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Some
Significant Accomplishments of the Campaign
The Massachusetts Campaign for Children's activities
include empowering its membership through education on
the legislative process and issues affecting children
and families, and mobilizing citizens in the community,
to influence the media, and to move legislators and other
policy makers to work constructively on behalf of children.
- The
Massachusetts Campaign
for Children has enrolled over 4000 members from
across the Commonwealth. Members continue to receive
the MA Campaign for Children e-Newsletter, as well
as
periodic updates on legislative, election and policy
issues.
- Governor
Mitt Romney appointed
Executive Director, Jetta Bernier as Commissioner
of the Governor’s Commission on Sexual
and Domestic Violence. Formed in May 2003,
the Commission is charged with making recommendations
to the
Lieutenant Governor and the Secretaries of Public
Safety and Health and Human Services on all aspects
of sexual and domestic violence in the Commonwealth.
- In
2002, the Campaign convened the “Summit
on Children and the Courts” a
two-day conference of national experts and over
150 Massachusetts judges, lawyers and child protection
leaders discussed latest findings on the impact of
child abuse trauma and model court responses. Endorsed
by the Massachusetts Judicial Training Institute.
- In
2000, the Campaign held three day Symposia, “The
Impact of Abuse/Neglect and Family Violence on
Child Development:
Implications for Practice and Policy,” that
involved over 200 policymakers and practitioners
from a variety of disciplines.
Their recommendations helped shape clinical recommendations
in the subsequent “State Call To Action.”
- In
1999, sixty of the state's
and country's leading child and family policymakers
were convened
in
a
two-day
retreat, "Policy Leaders Summit on New
Directions in Child Protection and Family Support” to
formulate a vision and begin a strategic planning
process to develop a blueprint for action
to address child abuse in the Commonwealth.
-
In
the fall of 1998, based upon citizen
input, the Campaign
Steering Committee
decided to place
the
needs of abused and neglected children
at the top of its
1999 agenda. Shortly after the fall election,
the committee developed strategies to further educate
Campaign members and the general public about the
crisis facing the Massachusetts child protection
system and the children who depend on it for their
safety and protection.
-
The
Campaign released a new KIDSCOUNT report on child
abuse and neglect and the child protection system.
Together with MCC, the leadership of the Campaign
worked to develop a policy leaders summit on innovations
in child protection and family support, which took
place in the summer of 1999.
- The
Campaign disseminates the Massachusetts KIDS COUNT
data reports. Recent citizen reports include:
-A State Call to Action: Working to End
Child Abuse and Neglect in Massachusetts
-
Who's
Minding the Children? The State of Child Care
in Massachusetts;
- Massachusetts Families: Working and Still Poor;
- Family Support: A New Approach to Child Well-Being;
- Child Abuse and Neglect: Protecting Massachusetts
Children.
- The
Campaign conducted two formal polls (2000,
1998) of over 400
citizens to assess their views on such
issues as child poverty, child care, and child
abuse and
its prevention. DiNatale and Hock Research
designed this public opinion poll, which contained
over 45
questions on a range of issues effecting children
and families.
The survey questioned respondents
about the prevalence of child abuse and child abuse
prevention strategies, family economic security,
and
their perceptions of children's organization as advocates
for kids and families. The Boston Globe children's
issues reporter wrote a story on the results, focusing
on poverty rates and highlighting the need to educate
the populace in a meaningful way about the real portrait
of Massachusetts most vulnerable children.
The polling results were widely
used to educate the general public, administration
leaders, and legislators about the most serious issues
facing the state's children. The survey continues
to assist the Campaign leadership team as it continues
to develop messages about children that will move
members, as well as policy makers, to action.
- The
Campaign secured over $300,000 in free public service
advertising through its partnerships with The
Boston Globe and The Boston Parents' Paper. Several
full-page ads appeared, announcing the Campaign's
goals and educating readers about key children's issues.
- The
Campaign produced its "Kids and the Candidates" questionnaire
and widely disseminated the responses from the two
major gubernatorial candidates. The questionnaire
and the responses were printed in a fall edition of
the Parents' Paper, which reached thousands of families
and the special supplement was mailed to over 5,000
selected voters and opinion leaders.
- Members
of the Campaign conducted community forums in
Chelsea, Worcester, Springfield, Needham and Natick.
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