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Promise 3: Children and youth will have a fair chance to succeed no matter where they live Challenges like violence, health problems and housing insecurity too often prevent young people who live in high poverty areas from achieving their potential. The District can reverse the collective impact of these challenges and ensure a fair chance by focusing on the neediest communities first and eradicate opportunity segregation. DC should fund services close to where the most fragile children and youth live and most importantly make the success of low-income children and youth a priority in policy and the budget. More on this promise at http://www.dckids.org/getinvolved/promise3.php. Promise 4 is being released on August 21 -- check the web site -- www.dckids.org.

DC Action for Children just released the third of five promises to children and youth as part of the District-wide 5 Promises to Kids Campaign. Promise 3: Children and youth will have a fair chance to succeed no matter where they live Challenges like violence, health problems and housing insecurity too often prevent young people who live in high poverty areas from achieving their potential. The District can reverse the collective impact of these challenges and ensure a fair chance by focusing on the neediest communities first and eradicate opportunity segregation. DC should fund services close to where the most fragile children and youth live and most importantly make the success of low-income children and youth a priority in policy and the budget. The details of the Promise, including recommendations about legislative and budget actions that can be taken by the new mayor and city council members, are on our web site -- http://www.dckids.org/getinvolved/promise3.php. We encourage you to ask candidates for mayor and council their positions on a number of important policy and budget issues including: increasing funding for mental health services for children and youth, their plans to better serve teens who will leave foster care without a family and their plans on funding quality universal pre-k. We invite you to join us in making these promises to children and youth who call the District of Columbia home. You can easily endorse the Campaign by completing an on-line form -- http://www.dckids.org/getinvolved/becomeapartner.php.

DC Action for Children, the District's only multi-issue advocacy organization dedicated to improving conditions for children and youth in the city, has weighed in on this issue. We did not oppose the curfew change but in our comments to the City Council suggested that the change will not have a permanent impact on youth crime, violence and victimization. We also suggested that NOW is the time for the city to invest in long-term solutions -- like drug treatment, substance abuse prevention, mental health services and many other proven services. If you would like to learn more about what we said, go to www.dckids.org and click the link to "A letter Regarding Crime to The Honorable Linda Cropp." Also on the site is information about the 5 Promises to Kids Campaign -- an action-focused campaign to heighten awareness and move people to action for children and youth in the nation's capital. That information is on the home page. The promise related to violence and safety is Promise 1. Susie Cambria Deputy Director/Public Policy DC Action for Children

Want to learn how the mayoral candidates plan to serve children and youth if elected? Go to www.dckids.org and you will find a link to our voter guide. Susie Cambria Deputy Director/Public Policy DC Action for Children