Children's Defense Fund

This month in the newsletter the first headline was about inequities for children.  I liked the one line:  children only have one childhood.  So true, and so sad when you think of what some of their childhood's are like.  Below is the link to this month's newsletter:

http://cdf.childrensdefense.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=26401.0&dlv_id=26061

There were not too many outside links on the website.  Some of the outside links were just to give more information on different groups and organizations that support the CDF.  The only other ones I found were links to the foundations that support the CDF.  I looked at the W.K. Kellogg foundation, and was pleasantly surprised to see that the founder set up this foundation specifically to help children.  I didn't know that this foundation existed, and now I have an even better reason to continue buying their cereal!  They do offer grants, so this is something I will keep in mind for later.

http://www.wkkf.org/Default.aspx?LanguageID=0

The section I chose to read more about was on Early Childhood Education and Care.  The CDF is now pushing for all kindergarten's to go to full day care.  My concern with this is that they want our children to "be able to compete in this global economy."  This should not be our first concern with our children.  That is putting pressure on them that they don't need.  If they switch to full time daycare, is play still going to be a major factor?  What about outside play time?  Or is the focus going to be academics?

Also in this section was information about the fiscal year 2012 budget, and how many of the programs, to include Head Start, received an increase in funding.  Also, President Obama announced that there will be more competition for grantees in the Head Start program.

In the newsletter the first headline was 7 Actions for 7 Days, which talked about what we can do everyday for 7 days to help child poverty, hunger and homelessness.  However, there was no link, so I will email and find out more about this.

On the website, there is a video of a girl that went from Head Start to Harvard.  I think this applies to what we learned this week about immigrant families, because her father came to this country without speaking English and came to work and take care of his family.  And when he picked his daughter up from head start. she was always excited about what learned and the projects they had done in class.  I think this would be a great example to others for why you should put your child in head start.

http://www.childrensdefense.org/policy-priorities/early-childhood-education-care/

I learned this week that there are many organizations out there working towards helping children and their families.  I think I will look and see if there is a CDF organization in my state so I can start being involved.  There was not anything on children from immigrant families that I could find.  And I am concerned about the full day kindergarten and what impact this will have on play.