Editor’s note: Beginning today and continuing into April, the Coalition on Human Needs is participating in the Kids Blog Carnival, hosted and sponsored by the Children’s Leadership Council.  Today’s introductory post  is authored by CLC Executive Director Randi Schmidt. In the coming weeks, look for additional posts from a wide variety of organizations whose focus is on children.

By Randi Schmidt
Last weekend at the March for our lives, we saw the resilience, strength and potential in our nation’s children and youth.  And today we honor them, and all of our nation’s children, by launching our Children’s blog carnival to raise awareness of what children of all ages- birth through young adulthood need and how our nation can help them thrive.  For while there is a lot that is political and controversial right now, our nation’s children should not be one of them. 

As adults, we know that children must have the basics in life such as safety in their homes, schools and communities; healthcare, dental care and mental health care; access to food and proper nutrition, and good educational opportunities.   Supporting their healthy development from the time they are born until the time they are young adults is not just the right thing to do; it is one of the smartest investments we can make for our nation’s future.  That’s because our nation’s children are our future leaders, workers and voters; and investments in them are investments in America.  Or as Abraham Lincoln once said, “A child is a person who is going to carry on what you have started…the fate of humanity is in his hands.”

The good news is that there is a lot that we know about what helps and what doesn’t when it comes to our nation’s children – whether it be from children such as those who spoke so powerfully last weekend; young people and adults who have first-hand experience of what worked to help them- and what didn’t; or from experts working with children or on their behalf, such as CLC members and allies.

So, on behalf of the CLC and all of our nation’s children, please join with us as we shine a spotlight on how babies, children and youth are faring in our nation; what those in Washington have done that is helpful or harmful, and how you can make sure children count in 2018.

Follow us on Twitter at @KidsCLC and at #CLCBLogCarnival and sign up here to receive our weekly blog carnival roundup email.