April Real MCCOY - President's Message

Written by: John Brandon, President of MCCOY, Inc.

The  Annie E. Casey Foundation just published a report entitled “Race for Results:  building a path to opportunity for all children” which details the importance of making sure that all children and youth have accessible pathways to the supports, the programs, and the experiences necessary to develop into positive, productive, and contributing citizens.  One of the key statements of the reports says “it is time to recognize that our nation can and must do more to ensure that all children are able to reach their full potential in life regardless of their race, ethnicity, or community of residence.”

That same sentence applies to our efforts here in central Indiana to make sure that all young people have what they need to succeed.  We have to be willing to have the challenging conversations about the barriers that hold back some children, barriers that exist because of the circumstances of a child’s birth, not because of their talent, potential, or right to be supported.  In our recently released Blueprint For Youth, we shine a spotlight on what youth and parents believe are the issues confronting youth today---and we offer recommendations to meet those issues head on.

Our prosperity as a community is linked with how well we adults do our job to prepare the next generation---a generation that includes a diversity of races, ethnicities, cultures, and values.  How quickly we grasp that reality and open wide the doors of opportunity to all---as our country has been known to do---will certainly determine the brightness of our future.