Fair Start Movement

Category: Children’s Rights

  • No More Headlines. It’s Time to Prevent Child Abuse

    No More Headlines. It’s Time to Prevent Child Abuse

    A wave of disgraceful headlines have made it clear that we need serious action to prevent child abuse. The following incidents have been reported around the country in the past few weeks:

    • A man in Florida, currently on probation for child neglect, is now facing child abuse charges on allegations of tying up his young son at night to prevent him from eating.
    • In Pennsylvania, a man has been charged with child abuse after he confessed to likely causing bruising and brain bleeding to a 6-month old child in his care by repeatedly hitting the child on the back when the infant was crying.
    • A couple in Missouri was arrested for allegedly keeping four children locked inside small boxes secured with plywood and screws. The children had no access to food, water, restrooms, lights or windows and their home reeked of urine.
    • A man in South Dakota was charged with murdering his infant daughter. She was brought to the hospital with head injuries that were “indicative of non-accidental trauma.” The baby died a week after being admitted to the hospital. The same man had previously pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse after his other infant daughter was brought to the hospital with injuries.
    • A $20,000 bond was set for a Wisconsin couple who kept kids in makeshift cages.

    Sadly, these are just a few of the hundreds of thousands of cases that happen in the United States on an annual basis. Younger children are the most vulnerable, with nearly one-third of abuse happening to children under the age of four. Unsurprisingly, 91% of these abused or neglected children were maltreated by one or both parents. 

    We owe kids better than this.

    We have a responsibility to prevent child abuse. And the best way to do that is by creating a culture, derived from smart policies, that prevents abusive and neglectful parent from ever having kids. Having Kids is working towards that fundamental change through our Fair Start order campaign. It’s simple: If someone has been convicted of a serious case of child abuse and cannot care for children, they will be ordered not to have additional children until the situation changes.

    These orders are a fair and constitutional way to change the way we plan our families based on the child-first Fair Start model. 

    It’s time to get proactive, rather than continuing to be reactive. Punishment after the fact is not good enough. We can stop abusive parents from inflicting harm on more kids.

    Let’s get ahead of the problem. Take action now and support Fair Start order legislation in your state.

  • Inequality and Children: Why A Head Start for Some, Hurts All Kids

    Inequality and Children: Why A Head Start for Some, Hurts All Kids

    Bloomberg recently posted a story about a summer camp for the ultra-rich, that teaches them how to get richer.

    What?

    Why should a select few get to have their hands held to jump to the front of the line? Children born with a head start are handed opportunities, access, guidance, trust funds, and connections that allow them to easily generate wealth in adulthood. The doors are opened to them to simply walk through. Compare that with the rest of Americans who struggle to find affordable housing, healthcare and fair paying jobs, and are often burdened with student loan debt.

    But inheriting a massive head start in life from wealth and privilege is not simply unfair. It degrades democracy. Because as the rich getting richer at the expense of a shrinking middle class, powerful interests wield their power to influence policy and keep our economy working only for themselves.

    Furthermore, we know that the economic inequality created by such policies is closely tied to poverty and crime, and results in a number of negative health and development outcomes for children. As inequality increases, child welfare decreases. And that is the direction we are going. How is that progress? Our standard of living should improve over time, not worsen.

    So then, how can we create more fairness and take a serious approach in attacking inequality? The answer is not simply a redistribution of wealth from a system flawed at its foundation. It’s looking at our values as Americans, as humanitarians, and recognizing that children deserve to be born with a fair start. That means safe neighborhoods, healthcare, a quality, equitable education, and nutrition. It also means having parents that are able to give them the time and attention that they need to thrive and be successful.

    This can be accomplished with a cooperative family planning framework. Fair Start family planning brings us together to invest in all kids, to improve equity and create a better society.

    Who would argue against a level playing field?

    TAKE ACTION: Ask him to respond to Having Kids’ questions. Fairness for children starts with those questions. Add your name here.

  • It’s Time to Address Child Poverty in the U.S.

    It’s Time to Address Child Poverty in the U.S.

    Headlines tell us that the U.S. economy is strong and that the unemployment rate is low. But those positive indicators don’t reflect the reality for the 40 million Americans living in poverty. As politicians thirst to slash safety nets, many take the stance that people need to pull themselves up, and simply work hard.

