Public Policy Advocacy Center

South St. Petersburg Children’s Advocacy Project

WHO: Community leaders, citizen activists and grassroots organizations concerned about children and parents in South St. Petersburg.

WHAT: A citizen-led collaboration to advocate for public policy reforms. This project will have a “launch” focus – disproportionate minority contact - but the model introduced, collaboration built, and skills developed will lay the groundwork for advocacy efforts across a broader spectrum of issues and concerns.

Children’s Campaign, Inc. will facilitate conversation about the needs of the community encompassed by our 5 Promises to Parents Platform. This platform is based on ensuring that parents in South St. Petersburg, and across Florida, have access to:

• Prenatal, Infant and Child Health Care
• · Parenting Skill Education and Family Support Services to Build and Sustain Healthy and Safe Families
• High Quality Child Care and Early Learning Opportunities
• Safe and Enriching After-School Experiences
• Delinquency Prevention Programs and Services to Treat Children with Problems.

WHY: Statistics suggest that youth of color in South St. Petersburg – and this is not unlike other communities in Florida and across the country – are over-represented at every stage of Florida’s juvenile justice system and are impacted by zero tolerance policies. Local efforts have been undertaken to build public awareness. This project will build on those efforts and elevate advocacy for children and families.

WHEN: Through the support of Allegany Franciscan Ministries the project will run November 2005 through 2007.

Children's Campaign, Inc. is a non-partisan charitable organization committed to making children a public policy priority through public education, consensus building and advocacy.

For more information, please contact the Children's Campaign, at campaign@iamforkids.org or (850) 425-2600.