Children's Defense Fund Update
June 1,1998
Stand For Children Day: Stand for Quality Care
In This Issue:
-- Child Care
-- Juvenile Justice
-- Family Income
*** Child Care ***
--- 1998 STAND FOR QUALITY CHILD CARE DAY ---
Stand For Children Today !!!
It's not too late for you to do your part to Stand For Children. Please take a few minutes today to call your Senators on behalf of all children and families in your community. A national toll-free hotline -- 1-888-38 STAND UP -- has been set up by Working Assets Long Distance from May 11-June 12 to allow you to call your Members of Congress for free.
ONCE YOU CALL YOUR SENATORS TOLL-FREE, EMAIL OR DISTRIBUTE THIS MESSAGE TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW AND ASK THEM TO DO THEIR PART TO "STAND FOR CHILDREN: STAND FOR QUALITY CHILD CARE" AND CALL THEIR SENATORS!
** Call your Senators toll-free at 1-888-387-8263 and urge them to vote for the Kerry/Bond child care amendment to the tobacco legislation which sets aside funds for child care from tobacco revenues. The toll-free number is only available until the 12th, so please take this opportunity to call now! **
This week, more than 1,000 communities across the country will unite for the third annual Stand For Children Day to highlight the urgent need for affordable, quality child care for working families. (To find out which events are taking place in your community, visit the Stand For Children Web site at .)
Like last year, this year's Stand For Children Day comes at a critical time as the U.S. Congress debates important legislation which could help children and families. In 1997, shortly following Stand For Healthy Children Day, Congress enacted the state Children's Health Insurance Program which provides $48 billion for children's health insurance for children in working families. The momentum provided by the more than 1,000 community events focused on health proved pivotal to our efforts to secure passage of this important legislation. We hope this year offers a similar opportunity to win another victory for children -- $20 billion for quality, affordable child care for America's working families.
--- KERRY/BOND AMENDMENT ON CHILD CARE TO BE DEBATED IN CONGRESS ---
This week, the Senate will resume floor debate on tobacco legislation. It's important that your Senators hear from you immediately about the importance of quality, affordable child care as they begin to debate the Kerry/Bond amendment which sets aside child care money from tobacco revenues. The bi-partisan amendment could be our best opportunity to win funding for child care this year. Current co-sponsors include Kerry (D-MA), Bond (R-MO), Chafee (R-RI), Campbell (R-CO), and Specter (R-PA).
--- PARENTS FACE HIGHER COSTS FOR QUALITY CHILD CARE THAN FOR PUBLIC COLLEGE TUITION ---
On Friday, May 29th, the Children's Defense Fund released "Child Care Challenges," a new report which surveys child care costs for four-year-olds in urban child care centers nationally. This document is one in a 50-state series examining the range of child care challenges facing families in each state. As shown in these state reports, families in every state are struggling to find the quality they are looking for, or the demands of their work schedules limit their choices. There is no state in the country that has successfully addressed the full range of problems facing families who need child care. The problems described in this series highlight the need for a significant new commitment to child care.
To obtain a copy of the of an individual state "Child Care Challenges" report, call Kanya Williams at: 202/662-3609 or email: .
*** Juvenile Justice ***
--- STAND FOR CHILDREN: CONTINUE TO OPPOSE S.10 ---
The Senate returns to Washington this week (June 1st). Thanks to the concentrated efforts of thousands of local, state and national advocates, S. 10 has yet to come up for a floor vote in the Senate. June is the last major opportunity for the Senate to consider S. 10 due to a short session and a long list of other priorities.
For the next several weeks, it is important that we continue to make our voices heard. Call to encourage your Senators to support measures to keep guns out of the hands of children, and increase opportunities for after-school programs which keep children safe and out of trouble. (Capitol Switchboard #: 202/224-3121.)
*** Family Income ***
--- THOUGHTFUL PBS DOCUMENTARY: "ENDING WELFARE AS WE KNOW IT" FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 1998 ---
PBS will be airing a 90 minute documentary that follows six families in Wisconsin, Florida, and New Jersey, as mothers try to find and keep jobs under their states' new welfare plans. In most areas, the show will be broadcast at 9:00 p.m. (check local listings) Friday, June 5. The film, written, produced, and directed by Roger Weisberg, shows the hardships families experience when mothers with little education search fruitlessly for employment, or are unable to keep jobs for lack of child care or transportation, or because of personal problems like substance abuse. The show also documents the human realities of poor choices the families sometimes make. It provides an opportunity for a thoughtful discussion about what would really help families in these situations. CDF would like you to consider using the show as a jumping-off point for a discussion in your community.
***********************************************************
-- OUR STRENGTH IS IN OUR NUMBERS --
SHARE THIS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!!!
Our typical email is about a page or two long and generally comes once a week. To join our legislative update email list, sign-up on our website or send an email to: and write in the body of the message: subscribe cdfupdate
PLEASE NOTE: WHEN SUBSCRIBING OR CANCELING YOUR SUBSCRIPTION, PLEASE DO NOT SURROUND YOUR ADDRESS WITH BRACKETS.
Kimberly Taylor
Children's Defense Fund
25 E Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
202/662-3540 (fax)
CDFupdate@childrensdefense.org
"What is done to children, they will do to society." --Karl Menninger