Even though the United States of America is the wealthiest nation in the world, there are still millions of children in the country living in poverty and missing out on the essentials they need for a healthy start in life. There are many organizations in the country devoted to improving programs and policies for the impoverished, and for the children. The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is one of those organizations.
The Children’s Defense Fund was founded in 1973 by Mrs. Marian Wright Edelman. Mrs. Edelman was the first Black woman lawyer in Mississippi and worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the Civil Rights Movement . Most of her career has been devoted to civil liberties and battling poverty and discrimination. In 1969 she began the Washington Research Project which was a public interest law firm working on federal programs for low-income families. The CDF was established out of the work of the Washington Research Project. The organization works to raise awareness and encourage improved policies and programs for children, especially the impoverished. This makes the CDF an advocacy special interest group.
The mission of the CDF is to help create caring families and communities so children can have a healthy, fair, safe, and moral start in life leading to a successful adulthood. The CDF advocates for all children in America, since they cannot vote or speak for themselves, with specific focus on the needs of poor children, children of color, and children with disabilities. Their goal is to educate the country about children’s needs so they get the attention they need before they get sick, leave school, break the law, or suffer from dysfunctional families (Children’s Defense Fund).
The CDF is not the type of organization that offers membership packages. As an advocacy group, it is a professional organization that lobbies and educates. An individual can work for the CDF if they live in one of the cities in which the organization has an office. College students can complete an internship program in the Washington, D.C. headquarters if they have a strong interest in children’s programs. The CDF is a charitable organization, so the main way one can participate or support the organization is through donations. There are many ways that a person can donate and their webpage lists them all. They also welcome volunteers to help distribute informational flyers, raise community awareness, plan community marches, or host a Children’s Sabbath Service (Children’s Defense Fund).
The Children’s Defense Fund is working on several issues to help benefit the children of the country. They have campaigns designed to educate the public about threats to children in America, threats that could prevent children from realizing their potential. One important campaign they are working on now is the Protect Children Not Guns campaign. This is obviously a campaign for improved gun control and increased gun safety. With one minor being killed or injured by guns every thirty minutes in this country, it is a serious issue. The CDF site claims that more children under the age of five were killed by guns in 2012 than law enforcement officers (Children’s Defense Fund). Their campaign involves organizing and speaking up at all levels of government to advocate for protecting the children instead of the guns. This is one area where they are constantly seeking volunteers to help spread the word.
The Children’s Defense Fund plays an important role in our society. As an advocacy group, they are speaking up and speaking out about the needs of the children so that all children have the opportunity to grow up healthy and have the opportunity to realize the American dream.
References
Children's Defense Fund. Children's Defense Fund. 2016. Online. 10 April 2016. <http://www.childrensdefense.org/about/#About>.
