Rhonda Mann, Interim Chief Executive Officer
[email protected] / 334-213-2410
In the 2022 Alabama Legislative Session, VOICES was instrumental in accomplishing a historical $17.8 million investment in QRIS, $22M additional funding to expand access to First Class Pre-K for four-year-olds, and advocated for and ultimately passed bills that expand school-based mental health services.
Children’s Action Alliance’s annual Through the Eyes of a Child luncheon features a silent auction of donated student artwork and youth entertainment like a high school marching band.
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families
Jennifer Keith Ferguson and Laura Kellams, Interim Co-Executive Directors
Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families celebrates its 45th anniversary in 2022; one of its founders was Hillary Clinton.
Children Now is a California-based research, policy development, and advocacy organization dedicated to improving children’s health, education, and overall well-being. Children Now is employing a game-changing, scalable model to improve children’s advocacy and ensure that all kids, prenatal to age 26, have the supports they need to reach their full potential.
Children’s Advocacy Institute (CA)
Robert Fellmeth, Executive Director
[email protected] / 619-260-4806
The Children’s Advocacy Institute (CAI) is one of the only child advocacy organizations that combines research and policy advocacy before all three branches of government with an academic component. Based at the University of San Diego School of Law, CAI has trained over 800 law students to be effective child advocates for over 30 years.
The Children’s Partnership’s 1996 award winning publication, The Parent’s Guide to the Information Superhighway: Rules & Tools For Families and accompanying website had such impact and reach that they now sit in the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives Center at the National Museum of American History.
The Children’s Campaign celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2020 – 35 Years Bold!
CAHS focuses on both policy and program development to move kids and families out of poverty, and our policy agenda is strongly informed by our program work and our more than 100 program partners.
Connecticut Voices for Children believes that children do best when they live in healthy families and thriving communities. We have led statewide campaigns across a broad range of issues, helping to found broad coalitions that include the Connecticut Juvenile Justice Alliance, the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, and Better Choices for CT. All these alliances remain in existence, with ongoing growth in membership and state policy influence.
Devoted to improving the well-being on our state’s children, youth and their families, KIDS COUNT in Delaware has been using highly credible research, data collection and education to inform change on behalf of children for over 25 years. KIDS COUNT in Delaware is a collaborative effort of over forty organizations that is housed within the Center for Community Research & Service at the University of Delaware.
DC Action helped to pass the landmark Birth to Three for All DC Act which is a legislative blueprint for guaranteeing every family in DC spends no more than 10 percent of their income on high-quality, developmentally-stimulating early childhood education. The Birth-to-Three for All DC Act expands access to critical educational, social, and health services for families with young children.
American Children’s Campaign (FL)
Roy Miller, President and Founder
[email protected] / 850-425-2600
Hawaii Children’s Action Network
Deborah Zysman, Executive Director
[email protected] / 808-531-5502
Hawaii Children’s Action Network’s Senior Community Engagement Specialist often calls community meetings to order by singing children’s songs.
Idaho Voices for Children celebrated its fifteenth year of existence in 2020.
Voices for Illinois Children, Powered by YWCA Metropolitan Chicago
No Current Executive Director
312-456-0600
Marion County Commission on Youth (IN)
John Brandon, President and Executive Director
[email protected] / 317-921-1266
MCCOY has published and distributed the Youth Activity Directory (YAD) – a comprehensive listing of programs that serve youth in central Indiana – for 19 years. In 2015, the YAD was made into a free online app.
Common Good Iowa celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019 and recently celebrated its 25th year as Iowa’s Kids Count organization.
Kansas Action for Children was formed in 1979 by the three Junior Leagues of Kansas and the Kansas Children’s Service League.
Kentucky Youth Advocates is the independent voice for Kentucky kids. We advocate for policies that give all children the best possible opportunities for a brighter future.
Agenda for Children’s former CEO, Dr. Anthony Recasner, co-founded the first charter school in New Orleans.
The Maine Children’s Alliance is a public policy, nonprofit improving the lives of Maine children, youth and families through research, collaboration and advocacy. For over 25 years, MCA has promoted sound policies and best practices to make sure all Maine children have the resources and opportunity to reach their full potential from birth to adulthood.
Michigan’s Children connects lawmakers directly to young people through their Kidspeak events that simulate legislative hearings and allow youth to set the agenda.
Voices for Children Advocacy Center
Claudnyse (Nyse) D. Holloman, President and CEO
[email protected] / 810-238-3333
Voices for Children serving Genesee and Shiawassee counties, with locations in Flint and Owasso, Michigan, is a Child Advocacy Center serving as a voice and advocate for all children throughout the communities we serve. Voices for Children serves (1) child survivors of abuse and neglect and their families (including human trafficking), (2) with safety and prevention education, and (3) advocacy for the well-being of the whole child and for every child. Voices for Children is shining a light so all children are empowered, and all families are thriving.
Voices for Children in Nebraska was founded in 1987 by Kathy Bigsby Moore, a former foster care parent whose own experiences working with the state moved her to improve the systems that are serving the children of Nebraska.
Children’s Advocacy Alliance (NV)
Dr. Tiffany Tyler-Garner, Executive Director
[email protected] / 702-228-1869
Advocates for Children of New Jersey’s roots grew out of some of the earliest efforts in New Jersey to protect abused and abandoned children. It is in part the successor organization to the Newark Orphan Asylum, which was established in 1847.
Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York (New York City)
Jennifer March, Executive Director
[email protected] / 212-673-1800
CCC was founded in 1944 by a group of New Yorkers, including Eleanor Roosevelt, who believed that every one had a role to play in making New York City a better place for children. CCC’s advocacy combines public policy research and data analysis with citizen action. We cast light on the issues, educate the public, engage allies, and identify and advocate for practical solutions to ensure that every New York City child is healthy, housed, educated and safe. At the heart of CCC’s fact-based advocacy is Keeping Track of New York City’s Children, the most comprehensive compilation of data on children at the municipal level.
Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (NY)
Kate Breslin, President and CEO
[email protected] / 518-463-1896
The Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, New York State’s policy voice, was founded by Louisa Lee Schuyler, great-granddaughter of Alexander Hamilton.
The Children’s Agenda (Rochester, NY)
Larry Marx, Chief Executive Officer
[email protected] / 585-256-2620
The Children’s Agenda has more than 5,500 people in its Action Network. These individuals and organizations send messages to legislators at the city, county, state and federal levels to advocate for policies that support the well-being of children, especially those who are vulnerable due to poverty, racism, health inequities and trauma.
Westchester Children’s Association (NY)
Allison Lake, Executive Director
[email protected] / 914-946-7676
Westchester Children’s Association believes every child should be healthy, safe and prepared for life’s challenges. Since 1914, our mission has been to improve the lives of Westchester’s young people by shaping policies and programs to meet their needs, and by keeping their well-being at the top of the public agenda.
NC Child advances public policies to ensure that every child in North Carolina has the opportunity to thrive – whatever their race, ethnicity, or place of birth.
Ohio’s oldest statewide child advocacy organization. Focused on empowering kids, strengthening families, and building a brighter future for Ohio.
Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy
Joe Dorman, Chief Executive Officer
[email protected] / 405-236-KIDS (5437)
Our Mission: “Creating awareness, taking action, and supporting policy to improve the health, safety, and well-being of Oklahoma’s children.”
Our Children Oregon is advancing equitable policymaking and whole-child advocacy statewide to ensure our children and youth have what they need, regardless of their race, their ability, or where they live, to thrive by activating meaningful change for children and families.
Nearly 2.8 million children call Pennsylvania home, and Children First is working to make sure every one of those kids has the opportunity to thrive and learn in a healthy, supportive environment.
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
Kari King, President and CEO
[email protected] / 717-236-5680
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a strong, effective, and trusted voice to improve the health, education, and well-being of children and youth in the commonwealth. Throughout our nearly 30-year history, our public policy victories have helped countless children learn, thrive, and succeed.
Policy victories spearheaded by Rhode Island KIDS COUNT include the design and launch of the state’s high quality pre-k program and the creation of Rite Smiles – a Medicaid managed care program for dental care that has dramatically increased the percentage of Medicaid covered children with access to regular preventative oral health care.
Children’s Trust of South Carolina
Sue Williams, Chief Executive Officer
[email protected] / 803-733-5430
Children’s Trust leads South Carolina’s coordinated efforts for the Strengthening Families Program; Triple P (Positive Parenting Program); S.C. Adverse Childhood Experiences Initiative; Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting; Child Abuse Prevention Month; and KIDS COUNT. It is also the state representative for Children’s Trust Fund Alliance and Prevent Child Abuse America.
The Black Children’s Institute of Tennessee
Jaunita Veasy, Executive Director
[email protected] / 615-366-5530
The Black Children’s Institute of Tennessee, created in 1989, is the first and only statewide African American Child Advocacy Organization in the United States.
Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth
Richard Kennedy, Executive Director
[email protected] / 615-741-2633
The Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth has nine regional councils on children and youth across the state with over 3,000 members.
In 1989, several child advocates developed a 60-page research book entitled Children At Risk with a March of Dimes Grant, which highlighted the need for a strong advocate for Houston’s Children. The advocates then formed CHILDREN AT RISK.
Texans Care for Children has been driving policy change to improve the lives of Texas children for over 30 years.
Voices for Utah Children celebrated 35 years of speaking out on behalf of Utah Children in 2020.
For almost 40 years, Voices for Vermont’s Children has driven the adoption of public policy centering equity, justice, and the lived experience of Vermont Children and youth. This year we showed what’s possible when you pull together a diverse coalition aligned around a common goal with the passage of the Office of Child, Youth and Family Advocate bill, ensuring independent oversight of Vermont’s child protection system.
Voices for Virginia’s Children
Rachael Deane, Chief Executive Officer
[email protected] / 804-649-0184
Voices for Virginia’s Children was founded in 1994, and many of those who helped organize it and were on its first Board of Directors are still involved in its work today.
At the annual Washington Children’s Alliance “Have a Heart for Kids” Day, policymakers and staff come to the windows when they hear the high school drumline at the front of Children’s Alliance’s kid-led march around the Washington state capitol.
In 1990, West Virginia KIDS COUNT was born out of a Task Force formed by former Governor Gaston Caperton to address the needs of West Virginia children and families.
Kids Forward, formerly the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families, began operations before the United States adopted the use of time zones in 1883.