5 Groups Promoting Policies That Help Children

In order to ensure that the government and other social systems provide all children with adequate healthcare, education, and housing, policies must be drafted and passed to guarantee these rights and supports. These organizations, presented in no particular order, are working hard to research and suggest legislation intended to care for kids of all kinds.

Kicking off our list at #1 is the National Association for Gifted Children. Its mission is to support those who enhance the growth and development of gifted and talented children through education, advocacy, community building, and research.

The Association awards several prizes to recognize outstanding teachers, leaders, scholars, advocates, and dedicated contributors. It hosts an annual convention where educators and others can share information about pedagogical approaches and network with one another.

For the #2 entry, we present Youth Advocate Programs, a national nonprofit that provides alternatives to youth incarceration and other out-of-home placements. YAP works to build bridges between families, youth, and communities while also developing relationships with legislators, local nonprofits, places of worship, and community influencers in order to give families access to tools they need to develop social, emotional, financial, and physical well-being.

To further help support youth, YAP has established an endowment fund to provide scholarships to children and their families pursuing post-secondary education or training. The scholarships are flexible and, in addition to tuition, can be used to meet concrete needs like books, tools, or a computer.

The #3 entry is NC Child. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, the organization aims to develop policy strategies and solutions that promote children's healthy development from birth to adulthood. It covers a wide spectrum of issues, including early childhood education, health and wellness, foster care, juvenile justice, family economic security, and more.

NC Child produces publications that document trends of the well-being of kids and the impact of public policy decisions on children and families. These pieces address myriad issues, such as lead poisoning, Medicaid, school nurse shortages, and more.

At #4, we have Children’s HealthWatch, headquartered at Boston Medical Center. This nonpartisan network of pediatricians, public health researchers, and policymakers is committed to improving children’s health in America. It works towards this goal by collecting data in urban hospitals across the US on infants and toddlers whose families are facing economic hardship.

These data are then analyzed and shared with academics, legislators, and the public. The findings are meant to help outline the social and economic factors that impact children’s health in order to make well-informed policy decisions that can give all children equal opportunities for healthy, successful lives.

Last but not least, at #5, we have New Mexico Voices for Children, an organization founded in 1987 by three pediatricians. It is a nonpartisan, statewide advocacy organization that works to create sustainable change to improve the lives of New Mexico’s children.

To accomplish its mission, it works with state and national lawmakers to shape and implement public policies that are supportive of children and working families. It believes in evidence–based advocacy, and therefore conducts research and data analysis to support its policy suggestions.