'Tea Party' Of Children's Issues Launches In Fla.

MIAMI (AP) ― A children's advocacy effort modeled after the tea party movement launched Monday in Florida, calling for rallies across the state to push for attention for the youngest. It calls itself the "milk party."

The Children's Movement of Florida is backed by about $1 million in funding and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, businesspeople and others. They're advocating for issues including pre-kindergarten, child health care, prenatal care and mentoring programs.

"We can figure out money for prisons and we can figure out money for roads and we can figure out money for lots of other things," said David Lawrence, former publisher of The Miami Herald and president and co-chair of the effort. "Why aren't children our priority?"

In announcing the campaign in Miami, organizers cited a litany of indicators they said pointed toward the state's insufficient investment in children: hundreds of thousands of uninsured youngsters, one-fourth of public high schoolers not graduating and special needs services they said are lacking. Backers hope the Florida endeavor spreads nationwide.

Ruth Shack, the former president of the Dade Community Foundation and a member of the Children's Movement steering committee, said politicians constantly pledge to help children, but it is time to make good on the promises.

"The rhetoric has for years disappointed," Shack said. "You can't underestimate the return on investment."

Though the tea party movement may have inspired the effort's name, there was none of its fiery oratory. While backers took to the podium, children nibbled on cookies and sipped milk, a snack expected to be a fixture at milk party rallies.

"If you think the tea party movement has potential," said pollster Sergio Bendixen, who attended the event and cited public opinion data, "just think how far we can go with the children's movement."

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