Remembering Dr. King
 CDF is commemorating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his death 40 years ago with an analysis of child well-being over the last four decades to track progress and identify the crucial areas of unmet needs of children.
While great progress has been made since Dr. King's death — high school graduation rates have increased and teen birth rates have decreased — America remains an unequal playing field for our children especially for minorities and poor families. Help support CDF in honoring Dr. King's legacy and keep his dream alive, as we work to finish the job that he and so many before him started and learn more about child well-being in our nation since Dr. King's death.
CDF President Marian Wright Edelman remembered Dr. King earlier this month in:
 CDF Addresses Mayors About Investing in Children at Annual Conference
CDF President Marian Wright Edelman spoke to Mayors from across the country at the U.S. Conference of Mayors earlier this month about CDF's Cradle to Prison Pipeline? Campaign and what they can do to dismantle the Pipeline in their communities.
View a webcast of Mrs. Edelman's speech at this conference and learn more about CDF's Cradle to Prison Pipeline Campaign and report (now available in Spanish).
Congress Fails to Stand Up for Children on Vote to Override the President's SCHIP Veto
 On January 23, Congress again voted to override President Bush's veto of a State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorization bill that would have expanded health coverage to more than three million currently uninsured children, and again fell short of the votes needed to do so.
In 2008, CDF will continue to advocate for access to affordable, seamless and comprehensive health coverage for all children and pregnant women in America. Additionally, we will continue to fight for provisions to improve children's health, and prevent implementation of harmful CMS rules and regulations that are already limiting states' ability to cover children.
CDF Letter Urges Senate to Put Families First in Economic Stimulus Package
 On January 25, CDF sent a letter to Senators urging them to prioritize children and families — especially those with low incomes — in an economic stimulus package. The letter requested that the package include, at a minimum:
- extensions of unemployment benefits so that families do not run out of benefits while workers are searching for a new job
- increases in food stamps for needy families
- fiscal relief to states so that they do not cut children from Medicaid as they face an economic downturn
- tax rebates, adjusted for family size
During times of economic downturn, families with the lowest incomes are hurt the most. Investing in low-income families is a smart step to invigorating the economy because these families are the most likely to quickly and fully spend any additional resources channeled to them, and it is the right moral step for our rich nation.
 Ecumenical Advocacy Days: Explore New Visions of Security in Our Homes, Neighborhoods and World
Join CDF for Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2008: Claiming a Vision of True Security, an ecumenical Christian community, for worship, theological reflection and opportunities for learning and advocating for a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues that affect our children. The conference, which will be held in Washington, D.C., March 7-10, 2008, will feature CDF-hosted workshops on health care and CDF's Cradle to Prison Pipeline Campaign. Visit www.advocacydays.org for more information and to register.
Save the Date: 14th Annual Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry
July 14-18, 2008
Religious leaders, seminarians, Christian educators, and other faith-based advocates for children will gather at CDF Haley Farm in Clinton, Tennessee, this July for five days of spiritual renewal, networking, movement building workshops and continuing education about children.
Do not miss this transforming week! You will leave renewed and restored: with new information and ideas bursting in your head; with new hope and inspiration, new passion, and commitment brimming in your heart; and a new sense that you are not alone in your struggle to realize God's justice and righteousness for America's children.
New This Year to Proctor — The Joshua & Deborah Generation Track!
 Younger adult leaders (ages 18-25) are invited to register for the new Joshua & Deborah Generation track within the Proctor Institute. The Joshua and Deborah Generation track affirms the important role that the newest generation of religious leaders has to play in the movement for children, and the importance of generations learning from each other and discovering unique leadership styles and opportunities. Spread the word and help us identify these emerging child advocates with demonstrated leadership skills and ability as exercised through both formal and informal roles in their community, on campus, and in religious organizations. Find out more information at childrensdefense.org/JoshuaDeborah.
The Lantern Society Launches...
 Just as a lantern illuminates the way forward for those behind it, members of the Children's Defense Fund's new planned giving program, the Lantern Society, will provide needed resources to illuminate the way forward for generations of children through the work of CDF. Membership in the Lantern Society is also a tribute to the leadership of CDF Founder and President, Marian Wright Edelman, who has served as the organization's bright and guiding light during its 35-year history.
If you have not yet included CDF in your plans and would like to explore the best options for you and your family, please feel free to contact us. We would be glad to assist you confidentially and without commitment. To order your Lantern Society Membership Form or to discuss, in confidence, your interest in joining, please contact Craig Rocklin, CDF's new Sr. Director of Major Gifts and Gift Planning, at 202-662-3538 or via email at CRocklin@childrensdefense.org. 
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