The Children's Movement is a 300,000-strong coalition of Floridians who believe that every child deserves a full chance at the American dream. We know from the research that one profoundly important way to achieve this is to ensure that each child can read at grade level by third grade. That is central to The Children’s Movement vision. Those children are far more likely to graduate from high school and college, to have a productive career, to be involved in their communities. Children who cannot read by the end of third grade are far more likely to drop out of high school, be involved in the criminal justice system and be a burden to society. Around the state, communities are embracing this goal and taking action. Never forgetting that families are most central to children's success, the Legislature can do its part by ensuring that these strategic investments are made.

In a state and country where 9 of every 10 students go to public school, such investments and priorities must be at the heart of all we do. This must begin in the earliest years – through brain-stimulating and high-quality child care, through high-quality parent skill-building programs, through programs that help children to be healthy, through high-quality programs that emphasize development and early learning.
The five issues – all of priority, all consistent with the above: