Voices for Georgia’s Children has developed a policy framework to foster change in five selected measures of child well being.  There are three current components of the policy agenda and a fourth under development.   The current components are:

1.  Child Health.  In addition to promoting health coverage for all children, Voices is committed to improving the amount and quality of data that tell us the status of children’s health, including physical, oral and mental health.  Read about our agenda in Healthy Steps Indicators.

2.  Birth to Five.  Voices believes that important progress can be made in reducing child abuse and neglect and in improving elementary school reading achievement if we will make significant new commitments to children from birth through five years old.  Our policy framework can be read in Compounding Interest: Why 0-5 Is An Investment Worth Making.

3.  Juvenile Justice.  Children are not just little adults and how we treat them under the law and in our courts should reflect what research indicates are appropriate social, emotional and physical benchmarks.  Voices’ commitment to justice and safety for children is carried out through a partnership called JUSTGeorgia.  www.justgeorgia.org

4.  Vulnerable Youth.  Two of our objectives for children measure outcomes for older youth, primarily from age 12 to 19.  To reduce juvenile detention rates and to decrease the percentage of older teens who have dropped out and are not employed, we are analyzing current data and policies to determine how to intervene earlier and prevent youth from becoming disconnected.  We hope to complete these recommendations for publication by June 2010.

2009 legislative priorities