International Day of the Child

[Ace]

Business Wire

November 03, 2003

08:11 AM

Children Uniting Nations Day of the Child Hosts 5,000 At-Risk Children in L.A. on Nov. 9, 2003; Star-Studded Event to be held at Pierce College in Woodland Hills

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 3, 2003--Approximately 5,000 homeless, foster, abused and at-risk children from the Los Angeles area will be treated to day-long festivities during the Fifth Annual "Day of the Child" celebration at Pierce College on Sunday, November 9. During the following week, similar celebrations will be held in New York City, Chicago and Miami.
Hosted by Children Uniting Nations, a Los Angeles-based charity group, the dream day for foster kids is sponsored by Arden Realty, American Express, Paul Goldenberg - Paul's TV, The Ziegler Family Trust, The Gap, Bloomingdale's, Dreyer's Ice Cream, and Toys 'R' Us.

The Los Angeles event is hosted by Pierce and Keely Brosnan, the cast of NBC's "American Dreams" (including Brittany Snow, Michael Rodgers, Jonathan Price, Ethan Dampf, Arlen Escarpeta and Jamie Elman), Sela Ward, Jane Seymour and California First Lady Sharon Davis. Also attending will be David Arquette and Courtney Cox Arquette, the cast of FX's "The Shield" including Catherine Dent and Brian White, as well as California Governor Gray Davis. Special performances by Coolio, Wyclef Jean, 3LW and five year old rap sensation Li'l Max$o. The children arrive at 11 a.m. for a day of rides, food and concert with musical performances beginning at noon.

The primary purpose of the event, apart from providing many of Southern California's most challenged children with a day of fun, is to promote the mentoring of foster kids by adults who will take on-going relationships and provide two days of personal involvement each month.

During the festivities, each child will be escorted by an adult mentor who will spend the day sharing rides, food and performances. In the past, the Day of the Child has changed the lives of many foster and homeless children, as many mentors who signed up for that one day, have ended up becoming a permanent and loving presence in a child's life.

"Most of these kids have no adults in their lives who aren't paid to be there," said Daphna Edwards Ziman, founder of Children Uniting Nations. "And regular attention from some adult who is there because that person cares can brighten a childhood and structure a hopeful future."

Mentors are all specially screened and selected by Children Uniting Nations and the Department of Children and Family Services in Los Angeles.

Through the support of individual and corporate sponsors, each child who participates in the Day of Child celebration will receive a care package that includes clothing, toys, educational materials, and toiletries. Children and mentors will have access to all attractions and entertainment at the events in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Chicago free of charge.

About Children Uniting Nations

Children Uniting Nations is a progressive voice for children at risk, with a primary focus on children out of home care. We believe that every child has the right to a permanent caring adult in his or her life. We also believe that is the imperative responsibility of our community to ensure a better quality of life for our most vulnerable children. For more information about CUN or becoming a mentor, please log onto www.childrenunitingnations.org

[curious george]

Great! Too bad we can't take care of these kids all the time. I'm glad to see that days like this do result in at least some permanent attachments.

cg

[Ace]

Yes that seems to be the main hoped for end purpose of the two day festivites.

You can view the PSA's by PB and others at

www.childrenunitingnations.org/psas.htm at the

www.childrenunitingnations.org/

Ace

[sparklingblue]

What a great way to celebrate this day. It's great that they're doing this for the kids.

PS: That college is rather appropriately named.

[Ace]

Contact Music

Big-heart JAMES BOND actor PIERCE BROSNAN is becoming a surrogate dad to a disadvantaged child in Los Angeles.

The British star is one of a host of celebrities, including WYCLEF JEAN and COOLIO, to offer himself to the scheme. He will take on a child who is either homeless or in foster care, and be their mentor for a year.

Despite his busy filming schedule, the 50-year-old has pledged to spend at least two days every month with the lucky child.

A spokesman for the program says, "It's a very generous and magnanimous gesture."

Pierce has two children with his second wife KELLY SHAYE-SMITH, and a son with his late first wife CASSANDRA. He also adopted Cassandra's two children from her first marriage after their father died.

==================================

Question, how does he manage if and when he's on location? Then again he's currently on location in the Bahamas and managed to fly back to L.A. for this event this last weekend. Luckily Bond doesn't begin until Jan 2005, otherwise that would be one hell of a commute from England.

