Sign The Pledge

Yes! I support the National Movement for America's Children, which calls on our country to develop and implement a national strategy to help ensure that every child has an equal opportunity for healthy growth and development.

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The Strategy Framework

We have developed the initial framework for a national strategy for America's children, with specific articles to organize the policies and actions the country is calling on it leaders, institutions and citizens to carry out in support of children. Join the discussion and contribute your views on the overall strategy or contribute to the discussion around each "article", which focuses on a different level of government, businesses, communities, faith-based organizations and individuals.

Whether you focus on one specific article, or the overall strategy, you will be helping answer the basic question: "What does our country - from government to business to faith to local communities and individuals everywhere - need to do to ensure that every child has an equal opportunity for healthy growth and development?"

Article 1: The President of the United States

The President of the United States should demonstrate an integrated, holistic and measurable commitment to each and every child in America, by implementing the following actions.

Example actions:

  1. Prioritize and communicate a shared national vision for children that demonstrates a concrete inter-agency commitment to every child in America, regardless of race, wealth, health, religion or geography;
  2. Integrate the work of all cabinet departments into an actionable national plan that focuses on the wellbeing of children and builds on the work already begun within the White House;

Article 2: The Congress of the United States

The United States Congress should demonstrate an integrated, holistic and measurable commitment to each and every child in America, by implementing the following actions.

Example actions:

  1. Enact fiscal policies that support the shared National Vision and Strategy for children that provide incentives to states to develop primary prevention-related strategies and services;
  2. Enact legislation ensuring that each and every child has access to quality services to meet their basic developmental needs, including: health care; child care; education; nutrition; and safe housing;

Article 3: State Governors

State Governors should demonstrate an integrated, holistic and measurable commitment to each and every child in America, by implementing the following actions.

Example actions:

  1. Establish a cabinet level advocate for children that guides the furtherance of the Shared National Vision and Strategy in that state;
  2. Integrate the work of all state agencies into an actionable plan that focuses on the wellbeing of children;

Article 4: State Legislatures

State Legislatures should demonstrate an integrated, holistic and measurable commitment to each and every child in America, by implementing the following actions.

Example actions:

  1. Establish or maintain the necessary funding for statewide prevention services that prevent abuse and neglect from ever occurring;
  2. Establish bi-partisan and bi-cameral children's caucuses to focus on inter-disciplinary strategies and services that prevent abuse and neglect from ever occurring;

Article 5: Local Communities

Local communities should demonstrate an integrated, holistic and measurable commitment to each and every child in America, by implementing the following actions.

Example actions:

  1. Establish a public-private multi-disciplinary community team focused on the prevention of child abuse and neglect;
  2. Develop a community plan for the prevention of child abuse and neglect;

Article 6: The Business Sector

Businesses should demonstrate an integrated, holistic and measurable commitment to each and every child in America, by implementing the following actions.

Example actions:

  1. Develop specific company policies that promote worker productivity and provide adequate work time flexibility for employees to meet the obligations of parenting and/or supporting the children in their life and community;
  2. Design corporate responsibility strategies that encourage employees to participate in workplace giving and or community volunteerism and corporate support for strategies that further the shared national vision for children and families;

Article 7: Communities of Faith

Communities and organizations of faith should demonstrate an integrated, holistic and measurable commitment to each and every child in America, by implementing the following actions.

Example actions:

  1. Produce a statement reflecting its doctrinal, traditional, and policy position on the rights of children to grow and develop in healthy environments;
  2. Develop a process within their own congregations to help prevent child abuse and neglect before it ever happens;

Article 8: Individuals

Individuals should demonstrate an integrated, holistic and measurable commitment to each and every child in America, by implementing the following actions.

Example actions:

  1. Learn more about the importance of healthy child development to the success and stability of the community and country;
  2. Mobilize others to increase their understanding of the importance of healthy child development to the community and country;

1 Felitti V, Anda R, Nordenberg D, Williamson D, Spitz A, Edwards V, et al. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 1998;14(4):245-58. Corso, Phaedra (2010). Dollars and Lives: The Economic s of Healthy Children. [LINK].

2 Mission: Readiness (2009). Ready, Willing, and Unable to Serve http://cdn.missionreadiness.org/MR-Ready-Willing-Unable.pdf.

3 Wang, CT, & Holton, J (2007). Total estimated cost of child abuse and neglect in the United States. Chicago, IL: Prevent Child Abuse America. https://preventchildabuse.org/wp-content/uploads/...