The Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week is children and family services.
The first 1,000 days of life are crucial for human development. This small window of time often sets the stage for whether a child grows into a healthy, loving, compassionate individual or a sickly, alienated, dangerous one.
The effects of deprivation early in life are profound, for both the child and for society. A TED talk by pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains with painful clarity just how high the costs are.
The more adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, that a child lives through, the worse his or her physical, emotional and intellectual prognosis is — for life. Even DNA has been shown to be affected.
Society, too, pays a high price, as children who do not form close attachments early on are far more likely than their more well-adjusted peers to turn to crime.
Supporting the needs of children and families is therefore in everyone’s best interest.
The list of affiliated causes, and the need, is great. Foster care, domestic violence shelters, single parent services, even human trafficking all touch on this category.
If you are still unsure of where to focus your giving, the website for the campaign, also known as the CFC, can help.
Under “Donors” on the home page, choose “Online Charity Search” from the drop-down menu.
The second field is “Select a Specific Category.” While there is no specific “children and family services” category in the search tool, there are several that apply: Education; Health Care; Housing and Shelter; Human Services and Youth Development are some.
The Combined Federal Campaign is the federal government’s workplace charity drive. The latest campaign began Sept. 1 and runs through Jan. 15.
Participation in the CFC is voluntary.
The GiveCFC.org website has more information.
This is the ninth in a series of articles spotlighting the Combined Federal Campaign’s cause of the week. Next week: food and nutrition.
