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EDUCATE - Recommended Websites
Children First Advocacy Partners and Resources
An ongoing list of partners for Children First’s advocacy work...
1. Action For Children NC – Raleigh
(www.ncchild.org)
Begun in 1983, formerly known as the North
Carolina Child Advocacy Institute (NCCAI). Action for Children uses
highly-credible research, data collection, advocacy and education to
influence the knowledge, attitudes and actions of a broad cross-section of
people across the state. Major work focuses on health, safety, early care,
education, economic security, child maltreatment and juvenile justice.
Action for Children is the nationally-recognized state affiliate of Voices
for America’s Children and is the state Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS
COUNT partner. As such, Action for Children serves as the major source for
research and data, publishing the North Carolina Children’s Index, the
profile of leading indicators on the health and well-being of North
Carolina’s children.
2. NC Justice Center – Raleigh
(www.ncjustice.org)
Its mission is to reduce and eliminate poverty in North Carolina by helping
to ensure that every North Carolina household gains access to the resources,
services and fair treatment that it needs in order to enjoy economic
security. Founded in 1996 through the merger of two former Legal Services
organizations. The Justice Center utilizes four main strategies: litigation;
research and analysis; public policy advocacy; and grassroots action. The
Justice Center is also home to a number of well-known specialized projects,
including the Budget and Tax Center, the Health Access Coalition, the
Immigrants Legal Assistance Project, the Education and Law Project and the
Consumer Action Network.
3. Covenant with North Carolina’s Children – Raleigh
(www.nccovenant.org)
The Covenant is a coalition of individual’s and organizations committed to
promoting progressive public policy to benefit children in North Carolina.
The Covenant membership and staff (one full time director/lobbyist) convene
eight work groups charged with tracking issues and developing legislative
priorities for the Covenant to consider for its legislative agenda. The
issue areas are: Child Welfare; Early Childhood; Economic Security;
Education; Health; Juvenile Justice; Mental Health/Developmental
Disability/Substance Abuse; Safety. Covenant members include: NC Association
of Educators, Action for Children NC, NC Justice Center, Planned Parenthood,
NC Association of Social Workers, Prevent Child Abuse, Housing Coalition,
ARC, NC Against Gun Violence, NC Association of Child Care Providers;
Council for Children’s Rights; Children First.
4. Council for Children’s Rights –
Charlotte (www.cfcrights.org)
The Council for Children’s Rights is an effective, independent, non-profit
agency dedicated to protecting our community’s children formed through the
2006 consolidation of the former Council for Children and the former
Children’s Law Center. The Council for Children’s Rights works primarily in
the areas of special education, abuse and neglect, mental health, custody,
domestic violence and juvenile justice. The Council consists of 24
Attorneys, Advocates and Professional Staff dedicated to serving children
and connecting them to vital services. The Council also spearheads the
“Building Strategic Communities for Children” project.
5. NC Center for Public Policy Research –
Raleigh (www.nccppr.org)
The North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research is an independent,
nonprofit organization dedicated to the goals of a better-informed public
and more effective, accountable, and responsive government. The Center
identifies public policy issues facing North Carolina and enriches the
dialogue among citizens, the media, and policymakers. Based on its research,
the Center makes recommendations for improving the way government serves the
people of this state. In all its efforts, the Center values reliable and
objective research as a basis for analyzing public policy, independence from
partisan bias and political ideology.
6. Children’s Defense Fund –
Washington, DC (www.childrensdefense.org)
The Children's Defense Fund’s Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure
every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a
Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of
caring families and communities. CDF provides a strong, effective voice for
all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves
- paying particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and
those with disabilities. CDF encourages preventive investment before
children get sick or into trouble, drop out of school, or suffer family
breakdown. CDF began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization
supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations.
7. Center for Budget and Policy Priorities
– Washington, DC (www.cbpp.org)
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is one of the nation’s premier
policy organizations working at the federal and state levels on fiscal
policy and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income families and
individuals. The Center conducts research and analysis to inform public
debates over proposed budget and tax policies and to help ensure that the
needs of low-income families and individuals are considered in these
debates. The Center also develops policy options to alleviate poverty,
particularly among working families. In addition, the Center examines the
short- and long-term impacts that proposed policies would have on the health
of the economy and on the soundness of federal and state budgets. Among the
issues explored are whether federal and state governments are fiscally sound
and have sufficient revenue to address critical priorities, both for
low-income populations and for the nation as a whole.
9. Other National Organizations that we use as resources on issues
related to hunger, poverty, economic security, and child care:
• RESULTS Educational Fund/RESULTS,
Inc. – Washington, DC (www.results.org)
• National Women’s Law Center –
Washington, DC (www.nwlc.org)
• America’s Second Harvest – Chicago,
IL/Washington, DC (secondharvest.org)
• YWCA USA – Washington, DC (ywca.org)
• Campaign for Youth Justice
– Washington, DC (campaignforyouthjustice.org)
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