Today marks the kickoff of a statewide campaign by Strong Kids, Strong Virginia, which is an effort by Every Child Matters Virginia, the state effort of the Every Child Matters Education Fund.
This is a 501(c)(3) effort, which is non-partisan. We are communicating to elected officials of both parties.
Perhaps these statistics from the website will help you understand why:
There are 1,847,182 children under 18 in Virginia
• Children Living in Poverty (2009) - 253,000
• Mother-only Households (2008) - 406,002
• Children Not Covered by Health Insurance at Any Time (2008) - 167,000
• Share of Medicaid-enrolled children not getting dental care (2007) - 59%
• Additional Children Covered by Expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program - 79,500
• Total number of child abuse and neglect reports (2009) - 59,995
• Child Abuse Victims (2009) - 5,951
• Child Abuse Deaths (2001-2009) - 259
• 3-4 Year Olds Not Enrolled in a nursery school, pre-school, or pre-kindergarten education program (2009) - 122,000
• % of 4th Graders Scoring below Basic Reading Levels (2009) - 26%
• Home Foreclosures (2008-2009) - 101,138
• Kids Count Overall Rank (2009) – 16
Keep those statistics in mind as I offer a few thoughts below the squiggle.
The evidence is overwhelming that children who come from poorer economic circumstances and/or whose families are subject to economic stress do not gain as much from educational opportunity. Often their schools are also stressed.
We are facing a crisis of increasing percentages of our children in or approaching poverty.
This represents a long-term threat to the economic well-being not only of these children, but of the communities in which they live now and will live in the future.
As Strong Kids, Strong Virginia puts it,
During Virginia’s 2013 election cycle, we are collaborating with other advocacy groups and individuals in the state to highlight the needs of children and families and advocate for the dollars that will address those needs.
You can read details of the program in
this brochure (pdf) in which they offer a list of targets under the title "We Believe" _
• Every child should be able to attend high quality early learning programs.
• ng>Every child deserves a world class education—
our nation can afford to give it to them; it can’t afford not to.
• ng>Every child should have enough to eat, but thousands of children don’t. It doesn’t have to be this way.
• trong>No child should be left alone after school; children should
have a safe, supervised place where they can play and
learn while parents work.
• trong>No child should be without access to health care.
• rong>No child should suffer from violence
at home, at school or in our communities. Ever.
• Everyone should know where the gubernatorial
candidates stand on promoting the wellbeing of
Virginia’s children. After all, when we invest in kids,
we invest in Virginia and in America.
The
State-wide Kickoff campaign begins today with an event at 10:30 a.m. in Children’s Harbor in Portsmouth, 630 London S.
Forthcoming events for the kickoff are as follows:
June 19, 10:30 a.m. VCU Child Development Center in Richmond, 1128 Floyd Ave.
June 19, 3:00 p.m. Free Speech Monument, Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, 321 E. Main St.
June 20, 10:30 a.m. Jefferson Center’s Fralin Atrium in Roanoke, 541 Luck Ave.
June 20, 11:00 a.m. Annandale Christian Community for Action Child Development Center in Annandale, 7200 Columbia Pike
Remember, this is NON-PARTISAN.
The concern is ALL the children of Virginia.
Please do what you can to help.
Follow the links I have provided to learn more.
And please, pass on this message to anyone you know in VirgINia.
Peace.