The 25 Percent
This month, the U.S. Census Bureau’s new poverty data show millions of families struggling to keep their heads above water in the wake of the Great Recession. After almost a million children fell into poverty in 2010, record high levels continued in 2011 with more than one in five children—16.1 million—living in poverty. Children under age 5 continued to suffer most—25 percent—one in four infants, toddlers and preschoolers were poor during the years of greatest brain development. Almost half of those children lived in extreme poverty. Get armed for action with our new child poverty fact sheets. Get primed for outrage with Marian Wright Edelman’s column, “Ryanomics” about the threats to children from the Ryan budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. If you believe as we do that Americans have more just and sensible choices like helping babies during their early childhood development years rather than helping billionaires to more huge tax cuts, then speak up and fight back. Join our Be Careful What You Cut campaign. Add your face, your voice, and your vote for children. Sign this petition to Congress telling them to be careful what they cut.
Support the Beat the Odds® Scholarship and Leadership Development Program
CDF will hold a series of events in the coming months to honor extraordinary young people and underscore the positive potential of children to overcome overwhelming challenges like poverty, homelessness, hunger and abuse to excel academically and give back to their communities. Each student receives a $10,000 scholarship, a laptop computer, guidance through the college admission process, and an invitation to join CDF’s leadership training programs. For the past 22 years, we have been able to support more than 700 students and serve as a catalyst for those young people to become doctors, lawyers, Peace Corps volunteers, teachers and contributing citizens in their community. Awards ceremonies will be held in New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Los Angeles and New York.
10 Days and Counting…
Early voting has started. Deadlines to register voters are fast approaching in most states. This is your LAST CHANCE to organize voter registration drives or go door-to-door to register voters. Please visit our resource center for everything you need to register your friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Let us know what you’re doing to Rock the Vote through Facebook and Twitter, using hashtag #cdfACTion. Children can't vote, but we must! Three Weeks to Organize…
On October 19-21, thousands of the faithful all across our nation will be focusing on justice for children in their prayers and sermons, educational programs, and activities. Most Children’s Sabbaths take place in a congregation during its customary worship and education time. Here’s what just a few congregations are doing:
Free, easy-to-use resources for various faith traditions—including prayers, sermon ideas, readings, and lesson plans—may be downloaded from this link. Whether you participate on the designated weekend or plan your Children’s Sabbath for a later date, don’t miss this opportunity to lift a faithful voice of concern and commitment as we pursue justice for children and families in poverty with urgency and persistence. CDF Freedom Schools® Rock!
CDF Freedom Schools programs stopped summer learning loss for the overwhelming majority of students studied. Again! For the fourth consecutive year, the Center for Adolescent Literacies at UNC Charlotte found that over 90 percent of CDF Freedom Schools scholars maintain or gain in their reading ability while participating in the summer program.
National research shows that low-income students are at risk to lose two to three months reading ability during the summer months. This loss is cumulative, and as a result, low-income youth are less likely to graduate from high school or enter college. If you would like to bring a CDF Freedom Schools program to your community next summer, your application must be submitted by October 19, 2012. To request an application or more information regarding the application process, please contact Allison Merfeld at (202) 662-3589 or amerfeld@childrensdefense.org. You’re invited to learn more about the CDF Freedom Schools movement at one of our interest meetings. Click here for details. CDF Teach-In
On September 20, CDF’s Washington, D.C. office hosted an energizing interactive teach-in on mass incarceration and how to dismantle the Cradle to Prison Pipeline™. Moderated by the Rev. Janet Wolf, national coordinator of CDF Haley Farm programs and an expert on prison ministry, three panelists shared their stories, struggles, and lessons learned: Ndume Olatushani, released on June 1 after 28 years in prison, 19 on death row for a crime he did not commit; the Rev. Damien Durr, a young adult ministry coordinator; and community organizer Eric Brown, Jr. CDF staff and community members learned valuable lessons about fairness, the importance of community, and the courage to act. Organize your own teach-in around the “Ending the Cradle to Prison Pipeline™ and Mass Incarceration” conference plenary session. Order a DVD of the session or a full set of DVDs of all the conference plenary sessions today. Geoffrey Canada: Master Class on Leadership
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
