A new report by the National League of Cities (NLC), The State of City Leadership for Children and Families in 2009, identifies the nation’s most cutting-edge city innovations to help children and families thrive.  

Nearly 350 municipal officials attending the 2009 National Summit on Your City’s Families will discuss successful local initiatives to improve the lives of children and families. 

Mayor Randy Roach is among the first 100 mayors to join a new initiative sponsored by the National League of Cities to promote city leadership in efforts to help children and families succeed.

Boynton City, Fla., Mayor Jerry Taylor is among the nation’s first 100 mayors to join the Mayors’ Action Challenge for Children and Families.

One hundred mayors from across the nation have joined the Mayors' Action Challenge for Children and Families.  At a time when the ability of cities to act is constrained by tight budgets, mayors have shown they are determined to help struggling families meet their needs and ensure that young people reach their full potential.

On Feb. 23, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter opened a new PhillyGoes2College Office (PG2C) within City Hall and launched a companion website, www.PhillyGoes2College.com. These two sources of college access information are part of Mayor Nutter’s education agenda to double the percentage of Philadelphians who attend and complete college in the next 5-10 years. The other education goal set by Mayor Nutter for the Challenge is to cut the city’s dropout rate in half in 5-10 years.

NLC has launched an exciting new model for providing practical help and advice to individual cities called the Mayors' Institute on Children and Families.  On Dec. 10-11, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay participated in the first pilot Mayors' Institute session in Chicago.

Hundreds of municipal leaders and community partners convened in Boston for a biennial two-day summit focused specifically on what cities can do to produce better child and family outcomes in education, health, safety and financial stability.

A groundbreaking new report by NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) identifies the nation’s 32 most cutting-edge city innovations to help children and families thrive, and documents emerging and established trends in municipal leadership to promote child and family well-being. 

Municipal leaders can get a sneak preview of the 2009 National Summit on Your City’s Families by viewing a preliminary program — including full workshop descriptions — at www.nlc.org/iyef/yefsummit.aspx.