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A Proclamation for Transforming the Lives of Children

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Envision a world where:

We will create this world by:

 

Too Many of Our Children Are in Crisis
•
Solutions Abound
•
Education Is Key
•
Action Is Essential

Never before has one generation of American children been less healthy, less cared for, or less prepared for life than their parents were at the same age.

—National Association of State Boards of Education, 1990

Never before has there been such a wealth of information on keeping children healthy, caring for them, and preparing them for life.

—The Alliance for Transforming the Lives of Children, 2001

Families today face unprecedented challenges—isolation, loss of the extended family, conflicting advice about how to parent, and the stress of modern-day life. Even with these challenges, some children are thriving due to the love and commitment of their families and communities. What can we learn from them?

It is the birthright of every human being to be conceived, carried, birthed, and nurtured in the best possible way. By recognizing and responding to nature's imperatives, individually and collectively, we foster optimal human development and a brighter future for our world.

A growing body of evidence now documents that the quality of a person's earliest experiences of life has a major impact on that person's entire life. It is therefore essential that we, as a society, give high priority to nurturing our children in accordance with nature's design.

The Alliance for Transforming the Lives of Children is dedicated to ensuring that parents are supported in practicing the art and science of nurturing children and experiencing the joy of being parents.

 

Each of us is parent to every child.

How we treat the child, is how the child will treat the world.

Our children are the future of our world.

ATLC is committed to:

ATLC invites you to get involved

Children Are in Crisis

Pregnant women subjected to physical or emotional violence

28%

Department of Women's Health, World Health Organization

Infant male circumcisions that are medically indicated or beneficial

0%

American Medical Association, Council on Scientific Affairs

American infants denied the benefits of breastfeeding for the one-year minimum recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics

85.5%

Ross Laboratory's Annual Mothers' Survey, 1998

Children documented to have been physically struck by age 6 months

25%

Bearing Witness: Violence and Collective Responsibility, SL Bloom and M Richert

Number of preschoolers who must care for themselves

500,000

Report to US Attorney General 9/97, After School Crime or After School Programs

Number of infant and toddler facilities that fail to meet minimum standards

92%

U. of Colo., Denver, Economics Department: Cost, Quality, and Child Outcomes Study Team

US children under 18 estimated suffering from a psychiatric disorder that compromises their ability to function

9 million

National Institute of Mental Health

Links to aTLC core documents and extracts

Proclamation

Blueprint of Principles and Actions (complete)

(You may want to start with the following abridged versions for a quick overview)
Principles—abridged
Actions—abridged

 

Frequently asked questions about the Blueprint and Proclamation

Download printer-friendly (PDF) versions of aTLC's core documents.