The Children’s Leadership Council is a coalition of child advocates representing over 50 leading national policy and advocacy organizations who are working everyday to improve the health, education and well-being of children and youth in order to prepare them for school, work, and life. The CLC organizations have members in every state in the nation. For the first time, there is a strong, unified group of organizations speaking with one voice to achieve a singular mission – building the public awareness and creating the political will necessary to make greater federal investments in America’s children and youth a reality.
 
The Children’s Leadership Council believes investing in children and youth is investing in America. By making all of our children – from birth to young adulthood – a priority, we strengthen our country and secure everyone’s future. And when we help children grow and succeed, we are paving the way for our country’s next generation of workers and leaders. Improving children’s health, education, and well-being is not just the right thing to do; it is one of the smartest investments we can make for our nation’s future.
 
This is why the CLC is launching the “Invest in Children, Strengthen America” campaign to highlight specific economic recovery measures as well as long term investments that can help keep more children and youth from falling into poverty. These investments will go a long way toward securing our future, providing real solutions to our short and long-term economic challenges, and strengthening America. The Children’s Leadership Council’s “Invest in Children, Strengthen America” campaign focuses on five specific areas of investment that are proven effective in improving the health, education and well-being of children across America. Those five investment areas for children are ensuring:

• Investment in prevention, early diagnosis and treatment for at-risk children, including those who are abused and neglected through programs and services that are proven to work such as early childhood home visitation.
• Services for older children to ensure that they are safe and on a path to success such as those that reduce high school drop outs, mentoring for at risk youth and job training.
• Physical, dental and mental health care, prevention and treatment so that all children are healthy.
• Programs that provide early development and learning, such as child care, Head Start/Early Head Start and other early childhood programs for children from birth to age 5.
• Support for families to help make them economically stronger, more stable and more self-sufficient including programs such as expanded child tax credits, child support, increases in food stamps/SNAP, child nutrition programs and rental assistance. Strong families mean strong children.