Florida children: Overdue attention

Children are the future of any community or state.

But, in the here and now, they tend to be left out among society's top attention getters when it comes to the priorities of public policy makers.

The nonprofit Children's Movement wants to change that picture.

The citizen-driven group is holding rallies in 15 cities statewide - dubbed the Milk Party Tour - to point the spotlight at the education and well-being of children. The Jacksonville rally is 7 p.m. Monday at the Ritz Theatre in LaVilla.

The funding drumbeat for any cause these days is likely to be drowned out by flat notes of a slow economy. But the group's pitch is on key: The needs of Florida children should be at the forefront of the state's thinking.

Glaring statistics

• Florida ranks 48th among states in the highest percentage of uninsured children, says the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, which tackles health care issues.
• Florida ranks 35th among states in the well-being of children, according to The Anne E. Casey Foundation, a nonprofit group that aims to help disadvantaged children.

In addition, The Children's Movement says:

• The state's pre-kindergarten program fails to meet most national standards.
• Early screening and treatment programs for special needs children are deficient and hard to access.
• Child mentoring and parent-skill building efforts are not abundant enough.

The organization underscores that the social and economic load on taxpayers will continue to mount if children's issues are not more squarely addressed.

Every dollar invested in high-quality early childhood programs can save taxpayers at least $4 in related police, prisons, remedial programs and health care obligations, the group notes.

Plus, getting children on a positive path before age 5 is crucial because various studies have shown that 90 percent of a person's brain develops by that time.

It's points like those that The Children's Movement is trying to drive home to state leaders.

Raising the profile

The group will try to boost the profile of children's issues by hosting a gubernatorial debate on Saturday, Oct. 16, at the University of Miami in Coral Gables.

But the group isn't looking to endorse any candidates or even pitch a tax increase to pay for more children's programs.

Group President David Lawrence, a former Miami Herald publisher and president of The Early Childhood Initiative Foundation, says the group is trying to get leaders to be more children-first in their thinking on state policies and give children a larger share of existing state dollars.

The initiative is being fueled by about $1 million in private money and without the help of taxpayer money.

A 27-member bipartisan steering committee includes two Jacksonville residents: health care consultant Mario Rubio and Cecilia Bryant, a former vice chairwoman of the State University System Board of Regents.

Rubio is a Republican and Bryant is a Democrat.

But wanting better for the state's children requires no political party affiliation.

This group has the right idea about how to enhance Florida's future.

It's a statewide discussion long overdue, and it should be followed by more action on behalf of children.

Read the full article here.