The ABC's of Giving Our Children a Good Foundation

(from Children's Sabbath Resource Book by Children's Defense Fund)

Advocate for increased investments in child care, Head Start, and pre-
kindergarten programs, and after school care.

Be informed. Talk to parents with children in child care to learn more
about the challenges to finding accessible, affordable, good quality care.
Visit the Children's Defense Fund's Web site .

Care for children.  Read to them, hug them, tell them you love them.
Volunteer in after-school, child care, and Head Start programs serving
low-income children.

Donate books, educational toys such as puzzles and puppets, and other needed items to program serving low-income children.

Educate others about the challenges facing working families that need child
care.  Write a letter for the congregation's newsletter, a letter to the
editor of your local paper, or an e-mail to your elected officials.

Fill in to provide child care when a congregation member's child care
arrangements fall through.

Go see a Head Start, child care, or after-school program in action.  Ask
about their successes and about their challenges.  Find out how you can
help.

Hold children and families in prayer.

Invest in children - send this message to your elected representatives.

Join with others and encourage faith-based organizations and congregations, schools, and community organizations to support child care, Head Start, pre kindergarten, and after-school programs by mobilizing funds, volunteers, space, and other resources.

Kind words mean a lot.  Thank someone who cares for children - a parent,
grandparent, teacher, child care provider, or mentor.

Learn more about the child care, Head Start, after-school, and early
education options in your community by talking to parents, teachers, and
community leaders.  What works? What needs to be improved?

Mentor a child, informally or through an organization such as Big Brothers,
Big Sisters, Inc.

Names matter-do you know the names of the children in your congregation andneighborhood?  If not, start learning them, and then address the children by name.  It makes a difference in a child's self-esteem and in a sense of community.

Open the doors of your congregation to house a child care, Head Start, or
after-school program.

Pray every day for children and families in need.  Pray for the strength and
guidance to do all you can do to help them.

Quiz yourself and then your friends: can you name your United State senators and representatives?  If not, visit www.cdfactioncouncil.org and click on "Legislative Action Center" to find out who your elected officials are and how to contact them.

Respond to relevant newspaper articles with a letter to the editor providing
facts about the need for more affordable, quality child care.

Share a skill with an older child, in a one-on-one mentoring relationship or
as a volunteer in an after-school program.

Tell a child that you love them and always will, not matter what.

Urge localities to use Community Development Block Grant funds for child
care facilities.

Visit the Children's Defense Fund's Web site at www.childrensdefense.org for information and action steps to advocate on behalf of children.

Work with local housing officials to ensure that public housing projects
offer high quality center-based and family child care, and with community
development corporations to expand child care options, especially in low
income communities.

Xerox this list and share it with a friend.  Together, commit to taking one
or more actions.

Your faithful prayer, service, and advocacy can make a difference.  Don't
ever give up.

Zechariah offers this vision of God's intention for our communities:  "Thus
says the Lord of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets
of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age.  And the
streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets."
(Zech. 8:5)  Together, with God's help we can repair the breach in our
communities and raise up the foundations of many generations.