7 of the Best-Known US Charities Dedicated to Helping Children | Rachel Lader

With almost 1 million registered US charities supporting children, it can be overwhelming to decide which to support. Here’s a look at seven of the best-known and most successful organizations, from Best Buddies, which helps children with disabilities connect with their peers, to Locks of Love, which provides hairpieces for young people with medical hair loss.

1. Children’s Defense Fund

The Children’s Defense Fund ‘s mission is to ensure that each and every American child has everything they need to thrive. The charity fights to fix systemic inequalities affecting communities across the US, with a keen focus on helping children from impoverished communities, children of color, and children with disabilities.

The Children’s Defense Fund aims to ensure that no child lives in poverty in America today, and that all children have the necessary opportunities to attain their full potential. From ensuring that infants have a healthy start in life, to helping children involved in juvenile justice systems, the Children’s Defense Fund seeks to advance its Leave No Child Behind mission. The organization also conducts advocacy and policy work and seeks administrative and legislative solutions to protect the interests and rights of children from underserved communities.

2. North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)

Founded in 1974, NACAC strives to ensure that every child in America has a permanent, loving family. The organization supports, inspires, advocates, and educates. It helps adoptive families to thrive, and works to ensure that all children in foster care have a safe, permanent, loving home.

To achieve these objectives, NACAC:

• Educates professionals in the child welfare field.
• Informs, empowers, and supports foster, adoptive, and kinship parents, as well as young people experiencing foster care and adoption.
• Promotes adoption of children in foster care.
• Advocates for children to have loving families, and for those families to have all the support they need.

3. Best Buddies

Best Buddies is the world’s largest organization created with the aim of ending the economic, physical, and social isolation of the 200 million individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Founded by Anthony K. Shriver in 1989, this vibrant organization has grown from a single chapter to almost 3,000 worldwide. Best Buddies makes a positive impact on the lives of more than 1.3 million people with IDD through a variety of different events, programs, and initiatives.

Best Buddies aims to establish an international volunteer network, and provides opportunities for friendships between individuals with and without IDD. Its school programs aim to empower children living with IDD, helping them make rewarding friendships, improve their communication skills, and feel accepted and valued by their communities.

4. Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS)

Research shows that young people with the influence of a caring adult are more likely to avoid risky behaviors like alcohol and drug use. Through its mentorship programs, BBBS helps children from disadvantaged backgrounds connect with positive role models, helping them overcome challenges and realize their true potential.

BBBS changes lives for the better. It helps children facing adversity to achieve at school and in their communities, guiding them away from risky behaviors and boosting their self-confidence. Through its unique style of one-to-one mentoring, BBBS matches children ages 6 through 18 with adult mentors who empower them to achieve their full potential.

5. Locks of Love

This unique organization focuses on supporting children with medically induced hair loss. Locks of Love provides quality hair prosthetics free of charge to disadvantaged children to help restore their confidence and sense of self and normalcy. Anyone can donate hair to the organization, provided they have at least 10 inches to donate.

Locks of Love was founded by Madonna Coffman in 1997. She experienced alopecia in her 20s following a hepatitis vaccination, and some 13 years later, her 4-year-old daughter also developed the condition and lost all her hair. Coffman said that, as a parent, watching her daughter lose her hair was 10 times harder than losing her own. She was then inspired to establish the organization to help other children in the same situation.

6. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

NCMEC is a comprehensive reporting agency that is leading the fight against child abuse, exploitation, and abduction in the US.

This 501(c)(3) non-profit organization helps to find missing children, prevent child victimization, and reduce child sexual exploitation. It works with victims, families, the public, law enforcement, and private industry to recover missing children and prevent child abductions. In addition, NCMEC offers vital services to combat and deter child sexual exploitation.

7. Shriners Hospitals for Children

This nonprofit organization changes lives every day by providing world-class pediatric specialty care, outstanding medical education, and groundbreaking research. Shriners Hospitals for Children offers advanced care for children with spinal cord injuries, burns, orthopedic conditions, and cleft lip and palate.

The organization’s mission is to provide premium quality care to children in a collaborative, family-centered environment. It also focuses on educating physicians and healthcare professionals, and conducting innovative research to improve quality of care and quality of life for children irrespective of race, national origin, disability, color, socio-economic status, or religion.

Originally published at https://rachel-lader.com on November 25, 2020.