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(c) Meridith Kohut
December 2021
Dear Friends,
It’s hard to believe that it is already time to write yet another year-end greeting. I hope this year has been better than the last, and that next year will be even better. 
 
All around the world, kids have been in the news more than ever, with the broader return to in-person learning; UNICEF’s declaration of the climate crisis as a child’s rights crisis and continuing youth activism on climate; the call for youth mental health support and resources; and the approval and rollout of Covid-19 vaccines for all but the youngest children. Here in the U.S., the passage of the expanded Child Tax Credit represented the largest investment in children in more than 50 years, and the proposed Build Back Better plan includes policy initiatives including universal pre-K and child care from which hundreds of thousands of kids will benefit. Through all of this, young people continue to speak out, sharing their experiences and ideas, and demanding to have a voice in the areas that impact their lives.
 
This year, in partnership with the FrameWorks Instititue, we issued three publications: a strategic brief on the societal and cultural mindsets around kids, and how those mindsets may be keeping kids of of our policy agenda; a report analyzing how advocates and others in the field talk about kids and how we might improve their effectiveness; and an analysis exploring how kids are portrayed in the news media. Together, these pieces provide a foundation from which we are developing  new framing narratives about kids issues that will hopefully result in constructively elevating these issues in our public discourse, and increase our sense of collective responsibility for all children. These new narratives will be tested prior to their release sometime during 2022.
 
We continue to seek opportunities to share this work, and in August, published a piece in Newsweek that shares insights into how to keep public policy discussions focused on kids. In September, the Chronicle of Philanthropy published our article detailing how we talk about kids and kids’ issues prevents the adoption of lasting policy changes aimed at improving the lives of children and youth.
 
Thank you for your ongoing conversations, and your interest in and support of Leading for Kids. I am always happy to connect by email at David.Alexander@leadingforkids.org and on twitter @LeadingforKids. My best wishes for 2022; I am humbled to partner with you on this journey.
 
Be well, and happy holidays,
David
David Alexander, M.D.
President, Leading for Kids
(650) 714-6609
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.