Committee for Children is a left-of-center educational organization. ¹ The organization’s stated purpose is to develop “social-emotional skills” in children; ² however, the organization’s activities extend beyond skill development and includes educational programming that opposes “color-blind” viewpoints in favor of racial and ethnic preferences in life and public policy. ³

Background

Committee for Children was founded in 1979 to help victims of child abuse. ⁴ In 1996, the organization expanded to general harm prevention, including bullying prevention. ⁵ Today, the organization produces programming designed to move away from color-blind viewpoints in favor of racial and ethnic preferences in life and public policy. ⁶

Financials

In 2023, the Committee for Children received $833,038 in contributions, ⁷ collected $37,703,034 in program service revenue, ⁸ made $52,348,732 in expenditures, ⁹ and reported negative net assets. ¹⁰

Programming

Committee for Children’s programming includes social-emotional learning, bullying prevention, child protection, and educational programming-related research. ¹¹

In research conducted by Committee for Children to market its programming, the organization states that social-emotional learning, or the process by which young people build skills to understand and manage emotions, feel empathy, and work towards positive goals, can be a tool to effectively implement “racial equity strategies in education.” ¹²

However, the organization cautions that social-emotional learning can also be a tool wielded to promote “color-blindness,” and hence hurt people of color by “ignoring dynamics of power, race, oppression, privilege, and cultural differences.” ¹³ The five key tools the organization identified as essential to correctly applying social-emotional learning are: cultural sensitivity training, “anti-racist” and Black studies education, trauma informed approaches to education, changing school safety and discipline practices to account for behavioral differences based on race and ethnicity, and increasing diversity in the education workforce. ¹⁴

Committee for Children supports ending or limiting school safety and discipline policies that involve exclusionary discipline, the act of removing a student from a classroom for unruly behavior and zero-tolerance policies for violating serious school codes. ¹⁵

Committee for Children cites academic research that found that exclusionary discipline and zero tolerance policies predominantly impact Black male and Black female students. ¹⁶ The organization states that studies have found that removing Black children from classrooms has a regressive impact on the child’s education and does not act as effective discipline that improves academics and behavior. ¹⁷

Second Step

Second Step is the primary educational product produced by the Committee for Children. ¹⁸

A report on the program’s 8^th grade coursework on anti-bias educational program, authored by Utah Parents United, a center-right parent’s rights organization, alleged that “[b]esides race, Second Step also focuses heavily on gay and transgender issues when discussing bullying/harassment. These lessons do not simply list these areas as reasons students are bullied. Rather, these reasons are prioritized over others in the lessons.” ¹⁹ The report notes that some of the subject matter under the umbrella of bullying prevention, specifically related to gender and sexual orientation, include concepts and ideas that may be contrary to the expressed familial consent and religious beliefs of some families. ²⁰

On several occasions when discussing sexual education, the program directs 8^th grade students around the age of 13 to visit Love is respect. Love is respect is an organization that instructs children to clear their browser history after visiting their webpage and includes articles such as “5 tips for your first time (having sex)”, and “Dating in the Closet.” ²¹ These articles include conversations and guidance such as “sex can be an important part of your relationship,” and guidance that in deciding if they are ready to date, they should ask themselves if they are “looking for something casual, exclusive monogamy, or an open relationship, like polyamory?” ²²

The Second Step program has been criticized for almost always ranking parents as the final point of support, whether for the development of empathy or guidance on how to detect and confront bullying and bias. ²³ One of the first videos implemented by the program states that parents do not face the same problems students are facing today along with a video of a vigil after a school shooting and Black Lives Matter protest. ²⁴ Utah Parents United, in evaluating how the program presents parents to student, stated that “it [the program] creates a gap between students and parents” by portraying parents “as controlling, unsupportive and even ignorant.” ²⁵

Advocacy

Committee for Children engages in both federal and state-level lobbying, drawing from educators that use its resources to lobby for its favored policy positions. ²⁶ At the federal level, the Committee for Children has urged Congress to pass the Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act of 2023, ²⁷ a bill that would appropriate $36 million to be spent between 2024 and 2028 on grants to community institutions and other educational organizations that seek to improve emotional and mental well-being through a “public health approach.” ²⁸

Leadership

Andrea Lovanhill is the CEO of Committee for Children. ²⁹ Prior to leading the organization, she was the vice president of marketing and client relations. ³⁰ Lovanhill received her bachelor’s degree from Western Kentucky University and her master’s degree in communication from the University of Washington. ³¹

1. “About Us.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/about-us/
2. “About Us.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/about-us/
3. “SEL and Racial Equity.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/policy-advocacy/sel-and-racial-equity-policy-paper.pdf
4. “History.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/about-us/history/
5. “History.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/about-us/history/
6. “SEL and Racial Equity.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/policy-advocacy/sel-and-racial-equity-policy-paper.pdf
7. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Committee for Children. Part I. Line 8. 2023.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Committee for Children. Part I. Line 9. 2023.
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Committee for Children. Part I. Line 18. 2023.
10. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Committee for Children. Part I. Line 22. 2023.
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12. “SEL and Racial Equity.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/policy-advocacy/sel-and-racial-equity-policy-paper.pdf
13. “SEL and Racial Equity.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/policy-advocacy/sel-and-racial-equity-policy-paper.pdf
14. “SEL and Racial Equity.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/policy-advocacy/sel-and-racial-equity-policy-paper.pdf
15. “SEL and Racial Equity.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/policy-advocacy/sel-and-racial-equity-policy-paper.pdf
16. “SEL and Racial Equity.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/policy-advocacy/sel-and-racial-equity-policy-paper.pdf
17. “SEL and Racial Equity.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/policy-advocacy/sel-and-racial-equity-policy-paper.pdf
18. “Our Programs.” Second Step. https://www.secondstep.org/our-programs
19. “Review of 8^th Grade Second Step Program.” Utah Parents United. https://www.utahparentsunited.org/sel.html
20. “Review of 8^th Grade Second Step Program.” Utah Parents United. https://www.utahparentsunited.org/sel.html
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22.  “Review of 8^th Grade Second Step Program.” Utah Parents United. https://www.utahparentsunited.org/sel.html
23. “Review of 8^th Grade Second Step Program.” Utah Parents United. https://www.utahparentsunited.org/sel.html
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25.  “Review of 8^th Grade Second Step Program.” Utah Parents United. https://www.utahparentsunited.org/sel.html
26. “Policy Advocacy.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/policy-advocacy/
27. “Tell Your Lawmakers to Support the Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act of 2023 – Advocacy in Action.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/policy-advocacy/advocacy-in-action/tell-your-lawmakers-to-support-the-community-mental-wellness-and-resilience-act-of-2023/
28. “S.1452 – Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act of 2023.” Congress.Gov https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/1452/text
29. “Meet the Team – Andrea Lovanhill.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/about-us/team/executive-leadership/
30. “Meet the Team – Andrea Lovanhill.” Committee for Children. https://www.cfchildren.org/about-us/team/executive-leadership/
31. “Andrea Lovanhill.” LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrealovanhill/