Save the Children Applauds President Obama’s Call for Investment in Kids Around the World

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Last night, President Barack Obama urged America to “come together to protect our most precious resource–our children.”

“We want to work with the President, policymakers from both sides of the aisle and everyone who cares about children to get this work done.”

“The President laid out a clear and compelling roadmap to helping American families, especially the nearly one in four children living in poverty,” said Mark K. Shriver, senior vice president of Save the Children’s U.S. Programs. “We are pleased by his call for increased investments in early childhood education—we know firsthand the difference that high-quality early learning programs can make and have long advocated for more resources for such programs. We look forward to supporting efforts to make the President’s ideas a reality, and believe the National Commission on Children is a proven way to do that.”

Leading up to the President’s national address on Tuesday, Save the Children—joined by more than 40 other organizations—gathered nearly 100,000 voices in support of a children’s commission, calling on the Obama Administration to speak out and take action for underserved kids in the United States.

“We were pleased to see poverty referenced throughout his speech, and not just in America, but in developing countries where Save the Children is on the ground helping children survive and thrive,” added Save the Children’s CEO Carolyn Miles. “We’ve made progress in ending child deaths from treatable and preventable causes but we hope the Administration’s continued support will create further opportunities to make zero child deaths—and the promise of an AIDS-free generation—a reality.”

“Now is the time for the country to come together to find bold, new ideas to ensure all children—here in America and around the world—are safe and protected,” continued Miles. “We want to work with the President, policymakers from both sides of the aisle and everyone who cares about children to get this work done.”

Child protection has been a top priority for Save the Children throughout its nearly 100-year history. The organization’s programs in the United States and across the globe focus on the needs of the most vulnerable children, while aiming to keep all children free from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. In the wake of the tragedy in Newtown, Conn., Save the Children partnered with other likeminded organizations to call on the President and Congress to establish a National Commission on Children dedicated to reducing childhood poverty, obesity, illiteracy and violence.

To learn more and join our effort to keep America’s kids safe, visit www.savethechildren.org/protect.

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in more than 120 countries, including the United States. We aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.