Every one of us has been through this experience, recognizing that the time has come for a change. For Connect for Kids and the Benton Foundation, the change represents the next logical step for a project that began as an experiment and succeeded in testing its premise: the Internet can be used to advance children’s issues on the national agenda. On January 1, 2003, Connect for Kids begins operation as a non-profit organization, legally separated from the Benton Foundation.

“Benton is proud of the track record Connect for Kids has built,” says Benton President Andrea Taylor. “This project has devoted six years to innovative development and effective application of communications technology to promote sound social policy for children and families. This is a solid foundation for a new organization.”

Background
Benton's focus on children's issues began in the early 1990s, when the Foundation played a pivotal role in convening the Coalition for America's Children. Benton envisioned a children's advocacy community that could use communications technology to speak effectively in putting children at the forefront of the public policy agenda. Connect for Kids is the legacy of this vision and commitment.

Connect for Kids has been using the Web and electronic newsletters since 1996 to serve our audience of parents, educators and child advocates/activists. We believe everyone has a stake in improving policies that affect the wellbeing of children and families. We also are committed to finding community-based solutions to problems faced by children and families. We’ve used public opinion research as a communications tool in this effort.

Filling a Unique Niche
Our research shows that adults, parents and child advocates alike, often feel frustrated by the perceived difficulty of making a difference. We have learned that:

• People want to help kids, but are not finding practical information about what is needed and what is working in their community from traditional news sources.
• Combining parenting and advocacy information can be a successful strategy for moving people from personal concerns to community-based solutions.

Special thanks to the David and Lucile Packard and Annie E. Casey Foundations whose generous support made this grand experiment possible and to our partners, the Casey Family Programs, the National Education Association and the Advertising Council. We received support for the first time in 2002 from the C.S. Mott Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Bernard van Leer Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and the Rockefeller Family Fund, affirming our belief that a good online resource that provides tools and information for people who want to get involved in making our communities work for kids is worth supporting.

As we move forward, our mission will continue to focus on moving people from a personal concern about their families to a shared, public concern about making our communities safe and nurturing environments for our children. We invite you to let us know how we’re doing.

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Cecilia Garcia directs Connect for Kids.