Ad Campaign Casting Call for Infantino and Step 2

from Parents by Jessica Hester:
Everybody plays. That’s the motto of a campaign from kids’ gear companies Infantino and Step 2. Infantino brand manager Colette Cosky became committed to celebrating the awesome uniqueness of every child after giving birth to her son Dexter, who has Down syndrome. It’s also a message that we take to heart at Parents: we’re proud that our stories and photos feature kids of all abilities and appearances. (Check out the sweet sibling story “Dake” from our recent August issue.)
That’s why we’re so excited that Infantino is hosting an open casting call for kids of all shapes, sizes, and needs to star in an upcoming ad campaign. Even better: the photos will be shot by our friend Kelle Hampton, a mega-popular mom blogger and author whose second daughter, Nella, was also born with Down syndrome. (Kelle shared Nella’s birth story with us—it’s a tear-jerker!) Kelle shot this cute photo for last year’s campaign.
Is your child ready for her close-up? Kids must be 5 years or younger, live in Southern California, and not be represented by a modeling agency. If your tot fits the bill, send her name, age, date of birth, and a recent close-up and full-body snapshot to castingcall@infantino.com. Submit your kid’s photo by 09/10/12 for a chance to be considered.

U.S. Supreme Court to hear case regarding Medicaid rate cuts

from The Arc:


Medicaid – U.S. Supreme Court to hear case regarding Medicaid rate cuts

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case on Monday, October 3, that The Arc and the disability community are watching very closely.  The case, Douglas v. Independent Living Center of Southern California,concerns whether individuals and providers can sue states to block cuts to Medicaid rates.  California maintains that only the federal government can enforce the portion of the law concerning payment rates.  The case began in California when the state planned to cut provider rates, some as much as 10%.  The Justice Department and National Governors Association filed briefs taking the side of the state in the case, while House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), both from California , have sided with the respondents.

Medicaid law requires states to keep their payment rates high enough to attract an adequate supply of providers.  The argument in the case before the Supreme Court involves whether individual beneficiaries and providers have the right to enforce that mandate while overriding the state law reducing provider rates.  The respondents argue that under the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, individuals have the right to sue a state to ensure that provider rates are adequate.  The 9^th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in their favor in 2008, blocking the cuts.

If the Court finds that individuals do not have the right to sue a state to enforce the payment provision of Medicaid law, The Arc and other disability organizations fear that the federal government alone would not have the capacity to monitor over 51 different Medicaid programs to make sure that provider rates are adequate to ensure an adequate supply of providers.  A decision could come at any time during the Court’s term, which runs until June 2012.