White House Conference on

Children and YouthWhat’s It All About?

Child Welfare League of America

ObjectivesFocus the attention of national leaders on child welfare issues—on improving outcomes for children

Bring together a cross section of policymakers, advocates, professionals (including the courts) and families and children directly affected by the child welfare system

Provide a two year process that allows all stakeholders to weigh-in at the national, state, tribal and local level

History Of The White House Conference:

There are many types of White House conferences. Some are one day events others are more involved

Perhaps the best known is the White House Conference on Aging held every ten years

Through the 1970 Conference, the Conference on Children and Youth was the oldest White House Conference

The First ConferencePresident Theodore Roosevelt called the first Conference in 1909 involving 200 attendees: The Conference on the Care of Dependent Children

That White House Conference was significant for its call for an end to systematic institutionalization of dependent and neglected children

It included nine recommendations including recommending the creation of foster care programs, regular inspections and the provision of education and medical care to these children

The First Conference (cont.):

It resulted in the creation of the Federal Children’s Bureau

CWLA can trace its history back to this Conference

A group of agency executives created the Bureau for exchange of Information Among Child-Helping Agencies

In 1920 the Bureau became the Child Welfare League of America

The Next Conference

In 1919, Woodrow Wilson Called the second White House Conference

President Wilson designated 1919 as the “Children’s Year”

That Conference included meetings in eight different cities throughout the country with committees formed to discuss key issues

That Conference resulted in recommendations on child labor, health care and assistance for special needs children

White House Conferences Every Ten Years

With the 1930 White House Conference held under Herbert Hoover, the Conference had become a decennial event

The 1930 Conference involved 1,200 experts working through 17 committees involving 4 federal departments

The 1930 Conference culminated in more than 3,000 delegates attending the White House event in November of that year

Future Conferences:Future Conferences:

The Conference held in 1939, focused on children in a democracy

The mid-century Conference held in 1950 involved 1,000 local communities and each state submitted a report as part of the deliberation

The 1960 “Golden Anniversary” conference on Children and Youth involved an estimated 6 million participants spread throughout the country

Once again the President (Eisenhower) opened the session, as before there were general sessions, work groups culminating with a series of recommendations

The Last Conference

In 1969, in issuing the executive order appointing the National Chairman, President Nixon labeled the 1970 White House Conference on Children and Youth, the “oldest of all White House Conferences”

4,000 attended the actual December 1970 event

That Conference resulted a series of regional meetings in five cities as a follow up

A Congressional Subcommittee on Children and Youth was created

Since the Last (1970) Conference

President Jimmy Carter followed up a campaign promise to hold a White House Conference on Families in 1979 but it did not follow the process of the previous conferences

In 1981 the funding allocated for a Conference was given to states to hold their own events and 47 states did hold conferences but there was no White House event

In 1990, as part of the Head Start reauthorization, legislative language allowed for a Conference in 1993 but funding was not provided

President Clinton and President Bush have held different child focused White House Conferences on school violence, early childhood development, teenagers, missing and exploited children but no formal White House Conference on Child and Youth

Now Is the Time!

CWLA wants to re-establish this important policymaking tradition

CWLA is calling for a White House Conference on Children and Youth to take place in 2010—

100 years after the first White House Conference

It will be a two year event with 2009 serving as an opportunity for all stakeholders to meet at the state and local levels

Why A White House Conference on Children and Youth?

The goal of this Conference would be to focus this nation’s attention on child welfare issues

On how to improve outcomes for children:

– Prevent and reduce child abuse and neglect in the first place

– Increase permanency through reunification, kinship care and adoption

– Reduce the number of children in care– Decrease the number of children aging out of care

Why A White House Conference on Children and Youth?

Involve all stakeholders at the federal, state, tribal and local levels

Include children, families, courts, policy experts, workers, legislators, executives, researchers and all who are involved.

Involve all systems that touch the lives of these children including health and education.

The Steps For A White House Conference

Go to the CWLA website: Go to the CWLA website: http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/whitehouseconf10http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/whitehouseconf10.htm.htmSign onto the CWLA call for a White House Sign onto the CWLA call for a White House Conference on Children and YouthConference on Children and YouthWhen authorizing legislation is introduced When authorizing legislation is introduced support itsupport it– Authorizing legislation (as in the past) would designate Authorizing legislation (as in the past) would designate

funding, the creation of a policy committee, the funding, the creation of a policy committee, the creation of a bipartisan appointment and planning creation of a bipartisan appointment and planning process and the goals of the next Conferenceprocess and the goals of the next Conference

The Steps For A White House Conference

Write and call your member of CongressWrite and call your member of Congress

Urge your board to adopt a resolution of Urge your board to adopt a resolution of support that calls on Congress to support that calls on Congress to authorize the Conferenceauthorize the Conference

Get your local leaders, mayors, Get your local leaders, mayors, commissions and state legislators to voice commissions and state legislators to voice their support for the calltheir support for the call

The Steps For A White House Conference

Come to ADVOCACY DAY at the 2008 Come to ADVOCACY DAY at the 2008 CWLA National Conference in FebruaryCWLA National Conference in February