Statement of Support: Keeping kids at the center of our nation's priorities

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., Jan. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- At the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), we support policies that put children front and center. During tonight's State of the Union address, President Barack Obama shared his policy proposals to improve the education and health of our nation's children and families, and to strengthen the U.S. economy.

We are optimistic about the proposals that offer all children and their families more equitable opportunities for high-quality, early childhood education; lower taxes for working families; offer flexibility and support for working parents to provide care for their sick children; and expand ways to develop job skills that increase earning power now and in the future.

Building on last month's White House Summit on Early Education which launched the Invest in US campaign, the president acknowledged the need for critical investments to improve and increase access to quality early education for young children. This aligns with a proven, decades-long approach by the Kellogg Foundation to partner with community-led efforts that support the optimal development of children from birth to age 8, especially those that face barriers based on race or income. Resources have been aligned with initiatives that: train child care providers and pre-K teachers, support parent and family engagement, and align curriculum and standards across the continuum of early childhood. Doing so can help put all children, their communities and this nation on a path to success.

The president's proposals to reward hard-working families, significantly increase child tax credits for more low-income workers, encourage employers to offer paid family and sick leave, and make college more affordable for the students who need it most, will help more families gain greater access to a path of social and economic mobility and help reduce the income inequality that often hinders low-income families.

The Kellogg Foundation believes that people have the inherent capacity to transform their communities. As each of the president's proposals is considered, it is important to keep in mind that progress will ultimately happen at the local level. The foundation is committed to partnering with communities to help create conditions for these efforts to succeed.

Dedicated efforts to help two generations – children and their parents – by removing barriers to education, health and economic opportunities and by addressing racial inequities will break the cycle of poverty in this nation. We hope that this year will see a national bipartisan focus on children and their families, and growing support for community-led solutions to help every child thrive.

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti.

SOURCE W.K. Kellogg Foundation