So who is doing well?

Minnesota takes great pride in the fact that we are doing pretty well.  Minnesota is typically ranked high compared to other states when it come to quality of life measurements.  But the KIDS COUNT report, released today by the Children's Defense Fund of Minnesota, implores us to take a deeper look into those statistics and ask ourselves are we really ALL doing well?

This year's report, titled Every Kid Counts: Taking a Closer Look at Children of Color and American Indian Children, focuses on a racial breakdown of the statistics that indicate how our state's children are doing.   According to CDF-MN, "Research supports that a disproportionate number of children of color and American Indian children tend to live in communities with high unemployment, poverty, isolation, underfunded schools, and violence. Due to these environmental factors, it is difficult for these children to achieve the skills they need to become prepared and ready to be contributing members of society as adults."  When we allow an large portion of our community to struggle with generational poverty, there is a ripple effect throughout society, especially when populations most effected by poverty are growing communities.

The Kids Count report comes at a timely point in the year, we are about a month away from the 2010 Children's Sabbath (held October 15th-17th).  The Children's Sabbath is an opportunity for congregations across Minnesota and across the Country to focus specifically on the children in our midst and the reality of the issues that face them.  

For childless adults it may be a challenge to follow children's issues, for parents, it may be easy to be concerned about their own children but more difficult to be concerned for children in general.  But considering that all children will make up our future society, future leaders, future parents, future elected officials or teachers or police officers, their issues should be everyone's concern.  If we provide solid foundations for today's children, we will be building a stronger more just society for the future.

So help your congregation take a day to focus on children this year, celebrate the Children's Sabbath!  Click here to learn more.

(Photo Source - KIDS COUNT Report Cover)

Rachel Herzfeldt-Kamprath
Advocacy Associate