Child-Focused Rally Part of Activities Conducted by Group in All 4 Debate States

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A rally to encourage the vice presidential candidates to focus on children's issues during Thursday's debate will be held here Thursday (October 2nd) just before the vice presidential debate.

The rally will take place at the designated vice presidential debate public viewing area, located on the intramural field at the southeast corner of Big Bend Boulevard and Forsyth Boulevard, in the Washington University area. This area is within sight of the Athletic Complex where the debate will take place. Entry to this area will be off of Big Bend, just south of Forsyth Blvd. The rally will start at 4:10 p.m., with children, parents, teachers, advocates and others gathering at the southeast corner of North Skinker Boulevard and Forsyth Boulevard on the grass in Forest Park and proceeding to the public viewing area. Statements will be given at 4:40 p.m. in the public viewing area by Michael Petit, president of Every Child Matters, and Nathan Ross, a former foster child in Missouri.

The Every Child Matters Education Fund has formed statewide coalitions in all 4 states hosting presidential and vice presidential debates to bring together children, parents, educators, care-givers, advocates and families anyone concerned about the states of children's issues in our country to raise voices to encourage the media and the candidates to address these issues.

Additionally, over 30 national groups around the country have joined in the call for the candidates to explain how they plan to work towards improving the investment our country makes in its children's welfare and the media to ask the tough questions about children's issues of the candidates. Every Child Matters has conducted print and online advertising to reinforce these issues, conducted a public education campaign, done online advocacy and reached out directly to both candidates and to the debate moderators.

How critical are the issues now being ignored? A recent UNICEF survey placed the U.S. 20th among 21 economically advanced nations in terms of overall child-well being. Yet the national tragedy suffered by millions of America's most vulnerable children is so far largely "invisible" in the 2008 election, while other issues dominate the headlines.

The Every Child Matter's publication Homeland Insecurity points out that 13 million American children live in poverty, more than eight million are without health insurance, and three million are reported abused or neglected. Nearly two out of five (39 percent) of America's 73 million children now live in low-income families, with almost one in five children (18 percent) living below the official poverty line. White children account for 39 percent of low-income children, while 61 percent of black children and Hispanic children live in low-income families. The U.S. has the second-worst child poverty rate (after Mexico) among 26 of the world's most affluent nations.

To underscore the serious and worsening circumstances facing millions of U.S. children, ECM calculates that, in the seven years since the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001, roughly 28,000 U.S. children have died as a result of child abuse, suicide or homicide; 20 million American children were reported as abused; 1,135,000 more American children are in poverty; 4,450,000 additional Americans and their families have no health insurance; and 300,000 people, many of them with young children, were added to the U.S. prison population.

Read more at http://www.everychildmatters.org/National/News/Step-Up-Press-Release.html about the need for the presidential candidates and the news media to focus on child-related issues.

SOURCE Every Child Matters Education Fund, Washington, D.C.; Boys and Girls Town of Missouri