RALEIGH–Action for Children North Carolina announced today that it has received a multi-year grant for $150,000 from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for general operating support of its work to improve the health, safety, education and economic security of children in North Carolina.
North Carolina has 2.3 million children under age 18, half of whom live in poor or low-income households. During the grant period, Action for Children will publish research, advocate evidence-based public policies, work with media, and provide data and information to elevate the needs of children and youth on policymakers’ agendas and promote action on children’s issues.
“There is no better investment in the future prosperity of our state than ensuring that every child receives a strong start in life and has every opportunity to flourish,” said Deborah Bryan, president and CEO of Action for Children North Carolina. “Our work has shown that real, measurable results can be achieved when policymakers and the general public take deliberate action to keep children safe and set the stage for long-term success.”
Established in 1983, Action for Children is a statewide advocacy organization dedicated to educating and engaging all people across the state to improve the well-being of children and youth. Previous public policy successes include:
Expanding Health Choice to cover more than 140,000 children;
Reducing motor vehicle deaths among infants and toddlers by 30 percent through passage of child passenger safety laws;
Working to ban corporal punishment in 100 of North Carolina’s public school districts; and
Helping to lift nearly 300,000 North Carolinians-half of whom were children-above the federal poverty line through passage of the state Earned Income Tax Credit.
The Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust was established in 1947 and is now one of the largest private trusts in North Carolina. Its mission is to improve the quality of life and quality of health for the financially needy of North Carolina. The Health Care Division promotes wellness state-wide by investing in prevention and treatment. The Poor and Needy Division of the Trust responds to basic life needs and invests in solutions that improve the quality of life and health for financially needy residents of Forsyth County. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. serves as sole trustee. For more information, visit www.kbr.org.