The Governor's Commission on Early Learning adopted the following
Children's Bill of Rights on June 15, 1999
.

 

Children’s Bill of Rights

The Governor’s Commission on Early Learning encourages parents and caregivers of young children to voluntarily embrace the following:

Preamble

It is important for our very youngest children to be provided with a safe, nurturing, and healthy environment. Scientific studies have shown that the ages 0-3 years are critical to the brain development of children. A child’s current and future ability is linked to this brain growth which occurs in the context of nurturing relationships and experience.
What we do will forever shape their future and leave an imprimatur for all of society. We should effect systematic changes in societal values and elevate the importance and commitment for parenting infants and toddlers. We should establish a new resolve in all parts of society to embrace the importance of establishing an early learning environment from which children emerge actively engaged and continually developing skills conducive to lifelong learning.

Bill of Rights

We hold these truths to be self evident, that all children are born with certain inalienable rights, among these are a safe home, caring parents, access to healthcare, an educable mind, and an optimistic outlook on life.
As the most helpless beings of all humanity and the most underrepresented citizens we have, it is a fundamental obligation that all children be raised in a safe haven, free from physical and psychological mistreatment. Children should be protected from violence and abuse, be provided proper nutrition, given unlimited love, and be encouraged to pursue life in as ambitious a way as possible.
Children deserve to have the consistent and loving attention of their parents. Parents have children and should accept all the responsibilities entailed. Parents should be actively engaged in parenting during a part of each and every day, providing encouragement, support, discipline, and love.
Quality child care should be provided when the parents are unavailable. Parents should fashion a quality environment by relying on an appropriate mix of personal, family, community and government agency support.
A healthy child grows and develops with greater ease. Our children have a right to comprehensive health care that includes prevention, early detection and intervention. No child should be denied access to physical and mental health services for any reasons.
Every child has a right to learn a socially acceptable value system and obtain a developmentally age appropriate, quality education. As our children’s first teachers, parents need to become educated on how to parent and how to teach the basic rudiments for life-long learning.
To safeguard these Rights, We solemnly publish and pledge to support this Bill of Rights For Children, so that all children can experience joy, happiness, hope, and become responsible citizens.

Documents | Home