Washington, D.C. – On Wednesday, July 14, 2010, First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization, will hold a Children’s Budget Summit at the National Press Club. The objective the event is to galvanize advocates, policymakers, members of the media, and the public to address the declining share of federal spending on programs that benefit children and families.
Keynote remarks will be delivered by U.S. Senators Robert Casey (D-PA), Blanche Lincoln (D-AK), and Richard Lugar (R-IN), as well as White House Deputy Domestic Policy Director Heather Higginbottom. At the event, these individuals will receive First Focus Champion for Children awards in recognition for their work on behalf of America’s young people.
Additional agenda highlights will include:
- Presentations by Dr. Drew Westen, nationally renowned public opinion and messaging strategist, and Kristen Grimm, messaging expert and president of Spitfire Strategies.
- The release of Children’s Budget 2010, First Focus’s third annual comprehensive guide to the over 180 children’s programs funded by the federal government revealing that over the last five years less than one dime of every new dollar spent by the federal government has gone to children’s programs.
- Remarks by Julia Isaacs, Child and Family Policy Fellow at the Brookings Institution andEugene Steuerle, Richard B. Fisher chair and Institute Fellow at the Urban Institute as they release the latest edition of Kids’ Share, an annual examination of the federal spending trends and tax policies that support and impact children and families.
- A panel discussion with representatives from state-based child advocacy organizationsfrom Michigan, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.
First Focus President Bruce Lesley will emcee the day’s event and facilitate discussion around the action steps necessary to make children a priority in the federal budget.
When: Wednesday, July 14, 2010
9:00am – 3:15pm
Where: National Press Club
Holeman Lounge
529 14th Street, NW
13th Floor
Washington, DC 20045