Archives

Texas Students Visit Voices

Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Feb. 7 Students from the International School of the Americas, a magnet school of the Northeast Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas, visited Voices this week. Terrylynn Tyrell, Voices’ Senior Director of Government Affairs and Policy gave pointers on how the student could advocate for making a difference in the lives of children. Topics discussed included strategic advocacy, messaging, meeting with members of Congress, audience development and planning advocacy, and career paths for advocates. This information will be used as the students develop a project to address child mortality in Bexar County and as their advocate for children in the future.

Mr. President, Can You Hear Us?

Posted by Roberta Heine on Jan. 22 2013 Children’s/Youth Inaugural Address Yesterday, President Obama gave his second inaugural address, setting the tone and the agenda for the coming term: the economy, education, immigration and safety. Since children and youth under the age of 25 make up one-third of the population here in the United States, we thought it would be interesting to hear what they think the president’s agenda should be over the next four years. The Children’s Leadership Council, of which Voices is a proud co-founder, and SparkAction produced this video to give kids and youth nationwide the opportunity to share what they think our nation needs to do to ensure all kids grow up healthy, safe and ready to succeed: 2013 Children’s/Youth Inaugural Address.

Falling Short on Dental Care for Children

Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on Jan. 8 In the past 50 years, dental care has improved significantly transforming oral health in America. Rarely do we see individuals with rows of missing teeth that once were commonplace. However, millions of children are still afflicted with oral health problems, especially those who live in low-income communities. Research shows that providing sealants through school-based programs is a cost-effective way to reach low-income children, who are at greater risk of decay. In addition to protecting healthy teeth, sealants can also prevent cavities from forming when applied during the early stages of decay. The Pew Center on the States released a new report today, Falling Short: Most States Lag on Dental Sealants, which confirmed that not enough is being done to prevent tooth decay and reduce related health costs. Twenty states and the District of Columbia received a grade of D or F for lack of access to sealants that prevent decay in low-income children. Report findings also revealed that two-thirds of states do not have any sealant programs in a majority of high-need schools, and 19 states and DC have a regulation that restricts hygienists’ ability to provide sealants to children. State budgets are starting to feel the effects of preventable dental care with one-third of spending on dental care going to children. Annual Medicaid spending for dental care is expected to increase from $8 billion to more than $21 billion between 2010 and 2020. The Pew report on dental care draws attention to a key Voices issue. With proper dental health, children do better is school and are more likely to succeed.

Protecting our Children

Posted by Jacquelyn Lendsey on Dec. 18 Last Friday, we learned of the killing of more than two dozen people at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. Most devastating about this horrific tragedy was that many of the victims were very young children who had their whole lives ahead of them. My heartfelt condolences are extended to the families of each of the victims, the community of Newtown and our nation as we try to heal. Most of all, my heart goes out to the grieving families whose lives are forever changed. We at Voices for America’s Children will continue to keep the families in our prayers. As advocates for children, Voices believes that every child deserves to have everything needed to succeed – a safe environment, readiness and success to ensure a quality education, access to health care and economic support. Our hearts are broken, but our spirits are renewed for the job ahead to ensure the best for all children. The events of Newtown are a first, as the nation grapples with protecting children from this point forward. We need to work harder to ensure a safe productive environment. President Obama, our elected officials and the rest of the country simply must commit to do everything possible to end the senseless violence that continues to plague this nation. In the words of President Barack Obama, “This is our first task – caring for our children.”

Voices Nationwide Network Electoral Advocacy Efforts Continue

Posted by Casey_Labrack on Aug. 15 As we mentioned in our blog last Wednesday, many of our Voices members are doing a fantastic job creating advocacy tools for the upcoming election.  Here are some of the most recent additions:

• Voices for Illinois Children has produced an election advocacy toolkit that includes a list of questions to ask candidates and also has ideas on how to hold a community forum.
• 
  The Colorado Children’s Campaign also created user friendly guides for the upcoming election, and provides information on who is running for office at the local, state, and national level.


• In Washington state, the Children’s Alliance is also active in campaigning for children through their Vote for Children Action Team.


• Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) in Pennsylvania has a Make Kids Matter Campaign in which they have been exploring trends and topics most relevant to children that they can ask about during the election cycle.


• The Children’s Action Alliance in Arizona has compiled a number of resources, including candidate questionnaires and information about how to make sure your voter registration is up to date.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on ongoing efforts of member organizations as we get closer to Election Day.

Connecting Candidates to Kids

Posted by rheine on Aug. 8 Election Day is less than three months away and we still aren’t hearing much from candidates at all levels about their plans to improve the lives of America’s children.  Voices for America’s Children is working to change this through its national campaign to put children on the political agenda this year. All children deserve to be healthy, educated and safe and we must make children a priority by voting for candidates who choose to make investments in these areas.  Some recent activities include:

• Voices for Utah’s Children reached out to voters in their state through this op-ed published in The Salt LakeTribune, informing them about many of the problems that children in their state are facing and what they can do to help.

• As part of last week’s launch of the “Vote for Kids New York” campaign, the Schuyler Center, Westchester Children’s Association and the Children’s agenda worked with Voices to develop an election guide for candidates, advocates, and voters.

• The Children’s Campaign in Florida was recently
cited for its efforts to increase awareness for the need to put children on the “campaign radar.”

• In Augusta, Voices for Georgia’s Children co-hosted a discussion among 12^th District Congressional candidates to discuss their take on various child issues.

• The Children’s Alliance of New Hampshire recently hosted a forum in Concord, NH where the six candidates running for governor discussed children’s issues.

Many Voices members also have developed terrific electoral advocacy websites – we’ll give you a tour of some of them later this week.

A comparison of National Assessment for Educational Progress student scores with scores on state assessments

Posted by Terrylynn Tyrell on May. 24 These charts compare the aggregate test scores of students taking the National Assessment of Educational Progress to student test scores on state assessments. It demonstrates the greater rigor of federal assessments compared to state-administered tests. It also charts the achievement gap in these scores by race.

Help Hungry Children This Holiday

Posted by Jacquelyn Lendsey on Nov. 24 As many of us sit down to hearty Thanksgiving meals this holiday, and look across the table and give thanks for many things including our well-fed children, please remember that one in four children in America is struggling with hunger. Congress is now considering legislation that can help millions of  families put food on the table. Tell Congress to pass the child nutrition bill next week.

Maine Children’s Alliance KIDS COUNT report, 2010

Posted by Voices_staff on Jul. 13 "The Maine Children’s Alliance’s 16th annual KIDS COUNT Data Book provides the most current and reliable data available pertaining to the physical, social, economic and educational well-being of Maine’s children. Before we can chart the best course for our children’s future, we must have an understanding of the strengths and challenges present for Maine’s children and their families. By publishing these data, we hope to increase public awareness of the status of children across the state, to enrich discussions among concerned citizens and policymakers about children’s wellbeing, and to support advocacy to secure a better future for all of Maine’s children."

Keeping Track of New York City’s Children, 2010

Posted by Voices_staff on Jun. 9 Keeping Track has become an indispensable asset for citizens, elected and appointed officials, academics, foundations, and service providers seeking to understand and improve the lives of New York City's children. With the release of the 9th edition of Keeping Track, CCC continues to update the Keeping Track database and expand the types of data collected. Order the entire report at Citizens' Committee for Children of New York City website.