It All Starts With You(th).

T H E P R O B L E M I S . . .

“Of the nearly 12 million children living in poverty, 73 percent are children of color. One in six children in America lives with food insecurity, with Black and Hispanic children twice as likely to not have enough nutritious food to eat.” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2020)

“Pregnancy & birth are significant contributors to high school dropout rates among girls. Only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by 22 years of age, whereas about 90% of women who don’t give birth during adolescence graduate from high school.” (Center for Disease Control, 2019)

“On any given night, about 41,000 unaccompanied youth experience homelessness.” (National Conference of State Legislators, 2019)

“Migrant children, like all children, have unique needs due to their age and experiences, which require special child protection and support.” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2020)

“At least 1 in 3 youth in the juvenile justice system has a disability qualifying them for special education services under the individuals with Disabilities Education Act (DEA)-nearly four times the rate of youth in public schools.” (Children’s Defense Fund, 2020)