White House Conference on Children and Youth
Encyclopedia
The White House Conference on Children and Youth was a series of meetings hosted over 70 years by the President of the United States of America, and the first White House conference
ever held. Under the leadership of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt
, Woodrow Wilson
, Herbert Hoover
, Franklin D. Roosevelt
, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower
, and Richard Nixon
, the Conferences involved thousands of delegates from around the country. According to the Child Welfare League of America
, "the conferences were devoted to improving the lives of children across the Nation. Each conference focused on issues relevant to the decade in which the conference was held.
introduced a Senate bill to re-establish a White House Conference on Children and Youth (S 2771). These bipartisan bills would create a two-year event that will focus on child welfare issues and challenges.
White House conference
A White House conference is a national meeting sponsored by the Executive Office of the President of the United States with the purpose of discussing an issue or topic of importance to the American public. Some last for one day while others last for several...
ever held. Under the leadership of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
, Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
, Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Harry Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, and Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, the Conferences involved thousands of delegates from around the country. According to the Child Welfare League of America
Child Welfare League of America
The Child Welfare League of America or CWLA is the oldest child welfare organization in the United States. The organization's primary objective is to "Make Children a National Priority...
, "the conferences were devoted to improving the lives of children across the Nation. Each conference focused on issues relevant to the decade in which the conference was held.
Topics
- 1909 - Entitled the "White House Conference on the Care of Dependent Children," the theme was opposition to the institutionalization of dependent and neglected children.
- 1919 - The "White House Conference on Standards of Child Welfare" created the most comprehensive report on the needs of children ever written.
- 1929 - The most comprehensive report on the needs of children ever written was created at the "Conference on the Standards of Child Welfare."
- 1939 - The "Conference on Children in a Democracy" highlighted the democratic values, services, and environment necessary for the welfare of children.
- 1950 - Healthy personality development was the topic of the "Mid-Century White House Conference."
- 1960 - The "Golden Anniversary White House Conference on Children and Youth" expanded ways for children to explore their potential in order to discover creative freedom.
- 1971 - The "White House Conference on Youth" focused on the individuality of children through the support of healthy personality development. It was the last conference held. convened by President Richard M. Nixon, it was held from April 18 to April 21, 1971 in Estes Park, ColoradoEstes Park, ColoradoEstes Park is a town in Larimer County, Colorado, United States. A popular summer resort and the location of the headquarters for Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park lies along the Big Thompson River. Estes Park had a population of 5,858 at the 2010 census...
. Over one thousand delegates representing every state and U.S. territory were nominated by their respective governors and appointed by the President. This late April meeting was marred by a snowstorm that required the mobilization of nearby U.S. Army personnel to distribute winter gear to delegates unprepared for severe winter weather. Held at the height of the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and amid growing youth dissatisfaction with the Nixon administration, many of the recommendations issued by the conference opposed existing U.S. policies.
Future events
Legislation to convene a White House Conference on Children and Youth in 2010 was filed in both the House and Senate in 2008. On February 14, 2008. The House bill was filed by Congressmen Fattah and Porter. On March 13, Senator Mary LandrieuMary Landrieu
Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
introduced a Senate bill to re-establish a White House Conference on Children and Youth (S 2771). These bipartisan bills would create a two-year event that will focus on child welfare issues and challenges.
See also
- Timeline of children's rights in the United StatesTimeline of children's rights in the United StatesThe timeline of young peoples' rights in the United States, including children and youth rights, includes a variety of events ranging from youth activism to mass demonstrations...
- Child labor laws in the United StatesChild labor laws in the United StatesChild labor laws in the United States include numerous statutes and rules regulating the employment of minors. According to the United States Department of Labor, child labor laws affect those under the age of 18 in a variety of occupations....
- International Year of the ChildInternational Year of the Child* Maureen Millicent Bomford founded International Year of The Child and it was endorsed by the United Nations. Maureen was born in Canterbury Punchbowl in 1930 and had four brothers. Her father was a Mayor and she always learned to appreciate the value of leadership. As the wife of a prominent...
External links
- http://eisenhower.archives.gov/Research/Finding_Aids/W.html White House Conference on Children and Youth Records, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
- http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/Research/Finding_Aids/C.html Papers of Joan B. Gaines (Director of Interpretation, White House Conference on Children and Youth), Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library