Welcome to the Boost 4 Kids web site--a place where people who want to make a difference for America's children can learn from each other, work together to solve problems, and measure how we are doing to protect and nurture our nation's children.
Boost 4 Kids began in Nashville, Tennessee in June 1998 at Family Re-Union 7, when Dr. Robert Ross described to Vice President Gore how San Diego County had cut overhead, streamlined administrative procedures, measured progress and was now able to reinvest savings in increased services for children and families. On the spot, Vice President Gore asked his National Partnership for Reinventing Government to look at applying the San Diego model to national programs for children and families. In January 1999, Vice President Gore formally announced this initiative, calling it Boost 4 Kids. He invited local, state, and federal partners to "use existing resources more effectively and put our children, not paperwork, first."
Thirteen performance partnerships were announced on May 13, 1999. Each performance partnership has community, state, and federal representatives and each has a federal champion to help measure results and cut red tape. The 13 performance partnerships and 20 charter members of the Network attended Family Re-Union 8 in June 1999 and were recognized by Vice President Gore. Family Re-Union is a series of annual conferences moderated by Vice President and Mrs. Gore that bring together families and those who work with them to discuss and design better ways to strengthen family life in America.
In addition, all communities that submitted Boost 4 Kids proposals, and others who have since heard about this project, have all been invited to help create a Boost 4 Kids Network, which now includes over 75 communities.
Goals of Boost 4 Kids: