The Latest on Children and the 2012 Elections

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News from Every Child Counts

Countdown to the 2012 Elections!

There are only 39 days left until November 6th - election day.

As we get closer to the election, we have some resources we hope you find useful:

2012 Voter's Guide: U.S. Congressional Candidates' Views on Children and Families - Candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives

3rd District of Iowa:

US Representative Leonard Boswell

US Representative Tom Latham

Boswell Latham Voters Guise

This guide was developed as a public service by Every Child Counts for the Children's Policy Coalition. This is a coalition of over 30 Iowa organizations, staffed by ECC, that aims to raise child and family policy issues to the prominence they deserve.

We are continuing to work with the Candidates from the other districts and will release those guides as soon as we can.

Download the guide here.

What do the major parties have to say about children?

Check out these new side-by-side comparisons of child-policy statements and planks from the national and Iowa Republican and Democratic party platforms. The two documents -- one summarizing the Iowa party platforms and one the national party platforms -- take statements from the party documents directly without editing. They have been organized by category for ease of review.

These materials are provided as a public service by the Children's Policy Coalition, also.

Download the Iowa summary.

Download the national summary.

Thank you,

Sheila Hansen and Danielle Oswald-Thole

Step Up For Kids

Step Up Participants In Storm Lake 2012

Step Up For Kids Week a Success!

We partnered with Every Child Matters and the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children last week to provide legislative and electoral advocacy training in the communities of Clinton, Iowa City, Marshalltown, Des Moines and Storm Lake. We had a great time meeting all the participants and learning more about the needs of children and families in those communities!

We were also able to generate some press. Check out the articles below:

Storm Lake Pilot Tribute Article

Marshalltown Times Republican Article

First Focus: Campaign for Children Releases New Poll

A new poll shows that voters want candidates to focus more on children. In fact, nearly two-thirds feel the 2012 presidential campaigns should increase their focus on children's issues. The survey also found that bipartisan majorities, including Tea Party supporters and fiscal conservatives, oppose budget cuts to critical investments in children's health, education, and safety.

Read more here.

"People often say that, in a democracy, decisions are made by a majority of the people. Of course, that is not true. Decisions are made by a majority of those who make themselves heard and who vote -- a very different thing." ~ Walter H. Judd

Get timely updates from the Child and Family Policy Center:

How is state policy affecting the families around you?

Tell us about it!

Sheila Hansen

Every Child Counts

Director

shansen@cfpciowa.org

Danielle Oswald-Thole

Every Child Counts

Outreach Coordinator and Policy Advocate

danielleot@cfpciowa.org

A donation to

Every Child Counts helps us do what's good for Iowa kids

and families.

2012 Presidential Debate

Date: October 3rd

Topic: Domestic policy
Time: 8:00-9:30 p.m.
Location: University of Denver
Sponsor: Commission on Presidential Debates
Participants: President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney
Moderator: Jim Lehrer (Host of NewsHour on PBS)

Polk County Legislative Candidate Forum on Children's Issues girl in flag