A Holiday Message to Laura Bush

Gaining support from Laura Bush would provide crucial support for holding a White House Conference on Children and Youth.

As a national children's advocate, she has held many regional conferences on youth, and her support would fast propel our efforts. A White House Conference on Children and Youth would be a nationally recognized effort that would carry Laura's legacy forward - a positive result that she can't deny.

Send a Holiday Message to Laura Bush and ask her to endorse CWLA's call for a White House Conference on Children and Youth!


CWLA is calling on Congress and the next President to hold a long-overdue White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010. This White House Conference would be the first since 1970, making it three decades that have passed since the White House has brought the focus of the nation to examine the state of our children.

We must once again use the power of the White House to organize a national conference on the welfare of our children to establish national goals for improvement in the subsequent ten years.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Support a White House Conference on Children

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As a fellow child advocate and as a representative of my agency, I write to urge you to support legislation for a White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010.

The fundamental purpose of the 2010 White House Conference on Children and Youth is to fulfill the nation's need for an overall vision in child welfare and to refocus an inspired understanding of the many facts we have at our disposal to put them into practice at this critical juncture. There has never before been the summation of knowledge and experience as what now lies before the 2010 conference. Now is the time to bring together the years of research and expertise that will make a difference in the lives of children if focused upon nationally.

The conferences that you've held on children and youth have been extremely important, and have had an impact on the health and welness of children. A national-scale conference convened by the White House is desperately needed in order to continue the work and progress that has begun.

The first step in the process would be for Congress to pass legislation authorizing spending federal funds and establishing policy committees to hold a White House Conference on Children. Funds would then need to be appropriated to establish a series of events and small conferences through the 50 states in 2009, the year before the national conference. The year 2009 will serve as an opportunity for all stakeholders to meet at the state and local levels regarding recommendations for the national event. Delegates would be sent to the White House event representing all states, tribes, territories, and Washington DC.

Previous conferences made significant contributions to establishing priorities for protecting and supporting children in need:

1909 - The conference for the first time committed the nation to oppose the institutionalization of dependent children.

1919 - The White House Conference on Standards of Child Welfare produced the first significant report on child health and welfare standards.

1920 - CWLA was created when White House Conference delegates cited an urgent need for a national child welfare agency.

1929 - This conference produced the most comprehensive report on the needs of children ever written, and resulted in the issuance of a national Children's Charter.

1939 - The Conference on Children in a Democracy highlighted the democratic values, services, and environment necessary for the welfare of children.

1950 - The Mid-Century White House Conference focused on healthy personality development.

1960 - The Golden Anniversary White House Conference on Children and Youth expanded upon this theme to examine ways for children to explore their potential in order to discover creative freedom.

1970 - The last White House Conference on Children and Youth strived to strengthen the individuality and identity of children through the support of healthy personality development.

A White House conference on Children and Youth is needed to focus the attention of the nation on the children who, after all, are our responsibility. The conference will examine the greatest needs and set the country on a path to reform.

The commitment of the First Lady and the power of the White House is needed to once again make vulnerable children a national priority and point the way to significant reform and improvements.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
December 17, 2007


Background Information

 

The fundamental purpose of the 2010 White House Conference on Children and Youth is to fulfill the nation's need for an overall vision in child welfare and to refocus an inspired understanding of the many facts we have at our disposal to put them into practice at this critical juncture. There has never before been the summation of knowledge and experience as what now lies before the 2010 conference. Now is the time to bring together the years of research and expertise that will make a difference in the lives of children if focused upon nationally.

Previous conferences made significant contributions to establishing priorities for protecting and supporting children in need:

A White House conference on Children and Youth is needed to focus the attention of the nation on the children who, after all, are our responsibility. The conference will examine the greatest needs and set the country on a path to reform. The commitment of the President and the power of the White House is needed to once again make vulnerable children a national priority and point the way to significant reform and improvements.