Children First of Buncombe County

In the face of last year’s $4+ billion state budget shortfall, our state legislature used federal stimulus funds, raised revenue, and made cuts to human services, education, and juvenile justice. For the upcoming 2010-11 State Fiscal Year, North Carolina faces an estimated $1.6 billion shortfall. Past and potential cuts impact our children’s opportunities for health, safety, and education. It is time for us to protect the public structures that benefit our children and youth.

This year's tour will explore the impact of North Carolina's budget cuts on the public structures that support the education, health, safety, and welfare of our children and youth.

We hope you'll be able to join us for the full event. Registration begins at 11:30 AM and the tour will end at 4:15 PM. As always, we'll be riding together on a bus to visit the sites. (Starting location information will be coming soon)

Seating is limited, so register now by clicking here.

If you absolutely can't join us for the afternoon tour, you still have an option. Join us for a lunch time overview of our state's budget shortfall, cuts, and what it means for children and youth. Registration begins at 11:30 AM and the lunch will conclude at 1:00 PM. To register for lunch only, click here.

More About Child Watch Tours

Child Watch Tours are designed to raise awareness of critical children’s issues, create new leadership for children, and to inspire action on their behalf through a hands-on tour. Child Watch adds faces and stories to statistics and reports and gives participants first-hand exposure to challenges faced by families in Buncombe County.

Locally Child Watch is a collaborative effort with the Junior League of Asheville, Inc. and nationally is a program conceived by the Children’s Defense Fund. The Asheville/Buncombe Child Watch Tour is the longest continuous running tour in the country. The 2009 Child Watch Tour (May 8, 2009) was our thirteenth annual tour.

Child Watch Goals

Raise Awareness
Create New Leadership
Inspire Action

Issues the Child Watch Planning Co-chairs consider when choosing a topic:

Link to public policy – What policies/legislation need our attention around the issue?
Outcomes – how can we measure our success around the three goals?
Impact – how can the tour make an impact on participants and inspire them?
“Tour Ready” – are there locations that we can visit to illustrate the issue?

Past Child Watch Tours

2009 - Poverty's impact on our children and youth

2008 - Preventing youth crime and gangs

2007 - Children in the Foster Care System

2006 – Child Care Subsidy

2005 – Juvenile Justice

2004 – Childhood Obesity

2003 – Childhood Mental Illness

2002 – After School Opportunities for Middle School Students