Wednesdays4Kids November 25

The child is God's gift to the family. Each child is created in the special image and likeness of God for greater things; to love and to be loved.

--Mother Teresa

Being Thankful for the Children of Minnesota and the Prospect of a Better Future
Thanksgiving is a time to acknowledge the gifts that God has given all of us, a time to be with family and reflect on what we have to be thankful for. As an organization working to make the state a better place for all children we often focus on what needs to be fixed rather than what we have to be thankful for. So, for this Thanksgiving we want to highlight a few facts from the Minnesota Kids Count Data Book 2009 that we are thankful for!

• The rate of students dropping out of school has declined 57 percent since 2000.
• The number of children abused and neglected in 2007 was down to 6,277 from 10,000 in 2002, a 37 percent decrease.
• The number of children arrested for a serious crime in 2007 was down to 10,895 from 15,398 in 2000.

In Minnesota there are 1,251,395 children under the age of 18, who comprise nearly a quarter of the population and all of our future. It is our duty to ensure that they have everything they need to become healthy and faithful citizens. We would like to thank everyone around the state that works with children and on behalf of children to make the state a better place.

Send your Legislators a Thanksgiving Message
This Thanksgiving thank your legislators in advance for good work you are expecting them to do this session on behalf of the children of Minnesota.

• Thank them for working to ensure that all children have access to affordable and quality health care, and that these programs are comprehensive and include quality dental and mental health services.
• Thank them for protecting and increasing funding to childcare assistance programs and providing quality education to every child.
• Thank them for supporting initiatives that will enhance earnings for low-income parents, provide affordable housing that is free of toxins, and create safe homes and neighborhoods where no child goes hungry.

To find the contact information for your Legislator, go to the District Finder and type in your address. Feel free to send them an email or give them a call, they are your representatives! Click here for more Tips for Successful Advocacy.  

Thank You to Our Facebook Fans
Thank you to everyone who has joined us as a fan on Facebook already. If you have not yet become a fan, please do so now, by going to www.facebook.com/iCANmn and clicking the Become a Fan button at the top of the page.

Our Facebook page is a great way for you to stay informed about the issues facing children in Minnesota, interact with us and share your thought and concerns, and learn about iCAN events and advocacy opportunities.

Donate to iCAN, be a fan on Facebook, read the NEW JRLC/iCAN BLOG, Justice We Pursue Blog.