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Every Child Matters Education Fund
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Mission

Our Mission

The Every Child Matters Education Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan organization working to make children, youth, and families a national political priority.  

Our Issues

We promote the adoption of smart policies for children and youth – including ensuring that children have access to affordable, comprehensive health care services, expanding early-care and learning opportunities and after-school programs, preventing violence against children in their homes and communities, alleviating child poverty, and addressing the special needs of children with parents in prison – by raising the visibility of these issues during the election cycle and urging the candidates to support greater investments in programs that address the needs of America’s families.     

Our Strategy

We advocate for children and families by:
• Conducting candidate and policy-maker education.
• Undertaking earned & paid media including OpEds, letters-to-the-editor, billboards, radio ads, and newspaper ads
• Carrying out direct public education and outreach campaigns.
• Maintaining a website with state-specific data on the status of children and youth.
• Communicating via email with our network of tens of thousands of child advocates.
• Building strategic partnerships with state and local child advocacy and child-serving organizations.

Our Track Record

ECM was founded on the premise that children and youth policy issues are of great concern to the public and that elections offer an important opportunity to educate the public and policy makers about the needs of children.

In 2002, we ran our first campaign in Arkansas to test this proposition. We employed and refined the techniques that we have used in our campaigns since then, including polls, direct contact with the candidates, paid and earned media efforts, and public education and engagement campaigns. Every Child Matters then proceeded to conduct extensive public education campaigns during the presidential caucus in Iowa and the primary in New Hampshire.

In 2003/2004 ECM conducted candidate and public education campaigns during the presidential caucus in Iowa and the primary in New Hampshire —including eight forums we hosted on children and youth issues featuring one hour each with the presidential candidates.

Our evaluation showed significant increases in public awareness of children and youth issues and where the candidates stood on them after our work in Iowa and New Hampshire. For example, before-and-after-polling we conducted in Iowa showed that among parents with children under 18 in Iowa, the importance of the health, education, and protection of children increased significantly from May to January (from 62% to 81%). In May, more of these parents thought it was more important for the federal government to deal with the economy (71%). After the caucus, these parents thought the issue of children the most important, slightly higher than the economy (81% compared to 75%).

In 2004, we built state coalitions and conducted public education and engagement campaigns in Colorado, New Hampshire, Ohio, Maine, Washington, and West Virginia. In 2005 we conducted a similar campaign during Virginia’s elections. In 2006, we ran similar campaigns in Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, and Washington State.

2008 and beyond

We are running a campaign to highlight children and youth issues in the the 2008 Presidential election. We ran successful state campaigns in the early primary and caucus states, and field offices in key battleground election states will lead our efforts through November 4. By drawing attention to children and youth issues during the Presidential campaigns, we are striving to elevate children and youth issues into a major theme of the 2008 election season.

FAQs

How is ECM different than other children's advocacy orgs?
We focus on raising the profile of children during elections. While many national and state organizations play critical roles in helping formulate good public policies, this just isn’t enough when children’s needs run into special interest politics.

How does ECM work in partnerships?
ECM is a convener and organizer, bringing together groups that have an interest in furthering child well-being. We are not involved in direct service nor compete for federal, state, or local dollars. ECM works with organizations to expand their outreach and combined our strength.

What is the goal of your Get-Out-the-Vote efforts?
The ultimate goal is to conduct voter education and drive people to the polls to vote in favor of the candidates who are most likely to support greater investments in children and families. We work with local child advocacy organizations, child-serving associations, and child serving sites—child care, early learning, after school, health care—and the people involved with them: staff, families, and other providers.

Testimonials
"Every Child Matters serves as the voice of conscience on behalf of our children. Someone needs to remind our candidates that their most sacred trust with the people is addressing today's needs of our children while assuring them a vibrant future. It is clear to me that Every Child Matters is that the most effective organization meeting that role during this 2008 election cycle."
Mark Nichols, Executive Director
NASW-Nevada
"As we are settling into a new administration here in Virginia, I want to tell you that working with Every Child Matters on the last gubernatorial campaign was a real value added for us as child advocates. As you know, this is the third gubernatorial election in which Voices for Virginia�s Children has developed an electoral advocacy campaign. "
Suzanne Clark Johnson, President
Voices for Virginia's Children
"It is my opinion that your presence did have an impact on Iowa. It raised children's issues as a priority among voters and at least made candidates address these issues (as opposed to sticking to issues like corporate hog lots)."
Jerry Foxhoven Administrator, IowaChild Advocacy Board
"I handed out hundreds if not thousands of stickers, magnets, bumper stickers and cups at candidate events during this past primary season. The survey showing the jump in attention to children's issues makes it all worthwhile."
Mary Heslin, PlusTime New Hampshire
"Their willingness to insert themselves into Congressional and senate races in a public way is different than other groups. Their tactics are different, and by not being partisan ... they have been effective in raising children's concerns to the forefront. They help remind us that constituents and voters also have the well-being of kids in mind."
D.J. O'Brien, communications director for former Arkansas Senator Hutchinson
"As you wrap up your activities in Iowa, I want to thank you and your organization for all the hard work in getting out the children's message here. I believe you have made a difference in being able to get candidates to pay attention to children's issues."
Leila Carlson, ACSW, LISW Executive Director
"I do feel that children's issues did show up in the debates. Arkansas has had a pretty high profile on kids thanks to the early work of the Clintons and more recently Gov. Huckabee. ECM has helped continue that focus and for that I am very grateful for your work here."
Gary Wheeler, Arkansas pediatrician
"You've given many of us with a passion for children a direction for using our voices for them, and a sense of being proud to do so." Delora J. Hade Iowa Specialist Caliber Associates, Region VII Head Start Technical Assistance

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