Children’s Advocacy Ideas for Your Congregation

I received an e-mail last week from a Unitarian Universalist asking how she and a group from her congregation can advocate for children. She explained that they do not have have a lot of extra time or money, but they do care deeply about young people.

What can you do in your congregation to advocate for children, especially if you have limited time and money? The following three actions can make a difference in children’s lives:

1. Write an article in the congregational newsletter about why children’s issues matter to you. You may want to educate members about legislation on the state or federal level that impacts young people. Or you can encourage members to donate or volunteer with a local organization that serves children, such as an afterschool program.

2. Incorporate children’s issues into a worship service. If you don’t have a lot of time, you may not want to lead a whole Sunday morning worship service, if this is even an option at your congregation. But you could ask the minister or religious educator for suggestions about how to raise awareness of children’s issues during one worship this spring.

For instance, you could offer a prayer for children facing hardship. You could give a testimony about an experience you have had that deepened your commitment to helping children. Or you could hold a special offertory to raise money for a children’s organization.

3. Offer a letter writing table following worship. When the U.S. Senate is about to vote on a key piece of children’s legislation, encourage your fellow congregants to contact their senators. At this table, include a sample letter that you have written to your senators. Ask people to write their own letters, or to sign a copy of yours, and then offer to send these letters for them.

(This is a lot less time consuming when you are asking people to contact their senators than when you are asking them to contact their representatives. Because everyone in your state has the same two senators, it is easy to address and send all the letters. The process is more time-intensive if you ask people to contact representatives, since you then need to look up each person’s representative based on their zip+4.)

Please comment if you have additional suggestions! 

Rev. Sinkford Speaks Out for Children

Rev. Bill Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), wrote a powerful editorial in the San Luis Obispo Tribune this week.

The editorial, titled “Peace Begins When We Put Children First,” calls attention to children’s issues. Sinkford mourns the suffering of children in this country and in Iraq. He describes how the war has deprived Iraqi and American children of their parents. And he notes how American spending on the war in Iraq has drawn resources away from domestic anti-poverty initiatives, such as raising the minimum wage.

Improving children’s lives is a top priority for many Unitarian Universalists. I am proud that the leader of the UUA is helping raise awareness of how children and families are impacted by our current federal policies. 

Americans Support State Children’s Health Insurance Program

A strong majority of Americans support strengthening the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), according to a recent poll by the New York Times and CBS:

“Eighty-four percent of those polled said they supported expanding the current program to cover all uninsured children, now estimated at more than eight million.”

SCHIP is a federal program that gives states funds to cover children who are living in poverty and do not have access to health insurance. SCHIP was first launched in 1997, and must be reauthorized this year by Congress in order to continue after September of 2007.

Children’s advocacy groups are calling for Congress to not only reauthorize SCHIP, but also to increase the funding for the program and allow more children to be eligible. This highly-effective program must be supported and strengthened, so that more children can receive the insurance they desperately need. It is encouraging to know that a large majority of the American public agrees.