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Castor and Barreiro Educate Miami-Dade Candidates and Community

At a community event tied to a television broadcast with the potential to reach 500,000 Miami-Dade households, 5 Promises statewide chair Betty Castor and Miami-Dade Candidate Connection co-chair Gus Barreiro urged local and state office candidates as well as citizens to make children’s issues a local and statewide priority. 

Local co-chair Cindy Lerner served as the event's primary organizer.

The cameras rolled at 4:00 p.m. and focused on moderator Wil Blechman, who led the 2-hour program with insight and passion. 

Candidates, participants and viewers are praising the program as being highly informative, providing insights on local challenges and successes they had not previously known.

A youth presenter was stirringly effective in describing the impact on his life of living in foster care and lamented the scarcity of services available as children age out of care, many of which are still in high school when that deadline looms.  He voiced a commitment to become politically active, perhaps to run for office one day, to be better positioned to improve the system for other children.

Parents spoke up for their children who are in childcare, stating their need for programs that are safe and nurturing and stimulating so both parents can work.

Castor and Barreiro were joined by local experts and leaders from each of the 5 Promise areas, spanning infant, maternal and child health; family support services and child protection; early learning; after school programs; and juvenile justice reform.  In an encouraging sign of unity of purpose, presenters stated their support for the promise areas outside of their own and were excited by the opportunity to learn about and work with the entire range of services covered by the 5 Promises.

Pre-event outreach included flyers, email, and direct mail to nearly 2,000 households known to be active in the political process, thanks to mailing lists provided by the Children's Campaign and the chairs of the 5 Promises Campaign.

Cindy Lerner thanks all the supporters and speakers who made it happen, starting with Miami-Dade County Commission Chair Joe Martinez who sanctioned the use of the Miami-Dade County Commission Chambers and television access.  The Children’s Trust and Human Services Coalition hosted the pre-event planning meetings.  All of us thank Cindy Lerner whose vision and passion made the event possible.

Planning partners included:  Minority Issues Advisory Council, The Children’s Trust, Human Services Coalition, YWCA, University of Miami Mailman Center, Guardian ad Litem, Foster Care Review, Early Learning Coalition, YMCA, Children’s Home Society, Lawyers for Children America, Florida Fiscal Policy Project, JESCA, United Way of  Miami-Dade.

Speakers included:  Betty Castor, Gus Barreiro, Wil Blechman, Manny Fermin, Dr. Judy Schaechter, Elise Linder Karen Gievers, Bobbie Ibarra, Maria Hernandez, David Lawrence, Dr. Henry Green, Johnah Pruitt, Alfred Sanchez, Eileen Maloney-Simon, Wansley Walters, Carlos Martinez, Terry Joseph and Cindy Lerner.  Special recognition to child advocate Karen Gievers who drove from Tallahassee to Miami to speak on behalf of child welfare and foster care issues.

For more information about Candidate Connection events taking place in other parts of the state, please visit www.iamforkids.org