CHILDREN AND YOUTH
The Auxiliary’s Children and Youth
program provides care and financial assistance to children of veterans and
strives to improve conditions for all children. The program works to preserve the integrity of the family unit
and takes a holistic approach to the needs of children by considering the
physical and spiritual, as well as the emotional and educational aspects, of
each situation.
The Children and Youth program
cooperates with many other public and private community agencies and
organizations and supports essential legislation for children at the national,
state, and local levels. In some cases,
the program offers direct financial assistance and services to individual
children or to the families of veterans.
Auxiliary members also contribute to the American Legion Child Welfare
Foundation, which was established in 1954 to fund special programs and projects
that emphasize preventative solutions to difficult children’s issues. Educating members and the general public
about these issues is a primary goal of the Auxiliary’s Children and Youth
Program.
The purposes and principles of the
American Legion Auxiliary’s Children and Youth Program are in general the same
as those of The American Legion.
Although the program is derived from mandates of The American Legion,
the Auxiliary augments and adds to it through its continuing support of the
overall program as well as through the sponsorship of special assignments and
activities.
PURPOSES:
1.
To assure
care and protection for children of veterans eligible for membership in The
American Legion.
2.
To improve
conditions for all children.
PRINCIPLES:
1.
To preserve
the integrity of the family home.
2.
To maintain
a “whole” child program, with due regard for all needs of children – physical,
spiritual, emotional, and educational.
3.
To cooperate
with and strengthen other sound organizations and agencies for children,
avoiding duplication of existing programs.
METHOD OF
OPERATION:
1.
Direct cash
assistance and service, primarily to individual children or families of
veterans.
2.
Education of
the membership and the general public on the needs of children and recommended
ways of meeting those needs.
3. Support of needed federal legislation for children in accordance with resolutions adopted by the National Convention or National Executive Committee of The American Legion; of state legislation in accordance with resolutions adopted by the Department Convention or Department Executive Committee; of local ordinances in accordance with resolutions adopted by the local American Legion Post or Posts.