White House Conference on Children and Youth What’s It All About?

1. White House Conference on Children and YouthWhat’s It All About? Child Welfare League of America

2. Objectives • Focus 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

3. 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

4. The First Conference • President 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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.

14. The Steps For A White House Conference • Go to the CWLA website: http://www.cwla.org/advocacy/whitehouseconf10.htm • Sign onto the CWLA call for a White House Conference on Children and Youth • When authorizing legislation is introduced support it • Authorizing legislation (as in the past) would designate funding, the creation of a policy committee, the creation of a bipartisan appointment and planning process and the goals of the next Conference

15. The Steps For A White House Conference • Write and call your member of Congress • Urge your board to adopt a resolution of support that calls on Congress to authorize the Conference • Get your local leaders, mayors, commissions and state legislators to voice their support for the call

16. The Steps For A White House Conference Come to ADVOCACY DAY at the 2008 CWLA National Conference in February