One Hundred Mayors Join National Challenge to Improve Child and Family Well-Being

•    Opportunities to learn and grow;

•    A safe neighborhood to call home; 

•    A healthy lifestyle and environment; and 

•    A financially fit family in which to thrive.

Since its inception, a distinguishing factor of the Challenge has been its emphasis on accountability and innovation. More than one-quarter of mayors participating in the initiative have already set targets that are tailored toward local needs and circumstances, and have outlined steps to reach those objectives (see examples in sidebar). NLC will serve as a resource for these leaders as they identify baseline measures, set timetables for action and evaluation and seek to adapt best practices in their cities and towns.

The mayors have committed to collaborating with school district, county, state and community partners to identify effective strategies and interventions.

“Cooperation on these issues is the only way we can meet them head on and achieve real results for our cities,” New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg noted.

Confronting the Recession Head-On
The nationwide engagement among mayors — from small communities such as Lansing, Kan., New Roads, La., Sahuarita, Ariz., and Warwick, R.I., to large urban centers such as Atlanta, Miami, New York and Los Angeles — is especially significant as most of the nation’s communities grapple with escalating economic and fiscal distress. 

“Many of our citizens are facing immense challenges and it is our duty to do our best to help them through these challenges,” said Charleston, S.C., Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr., one of the initiative’s 26 founders.

In response to the economic pain afflicting their cities’ residents, and at a time when the ability of cities to act is constrained by tight budgets, mayors have shown they are determined to help struggling families meet their needs and ensure that young people reach their full potential. Municipal leadership to promote accountability around measurable outcomes has become even more important as cities face growing fiscal pressures.

In Aurora, Colo., Mayor Edward Tauer is working with local partners to create a new neighborhood employment center offering job search, referral and training assistance. The mayors of Meridian, Miss., and Jackson, Tenn., are increasing the number of residents receiving homebuyer education. Mayors in Minneapolis, Seattle and Sunnyvale, Calif., stepped up their Earned Income Tax Credit outreach efforts and free tax preparation assistance. In Vancouver, Wash., Mayor Royce Pollard is facilitating the creation of a local Asset Building Coalition to improve financial opportunities available to low-income families. 

“As mayor, my most important job is to ensure that our children and grandchildren can grow up in a safe, healthy environment and to provide economic opportunities that will allow them to live and work in our community,” said Pollard.

What’s Next for the Challenge?
Throughout 2009, as more mayors join the Challenge and set targets that address local priorities, NLC will connect cities with best practices and hands-on assistance, including:

•    An April 23 audioconference featuring mayors and key mayoral advisors (see sidebar for details);

•    The upcoming publication of a new report, entitled “The State of City Leadership for Children, Youth, and Families,” which will highlight trends and innovations in nine key topic areas; and

•    A series of workshops and training sessions at the 2009 National Summit on Your City’s Families, to be held October 11-13 in Boston (to register, go to www.nlc.org/iyef).

Over the long term, Challenge mayors are continually reshaping the nature of city leadership to help children and their families succeed. Municipal officials are not only serving as key players in local, state and national efforts to meet the needs of children and families, but are increasingly redefining the roles that cities can play in strengthening families and enhancing the quality of life in local communities. In recent years, city leaders have:

•    Helped turn hundreds of schools into community hubs that provide health and social services, adult education and out-of-school time programs;

•    Developed scholarship guarantee programs to expand college access;

•    Dramatically expanded high-quality pre-kindergarten and afterschool options;

•    Led efforts to reduce childhood obesity by implementing land use changes and other policies that promote walking, biking, and access to healthy food;

•    Partnered with banks and credit unions to make mainstream financial services widely available to families previously reliant on check-cashers, payday lenders and pawn shops; and

•    Refocused youth violence prevention away from enforcement-only approaches and toward proven methods that treat violence as a public health problem.

“As mayors, investing in our children and youth is the best way to positively impact the future of our own communities, the economy and the world,” said Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. “Each city that commits to the Mayors’ Action Challenge for Children and Families is helping ensure that students gain the knowledge, skills and support they need to succeed and live healthy and productive lives.”

Details: To join the Mayors’ Action Challenge for Children and Families or learn about the 100 mayors who have joined so far, visit www.mayorsforkids.org. For questions, contact Michael Karpman at NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) at (202) 626-3072 or karpman@nlc.org.

April 23 Audioconference to Highlight Mayors’ Action Challenge for Children and Families

Municipal officials are invited to participate in a free, hour-long audioconference on “The Mayors’ Action Challenge for Children and Families,” on Thursday, April 23, at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Sponsored by the YEF Institute, this call will feature one of the mayors participating in the Challenge as well as key mayoral advisors overseeing local efforts to improve child and family well-being.

Speakers on this call will discuss how their involvement in this initiative can serve as a framework for local partnerships to strengthen families. They will also share their perspectives on the important ways in which mayoral leadership can mobilize community-wide action around a coordinated strategy.

While the call is free, it is available only to a limited number of participants. Advance registration is required by close of business on Tuesday, April 21. A separate registration is needed for each phone line that will be used to listen to the call.

To register, visit www.nlc.org/iyef. No phone registrations can be accepted. One day prior to the event, each registrant will receive an e-mail or fax message providing a toll-free, dial-in number to use in joining the audioconference. If you have any questions about the audioconference, leave a detailed message on the YEF Institute information line at (202) 626-3014.

Examples of Local Targets Set by Mayors Joining the Challenge

•    Charleston, S.C., Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr.: Expand by 25 percent the number of community learning centers and out-of-school time programs serving elementary school children.

•    Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley: By 2012, create a dedicated and coordinated funding stream to make quality afterschool programs available to all youth who want them.

•    Meridian, Miss., Mayor John Robert Smith: Reach the national average on the national assessment test by encouraging more parent participation in the Parent Resource Center and afterschool tutoring programs for students.

•    Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter: Cut the city’s dropout rate in half in five to seven years and double the college degree attainment rate in five to 10 years.

•    Greenville, S.C., Mayor Knox White: Increase the percentage of roadways with a sidewalk or bicycle lane and the percentage of residential units within one-quarter mile of a trail or greenway.

•    Louisville, Ky., Mayor Jerry Abramson:  Reduce juvenile violent crime at least 10 percent by the end of 2010.

•    Sahuarita, Ariz., Mayor Lynne Skelton: Implement 20 neighborhood watch programs this year and staff 20 meetings of the Sahuarita Teen Advisory Council.

•    Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak: Provide approximately 2,000 summer jobs for youth in 2009 through the STEP-UP Summer Jobs program.