To educate candidates running for local and state offices about key children’s issues, The Children’s Campaign is announcing the release of its 2016 Candidate Connection, a publication developed every election year that is distributed to candidates running for public office, as well as civic-minded citizens and media professionals.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nonprofits Team Up to Make Children a Top Priority this Election Season
Nonpartisan publication launches to increase candidate understanding of key issues affecting Florida’s children
Tallahassee, FL–June 28, 2016– Although job growth may be thriving in Florida, many families and children across the state are struggling to survive. Florida leads the nation in the number of children tried in adult court, and ranks in the top three states for child sex trafficking. According to the recently released2016 Annie E. Casey Kids Count Report, Florida has dropped to the bottom one-fifth in the nation for child well-being, ranking 47th in children’s health and 40th in overall child well-being. Indexes also show Florida’s per capita funding for mental health is 49th in the nation. In addition, 473 Florida foster children died last year under the state’s watch.
To educate candidates running for local and state offices about key children’s issues, The Children’s Campaign is announcing the release of its2016 Candidate Connection, a publication developed every election year that is distributed to candidates running for public office, as well as civic-minded citizens and media professionals.
“We hope to increase the understanding of children’s issues among candidates running for public office so that substantive ideas and proposals to help children succeed will be developed,” stated Roy Miller, president of The Children’s Campaign, Florida’s leading child advocacy organization. “If you look at the child well-being indicators, it’s a tough time to be growing up in Florida. We want to make children a top state priority.”
The2016 Candidate Connectionfeatures policy analysis and issue briefs from the following organizations: The Children’s Campaign, Voices for Florida, Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center, James Madison Institute, the Florida State University Project on Accountable Justice, Mental Health America, University of South Florida College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, Florida Kids Count and The Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University.
The2016 Candidate Connectionis available online at iamforkids.org/candidateconnection. Key issues covered in the publication include:
Generational Poverty in Florida’s Hispanic Children
Child Sex Trafficking (and the new Open Doors Service Network)
Child Welfare Reform
Best Practices for Integrating Children’s Services
Mental Health and Child Welfare
Transferring Juveniles to Adult Court(Direct File)
Article: http://www.prurgent.com/2016-06-28/pressrelease410939.htm
