Policy and Advocacy provides current youth development policy initiatives along with resources that can inform your organization on issues in the field.

Featured Items

Government Spending on Children: Aligning Priorities and Resources (News from Chapin Hall)

At the Thursday's Child public policy forum on March 8 in Washington, D.C., panelists explored the budgetary and political issues that have led to a drop in federal funding of children’s programs. Click here to listen to the complete audio recording.

National Collaboration for Youth Issues NCLB Recommendations

The National Collaboration for Youth brings together almost 50 youth-serving nonprofits from across the country. Their recommendations for NCLB reauthorization include: considering social and emotional development along with academic performance; including community-based, faith-based and other public agency organizations in addition to schools; and providing a range of complementary services and supports, not just academic instruction.  Click here to learn more.

Advocacy and Policy Change

Advocacy that influences or informs public policy has the potential to achieve large-scale results for individuals, families, and communities. While previously relegated as "too hard to measure," advocacy evaluation has become a burgeoning field. This 32-page issue of Harvard Family Research Project’s "The Evaluation Exchange" helps tackle the advocacy evaluation challenge.  Click here for more information.

A Guide for Effective Governance: Considerations and Lessons Learned for Afterschool Networks (PPAS Listservs)

This tool is intended to help statewide and local afterschool networks to implement effective governance practices that help them to meet their goals. Key components of governance discussed include: vision, structure and leadership, accountability, broad representation, communication and measuring results. Click here to view thie publication.

Federal Youth Coordination Act Passed   (National Assembly Listserv)

In a flurry of activity prior to recessing for the midterm elections, Congress passed the Federal Youth Coordination Act, renamed the Tom Osborne Federal Youth Coordination Act, in the early hours of September 30, 2006. It now moves to the president for his signature.  Click here to view the bill in its final format and for more information.

Policy Resources

Youth Policy Action Center -- The Youth Policy Action Center is a central hub to issue action alerts and post resources for youth and youth advocates. Their goal is to aid the youth movement by supporting organizations and individuals to promote youth involvement and empowerment. Click here.

National Collaboration for Youth -- The National Collaboration for Youth, through its Peer Network the Washington Group, develops annual appropriations priorities and conducts Hill visits to advocate for youth programs in the budget process.  The group also has developed position statements on a wide range of youth issues. Click here.

AfterSchool Alliance -- The AfterSchool Alliance Policy News offers up to date information on policies affecting afterschool programs.  The Alliance was created to conduct public awareness and advocacy work and to serve as a national voice for afterschool. Click here.

American Youth Policy Forum -- The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) provides learning opportunities for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers working on youth and education issues at all levels.  AYPF’s goal is to enable participants to become more effective in the development and implementation of sound policies affecting the nation’s young people. Click Here.

Child Welfare League of America -- The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) provides information on hot topics in advocacy concerning the well-being of children, youth, and their families.  A goal of the CWLA is to formulate and promote public policies at every level to make a difference in child welfare. Click here.

Connect for Kids -- The Connect for Kids Action Center features action alerts, upcoming events, the week’s news from the child advocacy community, and more. Check out what’s happening in your state and how to locate volunteer opportunities near you. Click here.

Connect for Kids State Pages -- A service of Connect for Kids, it features links to state-by-state analyses of children and youth policy issues. Click here.

Federal Register -- A searchable online version from the Government Printing Office. Click here.

FirstGov -- The federal government's web directory, FirstGov provides a searchable interface for all of the federal government's websites. The directory is subject-divided and provides state and local government links as well. Click here.

National Juvenile Justice Network -- The National Juvenile Justice Network (NJJN) is hosted by the Coalition for Juvenile Justice and is comprised of 24 state coalitions.  Check out their website for their campaign that work for fair, equitable and developmentally appropriate adjudication for all involved in the juvenile justice system. Click here.

National Youth Advocacy Coalition -- The National Youth Advocacy Coalition is a social justice organization that advocates for and with young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) in an effort to end discrimination against these youth and to ensure their physical and emotional well being. Click here.

Stateline.org -- A website from Pew Charitable Trusts that lists important public policy information from all 50 states. Click here.

Thomas -- A searchable legislative information; a service of the Library of Congress. Click here.

U.S. Code -- In searchable format from the House of Representatives. Click here.

Voices for America’s Children -- Voices for America’s Children is committed to speaking out for the well-being of children at all levels of government. The Voices website is devoted to to enhancing the effectiveness of state and local child advocacy organizations and offers the tools to equip advocates. Click here.