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

A Toolkit for Funding

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:16:26 -0500

Whether you're just getting started in your hometown or are part of a group already at work on behalf of kids and families, you can make a difference—but not without adequate funding. Here are some ideas Connect for Kids has compiled, with help from our online community, to get you started.

Run to Vote: High School Students Leading a 48 State Voting Drive

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:57:05 -0500

Run to Vote combines the sport of track and field with your pledge to vote in 2008.

Video: The Power of Partnership Turning Promise into Progress

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:57:40 -0500

The National Partnership has an inspirational new video highlighting victories such as the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and the Civil Rights Act of 1991. "We're maki

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.

Promoting Healthy Families in Your Community: 2008 Resource Packet

Tue, 06 May 2008 14:03:00 -0500

This is an updated version of the 2007 Children's Bureau packet; it offers (1) guidance for service providers in exploring protective factors with families, (2) tipsheets in both English and Spanish,

Communication Designed to Inspire Community Action: the Under-Achievers

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:09:09 -0500

“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,” writes Hershel Sarbin. A recent find in Casey Family Services Voices publication prompted his thoughts on how nonprofits can do a better job reaching a broad audience.

Scorecard: Children’s Rights & Hitting the MARC

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:19:13 -0500

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.

For Organizations | Children’s Rights Scorecard as Model for Research Accountability

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:09:46 -0500

A few months ago, in this column, Hershel Sarbin challenged child advocacy organizations to do a better job of showing Return on Investment from research and surveys on critical issues in child well being. Here's what he's found so far.

Keeping Score in Child Well-Being: Why It Matters

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:11:53 -0500

Hershel Sarbin writes: "It is my habit each month to search the sites devoted to child advocacy and child well-being in order to discover and report on Who’s Doing What That Works to make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children. Whatever the organizational focus, I am always looking for 'The Scorecard'—concrete, specific data on outcomes." In this column, Hershel offers an excellent example of The Scorecard, from the Citizens' Committee for Children of New York, and why tracking performance can bring real results for organizations.

A“Ticket to Work” for Transitioning Youth – and Those Working With Them

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:12:55 -0600

If you work with teens with disabilities, you’ll want to know about the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work (TTW) program. Its Youth Transition portion offers funds for organizations that help students receiving Social Security disability benefits find employment. Is it right for you? Melody Goodspeed, Youth Transition Specialist for TTW answers some common questions about the funding.

What Ever Happened to that Great Research We Did Last Year? And Why Do I Ask?

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 19:44:36 -0500

Because, on so many occasions during my Child Advocacy work in recent years—most recently as the founder and editor of the non profit Child Advocacy 360 News Network—I have witnessed such good research on children’s rights and child well-being, and such poor communication of the results, and such miserable follow up in leveraging the findings for the benefit of children that I have pledged to do my own “ What ever happened to….” research on this major area of underachievement, and report it in these blog-like writings. My challenge to Child advocacy researchers : Show us your battle plan post-press release and press notices. Show us the return on investment for children. It’s time for true accountability.

Surfing the Sites - Real People, Real Results in Child Advocacy

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:01:15 -0500

One of my great pleasures as an editor is to periodically "surf the sites" in child advocacy. I often find what to me, at least, are fresh stories of good works and good results that serve as an inspiration for my work at Child Advocacy 360 and Connect for Kids. RuralSuccess.org has several winning examples.

Who's Doing What That Works: Readers' Choice Stories

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:27:12 -0500

October 2007—Our partner Child Advocacy 360 brings you "Readers' Choice Stories," in which readers vote with their eyes, clicks and emails on the best of Who's Doing What That Works.

Iowa Leads the Way in Building a Case for Quality Youth Programs

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 09:18:03 -0500

Measuring and improving quality is one of the main challenges facing the field. A comprehensive quality assessment program in Iowa is beginning to uncover lessons about measurement and whether quality can drive policy and funding decisions. This Forum for Youth Investment Ready by 21 profile takes a look at the early results.

Toolkits for Community Change

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 07:58:28 -0500

The Innovation Center offers excellent, free guides to mapping community strengths and needs, engaging youth and adults together, planning civic and local action—and creating lasting change in communities and for participants.