Sacramento, CA—Children do not have enough lobbying dollars or campaign contributions or enough people organized behind them to get the attention they need in interest group politics, according to Children Now, a leading nonpartisan, nonprofit children’s public policy organization, that today launched “The Children’s Movement” to organize a public pro-kid constituency.

“The Movement gives an effective outlet to the many, many people out there who have had it with our failing education system, childhood obesity, and children being woefully underserved by our public representatives,” said Ted Lempert, president of Children Now. “Children have needed this for a long time.”

The Children’s Movement provides the infrastructure to coordinate the tremendous support that exists for children across individuals and organizations, but that has remained disconnected. By joining together in an organized constituency, this existing support can exceed that of any other interest group.

“Over the years, we have been approached by countless people and groups who want to get involved in state- and federal-level children’s policy decisions,” Lempert said. “Now there’s a coordinated way for them to do so, and that’s potentially game-changing for children.”

The Children’s Movement launches before widely-anticipated deep cuts to children are expected to be announced on Friday in the May Revise of the California state budget. The Movement’s first public participation campaign, “Don’t Cut Kids,” enables people to send a strong, unified message to the state’s politicians.

To join The Children’s Movement or participate in the “Don’t Cut Kids” campaign, go to www.childrennow.org.