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© Brooklyn Community Foundation
January/February 2021
Dear Friends,
We knew there wouldn’t be a magical reset to “normalcy” at midnight on January 1, and even so, with a continuing global pandemic, an insurrection, an impeachment, and the inauguration of our new president and vice president—the first woman, first Black woman and first woman of South Asian descent—January was quite a month. I hope you are all healthy and well.
 
I have been uplifted by the rising youth voices in our country, from the call for meaningful youth participation within the Department of Education by youth-led organization Student Voice to that of the National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, who captivated us with her inaugural poem for President Biden and Vice President Harris. For many, the passionate actions of young people evoke in us in feelings of hope for our collective future. As I wrote in this month’s blog, we now have a responsibility to transform these feelings of hope into reality. To put it bluntly, it’s time to make investments in kids so they can thrive.
 
As I’ve written before, the health and well-being of children and young people are not partisan issues—we all want our kids to grow up healthy. Let’s put into place the resources, programs, and policies so that all kids have what they need to succeed. Let’s consider how children are impacted by policy decisions and make all of our decisions with their best interests in mind.
 
In the 2020 elections, we saw how individuals used their votes to prioritize kids at the local and state-levels. Within a few days of his inauguration, President Biden raised the minimum wage to $15 per hour; rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement; and seeks to put forth an American Rescue Plan that includes provisions that would likely to cut child poverty in half in 2021. He has tasked Susan Rice to lead his Domestic Policy Council and to ensure that issues of racial equity are included throughout all aspects of the administration. These are all examples of investments and decisions that will positively impact children’s health and well-being.
 
Thank you for your continuing partnership and support of our work. As always, feel free to contact me by email at David.Alexander@leadingforkids.org or connect on Twitter @LeadingforKids. I am looking forward to 2021 and the promise it holds for a society that more deeply values kids!

Be well,
David
David Alexander, M.D.
President, Leading for Kids
(650) 714-6609
what we've been up to
Our work with the FrameWorks Institute continues and we anticipate presenting our first set of findings in late winter/early Spring. As we do this, we are intensifying our focus on connecting with other kids’ advocacy organizations that are engaging with young people. On January 18, we were a partner with the National Children’s Campaign, who hosted the first-ever National Children’s Inauguration, featuring youth activists, elected officials, policy experts, and celebrities, focused on making our kids a national priority for the new Biden/Harris administration.
in case you missed it
In the News:
 

 


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resources from the field




For more COVID-19 news and information, see our COVID-19 resource page
parting thoughts
In his opinion piece, NY Times columnist Paul Krugman asks, “Shouldn’t politicians who claim to be terribly worried about the future of America’s children support, you know, actually help America’s children today?” He shares what we already know—when compared to other wealthy counties, our investments in children are far less and our child poverty rates are far higher—and argues that it is good for us, economically, to support better policies and provide more aid for children and families. Ultimately, what is good for kids is good for our country.
 
Yes, Paul Krugman, “Helping Kids is a Very Good Idea.” It’s also the right thing to do.
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.