Children Now

On a Mission to Give Kids Power Why, with near consensus in our country on creating equal opportunity for all children, regardless of race or income, do kids fare so poorly in public policymaking? Despite the existence of thousands of groups fighting for numerous child-related causes, the lack of a powerful, unified advocacy effort has allowed other interests to continually supersede kids in priority and resources. The children’s base is fractured and kids are losing out. Children Now is the unified, scalable solution: We serve as the hub for all of the key children’s issues, supporting and connecting thousands of groups in California to create an unprecedented power base for kids. To accomplish this, Children Now employs the top three strategies that all of the country’s strongest interest groups have in common and, for the first time, applies those to kids: Umbrella Coverage Children Now covers the full range of key children’s issues, including early childhood, education reform, children’s health, foster care and juvenile justice, allowing us to develop sensible policies because children’s issues are interdependent and can’t be addressed effectively in silos. Then, just as other interest groups reduce multiple, complex policy issues to being “Pro” or “Anti” their constituents (i.e. “Pro-Business,” “Pro-Labor,” “Anti-Tax,” “Pro-Gun”), Children Now represents the support for all of its issues as “Pro-Kid”. No one wants to be “Anti-Kid”. Deep Inside Expertise Behind that simple messaging are the top children’s research, policy, communications and advocacy experts. With decades of experience in their specific areas, our experts work closely with policymakers and influential leaders throughout the state to craft, promote, enact and implement scalable change for kids. This inside play mirrors the strategy of the most powerful interest groups that employ the top experts in their fields to work the inside halls of power. Outside Pressure The strongest interest groups call on a single, massive membership to take action at the right time. These grassroots voices are coordinated with the inside work, and mobilized at a strategic point in time to speak in unison. In the kids’ space, there are thousands of existing organizations, many with their own organized memberships. Speaking separately and disconnected from inside expertise, they have little influence. Children Now leads The Children’s Movement of California to connect the thousands of direct service, parent, youth, business, civil rights, faith- and community-based groups to speak at the right time with one voice on behalf of kids. More than 1,650 organizations have already joined this network. Together, the sheer number and diversity of these voices creates the most powerful interest group.