Today, President Bush submits his FY2006 budget proposal to Congress. The administration has said it plans to halve the deficit within five years, despite declining federal revenues. In his State of the Union address, the president called for cutting or eliminating 150 domestic government programs—among them anti-poverty programs like housing, food stamps and Medicaid. Children's advocates are also watching for cuts to USDA food and nutrition services. Concerned adults can use President Bush's FY2006 budget as common ground to jump start discussion about public service programs, and how America might balance federal spending and deficit reduction.

The Coalition on Human Needs' Opportunity For All Campaign examines the budget from a community advocacy standpoint.

America's Second Harvest and the Food Research and Action Center offer information and action steps on the FY2006 budget.

In New York City, a unique non-profit called Common Cents raises serious money through school-based “penny harvests”, then gives students a serious voice in using the cash to improve communities. Daniel deZeeuw wrote about his involvement in the 2003-2004 campaign.

Roller rinks, aquariums, and art centers, oh my! More and more kids are lending their creative ideas to help build strong communities nationwide. And, in some cases, they're helping bring in the bucks to accomplish positive changes for youth. Rob Capriccioso reports.

It's small, soggy, and froggy. Wetlands Estonoa is also the centerpiece of an award-winning environmental preservation and education program in the little mountain town of St. Paul, Virginia. D.J. Mathews reports that it was St. Paul's teens who put Estonoa on the map.

This National Academies' Transportation Research Board report explores the link between the "built" environment—buildings, roads, parks, and other structures that
physically define a community—and physical activity levels.

Nonprofit and non-partisan, Voices for Virginia's Children is a persistent voice of reason in advocating for better lives and futures for children. The Commonwealth's only statewide multi-issue organization advocating for children and youth, Voices promotes sound, far-reaching program and policy solutions, focusing on early care and education, health care, family economic success, and foster care and adoption.

Voices for Utah Children promotes sound, far reaching program and policy solutions that focus on early care and education, health care, child welfare and violence prevention.

Advocates often note that high-quality, comprehensive early childhood development programs are cost-effective in boosting outcomes for children. New data from the Economic Policy Institute offers proof. According to this report, investments in these programs would pay for themselves in 17 years and, in 30 years, would give taxpayers a $2 savings for every $1 invested. Within 25 years, the offsetting budget savings for all levels of government combined would reach $31 billion.

Parks give kids good places to play outside, but - based on the experience of a new generation of youth programs in urban parks - they can also go far beyond recreation to provide high-quality programs that foster healthy youth development, according to an Urban Institute report published in June 2004.

In Brighton, NY, city officials, parents and schools are all involved in helping their kids become politically active and aware. One result: kid-conceived and kid-produced ads on the importance of voting, developed in conjunction with the National Student Parent Mock Election. Rob Capriccioso reports.