    It’s not that simple, however. Wages are stagnant, inflation is rising, and hourly jobs are not guaranteeing hours to employees, which leaves many struggling to stay afloat week to week.

    But aren’t we losing sight of who is most vulnerable? When we talk about welfare programs and SNAP food assistance benefits, there’s often an undertone of judgement focused on the adults. What if we brought the focus back to kids, and the staggering fact that nearly half of U.S. children live near the poverty line, according to a study in 2014?

    Addressing this epidemic requires solutions from many angles. But one of the most critical answers is ignored by our leaders and most of the child welfare community. And that is family planning. Never mind the expenses for basic needs. The cost of childcare is a significant barrier to employment. When parents can’t find affordable child care, they stay home.

    If we’re serious about addressing increasing inequality, child welfare and working to reduce the number of people relying on social programs, we must improve family planning. It is essential to tackling systemic low income.

    Last week we asked Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar to respond to a few questions regarding child welfare. Better family planning starts with those five questions. Let’s refocus towards the needs of children from the start, rather than the failing downstream approaches currently in place.

    Take action: Add your name here.

  • Tough Questions for HHS. Demand Answers.

    Tough Questions for HHS. Demand Answers.

    As children return to school, many will be participating in the federal National School Lunch Program. The NSLP provides free or reduced price meals and serves 20 million lunches and 11.6 million breakfasts daily. The start of a new school year is good news for the 30 million kids who will have a guaranteed meal – sometimes their only meal. Those statistics are jarring. What can we do to prevent kids from facing hunger in the first place?

    The stated mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is to “enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans”. It got us thinking. And we have a few questions for HHS Secretary Alex Azar.

    1. How does the HHS current family planning modeling actually assure at least a minimum level of well-being for each child born in the United States?

    2. How does that level of well-being reflect every child’s right to a fair start in life, with equal opportunities in life for wealthy kids and poor kids?

    3. How does the HHS current family planning modeling account for the impacts of growth on the natural environment and communities, including exacerbation of climate change and urban gridlock?

    4. How does the HHS current family planning modeling account for the demands that growth places on social service systems like education, nutrition, and healthcare?

    5. How does the HHS current family planning model account for the impact of growth on the democratic processes of the United States, and the ability for all citizens to have a meaningful and equal voice in those processes?

    Want answers as much we do? Add your name here. 

  • Why Can’t We Prevent Horrific Child Abuse?

    Why Can’t We Prevent Horrific Child Abuse?

    These are just a few of the incidents of child abuse and neglect reported around the country in the past few weeks.

    How many more cases go undetected? The reality is that between 3-5 children die every day in the United States from neglect and abuse.

    It’s time to stop this. And the best way to do that is  by creating a culture, derived from smart policies, that prevents abusive and neglectful parent from ever having kids. It’s time to get proactive, rather than reactive.

    Who would oppose this? Lots of politicians and big businesses make money off of our current family planning system, which pushes as many kids as possible into the world because doing so ensures a growing supply of hungry consumers, and a future filled with cheap labor and lots of taxpayers. They are to blame, and should be held accountable.

    Having Kids is promoting fundamental change through our Fair Start order campaign. It’s simple: If you’ve been convicted of a serious case of child abuse and cannot care for children, you will be ordered not to have additional children until the situation changes.

    These orders are a fair and constitutional way to change the way we plan our families. It’s called the child-first Fair Start model. 

    Let’s get ahead of the problem. Take action now and support Fair Start order legislation in your state.

     

     

  • How Not to Think About Demographic Transition

    How Not to Think About Demographic Transition

    Why is something news? Many journalists would say that things which impact large numbers of people should be reported upon. Late last week many news outlets covered a story about how the trend towards smaller families means the “extinction of the middle child.”

    How this change in family structures will impact peoples’ lives, comprehensively, is beyond uncertain, if It could be ascertained at all. What is certain is that smaller families are the best way to limit what is now a manifest pattern of climate change degrading well-being on earth and threatening our kids’ future. Smaller families are also a great way to mitigate the real extinction at hand – that of other species.

