Save the Date: Addressing Achievement Gaps Symposium  Marian Wright Edelman: Hall of FamerWe Have a Recognition! Celebrating CHIP Order Your Copy of The State of America’s Children® 2014 |
What Parents And Teachers Need to Know
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As Black History Month draws to a close, we hope those of you who follow us on Facebook and Twitter have enjoyed the inspirational quotes from Black leaders we have shared each day. Now we want to put a spotlight on the circumstances of the Black child. Black children are the poorest of the poor, and they need our urgent and persistent attention. Watch Marian Wright Edelman’s video address, “What Parents and Teachers Need to Know” for the National Parent Teacher Association’s (PTA) Every Child in Focus Campaign.
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"You don't have to accept what happens to you.
You're fully capable of doing whatever it takes to change whatever has happened to you, to change your future
—maybe not your past, but your future." |
Theresa Tran has fought for her life since the day she was born. Three months premature, weighing only 1 lb. 10 oz., doctors doubted she would survive the night. Her early arrival came with a type of cerebral palsy that severely impaired her ability to walk. In February 2000, five days before her 4th birthday, Theresa had surgery on her legs to help her walk better. The surgery was successful, but tragically, her older brother who had been her best friend and protector was killed in a freak car accident on his way to visit her in the hospital. Then when Theresa was in middle school, her father abandoned the family without warning and returned to Vietnam. Her mother worked three jobs as she struggled to raise four children on her own. Theresa is a self-described nerd who excels in school. She has a 4.0 GPA and is president of her class. Now Theresa Tran is one of the winners of our Ohio Beat the Odds® college scholarship awards and hopes to attend The Ohio State University and eventually become an orthopedic surgeon to change the lives of others in need.
Early next month we will recognize young stars like Theresa Tran in Ohio, New York and Minnesota with Beat the Odds scholarships and an invitation to join the CDF family and our leadership development network. For over 20 years, CDF’s Beat the Odds® program has supported more than 800 students, and has served as a catalyst for them to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, and Peace Corps volunteers and contributing members of their communities.
These young people never give up. Let’s honor their commitment.
No one working full-time should live in poverty. Right now, a parent working full-time at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour earns $15,080 a year, $4,700 below the poverty line for a family of three. Raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, as proposed by Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), would increase a full-time worker’s salary to $21,008 a year – lifting them above poverty and making it much easier to meet their children’s needs. This increase would put $31 billion additional dollars in the pockets of between 16 and 24.5 million low-wage workers and lift 900,000 people out of poverty. Most importantly, it would improve the lives of an estimated 14 million children -- nearly 1 in 5 children in America. Some resist increasing the minimum wage fearful it would lead to job losses. Many leading economists believe there will be no or very few jobs lost and agree the benefits for the millions who would get a pay raise would greatly outweigh the risk. There is no reason for Congress to continue to deny hard-working Americans a pay raise. Rep. Miller has filed a discharge petition to force a vote on H.R. 1010, which requires 218 signatures. Call your Representative today at 1-888-851-1916, a toll-free number provided by AFSCME, and ask him or her to sign the discharge petition and to vote for the Fair Minimum Wage Act to give hard-working families in your state a pay raise.
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Mark your calendar now. ETS, the Educational Testing Service, and CDF are holding a symposium for 450 advocates, researchers, practitioners and young leaders on Monday, June 23, 2014 at the National Press Club that will address “Advancing Success for Black Men in College.”
This is the fourth and final symposium in a joint ETS-CDF series to improve the education and development of Black boys and young men in the United States. We began with the early years, birth to 9, and worked forward through the middle school and high school years. This June 23rd symposium on strategies to increase the number of young Black men succeeding in college will address the challenges they face and opportunities for addressing them: What policies and practices increase access and advance success? How do we overcome the college affordability challenge so many young people face? and; What proposed strategies that help them enter college can also help them stay in and graduate? Four young men will open the symposium with stories of their own college experiences.
We are excited by the way the program is progressing. Learn more about the event and how you can register.
Marian Wright Edelman: Hall of Famer
Congratulations to CDF President Marian Wright Edelman for being inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame earlier this week along with the late civil rights activist Septima Clark! Look for Mrs. Edelman’s Child Watch® column about Septima Clark tomorrow. Today, read the press release about this great honor and watch the video of Mrs. Edelman’s acceptance speech.
Each CDF Freedom Schools® morning begins with “Harambee!” a time to pull together before the day begins and each morning is filled with recognitions, a time to acknowledge accomplishments and contributions. The Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program is proud to “Recognize!”and announce its partnership with the International United Auto Workers (UAW) Cynthia Estrada Charity Fund and the Delta Service Through Detroit Foundation. This initiative will re-establish the CDF Freedom Schools program in Detroit and empower the emerging generation of children and teens with literacy and leadership skills. A big thank you and recognition to these partners for making a difference in the lives of children in Detroit.
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Earlier this month we celebrated the 5th anniversary of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA). The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which may be called something a little different in your state, provides child appropriate health services to more than 8 million children in working families across America. Since its enactment in 1997 with strong bipartisan support, CHIP has helped cut the number of uninsured children in half, to the lowest level on record, while improving health outcomes and access to care. While CHIP is authorized to operate through 2019, there is no new funding after September of next year. If Congress does not act to fund CHIP, millions of children could lose health coverage altogether or end up paying more for less coverage. Congress must act this year to extend funding for CHIP at least through 2019 to ensure that children do not lose ground. Stay tuned over the coming months to see how you can help protect and improve health coverage for children! In the meantime, here are 10 things you need to know about CHIP and our new CHIP factsheet.
Order Your Copy of The State of America’s Children® 2014
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You asked and we listened. Order a printed copy of The State of America’s Children 2014 through CDF’s online store today. The report costs only $6 plus shipping, so order one for yourself and others in your organization or child advocacy network.
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