A new report describes some of the progress American cities have made with innovations that improve the lives of children, youth, and families.
“The State of City Leadership for Children and Families,” from the National League of Cities, offers snapshots of successful urban innovations that address nine different types of challenges, then deduces established and emerging trends in each challenge from those examples.
Traditional education, early-childhood programs, and after-school programs are among the nine challenges identified.
“Cities are America’s public-policy laboratories,” said Clifford M. Johnson, the executive director of the league’s Youth, Education and Families Institute, which published the report. “The local innovations featured in this report are inspiring other municipal officials in communities across the country.”
The report, based on the institute’s work during the last decade, was released during the 2009 National Summit on Your City’s Families, in Boston.
