English to now leading one of the most powerful child advocacy groups in PA.
I fight for every child in Pennsylvania because I see myself in them.
But the systems that helped me thrive are under threat. The stripping of federal dollars will lead to millions of families and children losing their health insurance. The work requirements for SNAP benefits will deter enrollment and undermine the dignity of the most vulnerable and hungry Pennsylvanians. The very fabric of the support services that led to my success may no longer be available to some of the most marginalized children and families in our community.
We live in a politically fractured country right now, but there’s a new majority building in the Commonwealth that doesn’t belong to one party. It is made up of the parents who show up to school board meetings, pediatricians who see what poverty does to a developing brain, employers who can’t find a prepared workforce, and the teachers who work endless hours to catch the students falling through the cracks in our education system. It crosses every zip code, every faith, every sector, and every income bracket.
What we need to build, now more than ever, is a supermajority of advocates.
With the mid-term elections coming up, we’ll all see a lot of campaign rhetoric as political parties jockey to win the majority in the PA Senate and House. I want to see beyond the partisanship and seize the opportunity to forge a new majority in Pennsylvania – one in which people are united on behalf of the children and families in our community. But to do this, we will need to be loud and bold in our demands.
Our goal is to make supporting children the defining political identity of Pennsylvania’s future. When we are done, a vote for children’s healthcare, fully funded education, and a humane juvenile justice system will carry the same political weight as a million dollar contribution to an election campaign.
Right now, there are dozens of child-focused organizations that work on the many issues that affect children’s lives. Children First works with many of them in our formal coalitions like the Youth Justice Alliance or PA Schools Work, and ad hoc partnerships like The Kids Campaign. But they are typically around singular issues not an overarching approach under the umbrella of child wellbeing.
My vision for Children First is to be the organization that weaves together the long list of children’s issues into a defining movement, developing new ways to unite with fellow advocacy organizations and coalitions to build our political power and rebuff politicians who try to pit us against each other for resources. If we work collectively across issues, we would be unstoppable in making children – not campaign donors or high-paid lobbyists working for corporate profit – THE defining issue for lawmakers.
Together, we can turn a multitude of voices toward a singular demand: put children first, in every budget, in every policy, and in every vote. Because every child deserves no less.
