congressional activities:
The making of “All Kids Count” represents an 8-year volunteer lobbying effort, encompassing two dozen visits to Capitol Hill and scores of communications. The non-partisan initiative earned support from the House Caucus on Missing & Exploited Children, along with the Black, Hispanic, and Children’s Caucuses. The Women’s Caucus selected AKC as one of six projects (from 400) they were requested to endorse. In the film’s credits, there is a special section that pays tribute to supporters on Capitol Hill.
The majority of the Members who supported held Chairperson or Ranking Member distinction on sub-committees that address education, child-safety and crime prevention. Additional endorsements were conveyed by the American Library Association, National Sheriffs’ Association, National Association of Elementary School Principals, American Association of School Administrators and the Health Information Network of the National Education Association. Our friends representing the educational and law enforcement sectors played a major role in AKC obtaining its DOJ grants.
federal justification for continued funding:
One federal interest that warrants funding is listed in the Department of Justice Strategic Plan FY2022-FY2026. Strategic objective 2.6 reads, “Protect Vulnerable Communities” and strategy 3 of that objective is, “Protect Children from Crime and Exploitation.” Per DOJ, “We have a special obligation to protect children, whose victimization ripples through families, communities, and society at-large.” AKC meets this need, as a crime prevention tool that educates children and the general public about internet safety, preventing child abduction, and targeted school violence.