government at Harvard University.
>
>(The Maine Children's Alliance is a statewide, non-profit, non-partisan organization
>advocating on behalf of all Maine children.)
>
Karen Heck
Program Officer
The Bingham Program
61 Winthrop St.
Augusta, ME 04330
207.622.2085 ph
207.622.1458 fx
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