Some families who are unable to afford paying for daycare programs seek a more traditional alternative. In many cultures, grandparents live in the same home as the family unit and take care of the children when the parents are at work. Grandparents are convenient babysitters because of their familiarity with the children and the family. Often times, grandparents who are retired will have time to dedicate to taking care of children. This role also allows them to keep themselves occupied, read more…
The Working Families Flexibility Act Is Harmful Consider opposing our national “Working Families Flexibility Act” (H.R. 1180 / S. 801). This act allows for an agreement between workers and their employers to choose paid time off, instead of overtime pay as compensation for working more than 40 hours in a week. However employers can veto employees’ requests to use accrued comp time when they feel the employee’s absence will “unduly disrupt” the employer’s business. This includes urgent requests such as caring read more…
Please contact your legislators locally before April 23rd. Congress is recessed from April 8th to April 23. Phone or email him/her, or send a post card locally. Attend a local meeting with your legislator, if possible. Half of our families earn the median income or less (about $50,000 annually). This is not enough to pay for basic needs. The President’s budget subsidizes childcare for those with high salaries, but leaves those struggling financially with no support. Also,the republicans talk of read more…
“It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men”, said Frederick Douglas more than 150 years ago. Today he would add women. He would know that children are born with millions of disconnected brain cells and that most cells connect in the first five years of life. These connections don’t just happen. The full attention of parents, teachers, and caretakers is required so the infant can become a strong child who can cope with kindergarten and beyond. U.S. read more…
Many of us, including our policemen and women have become accustomed to solving conflict with violence. There is too much violence in our lives. We are losing our ability to resolve conflict verbally. Many adults and children live in terror that they or a loved one will be killed or maimed by a gunshot. We can change this by; curbing all gun sales, teaching gun safety at home in school, and using internet resources, linking schools to local community mental read more…
Traditional and charter schools can cooperate so as to improve our children’s education. One example is in the town of Lawrence MA where cooperation resulted in increased rates of graduation, and a reduction of school drop-outs. The relationship between traditional and charter school occurred after the Lawrence school district went into receivership because of extremely poor performance. This occurred five years ago when fewer than one-half of the students graduated from High School. The receivership focussed on student achievement rather than internal bickering. Additional read more…
President Elect Trump speaks of eliminating the U. S. Department of Education and national standards for public education – as did President Reagan. Our last four presidents worked on national standards. Their work improved public education and high school graduation rates, but more needs to be done. Our high school students often graduate with poor preparation for technical jobs, and immigrants are hired whose education is relevant. You can sign up with Promise the Children and support education. You can get to know your read more…
Tomorrow, November 4 is the last day of early voting. Tuesday November 8th is election day ! Please vote. It is easy to be cynical. But, this is an extremely important election. Please remember your commitment to children when you make your choice. In particular remember our pre-school children who are so badly in need of quality education and childcare. Here are two major issues with two points of view on issues. The expansion of charter public schools. This issue read more…
Each state defines their zero tolerance policies. Sometimes, these policies may be enforced by police officers employed as school resource officers or SROs. SRO’s are paid for by the federal government. They supposedly enforce Federal Gun Free School Act that was signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. It’s purpose was to mandate that states design their own zero tolerance policies to make schools safer. This law focussed on punishing students who brought weapons and drugs into schools. In certain states, SRO’s read more…
Selling more people more guns does not curb gun violence. In the U.S. over all, about 2500 children die from gunshot violence annually. U.S. children and teens are 17 times more likely to die from a gun shot than children in 25 other high-income countries combined according to the Children’s Defense Fund. In 2012 12,253 adults died from gunshot homicides. Many more adults committed suicide or suffered accidental deaths by gunshots, and also there were non-fatal gunshot crimes. How can we curb U. S. gun read more…
Please sign up and join 500 other volunteer advocates who support the safety net for our nation's children. We send monthly emails suggesting ways to help. Too many parents are working for low wages that prevent them from paying for safe childcare, early education and adequate health care. They need support!
