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April 16 —Where a child is born and raised plays a surprisingly large role in his or her chances of getting and staying healthy and surviving to adulthood, according to this major new report by the nonpartisan Every Child Matters Education Fund.

Why the differences? In part, the answer lies in the “huge investment gap” in social programs nationally and across the states. Every Child Matters is urging adults to get the facts and take action to make better investments and better outcomes a priority. Here’s what you need to know. Read more.

April 2—The America’s Promise Alliance launched its Dropout Prevention Campaign with stunning data about the high school graduation rate in our nation’s 50 largest cities: only about half (52 percent) of students in the main school systems actually finish high school with a diploma—the number is as low as 35 percent in Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, and Indianapolis.

Some schools and areas have made progress in raising graduation rates, as we reported in our Ready by 21 coverage (see below). In the coming weeks, Connect for Kids will feature a Q&A with America’s Promise, and other tools and resources. Read a summary of the report and campaign.

  • Updated! The Ready by 21 Challenge isn't a program or a campaign or even an initiative. So what is it and how can it improve your work and youth outcomes? Find out in a free April 23 webinar.

March 2008 —On February 27, the Forum for Youth Investment and its national partners launched the Ready by 21 Challenge to help state and local leaders "change the odds for youth by changing the way they do business." Here are some of the voices from the launch, and more on the Challenge, which aims to ensure that all young people are ready by 21—ready for college, work and life. Read more.

The CFK Update
From the editor, Caitlin Johnson

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April 30 issue—Looking for a mid-day diversion but want to stay focused on improving outcomes for young people? The Forum for Youth Investment has posted video clips online from its national Ready by 21 Launch Event. Get inspired by speakers like Former Congressman Dick Gephardt, Former Governor Tom Ridge, Forum Executive Director Karen Pittman, and 23-year-old youth leader Eric Polk.

This week's Update is also full of tools from the field to help us do and measure your work more effectively—from juvenile justice training to health advocacy to parent involvement. There's also help with communications and fundraising. Check out the Tools section for great free resources that you can use no matter where you are and what areas you focus on.

On the newsier side of things, the House passed a moratorium on the controversial new Medicaid rules. The Department of Education is calling for states to adopt uniform graduation rate measurements. A major report from the Foundation for Child Development finds some promising trends in U.S. child well-being. But at the other end of the age spectrum, an Urban Institute study points to less positive outcomes when young people who have aged out of foster care fare hit their mid-20s. Read the CFK Update.

 

 

Because I have a strong belief in the power of community action and citizen engagement in all areas of child well-being, I constantly comb major Websites and print publications for relevant Real People, Real Results stories to share with CFK readers. My most recent find in Casey Family Services' Voices publication prompted these thoughts on how nonprofits can do a better job reaching a broad audience. Read Hershel's column.

 

Recent Columns:

>>Learn more about CFK and Child Advocacy360.

 

Karen PittmanSuperintendents of Learning

Karen Pittmans's Youth Today Column

 

"Superintendents rock! I've never started a column like this before ... But at a forum hosted by the American Association of School Administrators, I recently spent two days with 25 of the most enthusiastic public leaders I've ever met." Read Karen's column.

 

Recent Columns:

SomeoneToday

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