Campaign for Children Continues!

"Making the World Safe for Children and Youth in the Twenty-first Century"

UMW's History with Children | Strategies| Resources| Online Resources|

United Methodist Women's History With Children

For over 100 years United Methodist Women and predecessor groups of women organized for mission have been strong advocates for the rights and needs of children. This powerful legacy continues through the new Policy Statement of the Women's Division: "Ministries with Women and Ministries with Children and Youth: A Gift for the Whole Church," approved in March 1993. It states in part, "Until children have strong advocates in the general population, we will champion their cause. Our call is for the whole of church and society to share the urgency of this concern."

During 1988-1993 the Women's Division carried out its commitment to children through Campaign for Children. Nearly 10,000 local units of United Methodist Women made commitments to make a difference in the lives of children through worship, education, community service, and legislative action.

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Strategies for Campaign for Children, Phase II

In October 1993, the Women's Division voted to continue the Campaign for Children Phase II for 1994-1999 entitled: "Making the World Safe for Children and Youth in the Twenty-first Century." Phase II includes the following strategies:

• Call United Methodist Women to celebrate their accomplishments in the Campaign for Children during their annual meetings.
  
• Emphasize the need for Commitments toward greater involvement and direct actions for advocacy.
  
• Place greater focus on issues facing youth, including violence, teen pregnancy, and empowerment to become full participants in society.
  
• Expand concepts of mission by making connections between the local and global needs of children through consciousness raising and action on issues of children around the world.
  
• Vigorously support public policy legislation with intensive action for :
  • Funding: expansion of Head Start Programs and the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC);
  • Health Care Reform: comprehensive health coverage for all Americans, especially pregnant women and children;
  • Welfare Reform: National Child Support legislation and additional legislation designed to assure education and training opportunities for welfare recipients and the availability of quality child care for children of low income parents who participate in education or training or who are at work;
  • Violence Prevention: legislative support for gun control and additional legislation to prevent violence;
  • Changes in the Law: support for changes that will assure a person who works full-time at the lowest wages and income above the poverty level and support for her/his family, i.e., increases in the minimum wage and further expansion of the earned income tax credit.
    
• Expand the pilot project with the Children's Defense Fund, the "Child Watch Visitation Program," and evaluate for further development.
  
• Refer implementation of the "Campaign for Children Phase II" to the four conference mission coordinators to develop programs of study and action related to the needs of children and youth.
  
• Encourage conferences, districts and local units of United Methodist Women to actively promote the programs of UNICEF.
  
• Develop resource materials to interpret Phase II of the campaign.

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Resources

To order free brochures (except for postage and handling) on Campaign for Children Continues (#5222), contact the Service Center.

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Online Resources

Children's Defense Fund

Child Watch Visitation Program

End Child Labor and Sweatshop Campaign

National Labor Committee

The Children's Sabbath - Participate with UMW units across the United States every October!

Stand for Children!

Foulball Campaign

UNICEF

GBGM's Stand for Children Page

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United Methodist Women home page