Promise neighborhoods is an initiative started by the Department of Education in the United States that legally introduces a fund for children living in marginalized and rural societies. It is aimed at improvement of education of these communities by ensuring special opportunities are availed to these individuals. The funding of this institution has continued to increase steadily from 2011 when it was only 30 million dollars to 2012 which it boasts of 60 million dollars among its funds. This program was inspired by other programs previously established that saw the drastic improvement of academic performance among students including the Harlem Children’s Zone. The success of previous programs such as these have been very important in development of new programs.
The dramatic improvement of education standards in marginalized and rural communities was a major motivation for this institution which has continued to increase its amount of funding over time. This program ensures that institutions of higher learning and non-governmental organizations are eligible to access grants. The eligibility depends on support of community programs by these institutions. The main aim of this program is to provide a pathway to academic and career achievement among rural communities. This program was established by three main pillar organizations with Harlem Children’s Zone being the most significant among them.
Children Aid Society, commonly abbreviated as CAS is a private organization dedicated to charity located in New York. This institution promotes the dignity of children by ensuring the promotion of welfare, education, foster care and psychiatric and mental health services. This institutions ensures promotion of its services through numerous centers to ensure accessibility. This institution was established by Charles Brace in 1953 to ensure the upholding of the dignity of children. This was aimed at promoting both the physical and emotional welfare of children so as to ensure they grew into productive and responsible adults. Brace was motivated by the plight of neglected children and those that live in the streets and slums prompting him to take practical action. Brace was opposed to the institutionalization of children care which he claimed slowed development and achievement of children’s dreams to some significant measure. It is this that motivated him to come up with a society with more of a parental care setting as opposed to an institution. This involved sending children to more suitable foster parents to ensure their safety and welfare is safeguarded.
These two programs have a striking similarity in their goals, both of which are aimed at promoting and upholding the dignity of children. Both the organizations emphasize the need to protect children rights and welfare to ensure they grow into productive individuals. They both target marginalized, poor and slum communities which are disadvantaged in terms of the access to education facilities. They form a basis for which children can access education for all thereby creating a level playing field among the children in the United States.
The two institutions however differ in many aspects. The organizational characteristics of these institutions is significantly different. Children Aid Society is an institution that was established by an individual in his philanthropic efforts to ensure the promotion of children welfare, health and education. It emphasizes more on parental care to ensure the promotion of the welfare of children. On the other hand, the Promise Neighborhoods program is more of a governmental institution. This program is set up by government structure which promote funding of children in various institutions. It emphasizes on education of children from poor communities such as slums. The main motivation for this program was the success of various structures previously established such as the Harlem Children’s Zone. This program emphasizes more on the institutionalization of child care.
Works Cited
Chau, Shirley. One in Five--Housing as a Factor in the Admission of Children to Care: New Survey of Children's Aid Society of Toronto Updates 1992 Study. Study Report. Toronto: Centre for Urban and Community Studies, University of Toronto, 2001.
Esther, Robison. An Interim Evaluative Report Concerning a Collaboration between the Children's Aid Society, New York City Board of Education, Community School District 6, and the IS 218 Salome Urena de Henriquez School [and] The Community Schools PS 5 and IS 218 Spring 1. Evaluative report. New York, 1999.
Whitehurst, Gover J. and Croft Michelle. The Harlem Children's Zone, promise neighborhoods, and the broader, bolder approach to education. New York: Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings, 2010.
