Tell Your Candidates That Nine Million Children Need a "Bailout"

At a time when the federal government is considering spending billions bailing out big business, but refuses to help struggling families, it's clear that we need to reassess our priorities as a nation. Nearly nine million children in America do not have health coverage and millions more are underinsured. The election in November provides an extraordinary opportunity to bring attention to this critical issue. We must seize this occasion to ensure that every candidate running for a seat in the U.S. Congress understands that providing coverage for all children is something the American people want, that our children and nation can't wait, and that each candidate's commitment to health coverage for all children is a condition of your vote.

Watch Karim's "call to action" video asking child advocates to step up, take action and ask Congressional candidates for a health coverage “bailout” for the nearly nine million uninsured children in America. Then, take action and send an email to your candidates. It just takes a few minutes and we make it easy for you!

Make Your Voice Heard - Post a Video!

What better way to get your message across to your elected officials then by joining Karim in recording a short video? Let your elected officials know why all children need comprehensive health coverage—participate today in CDF's "Your Truth Aloud! Speak Out NOW for Children" video project. Your voices and stories are powerful and important, and when you join our video project, CDF will ensure that lawmakers and their staff see them. Check out videos from other child advocates on CDF’s Your Tube channel and then learn more and record your video today!

At the Next Presidential Debate… You Ask the Question!

The Commission on Presidential Debates has partnered with MySpace to create a new website, MyDebates, to enhance the educational value of the televised debates and to engage viewers throughout the general election period. In addition to tracking the positions of the Presidential candidates on issues of interest to you by taking a short quiz, and watching the debates live or clips afterwards, you can also submit questions for possible inclusion in the October 7 Town Hall Presidential Debate! Submit a question today to ensure that the Presidential candidates address the critical issue of the nearly nine million uninsured children in the U.S. (We've provided a sample question below to help you out.) The deadline for submissions is October 2, so don't delay!

"With health coverage for everyone in America being an important issue during this election year, do you believe it is time to cover all of the nine million uninsured children rather than simply making incremental improvements to current programs that will leave millions of children uninsured?"

CDF President Marian Wright Edelman Releases New Book

CDF President Marian Wright Edelman has released her new book, The Sea Is So Wide and My Boat Is So Small: Charting a Course for the Next Generation, a call to action for all Americans to address the urgent needs of the country's youth. The book is a series of letters to a variety of audiences—educators, faith leaders, youth, mothers, elected officials and concerned citizens nationwide that reflect on the social and economic progress as well as the setbacks since Dr. King's death 40 years ago. Mrs. Edelman challenges each audience to step up and take action at this pivotal moment to ensure a level playing field for the next generation.

Mrs. Edelman has also been interviewed recently on The Brian Lehrer Show and Democracy NOW!

Join Us as We Celebrate Our 35th Anniversary

On the evening of October 6, 2008, the Children's Defense Fund will bring together friends from across the country and from all walks of life to acknowledge our accomplishments and rededicate our efforts to ensure a brighter future for all children in America. The 35th Anniversary Gala will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and will include appearances by Jessye Norman, Malaak Compton-Rock, Holly Robinson Peete, Sidney Poitier, Jurnee Smollett, George Stephanopoulos, Susan L. Taylor, and Ali Wentworth. There will be a 90-minute show featuring performances by Broadway Kids, Katrina Children’s Choir, Impact Repertory Theatre, N’Kenge and Peng Peng Gong.

For more information on the 35th Gala please visit our website where we also now have 35th anniversary greetings posted from Board members Geoff Canada, Malaak Compton-Rock, DD Eisenberg and Katie McGrath. Register and purchase seats today!

Congress Passes Bill to Help Hundreds of Thousands of Children and Youth in Foster Care

Thanks to the support of advocates from across the country, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act (H.R. 6893), passed by Congress last week, is now awaiting President Bush's signature. The Act includes the most significant reforms for abused and neglected children in more than a decade, many of which will help to keep children out of the pipeline to prison. The Act will also help hundreds of thousands of children and youth in foster care by promoting permanent families for them through relative guardianship and adoption and keeping them connected with their siblings, helping older youth in care increase their opportunities for success, improving educational stability and improved health outcomes for children in foster care, increasing services and protections for American Indian children and expanding training for staff working on behalf of these children.

Read CDF President Marian Wright Edelman's Child Watch^® Column,"Congress Must Pass Legislation to Help Children in Foster Care" and visit our website to learn more.

October is Children's Sabbaths Month!

In October, thousands of religious communities from across the country will be celebrating children as sacred gifts and deepening their moral responsibility to advocate for all children through CDF's National Observance of Children's Sabbaths^® celebrations. It is not too late to get your faith community involved! Find out more information and check out our newest advocacy resources to get your community involved in letter-writing campaigns to your elected officials as well as worship bulletins to help educate and organize your community around ensuring all children live up to their fullest, God-given potential.