The Campaign to Protect Children launched last week in Southwest Florida on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University when 150 citizens and advocates, just like you, gathered in front of the cameras for a town hall meeting. The program will air several times next month on WGCU Television.
Our next stop is Tallahassee, on Tuesday, October 6th, with an event connected to the national Step Up for Kids Week sponsored by Every Child Matters. Many of you will be in Tallahassee for Committee Week. We encourage you to be a vocal part of the town hall meeting. Your opinion and viewpoint matter and need to be heard. Sign up now by using our easy on-line registration system.
A complimentary dinner will be provided at the Bethel AME Church, 501 West Orange Avenue, from 4:30 – 5:45 p.m. The town hall meeting will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m., moderated by Bob Gabordi, Executive Editor, Tallahassee Democrat. Cameras will stream the event live on the Tallahassee Democrat website. Film of the proceedings will be edited into an hour-long broadcast to air on local cable stations.
Citizens are coming together because we share a deep concern about children and how they are faring. Children are hardly being mentioned in the national health care debate and some congressional leaders are sounding the alarm that progress made last year with passage of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) could be thwarted or even reversed. In Florida, billion dollar budget deficits loom again as federal stimulus dollars wane. Advocates have reason to fear that history will repeat itself and that Florida will balance its budget by cutting or eliminating children’s programs and services.
There is no time to waste to discuss these challenges and make plans to prevent further declines in the health and well-being of children. The state has slipped four slots – from 32nd to 36th – in only two years according to the National Kids Count Report. Florida ranks last in health care and second to last in pre-k quality but near the top in the size of its prison population. What will it take to connect those dots and turn Florida in a better direction?
Goals for the Campaign to Protect Children include: (1) growing the number and types of citizen organizations participating in a children’s agenda; (2) an educated public who will further educate and communicate with policy-makers and community leaders; (3) outreach to the business community linking children’s issues and future workforce concerns: and (4) digital technology applications to elevate media and public awareness of children’s issues.
In addition, local, state and federal office-holders will be educated about important issues and be aware that a growing and vocal constituency exists in their respective districts in support. Doors will be opened allowing for continued dialogue.
It is important for the audience at the town hall meetings to go beyond the “traditional choir” and engage citizens who haven’t as yet weighed in on children’s issues. The broadening of the base starts with your participation and reaching out to friends, neighbors and business associates.
Primary Sponsors for the Campaign to Protect Children (to date) include: Voices for America’s Children, First Focus, Casey Family Programs, Allegany Franciscan Ministries, Community Foundation of Southwest Florida, the Martin Foundation; PACE Center for Girls; and Florida Network of Youth & Family Services. Community Partner sponsors (to date) include the Institute for Youth & Justice Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University; Healthy Start Coalition of Southwest Florida, Oasis Youth Shelter; Southwest Florida Children’s Hospital, Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, LLC, Children’s Home Society and Community Foundation of Collier County. Additional sponsors will be announced as the campaign progresses across the state.
To join as a sponsor, please call me directly and share your thoughts.
It’s time to STEP UP FOR KIDS!
Sincerely,
Roy Miller
P.S. Read the most recent media coverage of the Campaign to Protect Children events; the News-Press article, and Community Conversation editorial.