by Michael Karpman

NLC?s family strengthening platform is guiding numerous local initiatives to build communities that meet the needs of children, youth and families.

Cities across the nation have adopted the ?City Platform for Strengthening Families and Improving Outcomes for Children and Youth,? which highlights the ?essential infrastructure,? or processes or mechanisms, necessary for sustained progress:

? Identifying needs, opportunities and priorities for action;

? Promoting effective city-school collaboration;

? Encouraging youth voice and engagement; and

? Measuring progress over time.

Municipal officials from these communities are sharing stories with NLC?s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) on how they are using the platform as a tool for shaping their efforts.

Grand Rapids, Mich.
The City of Grand Rapids, Mich., has worked closely with the YEF Institute to improve the quality of its afterschool programs and to strengthen its youth council.

Following a presentation by YEF Institute Executive Director Clifford Johnson at a February 21 city commission meeting, Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell praised the institute as an ?important partner for the city,? and expressed his hope that the commission would endorse the platform.

Other commission members, while acknowledging difficult budget choices looming for the city, also voiced their support. In an unanimous vote, the commission approved a resolution adopting the platform, which cites the city?s nationally recognized city-school partnerships, afterschool system and youth leadership opportunities.

?Great cities understand at their very core the need to prioritize their most precious assets ? their children,? said Heartwell. ?By strengthening families, we are investing in a more prosperous and vibrant community. This just makes good economic, social and environmental sense. The city?s Office of Children, Youth and Families has been a wonderful way for us to partner with the school district and community to advance our agenda for children and families.?

Brighton, Colo.
The platform is also being used in Brighton, Colo., as a framework for the development of a youth master plan. Guided by Onsite-Insights, a Hampton, Va., based consulting firm, the planning process will produce a comprehensive strategy that brings together youth and adults to effectively address youth-related issues.

A unique feature of the Brighton youth master planning process is its creation of seven action committees focusing on each area of the platform?s list of action steps. The committees will examine the gap between the real and ideal opportunities available to youth, and recommend ways to close that gap to the full city council upon completing a final planning document.

?It is rare to find a city that hasn?t compromised its commitment to children, youth and families while it is powering up its economic development engines,? said Richard Goll, president of Onsite-Insights. ?Brighton should be celebrated for its public commitment to both, and for creating a master plan that makes the key outcome of economic development the thriving of its children, youth and families. NLC?s platform provides a wonderful road map for both journeys.?

Lawton, Okla.
In Lawton, Okla., Mayor John Purcell Jr., and the city council adopted the platform with a resolution on February 14. Councilmember Rex Givens encouraged the city manager to give the platform a high priority.

?I hope that councilmembers have read the resolution and understood the importance of what we are trying to do, because it would call for more action than just passing the resolution,? said Givens.

Several weeks earlier, Givens had convened a group of community leaders at Old Town Hall Carnegie Library. The group soon discovered a need to help agencies coordinate and learn what activities are offered to the community?s children, youth and families.

Earlier this month, the city and Lawton United Way teamed up to create a survey of service providers in order to develop a citywide database for all organizations and agencies that help youth. This effort made a clear case for the role of cities in engaging youth in positive activities without shifting any tax dollars from maintenance, safety or security.

The council?s unanimous support for the request started with a recommendation from Lawton City Manager Larry Mitchell. The resolution was passed in coordination with a Lawton-Fort Sill community event on early childhood featuring brain development expert Dr. Bruce Perry.

Through the Success by 6 Program, the City of Lawton has played a key role in educating community members on early childhood. Lawton was selected to participate in the 100 City Challenge for Early Childhood Success in 2003. Lawton?s Youth Services Division has also worked with the YEF Institute to develop a student civic council.

In the future, the city plans to focus on strengthening afterschool programs and helping youth in transition.

Norfolk, Va.
As chair of NLC?s Council on Youth, Education, and Families, Norfolk, Va., Vice Mayor Daun Hester has worked with the YEF Institute to make children and youth a top priority in Norfolk.

On March 6, the city adopted the platform and used it to kick off its first afterschool program for local middle school students at Lake Taylor Middle School. The ?After the Bell? program will be coordinated by the Norfolk Bureau of Youth Development in the Department of Neighborhood Preservation.

?Making certain our children and our parents have all the resources they need is crucial for children to become healthy, vital, responsible adults in our community,? said Hester. ?Norfolk and the National League of Cities are working together on this so we can begin shaping young minds early into taking their lives in the right direction.?

The middle school initiative was a direct outgrowth of the city?s participation in one of the YEF Institute?s recent technical assistance projects on afterschool.

Details: For more information on how to adopt the platform in your community, visit www.nlc.org/iyef/7915.aspx, or contact Michael Karpman at (202) 626-3072 or karpman@nlc.org.