The Nevada Institute for Children's Research and Policy (NICRP) at UNLV is teaming up with the Every Child Matters Educational Fund to launch the Every Child Matters in Nevada campaign-a statewide initiative aimed at making children's issues a priority in the 2008 presidential election.

The campaign kicked off today with an event in downtown Las Vegas, during which results of a new statewide poll revealed issues of child well-being (healthcare, child abuse prevention and education) are very important factors for Nevada voters when considering a presidential candidate.

UNLV was selected by the Every Child Matters Education Fund, a non-profit, non-partisan organization based in Washington D.C., to carry out the campaign in Nevada. The campaign is concurrently being administered in three other early presidential caucus/primary states.

"More than 90,000 Nevada children currently have no health insurance, and many of them live in poverty," said Denise Tanata Ashby, director of the NICRP and coordinator of the Every Child Matters in Nevada campaign. "Our goal is to raise awareness among Nevada voters of the critical issues facing our children; and, in turn, provide a cohesive message to all presidential candidates that children matter in Nevada."

The NICRP plans to promote the Every Child Matters in Nevada campaign leading up to and after the state's presidential caucus next January. By participating in political and community events, setting up voter registration sites, conducting local and statewide polls, and bringing child-serving organizations from throughout Nevada together to advocate for children's issues, the NICRP hopes to raise both political and public awareness about the critical issues affecting Nevada's children.

Coordinated through the UNLV School of Public Health, the NICRP is dedicated to advancing awareness and understanding of children's issues in Nevada. By conducting academic and community-based research, the NICRP develops policy recommendations and constructs and evaluates programs through collaborations with community agencies and policymakers throughout the state.

The Nevada poll was conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Research. Additional information on the Every Child Matters in Nevada campaign, including complete poll results, can be found online.