Ace

[curious george]

Oh, gee, do you think the man has a little more access to such things as "instant transportation" than the rest of us mortals?

My only concern about this kind of thing is how a kid feels being the "little brother or sister" of a celebrity for a year and then being dropped. Yes, let's hope most of the folks who do this don't turn their backs after the required year, but surely some do, because of the very reason you stated.

cg

[Ace]

Hmmm, maybe Q zapped him up a transporter.

I gather that's why they ask for a year commitment, it provides some stability and continuity but a year is really about all most people could commit to that far in advance. Not just celebrities move from the state or country or have changes in lifestyes that would affect mentoring in the future. And I'm sure changing or losing mentors is hard for a kid whether they're a celebrity or not.

PB most likely looked at his schedule, saw that his next couple of films would be L.A., Bahamas or Mexico based and saw that it was doable. Yes in 2005 he'll be in England for 7 months but that's more than a year and it's not as if he's taking the place of someone more long term "stable" who'd do it instead. There were thousands of kids at this event and I doubt most of them got mentors.

Ace

[curious george]

Ace said:

Hmmm, maybe Q zapped him up a transporter.

:: waits in line for next one ::

I gather that's why they ask for a year commitment, it provides some stability and continuity but a year is really about all most people could commit to that far in advance. Not just celebrities move from the state or country or have changes in lifestyes that would affect mentoring in the future. And I'm sure changing or losing mentors is hard for a kid whether they're a celebrity or not.

Well, that's true, I know, and it's also true the other way around. TMITYH worked at such an agency for several years and was matched with two kids consecutively who took off when the mothers upped and rearranged the kids' lives with or without notice.

What's really great is when circumstances and personalities allow for the matches to last until the young person is 16 or 18.

I do hope someone is screening the adults carefully. I wouldn't want my kid "mentored" by Michael Jackson, for instance.

cg

[Ace]

Yes a long term relationship is optimal but sometimes you take what you can get.

I'm sure they screen but then I wouldn't be surprised if some bad apples slipped though, alas just as with parents, mentors don't come with guarantees. Nonetheless, I doubt Michael Jackson is on the list.

Ace

[curious george]

But I hear he loves kids! ::tries to keep from puking::

cg

[Yuliya]

Ace said:

Contact MusicQuestion, how does he manage if and when he's on location?

I'm sure it's not against the rules to transport the kid to wherever PB is at the moment, thus saving the star some time and letting the kid to see other places as well.

I share CG's concern - such things can traumatize children even more than not having any parents at all; it all depends on how the separation is handled by the surrogate parent. I'm talking about such cases in general, not this one.

[Ace]

This program is to be a Mentor for two days a month, not to adopt or become a foster parent. They aren't taking the place of a parent or gaurdian. Many of the other mentors have demanding lives and high profile jobs as well, and as CG said commitments and lifestyle changes can work both ways in these relationships. I think it's better to commit for a year than not to commit at all if you have the time and disposition for it.

Ace

[curious george]

Yuliya said:

it all depends on how the separation is handled by the surrogate parent. I'm talking about such cases in general, not this one.

Yuliya's right, that's probably the most significant aspect in any of these mentoring matches (including PB's). Hopefully they have good caseworkers assigned to the matches, as Big Brothers and Big Sisters do, to help with the initial adjustment, the eventual parting, and everything in between.

cg

[Ace]

This is a national organization that's been around for years so I'm sure they have screening and counseling set up for both mentor and child as to expectations and duties etc.

But again this program isn't meant for the mentor to be a surrogate parent (any more than a Big Sister/Big Brother is) , and honestly how many people do you think would sign on to mentor if it meant they'd have to commit until the child was 18 or they'd be viewed as a surrogate parent.

Yes ideally the relationships can become long term but to ask for that at the start IMO would be cutting off your nose to spite your face. And while it may be hard for some children that it's short term I don't think that for most it's better that they have nothing at all than a year of someone's time and interest.

Ace

[curious george]

I agree with everything you just said, Ace. My original comment was more just musing on how it might be harder to say "gee, Pierce Brosnan isn't my regular buddy any more," than, "gee, John Doe isn't my regular buddy any more."

cg

[sparklingblue]

I still think it's a very sweet and generous gesture.

[Ace]

Children Uniting Nations



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