Any study of the subject indicates that healthy children become healthy adults and better citizens and the opposite, unhealthy children become dysfunctional adults and poor citizens.
Voting for the people, programs, and policies that help children become healthy adults and better citizens seems like only practical vote to cast. Below is the link to the Minnesota Governor’s Candidate Survey Responses
The Minnesota Children’s Platform Coalition (MNCPC) is a collaboration of organizations and individuals who care about Minnesota children and youth and public policy issues affecting them. The questions in this survey were created by the MNCPC following a “World Café” meeting in January 2010 of coalition partners who discussed policy issues they thought were important for a Minnesota governor to address.
http://www.everychildmatters.org/Minnesota/News/MN-Candidate-Survey-Responses.html
Every politician needs to sharpen their understanding of the issues that are at the very heart of our culture and community. For schools to work and communities to be safe and happy, children must have the support they need to achieve a level of learning and wellness to function at grade level in school and cope with community life.
Some politicians are not hearing the underrepresented children crying out for help. Follow Every Child Matters and its solid effort to create awareness among the people that make the laws and policies in your community. Make it your business to represent those children that cannot speak for themselves who will not read at grade level, graduate from high school or stay out of our voracious court/prison system without our help.
All children want to be happy, normal, functioning people. My years as a guardian ad-Litem taught me the lesson at a very personal level. I cringe when I see politicians voting against basic needs for children, Daycare, homelessness, education, and healthcare are critical issues for children.
Let’s make it our business to point out to our politicians that investing in children is nothing more than investing in our community. And it is the right thing to do. Take action, make a phone call to a legislator in support of a child friendly issue, forward this piece to your friends, and make it a piece of your conversation today.
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Dear Coalition members:
The MNCPC sent out to all gubernatorial candidates a set of 6 questions that were developed after the January 2010 coalition meeting. The responses of those who replied to us can be found here. Please post these responses on your web sites and send out emails with this link to your constituency before the August 10 primary!
http://www.everychildmatters.org/Minnesota/News/MN-Candidate-Survey-Responses.html Thank you!!
Also, this year, the MNCPC Step Up for Kids event will be held on Oct 10 in collaboration with the Children’s Defense Fund Young Adult Leadership Training event 10-10-10. The goal is to get 10,000 people there in support of children’s issues. Please start recruiting individuals and groups to attend!
Mark Your Calendars!
10-10-10
October 10, 2010
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Minnesota State Capitol
10,000 March and Rally for Children
The Young Leaders of Children’s Defense Fund – MN are organizing a march and rally to speak out for the children ofMinnesota to put their needs on the election campaign agenda as a priority.
The marchers will converge on the state capitol from multiple directions, carrying banners, placards and signs to give 10 specific messages to civic leaders, policy makers, and candidates running in the upcoming state elections.
There will be a press conference held at one of the gathering points prior to the march.
There will be justice music by locally known groups, a celebrity keynote, short speeches by civic leaders, clergy and children. Gubernatorial candidates will be invited and given a few short minutes to say how they would address one of the 10 focus issues.
The rally will end with a challenge for change to give ALL Minnesota children a fair start in life. Citizens will be asked to vote for candidates who know the issues that impact children and promise to address them. There will be commitment cards and/or stickers for participants to use to expand the movement.
Sue Fust
Adolescent Parent Program Manager
MOAPPP
sue@moappp.org
651 644-1447 ext 15
www.moappp.org