by Michael Karpman

Municipal leaders considering formal adoption of NLC?s ?A City Platform for Strengthening Families and Improving Outcomes for Children and Youth? can now go online for access to city examples and resources tied to each of the platform?s action steps.

These examples are available by going to www.nlc.org/iyef/, and clicking on the city platform?s report cover.

The platform, developed by NLC?s Council on Youth, Education, and Families, outlines the four essential tasks that city officials must undertake to achieve sustained progress in meeting the needs of children, youth and families. It also recommends a series of concrete action steps in areas such as education, youth development and early childhood success.

Cities across the country have found the platform to be a useful tool in guiding and assessing their local efforts. It has been formally adopted, mostly via city council resolution or mayoral proclamation, by 35 cities, including large cities like Tucson, Ariz., and Providence, R.I., and small cites like Rexburg, Idaho, and Hope Mills, N.C.

The platform has also been endorsed by NLC?s Board of Directors, NLC?s Small Cities Council Steering Committee, and the League of Oregon Cities Board of Directors.

The online version of the platform offers ideas and innovative strategies, with a total of 50 city examples elaborating on each of the platform?s recommendations and a broad range of resources available for further guidance.

For instance, municipal officials can go online to learn how the City of Alexandria, Va., has formalized its commitment to young people through commissions on early childhood and youth policy, or how the City of Waukesha, Wis., is creating safe places for children during hours spent out of school.

The website also includes sample city council resolutions and proclamations, a response form, a sample hometown press release and a downloadable version of the platform.