Dear Friends and Fellow Citizens,

Lifelong success in the 21st century demands unprecedented cooperation and collaboration between and amongst all those who care for and about children and youth. Moreover, we know that as state, national and global financial pressures increase, it is imperative that our voices carry on behalf of those too young or too vulnerable to advocate for themselves. Nothing less than our collective future is at stake.

While we realize that weathering the current economic storm is a priority for Massachusetts, we acknowledge that simply weathering the storm is not enough. We must do more. We must strengthen our system, programs and services for all children and youth from every neighborhood in every corner of the Commonwealth. We must join forces and take action that will enable us to emerge from these challenging times stronger than ever before.

We offer the following report as a foundation for a shared mission to move Massachusetts forward. Developed with input, advice and ideas from more than 100 citizens from across the state as well as the resources, studies and best practices of countless youth organizations and initiatives, this call for collaborative action is rich and it is relevant. More importantly, it is responsive to the needs and challenges of individuals, communities and the Commonwealth.

We hope the information and ideas advanced herein will serve as a universal blueprint for action providing anyone, anywhere with a glimpse of what is necessary and of what is possible.

We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

The Members of the Action Planning Team