Now More Than Ever, the Children of NC Need Action for Children   

May 2, 2011

Greetings!

Drastic cuts to children's services in the House budget mean that the children of North Carolina need Action for Children NC now more than ever. The research, data and policy advocacy we provide make measurable differences in the lives of our children.  

They need us, and we need you.  

Your support of Action for Children North Carolina (formerly the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute) is crucial. Together, we have assured that:

• Motor vehicle deaths for children birth through age four have declined 26 percent since child safety seats became required for infants and toddlers in 1994.
• With the passage of the graduated drivers license law in our state, driver crashes are down 38 percent for 16-year-olds and 20 percent for 17-year-olds.
• Since the bicycle helmet law passed, the number of bicycle deaths for children under age 15 has declined by 60 percent.
• Since passage of the Booster Seat Law in 2004, the number of children ages 5-9 who have died in motor vehicle crashes has declined by 27 percent.  
• In 2010, six percent more children in North Carolina were able to enroll in the public health insurance program (Health Choice). In fact, more children in our state now have access to health insurance than at any time in North Carolina's history.
• Since 2008, 42 school districts in North Carolina have banned corporal punishment.
• The risk of motor vehicle accidents has been reduced by banning cell phone use among teenagers currently under the graduated drivers' license provision.
• A plan for integrating financial education K-12 in the public schools is now being formulated by a state-level Financial Literacy Council.

Wins for children like these do not happen by accident. They result from advocacy -- when skilled professionals backed by caring individuals show policymakers that policy can and should act to keep children safe and set the stage for success in life. Advocacy means publishing research, working with media, and providing data and evidence to keep children's issues on the radar screen of the state's policymakers.

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT NOW MORE THAN EVER.

By pooling our resources to adopt state policy on the side of North Carolina's children, we can make a bigger difference for children as a group. Rather than working one child at a time, our advocacy improves conditions for ALL children.

Please click here to donate online to Action for Children North Carolina or send your check to Action for Children North Carolina, 1300 St. Mary's Street, Suite 500, Raleigh, NC 27605. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Barb Bradley at 919-834-6623 x224 or barb@ncchild.org.

Thank you for your support. Together, we are making a difference.

Sincerely,

Action for Children North Carolina