Save the Children has raised awareness and provided help by starting numerous programs to help children in need. They have launched programs for early childhood development, literacy, physical activity and nutrition as well as providing emergency relief.
One in six children lives in poverty in America which is surprising for such a prosperous country. Many of these children live in impoverished rural areas such as Appalachia, the Southeast, the Mississippi River Delta, the Gulf Coast, the Southwest and California’s Central Valley.
Save the Children Programs in the US:
Literacy Program:
- Education is a path out of poverty that Save the Children strives to help with.
- Many of the 2.6 million children in rural America are lacking literacy skills. Save the Children provides supplies as well as guidance and support to help children improve literacy skills.
- Literacy Block is what they call an hour of educational reading activities. Independent guided reading and listening to books read aloud are some of the activities used to help children during this hour.
- In schools staff members work with specific students in need to provide help with phonics, comprehension and vocabulary growth.
- Save the children has operated nearly 100 literacy programs in the last year.
Emergency Management:
- Save the Children has committed to be ready to respond to large scale emergencies.
- Before Hurricane Katrina there wasn’t a national emergency agency in the US that had a clear mandate to safeguard children. They were there within days of Hurricane Katrina and also help residents in transitional housing as well as rebuild child care centers.
- They advocate for children's safety and recovery in general and help other agencies organize plans.
Physical Activity and Nutrition:
- Obesity is a problem that’s being addressed, especially in rural areas. Save the Children started the program CHANGE (Creating Healthy Active,Nurturing, Growing-up Environments)
- The program promotes physical activity and healthy diets at school, in programs, at home and in the community.
- By improving diets and physical activity CHANGE also improves children's academic performance since they are better able to concentrate and function when maintaining a healthy diet with exercise.
- CHANGE has been operating with 70 different programs in 12 states in the last year.
Early Childhood Development:
- Save the children recently launched “Early Steps to School Success”
- They begin with expectant parents and provide services for children from birth to five years old. Language, social and emotional development and strong school and home connections are focused on.
- Early Steps to School Success has launched 10 programs in the last year.
“Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us into the heart of communities, where we help children and families help themselves.”
Reference: Save the Children, 2007
To get involved or for more information see Save the Children.
Save the Children is one of many charities that people can donate to on the special “Idol gives back”
which ran last night and again tonight (April 25th on FOX)
