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Inspirational Young Leaders: Our 2016 Beat the Odds® Scholarship Award Winners
Children’s
Defense Fund-Ohio is pleased to announce our five 2016 Beat the Odds Scholarship recipients. Ebi Reyes Leiva (Dayton,
Stivers School for the Arts), Darrius McLean (Columbus, Walnut Ridge
High School), Journae’ Morris (Cleveland, Garfield Heights High School),
Linda Ransom (Columbus, Eastmoor Academy) and Emily Wilcox (Ironton,
Dawson Bryant High School) have demonstrated academic excellence, community
leadership and desire to continue their education in the face of incredible
adversity.
On May 19th at the Westin
Columbus, CDF-OH
invites you to celebrate these extraordinary young people and be inspired by
their stories. Please support the Beat
the Odds scholarship program and
Reserve Your Seats Today!
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Young Children Hungry in Ohio
In January,
CDF-OH released Early Childhood Hunger Imperative, the first in a two-part series on hunger among Ohio’s
babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Can you imagine your 6-year-old digging through
the trash at school to find food for his 3-year-old sister? That is exactly
what we discovered in researching this report, and unfortunately there are
numerous children across Ohio just like them.
Please read and share this important new
report and demand that community leaders at all levels do something about it.
Here are a few of the key findings from the brief. Food insecurity in young
children increases the odds of negative health outcomes:
- Nearly two times more likely to be in “fair or poor health;”
- Two times as likely to have behavioral problems;
- Nearly two times more likely to be at risk for
developmental delays;
- Three times more likely to have stomach aches; and
- Two and a half times more likely to have headaches.
Once they reach
kindergarten they are more likely to be behind in social skills and reading
performance. Renuka Mayadev, our Executive Director says, “While the school-age
food supports of free and reduced price breakfast and lunch are critically
important, waiting until hungry children are in school is too late.”
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From R to L: Renuka Mayadev, Executive Director, CDF-OH with Sarah Bobrow-Williams, Shirley Sherrod, and Oleta Garrett Fitzgerald of the CDF-Southern Regional Office.
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CDF-OH Invited to White House Rural Council Convening in Washington D.C.
At the beginning of this year, the Administration
announced new efforts to combat child poverty in rural America. Because 31 percent of our children in
Ohio live in rural and Appalachian Ohio, CDF-Ohio is focused on finding
solutions to the challenges our children outside of cities face. CDF-Ohio was
invited to a meeting of the White House Rural Council in Washington, D.C on February 22 and
23.The U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, presided over
the meeting, which also featured four bi-partisan governors and U.S. Secretary
of Education, John King, Jr.
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Common Sense Truancy and School Discipline Legislation
In our ongoing
efforts to keep children in school, CDF-OH has continued working to implement
common sense reforms on truancy and school discipline. In February, we
testified in support of House Bill 410 before the Ohio House Education Committee,
which is expected to approve the bill soon. One of the most exciting pieces of
the bill is that schools would no longer be permitted to suspend or expel
students for truancy. The Ohio Senate is still working on a similar bill, and
its introduction is now expected in April.
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A Bi-Partisan Effort for Mothers and Babies
The heroin
crisis in Ohio has captured headlines across the country. But the crisis’ effect has been most
breathtaking in the disturbing number of babies being born addicted to drugs in
our state. In February, this crisis led Ohio House Republican and Democratic lawmakers to come
together and overwhelmingly pass House Bill 325. The Bill encourages
drug-addicted pregnant women to seek treatment to encourage the goal of stable mothers and unified families. Look for more on this issue and others in our upcoming report on Ohio's Appalachian Children to be released in early May.
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Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio in the News
Letter
to the Editor: End Seclusion of Students
February 17, 2016, The Columbus Dispatch
Report:
Ohio's Youngest Not Getting Needed Nutrition
February 1, 2016, Public
News Service - Ohio
Hungry
Children in Rich America
January 29, 2016, The
Huffington Post
Study:
Too Many Ohio Babies are Hungry
January 28, 2016, Cincinnati
Enquirer
Bill
Seeks To Overhaul How Ohio Schools Deal With Truant Students
January 7, 2016, WOSU
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