    We may have an emotional reaction to changes in things we are used to, things like the concept of middle children. But focusing on that – and not mentioning climate change in stories about family size – is negligent.

    So what’s the next move? Today the demographic transition to smaller families is thought of almost exclusively in quantitative terms. But it’s impossible to change family size without having qualitative impacts, and opportunities. With smaller families we can more easily work together to plan for and invest more in each child, perhaps even enough to give every child a fair start in life relative to other members of their generation.

    Let’s talk about what matters. Take action today.

  • Having Kids Hits the Ground at the UN

    Having Kids Hits the Ground at the UN

    Wednesday was World Population Day, and this year’s theme was “Family Planning Is A Human Right.” Predictably, the UN has focused on access to contraception. But aren’t there bigger issues to address than that? Today we are willingly harming others, future generations and the nonhuman world, if our family planning work does not also include a discussion of family size. We know that planning smaller families is the best way to mitigate climate impact and improve outcomes for all kids.

    Sadly the media largely ignored World Population Day, and failed to connect family planning to the issues they cover every day. So we cut out the middle man, and hit the pavement to take our request for better family planning straight to people at the UN.

    Here are our people, spreading the word on the need to focus on smaller families, and why that benefits everyone, as well as the planet.

    A woman in a light dress and sandals points at a man in a suit and lanyard as he approaches on a city sidewalk near bike racks and traffic, with modern buildings in the background. Three people stand on a city sidewalk in daylight; one woman hands a flyer to another woman, while a man looks on. Trees, buildings, and a crosswalk are visible in the background.

    “It was so comforting to see that a great deal of UN employees and interns were behind a cause that I was previously worried that only a few were concerned about,” explained Having Kids street team member, Andie Youniss.

    Whether you are worried about the future of our planet, rising inequality, world hunger, conflicts, or all of the above, you can speak out. We will be planning more events soon. Email info@fairstartmovement.org if you are interested in organizing an outreach event in your community!

    A woman in a beige dress stands on a city sidewalk, holding papers. Behind her are vehicles, flagpoles with international flags, and a tall glass building under a clear blue sky.UN World Population Day

    Urge the UN Secretary General to recommend smaller families across the world. 

    Add your name here.

     

  • TAKE ACTION AGAINST TRUMP’S ATTACK ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN

    TAKE ACTION AGAINST TRUMP’S ATTACK ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN

    The Trump administration is trying to amend our family planning policies in ways that hurt women and children, including imposition of a domestic “gag rule.” They are proposing changes to Title X – the only federal program dedicated to increasing access to contraceptive care for low-income women. It would take away funding to providers who simply mention abortion as an option.

    The Title X changes are an obvious effort to defund Planned Parenthood, who is the only healthcare service for many. The proposed rules are intended to mislead women about their health care options and would encourage the use of ineffective birth control methods. Women deserve facts. The proposed Title X changes will affect people for their entire lives.

    TAKE ACTION – Comments are due 07/31/2018 at 11:59 PM EDT.

    Draft key points are below – feel free to copy, modify and/or otherwise use: 

    • This radical proposal has never been implemented in the United States and it would jeopardize the trusting relationship between women and their providers and put the health of the 4 million women nationwide who use Title X clinics at risk.
    • The proposed rule could increase the rate of unintended pregnancy by eliminating the requirement that Title X clinics provide access to the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive methods,
    • Methods encouraged in this rule such as “natural family planning” and “fertility awareness-based” methods are significantly less effective with typical use than long-acting methods, leading to a higher number of unintended pregnancies.
    • Reducing unintended pregnancy helps families get off to the best possible start. It empowers women to attain their education goals, helping create financially secure and strong families, lowers the abortion rate and reduces the number of people who need to use Medicaid and other public assistance programs.

     

     

     

  • The Hill Covers the Need for Better Family Planning

    The Hill Covers the Need for Better Family Planning

    Can we expand our thinking, and link the chaos of today’s world with some common source, something to which we can direct our attention and alter to truly make the world and future a better place? Yes we can.

    Trump’s separation of families at the border is merely one example. The Hill, a key political media outlet, recently covered Having Kids’ call for better family planning. Read the full article here. 

    Have ideas of your own for linking events in the world today to the need for better family planning? Get in touch with us at Info@HavingKids.org