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November/December 2020
Dear Friends,
Thanksgiving was last week in the U.S., and despite being a different type of celebration than in years past, what hasn’t changed is my gratitude for our ongoing partnership and commitment to the work we are doing together on behalf of kids. I am grateful for this season of transitions and the opportunities that come with the new administration to center children and young people in policy and programming decisions.

The health and well-being of children is not a partisan issue. I was heartened this Election Day that so many individuals used their votes to prioritize kids (and wrote about this in my latest blog post); we now have a collective responsibility to hold our elected leaders accountable for putting young people first. As we await the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine, we can’t overlook the impacts of the pandemic on young people and an effort must be made to prioritize their well-being as we make decisions about schools and as COVID recovery plans are developed.

One of the basic principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is that children have the right to have meaningful input into issues that affect them—and that adults listen and seriously consider that input. I am encouraged by the youth advocacy groups that are speaking out with ideas for the new administration, including a call to action from the organization Student Voice, soliciting input from fellow young people on what they’d like to see in the new Department of Education and calling for inclusion in the Department’s transition

These actions are well-aligned with the significance of World Children’s Day, celebrated November 20 to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on Children’s Rights by the United Nations General Assembly. To this end, as we move forward with our framing research, we are including a youth mobilization group to help build out a strategy that includes with young people.

Thanks, as always, for your partnership and support of Leading for Kids. I’m always happy to hear from you by email at David.Alexander@leadingforkids.org or connect on Twitter @LeadingforKids.

Be well,
David
David Alexander, M.D.
President, Leading for Kids
(650) 714-6609
what we've been up to
As shared previously, our work with the FrameWorks Institute is currently in the research phase with our first updates expected early next year. We are continuing our work developing and strategizing messages around a new narrative and working with implementation groups to think about how to best share these messages.
in case you missed it
In the News:


  • Nemours Children’s Health System, together with Mental Health America, First Focus on Children, The Education Redesign Lab at Harvard University, and the Forum for Youth Investment, has called upon the Biden/Harris Administration to establish a White House Office on Children and Youth and a federal Children’s Cabinet. Leading for Kids has joined more than 350 organizations and leaders in signing a letter in support of a National Strategy for Children and Youth and a Children’s Budget.

  • Bruce Adamson, Scotland’s Children’s and Young People’s Commissioner, and Beccie White, member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, gave the 2020 Doughty Street Annual Children’s Rights Lecture. Scotland has plans to fully incorporate the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into law in 2021.

  • In his November 18 column, New York Times columnist Nick Kristof again asks “what are our priorities?” and implores, “Let’s follow Europe: close bars, and try harder to keep schools open.” 

Recent Blog Posts:



resources from the field



For more COVID-19 news and information, see our COVID-19 resource page
parting thoughts
Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of our leading infectious disease experts, recently spoke to children’s worries about the upcoming Christmas holiday by noting that Santa Claus is “immune from COVID-19 and not going to be spreading infections to anyone.” Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conti gave a similar response to a question received from a 5-year-old last week. Let’s remember that even in the pandemic, children are children and have questions and concerns that need to be addressed.
thank you! let’s stay connected!
Leading for Kids is committed to improving the health and well-being of children by creating a movement to change how we talk about kids, how we can invest wisely and productively in their futures, and how our decision makers can better protect their rights and reflect their voices.