Stand with Children
A Positive Educational Campaign to
Promote
the Centrality and Integrity of Marriage
for Children and Society
|
Why join?
|
What is Stand with Children (SWC)?
Stand with Children is an educational coalition of concerned Catholic organizations and individuals protecting and promoting marriage with a positive focus on:
- The common interest of every child in the marriage of his or her mother and father;
- The family as the foundation of social justice - the first school of love, peace and justice.
All Stand with Children materials and messages are based on the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church.
Who is behind it?
Catholics for the Common Institute developed the Stand with Chilren Project in close collaboration with the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley, CA and the staff of the California Catholic Conference. In 2008, Catholics for the Common Good was asked by the California Catholic Conference of Bishops to lead and organize the lay Catholic reponse for the California "Yes on 8, ProtectMarriage.com" campaign. See CCG's board and advisors.
71% agree with " The growth of unwed mothers is a 'big problem'."* 69% agree with "A child needs a mother and a father to grow up happily."* * As Marriage and Parenthood Drift Apart, Public is Concerned about Social Impact, Pew Research Center, July 2007 based on a national random sample of 2020 adults. Why should my organization or I join?
It is a big problem for children who are deprived of a father or married parents. It is the root cause of the increase in poverty.
In fact it is the heart's desire of every person to have a married mother and father. We can turn to our own experience to verify that.
Marriage continues to decline with devastating social consequences for children and society. Forty percent of children are now being born out of wedlock. A Brookings Institution report indicates "most, and in some cases all, of the increase in child poverty over the past thirty to forty years can be explained by changes in family structure."
Powerful private interests have successfully implemented policies increasingly hostile to marriage and in conflict with the common interest of every child. Children are required to be taught in school that marriage is a lifestyle choice equivalent to cohabitation and other alternatives.
We must work together through a large coordinated coalition with positive messages for the restoration of a marriage culture. This will benefit children who cannot advocate for their stake in their parents' marriage. It is also an imperative of social justice.
How do we join Stand with Children?
Organizations are invited to join and participate by using the organization application form. It is recommended that each organization consider and pass the "We Choose to Stand with Children" resolution". Organizations should then appoint a SWC chair or coordinator as a liaison.
Individuals are invited to join by subscribing online or by submitting the reply form attached to the Stand with Children brochure.
What does being a member of Stand with Children involve?
The names of organizations that join Stand with Children will be posted on the Stand with Children website. In addition, SWC will keep organizations and individuals informed about concerns and events by periodic emails related to marriage and family. Organizations will be invited to participate in projects that would include:
|
Fatherless homes produce
|
- Inviting other parish organizations and individuals to join Stand with Children (SWC).
- Distributing literature within parishes or organizations. SWC will provide flyers, talking points and other educational materials.
- Recruiting volunteers to work on specific projects.
Is there any cost to join?
Membership in the coalition is free. However, CCGI-Stand with Children would be grateful for donations of any amount for support of this educational effort.
Stand with Children is a project of the Catholics for the Common Good Institute, a IRC 501c3 educational organization.
Contributions to CCGI - Stand with Children are deductible for federal income tax purposes.
Next WFL 
,