More than 9 million children lack health insurance and millions more have inadequate coverage. This means one out of every eight children in the U.S. won’t get the correct healthcare. (2) A child’s health impacts every aspect of their life. A healthy child does better in and misses less school, giving them a better chance at success in life. It’s a pretty simple equation. Healthcare = healthy child = More successful adult.

So, what can we each do to help?

• If you know a family that has lost their healthcare thanks to the current state of the economy, educate them on Medicaid and SCHIP programs. These programs cover approximately 34 million poor and near poor children. In many cases, parents don’t know that their children qualify for these programs.
• Donate to children-specific hospitals. There are a number of Children’s Hospitals across the U.S. Each of these hospitals provides free care for a number of children a year.
• Get Involved. Write your state officials and tell them you want a change in healthcare for children.

Our children are a precious resource and should be treated as such. Let’s do our part to keep them all healthy!

(2) HealthPAC online

It can’t happen here.

Those kinds of things happen in third world countries.

There is just no way our government would let this happen.

We are talking about child trafficking, and there are cases in all 50 states. According to U.S. government estimates, thousands of children are trafficked for the purposes of sexual and labor exploitation every year. These numbers are astounding and in order to stop this, attention must be drawn to the problem. No person, or child for that matter, should ever have to experience this torture.

Due to their vulnerability and gullibility, children are the primary targets of many sex traffickers. There is also a great deal of demand for young victims – some victims are only in grade school. It is our job to protect children from such predators. The first step in doing this is to be able to identify a victim of human trafficking. The following list was provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

A Victim:

• Has unexplained absences from school for a period of time, and is therefore a truant
• Demonstrates an inability to attend school on a regular basis
• Chronically runs away from home
• Makes references to frequent travel to other cities
• Exhibits bruises or other physical trauma, withdrawn behavior, depression, or fear
• Lacks control over her or his schedule or identification documents
• Is hungry, malnourished or inappropriately dressed (based on weather conditions or surroundings)
• Shows signs of drug addiction

Additional signs that may indicate sex-related trafficking include:

• Demonstrates a sudden change in attire, behavior, or material possessions (e.g., has expensive items)
• Makes references to sexual situations that are beyond age-specific norms
• Has a “boyfriend” who is noticeably older (10+ years)
• Makes references to terminology of the commercial sex industry that are beyond age specific norms; engages in promiscuous behavior and may be labeled “fast” by peers

The next step is to report suspected human trafficking to the appropriate authorities. There are a number of resources:

• Local police department
• Human Trafficking Resource Center – 1-888-373-7888
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children – 1-800-THE-LOST

The United States is a great and powerful nation and we need to keep our children safe. Do your part to bring attention to this issue. The more people that know, the better chance we have of stopping child trafficking. To learn more read the entire Human Trafficking Fact Sheet created by the U.S. Department of Education.

We all know “being green” and living a sustainable life is a good thing. It helps the earth and ensures that there will be a planet for our children’s children. But, when people hear the word sustainability they think they have to make momentous changes and give up a lot – the big car, the bottled water, you get the point. Truthfully, it would be great if we could all give up these things.  But, real lasting change happens slowly and over time. And, when making a big change it is great to take baby steps to start.

With this in mind, think about your daily life and pick just one thing to help you get on the path to greener living. Once you’ve tackled that, pick another. Sooner, rather than later, the sustainable life will be yours! Here are a few thought provoking, but easy, items to get you started:

• Make sure to use a reusable mug when you get coffee
• Take public transit to and from the airport whenever possible
• Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth
• Stop using plastic shopping bags
• Stop smoking
• Buy bio-bottled water if you have to have bottled water
• Buy organic produce at least every other trip to the grocery store

Make sure whatever you select is something that you do on a daily or weekly basis, this will help you see the difference in your life. This is your opportunity to help protect the planet, your community and yourself. Trust us, it’s easy to do just take it one day at a time.

Just like nutrition and a love for reading, the earlier we introduce our kids to helping others, the more likely they are to continue this good behavior as adults. The benefits of volunteering with your kids are enormous. These generous acts teach children about empathy, compassion, tolerance and social responsibility. It’s fun and easy to do.

My company created a volunteering opportunity called 7 Day, which is a monthly volunteering program. 7 Day allows people around the country to organize volunteer events  with the assistance of a bigger organization, Project 7. My five-year-old daughter has attended a few and is learning about volunteering and how fun it can be.

Volunteering is a great way to bond with your kids. Here’s how to get started:

1. Contact some local volunteer organizations to see what age appropriate options they have.
2. After selecting an opportunity, explain to your child what they will be doing and how it will help another person. Be honest and clear.
3. Above all else, make it fun. This will help create good volunteering habits in your children and help them look forward to the next time.

And, there are a number of ways to get involved.  Here are a few ideas to help get you going:

• Donate/Volunteer at a local food pantry – Many food pantries have back pack programs that help make sure kids get to eat throughout the weekend.
• Visit a nursing home and hand out hugs – This can make all of the difference in an elderly person’s day.
• Take Storytime to a local hospital – Take your child and read to sick children at a local hospital.

Need more ideas? Some great sites that offer information on volunteering opportunities are:

Volunteer Match (www.volunteermatch.org/)

1-800-Volunteer (www.1-800-volunteer.org)

United Way (http://national.unitedway.org/)

Doing Good Together (www.doinggoodtogether.org/)

You won’t believe the difference this can make in your child. Don’t make this a one-time thing. Try to set up a monthly volunteering date with your kids. Children that volunteer know that every little bit helps and that they can truly be part of changing their world for the better.

When we think of the homeless, visions of grizzled old men and women sleeping under bridges and pushing shopping carts probably come to mind. But, there is another face to put to homeless – children.

There are currently 1.5 million homeless children in the United States (1) and the problem is only getting worse. The current state of the economy has affected hundreds of thousands of families, resulting in an increase in the number of homeless families. These families experience considerable amounts of additional stress, and while it is difficult on the parents, the children are the hardest hit. The National Center on Family Homelessness has gathered a number of statistics on the situations that face these children.

Children experiencing homelessness:

• Are sick four times more often than other children
• Go hungry at twice the rate of other children
• Have high rates of obesity due to nutritional deficiencies
• Have three times the rate of emotional and behavioral issues
• By age 12, 83% have been exposed to at least one serious violent event
• Almost 25% have witnessed acts of violence within their families

And while all of this is occurring around us, our children are safe and warm in their beds. It is important not to lose site of the situation facing many of the children in our nation. There are things that we can all do to help these children make it through these tough times in their lives:

• Volunteer with a local community organization working to end family homelessness
• Support local, state and national programs that help families get out of poverty
• Consider issues of poverty, affordable housing, violence prevention and health care when determining who earns your vote in local, state and federal elections
• Donate to organizations that are working to end homelessness in the United States
• Purchase products that donate part of their proceeds to end homelessness
• Educate others about homelessness in the United State

Together we can change the score for children experiencing homelessness. All we have to do is care and take action.