March 28, 2011
When I hear leaders and policymakers discuss the importance of investing in our children—I often think of the many classrooms I’ve visited around the country. I think of the many faces of children and youth, of all ages and races, pledging allegiance to our flag, learning our nation’s history, and writing five-paragraph essays about what they... Read More »
March 23, 2011
In addition to parades, corned beef, and an abundance of green attire, last week’s St. Patrick’s Day also saw Congress pass the most recent stopgap measure to fund the federal government and avoid a shutdown. This bill gives the nation another three weeks (to April 8th) until the federal government’s funding is due to expire again. Read More »
March 23, 2011
Richmond-area native Janie Williams graduated in the top 10 percent of her class at the University of Virginia, where she held several campus leadership positions. Despite her credentials and nearly 18 months of searching, Janie can't find a full-time job. Like many in her generation, Janie relies on part-time work, without benefits, until she can... Read More »
March 23, 2011
Today we celebrate the one year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, the historic health reform legislation which brought our children one step closer to universal health coverage. Read More »
March 21, 2011
No one disagrees that Congress must be serious about addressing the deficit, even in the name of the next generation. However, it is alarming that, to do so, many lawmakers are willing to cut the very programs which are critical to the health, well-being, and development of our nation's children, especially as families struggle with the ongoing... Read More »
March 15, 2011
Last night, young people celebrated outside the Maryland Senate chamber as the Senate passed legislation (27-20) that would extend in-state tuition to undocumented immigrant students at the state’s public colleges. The measure will remove a critical barrier for undocumented children who have grown up in Maryland and aspire to a college degree but... Read More »
March 14, 2011
In working towards President Obama’s goal of ensuring that America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020, the Administration is now engaging our country’s youth directly in a number of ways on education issues. By conducting this type of outreach, the voice of young people is being brought to the... Read More »
March 8, 2011
As child advocates, we hear disheartening statistics daily about the state of America’s kids. And, although many of these data points are sobering, one that always gives me heartburn is the number of U.S. children living below the poverty line, a number that has grown by 2 million over the past two years. Read More »
March 2, 2011
The National Collaboration for Youth (NCY), a coalition of over 45 national youth-serving organizations, has released a federal policy agenda, Building a Brighter Future: An Essential Agenda for America’s Young People. Read More »
March 1, 2011
The nation’s governors are in town preparing to engage federal policymakers in a range of their concerns and problems related to “federalism.” However, there are success stories related to that partnership, such as the effort to reduce the uninsured rate among children through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid. In fact,... Read More »
