Kate Mattos is the President of Connect for Kids.

Just over a year ago, Connect for Kids moved away from home. With gratitude, we left the nurturing walls of the Benton Foundation to become an independent, nonprofit organization. We and our supporters believed the time had come to stand alone in order to give kids an even bigger voice.

And our timing was right. We brought in over $800,000 of foundation and individual support. We advanced new programs designed to help meet the challenges facing children. We enriched our Web site, improved our weekly e-letter, and re-designed our monthly e-publication, Connections. We grew to over 30,000 subscribers—from grassroots activists to senior executives—who care deeply and fight for better policies for children. We brought together a dynamic board and outstanding staff to build a strong organization.

We did this with a rigorous attention to spending dollars where it counts: delivering messages, content, and programs. We check quality. We measure results. We listen to our subscribers. We make every dollar count. Because we know every dollar could make a difference to a child in need.

Our job is to focus attention on how communities can give children the support they need to succeed. We say in our brand-new brochure: “Connect for Kids believes that the health, safety, education, and financial security of children should be the nation’s top priority.” We know there are millions of adults who agree. And we know that when we connect to work together, we can do more.

That’s why we are Connect for Kids. It’s a name that says what we do—and it’s a standing invitation to anyone to join—free of charge—a connected community that helps all kinds of children all over this country.

To help you feel more connected, here’s what we’re up to:

Supporting foster care. Last year, we stepped forward as the new sponsoring organization for the National Foster Care Coalition, a partnership of leading organizations working to improve the child welfare system and services for our nation’s foster children and youth. The Coalition raises public awareness, coordinates advocacy, and builds alliances to strengthen foster care supports for children, youth, and families.

We are gratified by the opportunity to work with House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his wife, Christine. Fostering several teens themselves, the Delays have been tremendous advocates of children and youth in foster care.

In 2004, we will advocate the funding and passage of laws that provide more help to children in foster care. And we will continue to produce compelling articles and bring attention to foster care on Connect for Kids.org.

Youth in transition. A decade from now, 90 percent of today’s 14-year-olds will have made a successful transition to adulthood. Most will have had the help of family, friends, educators, and others to get there.

But some young people face long odds against making a successful transition. Some 300,000 of today’s 14-year-olds are likely to be without a high school education, a job, or a system of support by the time they reach age 25.

We cannot wait. We need to hear the voices of these children now to help them attain the support and services they need to stay on track and to become successful citizens.

CFK is now mobilizing a community of organizations to give voice to these children and to identify the programs and policies that will make a difference.

Affordable, high quality child care. CFK will increase its advocacy for quality child care. Beyond spotlighting this issue in our e-publications, we are working with other partners to develop effective communications that support the goal. We cannot expect children to perform at high standards if they do not have a fair chance to begin with.

And a great Web site! In 2003, we had a half million visitors, who spent on average more than five minutes on the site. Our Kids & Politics section is attracting more and more traffic. Many visitors made use of our materials on foster care , and those on parent involvement in education. Thousands visited our interactive presentations on the state budget crisis and on health insurance for children.

We are grateful to our partners who are helping to make these projects successful.

Let me suggest three quick actions you can take so we can stay connected for kids:

1. Sign up for our monthly e-publication, Connections. It’s a great summary of our articles published each month.
2. Visit Kids & Politics. Pick one issue and find out how it connects to policies at issue in this election year.
3. Find out what’s happening in your state. Click on state-by-state on the home page to find out about organizations in your state committed to children’s issues.

Connect for Kids is grateful to work with so many of you. Thanks for joining us and letting us join you as, together, we champion smart policies for kids.

We can make a difference. After all, we are connecting for kids…not kidding.

Sincerely,

Kate Mattos

A mother herself, Kate Mattos believes that it is important for communities come together to help families and children succeed. Mattos serves as Communications Counsel for the National Education Association (NEA) and as Adjunct Professor at American University's School of Communications.