|
|
|
|
Ways to Make A Difference for Children
from Generations United |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
President Obama Supports Early Education for Children in the State of the Union Address
President Obama's call in his State of the Union address to "make high-quality preschool available to every single child in America" responded to Seniors4Kids and advocates across the country who have urged Federal and state policymakers to heed the science that shows the positive impact of early education for children. Learn more.
On Valentine's Day, the President outlined his proposal: the federal government will work with states and provide matching dollars for those that provide preschool for every 4-year-old from low- and moderate-income families. The President's plan also calls for expanding Early Head Start to broaden quality childcare for infants and toddlers. How does your state measure up?
|
Issue Spotlight: What Would "Sequestration" Mean for Children and Families?
In early January, Congress was able to avoid Fiscal Cliff #1 by putting off most decisions about across-the-board cuts to government programs (known as "sequestration") until March 1. As the weeks have passed, the House and Senate have not yet come to agreement about how to avoid the across-the-board cuts -- and time is running out...again.
If Congress doesn't act, beginning on March 1, hundreds of thousands of vulnerable families will begin to be impacted. Here are three ways:
- 450,000 children and mothers will lose WIC nutrition aid
- 30,000 children will lose child care
- 70,000 children will be dropped from Head Start
Urge your senators and members of Congress to take action to prevent these cuts and protect these needed services that support families in your state. Raise your voice for children.
|
 Seniors4Kids Doing Something Grand:
Green Shirts "Flood" Colorado Capitol
If any Colorado legislators were unaware of the growing 2013: Year of the Student movement before, that all changed on Wednesday Jan. 30th when Colorado Seniors4Kids joined well over a hundred students, parents, grandparents, and concerned citizens who came to the Capitol to hand-deliver the Year of the Student Call to Action and this benchmark for the legislature: Don't Adjourn without a Long-Term Plan to Support Student Success. Click here for link and to view photo gallery. |
Kentucky Seniors4Kids Rally for Child Care
On February 8, Seniors4Kids, concerned parents and child care providers, rallied at the State Capitol in Frankfort to protest against disastrous cuts to funding for poor families who rely on the subsidy to allow them to stay in the workforce. The proposed cut to the child care assistance program is the steepest in the country, and it would remove one-third of the current recipients from the program. The subsidy is important for families, but it is equally important for childcare providers, whose razor-thin margins may disappear and they will have to close their businesses, leaving fewer options for all families needing child care.
|
Advocacy Opportunities
Colorado -- Come Support Early Childhood Advocacy Day on Feb. 28
Join early childhood advocates, including parents, grandparents, service providers and other community members, will explore the latest issues in early childhood policymaking, learn new advocacy skills and reach out to lawmakers. Co-hosted by the Colorado Children's Campaign and Clayton Early Learning, the event will be from 8:00am to 2:30pm with breakfast, lunch and complimentary child care. Register today!
New Jersey -- Support Health Care for New Jersey's Children
Seniors4Kids hope for word from Governor Chris Christie that he will to elect the option to support the Medicaid expansion provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which will make about 300,000 uninsured adults, including parents, with income less than 138 percent of federal poverty level newly eligible for Medicaid. Activists are urging Christie to make the investment that will reap rewards to the state and to low-income residents. It's not clear that Christie will make the choice;Governor Corbett of Pennsylvania has declined, to the detriment of needy Pennsylvanians. Fortunately for
Floridians, Governor Scott has decided to extend the Medicaid benefits, after first refusing. Contact Governor Christie to show your support for New Jersey's children.
Kentucky -- Protect Cuts to Child and Kinship Care Assistance
On January 29, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services announced cuts to some vital programs for children, in response to a projected budget shortfall for the Department of Community Based Services. The planned cuts target the Kinship Care Program and the Child Care Assistance Program both of which affect thousands of families and children across the Commonwealth. Learn how you can take action to protect these children and families.
|
Seniors4Kids Welcomes Nebraska State Coordinator Diane Rolfsmeyer
Generations United is pleased to welcome Diane Rolfsmeyer to the Senior4Kids team. Diane joined the initiative in January as the state coordinator for Nebraska, whose Seniors4Kids Grandparent Network is making plans to hold their first kick-off event in early May. Previously, Diane served as executive director for Seniors Foundation in Lincoln where she created a cross-generational collaboration at the Veterans Affailrs Clinic. The clinic delivers services and educational opportunities to older adults, veterans and area students.Learn more about how you can become involved with Seniors4Kids in Nebraska. Email Diane.
|
|
Tom's Corner
I was elated to hear President Obama speak like a true child care advocate in his State of the Union address. He used the type of language that the Generations United Seniors 4 Kids initiative has been speaking for the past several years. It was almost like listening to a Captain4Kids speak to a legislator.
Hooray for our State Coordinators, Captains and all the volunteers for getting the message across. The President noted that economists, police chiefs, and businessmen have acknowledged the results of the published research that supports the efficacy of high quality early education. He made clear that every dollar invested in quality child care yields $7 in return for future generations. We, the people, need to be aware of that.
|
|
|
|
 |
All supporters of Seniors4Kids receive a free subscription to GRAND, the online magazine by grandparents, for grandparents. Visit here to read the latest copy and get valuable offers, inspirational stories and more. | |
|
|
Contact Us
Generations United's Seniors4Kids
Attention: Anne Tria Wise (awise@gu.org)
1331 H St. NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 2005-4739
|
|
|
|
|
