Childhood violence and the Whac-A-Mole effect
September 6, 2016
Violence is just one part of childhood trauma. So why are we focusing so much on childhood violence?
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Politics & Policy
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How I talked to cities about early learning
September 1, 2016
I’ve been living in the District for a few short weeks and I’ve already hit the ground running by visiting with local mayors to talk about early learning! As part of MomsRising’s Strong Start for Strong Cities initiative, my colleague and I stopped by city offices in Maryland and Virginia to show...
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Childcare & Early Education Families & The Federal Budget Family Economic Security Politics & Policy
Declining TANF Child Care Funds Underscore Need for Major Child Care Investment
August 31, 2016
August marks the 20th anniversary of welfare reform , which created the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. As part of welfare reform, Congress also made new investments in the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) recognizing that low-income mothers need help...
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NC kids in adult jails?!?
August 29, 2016
We are at a pivotal moment to change the lives of kids in communities across our state. North Carolina is one of only two states in the country that still charges 16- and 17-year-olds as adults in our criminal justice system, without exception. We can change this outdated policy, but we need your...
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Raise the Age: Advocating for Youth Justice in NC
August 29, 2016
Recently, I attended a public hearing presided by the NC Commission on the Administration of Law & Justice (NCCALJ). One of the top issues on their agenda was Juvenile Reinvestment. NC is one of only two states (NY being the other) that automatically charges 16- and 17-year olds as adults...
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On Women’s Equality Day, Still Fighting for Voting Rights for All
August 25, 2016
Perhaps a million women will be left on the sidelines as we celebrate 96 years of voting rights this Women’s Equality Day . These are women affected by felony disenfranchisement laws – state laws that deny individuals convicted of felony offenses the right to vote while they are incarcerated, while...
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TANF at Twenty
August 24, 2016
Twenty years ago, President Bill Clinton signed the law that placed a time limit on cash assistance for poor families with children and required some degree of work, job search, or training to receive benefits. The new program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), replaced Aid to...
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Of Angels and Healthy, Affordable Foods in Minnesota
August 22, 2016
In this era of political disagreement, it’s unusual to see political parties put aside their differences, join hands and work together for the greater good. But that’s exactly what happened recently in Minnesota around efforts to improve and increase access to healthy and affordable food. Minnesota...
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On Nate Parker and Consent
August 19, 2016
To all victims and survivors of sexual violence, I hate that you have been, once again, re-traumatized by the force of patriarchy. I see the many statuses, comments, blogs, and articles in my timeline, and I am reading and digesting them. I completely understand why you are now either conflicted,...
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Child Watch® Column: Filling in the Stories
August 12, 2016
Do your children love the books on their summer reading lists? Are your children reading about diverse cultures and books that reflect their experience or history? Children of color are now a majority of all public school students and will soon be a majority of all children in America yet children’s books and the publishing industry have failed to keep up with the rainbow of our children’s faces and cultures and needs. Every summer our Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom Schools® curriculum is focused on a superb collection of diverse books that reflect children’s own images and a wide variety of cultures and experiences. For some children it’s the first time they’ve seen books with characters who look like them. For others the storylines draw them in, teach them about moments in history they may not have studied in school, and allow them to fall in love with reading in a way they’ve never experienced.
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