After a national election devoid of much discussion of poverty in America – let alone child poverty – The Children’s Leadership Council worked with Spark Action to produce a video highlighting what issues children and young adults care about. The video features the voices of young people, ages 5 to 25, discussing the issues they hope the President and Congress will address in the next four years to ensure all kids can grow up safe, healthy, and ready to succeed.

The voices of these young people parallel President Obama’s Inaugural speech which  highlighted a vision for our future and our children. He brought up children and our future generations several times during his speech:

“No single person can train all the math and science teachers we’ll need to equip our children for the future.”

“We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American, she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.”

“But we reject the belief that America must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future.  For we remember the lessons of our past, when twilight years were spent in poverty, and parents of a child with a disability had nowhere to turn.”

“We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity.  We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. “

“Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.”

With rising economic inequality throughout the country, increasing child poverty in Kentucky, and additional federal fiscal decisions looming – the next four years will certainly test the President’s resolve to invest in our future generations. We hope political leaders and policymakers from all levels of government and all political parties come together to prioritize children, and our country’s future.