Framing a New Narrative for Our Kids
Over the last few months, I have shared my thoughts on the health and well-being of our kids, and have commented on how data tells us that we need to invest in them. I have written about meeting with children’s commissioners in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, about the value of giving kids a seat at the table and listening to their input on policies and programs that impact them, and how this practice can be seen in hundreds of Child Friendly Cities worldwide (but not in the United States—yet). However, our mission at Leading for Kids is far broader: to improve the health and well-being of children by launching a movement to change how we think and talk about kids, invest productively in their futures, and help decision makers protect their rights and reflect their voices – in short, to create a country where we always make decisions with the best interests of kids in mind.
It’s a big mission. When I founded Leading for Kids nearly two years ago, it was with the goal of building a society that more deeply values kids. As a pediatrician and child advocate, I have seen firsthand the mismatch between what we, as Americans, say about children being our priority and our related behaviors, attitudes, and actions. At the same time, I also realize that there is no shortage of advocates or organizations who work tirelessly on behalf of kids—in direct service and in policy reform—each and every day. Together, we are committed to the same outcome: to help kids thrive. We have identified countless ways that, as a society, we can improve the well-being of kids. And yet, why can’t we collectively mobilize the will and the resources to more broadly advance these solutions? I believe we need a new way of talking about kids—which has the power to change the way we think about kids. Ultimately, this can lead to building the necessary collective that ensures kids have what they need—healthcare, education, support, safe environments, and more—to thrive and grow into healthy adults.
I am not alone in this belief. Last June, we convened more than 30 child advocates to discuss this very topic—what would it take to build a new narrative to produce new and better outcomes for our young people?
Partnering with The FrameWorks Institute
Leading for Kids is now taking the next step and is partnering with The FrameWorks Institute, a nonprofit research organization, to figure out how to do this. Together, thanks to generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Children’s Hospital Association, we are seeking to uncover the current challenges in thinking and communicating that are preventing deeper societal commitment to children and youth. We are collaborating to develop new frameworks that will encourage us as a society to more consistently make decisions with the best interests of kids in mind and to build more collective responsibility for all children.
What are Frames?
In the simplest terms, framing is how the decisions we make in presenting information affects what we think, feel, and do. FrameWorks CEO Nat Kendall-Taylor notes that all stories are framed whether we realize it or not, and that these frames influence how we think about social issues, the opinions we have, and the actions we are—and are not—willing to take. We have choices in how we present information, and these choices can determine whether our ideas get through, stick, and move hearts and minds. As an example, we are currently watching framing at work in our national debate about impeaching the President. Democrats frame this issue as a necessary process to protect the Constitution from a criminal President, while Republicans frame it as an unfair political overreach and attempt to overturn a free and fair election.
When our initial group of child advocates met in June to begin talking about this work, Nat noted that change starts with a set of ideas that a group agrees needs to be mobilized and which is committed to moving into the public discourse. He also shared that it is also essential to understand how members of the public think about our issues and how the way we communicate and frame our messages affects this thinking.
In Framing Stories for Change, Nat writes, “Some stories open up space for discussion, while others shut it down. Some stories shed new light on an issue, while others remind people of what they already think and reinforce their existing beliefs. Some stories motivate people to act, while others depress engagement and dampen hope. The way we frame our stories, in other words, can determine whether our initiatives succeed or fail.” Children, families, healthcare, education: these are all deeply personal subject areas; electing officials who are accountable for the well-being of kids, securing public funding, and developing programs and policies to support kids and young people are the actions born from these perspectives and beliefs.
Here in the United States, common frames in our messaging about kids include:
Vulnerability, i.e. we need to protect kids; it is the right and moral thing to do
Parental responsibility, i.e. families are responsible for their children; public “safety net” services kick in when families “fail”
These frames are different from those in other places, such as Europe, where a rights frame is increasingly used when communicating about young people, i.e. kids have a right to grow up healthy and require certain things to do so: healthcare, education, open space, etc.
During the past two years, I have visited many places—New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal, and Germany—where I have seen the impact of these rights-based frames when they are reflected in government, municipalities, and the systems in which they live. It is impactful to hear from kids directly when they feel they have a voice in the policies and programs that affect them, and when there is a universal approach for the physical and social care that kids need to thrive and grow into healthy adults. Is this the right approach for our country? What are other ways we might frame the need to prioritize children and their well-being? This is yet to be determined.
Research Is Key
All stories have frames. When seeking to change perception, and especially when making changes to longstanding or widespread beliefs, determining which frames to use is one of the most important questions to ask and answer. As we embark to raise the priority of children and young people in our country, we will need to identify the right frames and strategize the best way to get these new frames and stories out—and sustain them over time (after all, sustained change requires a culture shift).
As Nat explains, communications research will be critical as we strive for better outcomes for kids in our country. Only through research can we understand what a particular frame does and is good for—and where it falls short as a tool for change. I am deeply grateful to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Children’s Hospital Association for their confidence in and support of this important work, and to FrameWorks for their partnership. We look forward to sharing more in the coming months!