Florida is failing our kids

I am a frustrated Floridian.

We don't have our priorities straight. Somehow, we can figure out how to get almost $3 billion for a bullet train that most Floridian's won't be able to use; $51,000 every year to house a juvenile in a secure facility, and $20,000 each year to house an adult prisoner. But we can't get $7,000 for a public school slot or even $3,000 for a pre-K slot.

What is wrong with us? Why can we not invest in wiser priorities with a much greater return on investment?

I refer not only to public resources. Private, business and civic leadership and resources are just as vital. During Gov. Jeb Bush's administration, for example, we had a genuine emphasis on model mentoring programs with private investment.

We've backslid since. With vision and energy — private and public — we could have the nation's best-practice mentoring and parent skill-building programs, as well as this country's best examples of high-quality early childhood investment.

But we do not. By every objective standard, Florida ranks poorly in measure after measure in how we invest in our youngest, most vulnerable citizens:

• Hundreds of thousands of Florida's children are not covered by health insurance, and have little or no access to ongoing medical care.
• Despite a constitutional amendment mandating free, high-quality prekindergarten for 4-year-olds, our state's program does not meet most national standards.
• Special needs — autism, cerebral palsy and more — are evident in as many as one in eight children, but Florida's early screening and treatment programs are poorly coordinated, only sporadically available and of inconsistent quality.
• Florida regularly ranks in the bottom half of states in child health.

We are neither a very educated state nor an especially healthy one. It is a recipe for a competitive debacle in this global economy.

Right now, in Escambia County, more than 9,000 children do not have health insurance. One of every four third-grade students cannot read with even minimum proficiency. Worse, by the time they get to 10th grade, nearly two-thirds of public school students cannot read at grade level. Meanwhile, 1,947 juveniles were detained by authorities in 2008.

With this in mind, we have launched the citizen-led, non-partisan Children's Movement of Florida.

Overseen by a 27-member steering committee of influential Floridians, and 15 local steering committees of children's advocates, the movement is well-funded, well-organized and driven by this objective:

To educate political, business and civic leaders — and all Floridians — about the urgent need to improve the way we care for our children, making their well-being and education Florida's highest priority.

All our funding comes from private sources. Our mission is not about advocating higher statewide taxes. It is about working to ensure that Florida's children are the No. 1 priority in our state's spending and investment. The future of our state — including the safety and security of all of us — depends on this.

As part of this movement, "Milk Party" rallies will be held at 15 locations — from Pensacola to Key West — between Sept. 6 and Sept. 30. The events will include appearances by movement leaders, children's advocates, entertainers and local celebrities and supporters. Refreshments will include milk and cookies. A bus called "The Children's Express" will carry the group on "The Children's Movement Road Tour" from city to city.

The Pensacola area's free rally — our inaugural event — will be held on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6, 10-11 a.m., at Pensacola High School. We invite you to join us.

The magnitude of these rallies and the passion of the thousands of Floridians who attend can show our elected leaders that we have the power to obtain for Florida's children the resources they require and deserve.

Please join us in this movement. For more information and to contact our local coordinator, please visit our website: www.childrensmovementflorida.org

Our children need us.

David Lawrence Jr. is president and co-chair of The Children's Movement of Florida, president of The Early Childhood Initiative Foundation of Miami, University Scholar for early childhood development and readiness at the University of Florida, and retired publisher of The Miami Herald.

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