Vote Kids Logo

Fill in Below to Receive Regular Updates

   
HomeAboutMedia RoomResearchActivist ToolsDonateContact
 

Do you think every child in America should have health insurance?

That's what Vote Kids is all about - making children a priority in American politics, instead of a political afterthought, by demanding that public officials support better policies for kids, and bringing children and family issues to the voting public's attention.

why vote kids?

Currently there are almost 9 million children without health insurance, 2.7 million reports of child abuse, 6,000 child abuse deaths every year, only a fraction of eligible children can get into a Head Start program, and millions of children and youth have nowhere to go after school and are vulnerable to alcohol and drug abuse, sexual activity, and criminal activity.

According to a national poll by the Every Child Matters Education Fund, 63% of voters believe that the needs of children are regularly elbowed off the table in Congress by stronger special interests. Just 24% think Congress does enough for children and families. Unless a concerted effort is made using modern campaign technology, the politicians in Washington DC will continue to get away with ignoring children and introducing and passing irresponsible federal budgets such as the one in 2006 which:

  • Permits states to reduce health care benefits for nearly all of its children
  • Cuts federal funding for state enforcement activities to collect child support
  • Inadequately funds child care, and
  • Forces students to pay more for college loans

These are the wrong choices for a country facing both large challenges to provide the best possible education and health care to its children while also dealing with a changing global economy. The American people realize this - Congress doesn't.

 
VOTE KIDS updates
3/24/2008 : The Children's Defense Fund Action Council has released their most recent scorecard for 2007 entitled "Did Your Members of Congress Protect Children?" Click below to see where your members of Congress stand.




10/10/2007: When SCHIP Came to the Crawford Ranch. Read this editorial by Vote Kids president Michael Petit about the role child health insurance and SCHIP played in a pivotal election in 2004 and the Vote Kids role in spotlighting the issue. Click below to read it .




© 2006