First Focus
Encyclopedia
First Focus is a bipartisan children's advocacy organization, launched by America's Promise
. The stated purpose of the organization is "making children and their families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions."
Funding support for First Focus comes from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation
, Atlantic Philanthropies
, the Annie E. Casey Foundation
, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation
.
Children’s Health. First Focus advocates for critical federal programs like the State Children's Health Insurance Program
(SCHIP) and Healthy Start, and advancing federal efforts addressing issues, such as childhood obesity
, child nutrition, oral health, mental health
, and environmental health
.
Child Poverty and Family Economics. First Focus is working to reduce childhood poverty and family economic security through measures such as the Earned Income Tax Credit
and the Child Tax Credit
-- two effective, bipartisan tax measures that work to lift millions of children out of poverty.
Tax and Budget Policy.
Education. First Focus supports efforts to improve our nation's educational system and the non-school factors that are important to a child's education.
Early Childhood.
Child Welfare, Rights, and Safety.
Juvenile Justice.
Children of Immigrants.
Advancing Research and Data.
, Senator Bob Graham
, Senator John Breaux
, Congresswoman Diana DeGette
, and Congressman Ronald D. Coleman
. At the state and local level, he worked for Texas Governor Ann Richards
and for El Paso County Judge Patrick F. O'Rourke. In addition to a commitment to children's issues, he has a background in health care policy and administration through work for the National Association of Children's Hospitals and University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.
Former Congressman John Edward Porter
is the first Chairman of the First Focus Advisory Board and previously served for 21 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and chaired the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
America's Promise
America's Promise — The Alliance for Youth is a foundation founded by Colin Powell in 1997 to help children and youth from all socioeconomic sectors in the United States.In late April 1997 Presidents Bill Clinton, George H. W...
. The stated purpose of the organization is "making children and their families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions."
Funding support for First Focus comes from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation
David and Lucile Packard Foundation
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private foundation that provides grants to not-for-profit organizations. It was created in 1964 by David Packard and his wife Lucile Salter Packard. Following David Packard's death in 1996, the Foundation became the beneficiary of part of his estate...
, Atlantic Philanthropies
Atlantic Philanthropies
The Atlantic Philanthropies is a private foundation created in 1982 by US businessman Charles F. "Chuck" Feeney. The Atlantic Philanthropies grant-making supports health and social projects in Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam...
, the Annie E. Casey Foundation
Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation was started in 1948 in Seattle, Washington, by UPS founder James E. Casey and his siblings George, Harry and Marguerite. It was named in honor of their mother. The foundation moved to Baltimore in 1994....
, and the W. K. Kellogg Foundation
W. K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was founded in June 1930 as the W.K. Kellogg Child Welfare Foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg. In 1934, Kellogg donated more than $66 million in Kellogg Company stock and other investments to the W.K. Kellogg Trust...
.
Core advocacy issues
First Focus has established three core issue areas for advocacy:Children’s Health. First Focus advocates for critical federal programs like the State Children's Health Insurance Program
State Children's Health Insurance Program
The State Children's Health Insurance Program – later known more simply as the Children's Health Insurance Program – is a program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services that provides matching funds to states for health insurance to families with children...
(SCHIP) and Healthy Start, and advancing federal efforts addressing issues, such as childhood obesity
Childhood obesity
Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or wellbeing. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult, the diagnosis of obesity is often based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse health effects...
, child nutrition, oral health, mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
, and environmental health
Environmental health
Environmental health is the branch of public health that is concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment that may affect human health...
.
Child Poverty and Family Economics. First Focus is working to reduce childhood poverty and family economic security through measures such as the Earned Income Tax Credit
Earned income tax credit
The United States federal earned income tax credit or earned income credit is a refundable tax credit primarily for individuals and families who have low to moderate earned income. Greater tax credit is given to those who also have qualifying children...
and the Child Tax Credit
Child tax credit
A child tax credit is the name for tax credits issued in some countries that depends on the number of dependent children in a family. The credit may depend on other factors as well: typically it depends on income level. For example, in the United States, only families making less than $110K per...
-- two effective, bipartisan tax measures that work to lift millions of children out of poverty.
Tax and Budget Policy.
Education. First Focus supports efforts to improve our nation's educational system and the non-school factors that are important to a child's education.
Early Childhood.
Child Welfare, Rights, and Safety.
Juvenile Justice.
Children of Immigrants.
Advancing Research and Data.
Leadership
Bruce Lesley is the president of First Focus and has more than 20 years of experience at all levels of government, including time working in the United States Congress for Senator Jeff BingamanJeff Bingaman
Jesse Francis "Jeff" Bingaman, Jr. , is the senior U.S. Senator from New Mexico and a member of the Democratic Party...
, Senator Bob Graham
Bob Graham
Daniel Robert "Bob" Graham is an American politician. He was the 38th Governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States Senator from that state from 1987 to 2005...
, Senator John Breaux
John Breaux
John Berlinger Breaux is a former United States senator from Louisiana who served from 1987 until 2005. He was also a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1972 to 1987. He was considered one of the more conservative national legislators from the Democratic Party...
, Congresswoman Diana DeGette
Diana DeGette
Diana Louise DeGette is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997, and a Chief Deputy Whip. She is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is based in Denver.-Early life, education and career:...
, and Congressman Ronald D. Coleman
Ronald D. Coleman
Ronald D'Emory Coleman is an American politician and a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas. He was elected as a Democrat to the 98th United States Congress and to the six succeeding Congresses. He served from January 3, 1983 until January 3, 1997...
. At the state and local level, he worked for Texas Governor Ann Richards
Ann Richards
Dorothy Ann Willis Richards was an American politician from Texas. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was...
and for El Paso County Judge Patrick F. O'Rourke. In addition to a commitment to children's issues, he has a background in health care policy and administration through work for the National Association of Children's Hospitals and University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.
Former Congressman John Edward Porter
John Edward Porter
John Edward Porter is a former United States Representative from Illinois.Porter was born in Evanston, Illinois, was educated in public schools, and then attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology for one year before receiving a B.S. and B.A. from Northwestern University in 1957...
is the first Chairman of the First Focus Advisory Board and previously served for 21 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and chaired the House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
External links
- Official web site
- America's Promise website link
- Alliance for Health Reform Sourcelist on SCHIP
- "Children Squeezed Out of Federal Budget" PR NewswirePR NewswirePR Newswire started out in 1954 as a vendor hired by companies and agencies to send out text press releases to the media. Today, PR Newswire is hired by corporations, public relations firms and non-governmental organizations to deliver news and multimedia content...
, February 1, 2007 - "Reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)" National Association of Community Health Centers, Inc., January 8, 2007
- "Emergency Care Dissemination Workshop" Institute of MedicineInstitute of MedicineThe Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
of the National Academy of SciencesUnited States National Academy of SciencesThe National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
, December 11, 2006 - "Partisan Fights Likely Over Health Care" Mort KondrackeMort KondrackeMorton M. Kondracke is an American political commentator and journalist. He gained great visibility via a long stint as a panelist on The McLaughlin Group. Kondracke worked for several leading publications, serving for twenty years as executive editor and columnist for the non-partisan Capitol...
, Roll Call, December 8, 2006 - "The Economics of Child Health: Making Children the Nation's First Focus" AcademyHealth, Panel Discussion: June 24, 2006
- "Ask The Experts: Children's Health Care" Kaiser Family FoundationKaiser Family FoundationThe Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation , or just Kaiser Family Foundation, is a U.S.-based non-profit, private operating foundation headquartered in Menlo Park, California. It focuses on the major health care issues facing the nation, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy...
, April 4, 2006