Latest News & Articles:

CFK's Toolkit for Funding

July 29 - From special provisions of the Recovery Act to an NFL Grassroots Grant to guides from the field, our newly updated Funding Toolkit can help you hit the ground running this fall! Read the Toolkit.

UPDATED! Health Care Reform: What’s in it for Kids & Families Fact Sheet

July 1 - As Congress and the administration work to reform our nation's health care system, here are resources to understand what's happening, what's in it for kids and young people, and what you can do to get involved. Read more.

CFK Field Reports: The Next Best Thing to Being There

July 15 - It’s an unseasonably mild summer in Washington, DC, but on Capitol Hill, things are starting to heat up—at least when it comes to some key programs for children and young people. If you missed these briefings, fear not. Our talented interns were there and have what you need to stay on top of things during the long, dog days of summer.

• A New White House Initiative to Strengthen Community College: As community colleges struggle to balance an unprecedented surge in enrollment with state budget cuts, the Obama administration is unveiling a new plan to sustain, measure and improve community colleges. CFK's Maria Allen joined a July 14 call with White House officials to bring you the scoop.
• “Hunger after the School Bell” as Advocates Gear Up for the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization: A July 8 Congressional briefing hosted by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and the Afterschool Alliance laid out some surprising facts and inspiring optimism about this fall’s opportunity to improve food programs for the nation’s vulnerable children.
• The Real Cost of Child Poverty, and What We Can Do About It: At a time of tight budgets and high price tags, overlooking opportunities to invest in youth is the biggest mistake Americans can make, according to a July 7 Capitol Hill briefing hosted by the Coalition on Human Needs and co-sponsored by Sen. Dodd (D-CT) and Rep. McDermott (D-WA).

Case Study: How MomsRising.Org Uses Social Media To Get Its Message Out

July 15 - Sure, social media can make or break movies—witness this week’s Twitter-fueled Harry Potter frenzy or the crash of Bruno ticket sales—but can it help fuel a social change movement and engage concerned adults and young people around issues? Here’s a look at what MomsRising is finding. Read more.

Past Blogs:

School Connectedness: A Video Highlight

July 1 - What is the secret behind students staying in school and graduating ready for success? Interesting courses? GPA? A new CDC study shows that unwavering support of teachers and community members is a primary contributor to students' outcomes. At a June 23 Congressional briefing hosted by Search Institute and the National Collaboration for Youth, researchers and educators shared their insight on how to create these essential connections and their lasting impact on students. Watch the video below and read more.

A Changed Mind - Kids & Health Care Reform
Commentary by CFK’s Jan Richter
July 1 - I am happy that I was proven wrong about how important it is to have the peace of mind and access to affordable, quality care when you need it... read more.

Witness to Hunger: A CFK Video

June 17 - Numbers only get you so far—12 million children, 17 percent of U.S. households with children—the real story of fighting hunger in America is best told by families themselves. Check out this CFK video coverage of an intimate and moving new project to "keep the children at the center" of policy debates. Check out the video and read more.

Columns:

Taking Risks for Transition-Age Youth
Karen Pittman's column
Karen finds commonalities between juvenile justice and the child welfare systems. Leaders from both systems convened recently to hear about efforts to strengthen supports for young people. Read Karen's column.

• Karen Pittman's columns

The Good, the Bad, and What’s Real about Social Media in Child Advocacy?
Hershel Sarbin's Child Advocacy 360 column
All ‘a-twitter’ about social media in child advocacy communication? Lots of folks are. But to what end? Are we just looking for connections with like-minded people, or a chance to move people to action—and just how would you do that with 140 characters per message? How much time does it take each day to make social media effective? Read Hershel's column.

• All of Hershel Sarbin's communications columns.

• HEARTH Act: What it Means for Kids.
• In Congress, Growing Momentum for White House Office on Children and Youth
• On Capitol Hill, Witnessing the Way Policy Meets Real Families’ Lives
• Congress Passes the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act
• The Flu Shines a Spotlight on Public Health
• Youth Video Draws Obama to ‘Early College’ School
• Youth in Action: Carmen Berkley, the United States Student Association

>> More CFKArticles

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CFK Update | July 29

Money, money, money. You can't do much good without funding. So in this edition of the Update, we're bringing you guidance and opportunities, good Web sites and e-newsletters to help you stay current on funding possibilities and our best wishes for success in funding all the good work that you do.

The Update will be on vacation in August, publishing only brief round-ups of breaking news in the child and youth field.

We'll return in September with our regular Updates—and our new, improved (merged) SparkAction site! Meanwhile, read the Update.

- Jan Richter

The Latest from the Field

Children and young people don't grow up in fragmented programs. That's why we're committed to bringing you best practices, news and policy developments from across the child and youth field. Here are a few of the latest:

Take Action on Health Care this August with the FamiliesUSA Toolkit!
National health care reform is happening right now. The House and Senate have both worked hard to get bills out of committees before the August Congressional recess. Advocates say that keeping a positive drumbeat this month is key! Here's how you (yes, you) can make a real difference in your hometown and across the country.

Family Economic Success Newsletter
July 30: The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s quarterly newsletter is out. Find out what's new in workforce, asset development and economic supports for families.

Changing Systems: Outcomes from the RWJF Reclaiming Futures Initiative on Juvenile Justice and Substance Abuse
Here's a longstanding initiative that's showing real results in its latest evaluation.Get the details.

 

Children in Immigrant Families – Economic Need beyond the Official Poverty Measure
The povery rate among immigrant children reaches nearly one-half (47.9 percent), much higher than the official rate, when you factor in 21st Century expenses like child care and transportation, says Child Trends.

• Youngest Children Are Underrepresented in Federal Budget
  
• 50-State Data on Poverty and Health Disparities
  
  
• KIDS COUNT Goes Local

Action Central: Tools for Advocacy

• ABC's of Advocacy
• A Toolkit for Funding
• Advocating for Kids (Transcript)
• More Taking Action Toolkits

Got a minute to get involved? Check out our Action Alerts!

Featured Alert:

4/23/09: Create a White House Office on Children and Youth!
The Federal government runs hundreds of critical programs to serve children and youth ages 0 to 24, which are spread across 12 departments and agencies. This fragmentation is getting in the way of effectiveness, but we can do better ... more.

>> Learn about this PSA campaign