Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - CFK Articles, Taking Action

Parents Design L.A. Parent Involvement Model

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:28:49 -0500

In 2009, the Los Angeles Unified School District launched a new model for parent involvement that specifically addresses the needs of "parents of color with kids who struggle in urban schools." It's designed by and for parents to improve learning and connection to schools. Get the story.

For Young Americans, Health Care Reform is Our Fight

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:59:26 -0500

CNN’s poll released [in August] shows a striking generational divide over support of Obama’s health care plan, with the reform being significantly more popular among young people than among adults over the age of 50. Nevertheless, every day I try new responses to those that ignorantly assume I don’t care about health care reform because I’m under 30 and supposedly invincible.

Foundations Offering Grants

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:57:46 -0500

A clickable "cheat sheet" list of on foundations, foundations and more foundations that give grants in areas related to children, youth, families and community improvement.

The Resource Links: Hundreds of Funding Ideas

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:44:53 -0500

Scott Peterson, founder of Global Youth Justice, has compiled links to hundreds of funding ideas and public and private resources and to support work in juvenile justice, foster care, youth development, youth service and leadership, youth and family employment and much more! Updated regularly.

Helping Families Save their Homes Act (and HEARTH): What it Means for Kids

Thu, 21 May 2009 09:44:35 -0500

Congress passed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which includes the HEARTH Act reauthorizing the HUD McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act programs. Is it good for children and youth? Yes—but there's a major missed opportunity, according to an analysis from the nonpartisan advocacy group First Focus.

In Congress, a Growing Movement for a White House Office on Children & Youth

Wed, 06 May 2009 17:03:09 -0500

A national campaign is gaining momentum to urge President Obama and Congress to create a White House Office on Children and Youth, that will centralize leadership across the 12 departments and agencies that provide federal services and funds for children and youth.

The Federal Budget Process in Congress: 2009

Wed, 06 May 2009 10:18:22 -0500

The latest federal budget is making its way through Congress. So what's in it for children and young people?

Youth Video Draws Obama to ‘Early College’ School

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:05:08 -0500

How a student YouTube posting brought top-level attention to a growing initiative that connects under-represented young people to college campuses—Jamaal Abdul-Alim of Youth Today reports.

Boosting Your Recruitment and Enrollment, Lessons from a New York Beacon Center

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:01:12 -0600

Engaging young teens in quality out-of-school time programs is no easy feat. Cypress Hills-East New York, a Beacon Center located in Brooklyn, has developed a strategy for recruiting and enrolling youth ages 9 to 14 for its school-year program. What works best? The Youth Development Institute shares some of the secrets of success.

CFK PolicyWatch: What Adults Who Care About Kids are Cheering—and Watching—in 2008 and 2009

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:15:05 -0500

To borrow a tagline and flip it: what happens in Washington, doesn’t stay in Washington—far from it. Budget and policy decisions on Capitol Hill (and in state capitals across the country) have a big impact on even the smallest neighborhoods.

Toward a Brighter Future: NCY Announces National Children and Youth Policy Agenda

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:15:35 -0600

September 15— The National Collaboration for Youth (NCY), a 40 year old coalition of youth-serving nonprofits, has proposed a national policy agenda, “Toward a Brighter Future: An Essential Agenda for America’s Young People.”

COMING SOON! Toward a Brighter Future: An Essential Agenda for America’s Young People

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 19:57:46 -0500

While most would agree that “children are our greatest asset,” the federal government’s investment in children and youth continues to decline. The National Collaboration for Youth offers an agenda and policy recommendations to help states and our nation meet the needs of America’s children and youth in 2009 and beyond.

Step Up for Kids Day 2008

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:29:12 -0500

The Every Child Matters Education Fund and its local, state and national partners are hosting a nonpartisan event on the capitol steps in Washington, DC, and all 50 states to draw public attention to issues affecting America's children—poverty, health care, juvenile incarceration, early care and education, child abuse, and after-school programs.

KIDS COUNT 2008: A CFK Overview

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:47:35 -0500

To make positive change for kids, you need to know where things stand, what’s working and what needs to be improved. The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book offers both data and context for 10 indicators of child well-being—and drills down to a state and local level. This year’s essay offers a “roadmap for reform” in juvenile justice. CFK summer intern Maria Allen attended the June 2008 launch event in DC and has this overview.

Scorecard: Children’s Rights & Hitting the MARC

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:34:07 -0600

Tracking the reach and results of the work is a challenging task for many child and youth organizations. In our ongoing Scorecard series, CFK and Child Advocacy 360 highlight examples of organizations' efforts to measure impact and results. Here, Children's Rights, Inc., shares its follow-up to the groundbreaking Hitting the M.A.R.C. foster care reimbursement study.