While most children live in secure environments and reach young adulthood healthy both emotionally and physically, we know that the opportunity to become productive members of society eludes thousands of Wyoming children.

We challenge you to Step Up for Children on September 16th at the Capital or at your local county courthouse.

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Step Up For Kids

Please join us in letting candidates know that Wyoming citizens believe children should be a priority during this election!

Step Up For Kids Day

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

10:00 am

Events are being scheduled in the following communities:

  • Cheyenne on the steps of the State Capital
  • Casper
  • Lander
  • Buffalo
  • Sheridan
  • Pinedale
  • Newcastle

FAQ

Step Up for Kids Day

September 16, 2008

What is Step Up for Kids Day?

This special day, conceived of by the Every Child Matters Education Fund (ECMEF), seeks to bring child-friendly organizations and individuals together in every state capital to advocate on behalf of children and call upon presidential candidates to address the needs of children and discuss their plans for meeting those needs. The state events will take place on the steps of state capitols and loosely mirror a national event in Washington, DC, at the National Press Club. This event will feature renowned pediatrician Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, who will speak to the need to make greater investments in children and also call upon the candidates to make children a priority. ECMEF will use the day to leverage media attention on children's issues and to continue to organize and mobilize child-friendly groups across the country.

What are the desired outcomes?

Among the desired outcomes are:

  • Raising the awareness of the needs of children and families in the U.S. and Wyoming
  • Getting the candidates (federal, state, and local) to place issues of kids and families on their platforms and discuss how they plan to address those needs if they are elected
  • Getting members of the media to address these issues and pose these questions when they're interviewing and/or writing about candidates.
  • Making America's children a national political priority.
  • Closing the investment gap that is growing ever larger when it comes to America's and Wyoming's children.
  • Getting non-voters to register and everyone to vote with kids' well-being in mind.

What should the event look like?

Staff members at ECM hope that groups in each state will come up with an event design that will work best for their state; however, we do expect that:

Where? When feasible, the event will be held on the steps of the capitol building. In Wyoming we will also have events at county buildings to facilitate voter registration.

Focus? It should focus on children's needs/issues in the individual state (see Audience/Participants? a sizeable number of children's advocates, including service providers (early education teachers, after-school personnel, members of the medical community), parents, grandparents, and children themselves should be present at the event, as well as legislators, candidates, other public officials, and members of the media.

Speakers? Speakers at the event should include some service providers and advocates, including a pediatrician, and they or at least one should be well-known enough to draw state-wide attention.

Action? Participants should call upon all elected officials and to make kids a top national and state priority and to call upon candidates to present their agendas for addressing the needs of children and families.

Can there be only one event per state?

No. Some groups in larger states have already decided to do an event in the capital and in additional locations throughout the state. Some local groups also are planning to host events, especially for people who can't travel to the state capital.

What types of groups are involved?

All types of child-friendly groups have expressed interest, including:

  • state affiliates or networks of the National Association for Child Care Resource and
  • Referral Agencies
  • state affiliates or networks of Prevent Child Abuse America
  • state affiliates of Voices for America's Children
  • state affiliates of the National Association of Social Workers
  • state Head Start Associations
  • after-school programs
  • hospitals
  • PTAs
  • nurses associations
  • universities
  • youth groups
  • United Ways
  • counties, cities
  • state human services departments
  • interfaith organizations

What does ECM provide?

  • Materials-banners, palm cards, stickers, rally signs
  • Technical assistance: conference calls, tool kits, "how-to's," talking points, country-wide press notification
  • Mini site on the ECM national web site which you can manage yourself or provide information for ECM staff to upload

Will we be supporting candidates on this day?

No! ECM is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan organization. Our "candidates" are the needs of children.

Who should we contact?

Deanna Frey at the Wyoming Children's Action Alliance 1-800-400-3999 or Dan Neal at the Equality State Policy Center 1-307-472-5939

www.everychildmatters.org/wyoming