Milk Party forms to fight for children and our future

Children's Movement seeks to take action against alarming trends

You've heard of the Tea Party. Now get ready for the "Milk Party."

That's the unofficial name for the new Children's Movement of Florida, which barnstormed through town on Tuesday as part of a 17-city tour.

Its platform, besides generous helpings of milk and cookies for the kids and parents who attend rallies: improving services and support for Florida's children.

"It's terribly clear to me that as a state we're failing our children, particularly our youngest children," David Lawrence Jr., the movement's founder and former Miami Herald publisher, told a crowd of nearly 600 that turned out on a rainy night at Broward College in Davie. "By almost any measure, Florida ranks either mediocre or miserable."

That explains why Lawrence raised over $1 million this summer, rented a tour bus and has traveled from the Panhandle to the Keys since Labor Day marshalling support.

On the surface, this type of effort seems an exercise in obviousness. Supporting children is sort of like supporting motherhood, apple pie and the flag. Who could possibly be against it?

But after hearing Lawrence lay out some alarming trends and rail against legislators' misplaced priorities, you realize that maybe a formal movement is needed to raise awareness and spur action.

One in three Florida third-graders can't read with minimum proficiency, Lawrence says. Hundreds of thousands of Florida children (85,000 in Broward) have no health insurance. One of eight kids in Broward has special needs.

The United States keeps slipping among industrialized nations in math, science and reading. Military officials have told him that 75 percent of young adults can't enlist for service because of academic, physical, substance abuse or criminal problems. The state spends $50,000 a year to incarcerate a child ($20,000 for adults) but only spends around $6,600 per public school student.

Noting that "90 percent of brain growth occurs during the first five years of life," Lawrence said the state and private sector can do much more for the education and health of young children.

"If we leave things the way they are, we'll be living in a state that can't compete," Lawrence said.

The message is resonating.

"Fantastic, it's about time," said Denis Murphy, 45, of Plantation, who attended the rally with his 6-year-old daughter, Grace. "He's got the right mindset. Something needs to be done."

Murphy is in the aviation business and says he sees evidence of declining skills and standards all the time among workers and job applicants.

"People can't read; people can't spell," he said. "It's embarrassing."

Murphy had one big question after the rally: "Where's the money coming from [to fix things]?"

This is the latest crusade for Lawrence, who has focused on early childhood initiatives since he left the media business in 1999. Last decade, he heavily backed Florida's free voluntary pre-kindergarten program through a constitutional amendment.

The Children's Movement will initially focus on five areas: access to quality health care, screening and treatment for special needs, improving pre-kindergarten programs, launching a 24-hour information network for parents and building mentoring programs for kids and parents.

Lawrence said he envisions "a powerful, enduring, sustaining movement that's neither partisan nor political." Because of its non-profit, tax-exempt status, the Children's Movement can't endorse political candidates or lobby for specific legislative measures.

The group's steering committee has Democrats and Republicans. In Broward, state Sen. Nan Rich, D- Weston, and former Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth are involved.

Lawrence said the movement might eventually branch into political advocacy through spinoff groups.

Inherently, issues affecting children like education and health care are political, because it takes money and policy to make things happen.

"The state needs a lot of help when it comes to education," said Kevin McGowan, 42, of Davie, who attended the rally with daughter Nicole, 5, and son Christopher, 3. "Why should we always be one of the poorest funded? We shouldn't even have to have this conversation."

Already, the Children's Movement is trying to make its voice heard in the November elections. Lawrence has invited gubernatorial candidates Alex Sink and Rick Scott to an Oct. 16 event at the University of Miami to discuss children's issues exclusively. Sink has agreed to attend. Scott has not yet accepted..

Lawrence urged people to get in touch with Scott to "insist on his participation. … What could possibly be more important for somebody who wants to be governor?"

Michael Mayo can be reached at mmayo@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4508. Read his blog online weekdays at sunsentinel.com/mayoblog.

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