11th Annual Festival of Children at South Coast Plaza

Festival of Children Foundation presents the 11th Annual Festival of Children, a community-wide charity outreach event held every weekend throughout September, in conjunction with National Child Awareness Month, at South Coast Plaza.  All ages are invited to enjoy the month-long Festival, offering over 100 free family activities and events, including live music and dance performances, a back-to-school fashion show, arts and crafts, animal shows, face painting skateboarding and more, while showcasing over 75 youth-serving organizations in the community.

"Festival of Children offers children's charities a free opportunity to educate the community on current projects and make outreach to potential donors, volunteers and fellow organizations," said Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, Founder of Festival of Children Foundation.  "Children can participate by visiting the booths representing all the different children's charities, learning about what each group does, and how they and their families can get involved.  At Festival of Children, there's always something fun and entertaining happening only a few steps away."

In between visiting the charities' booths and earning how to get involved, guests can enjoy free family fun every weekend in September.  Highlights include:

Project Playhouse (throughout September)

Orange County Canstruction (September 1-23)

Yo Gabba Gabba!  Meet & Greet (September 1 from 2-4pm)

Hello Kitty "Color a Backpack" Craft (September 1 from Noon - 2pm)

Back-to-School Fashion Show (September 2 at 11:30am & 12:30pm)

Beachworks presents "Keep Discovering with Element" (September 15 from 1-5pm)

Mindful Octopus Storytelling Yoga Program for Kids (September 16 at Noon)

Debbie Allen Dance Academy's "Dance Free Day" (September 29 from 11am - 3pm)

For a complete schedule of events, visit www.festivalofchildren.org. 
Events and scheduled times are subject to change without notice. 

Festival of Children Foundation Proudly Announces Member Organizations in all 50 States!

Festival of Children Foundation has achieved true national status, by now supporting over 470 member organizations in all 50 states.  The latest nonprofit organization to become a member is the Mountaineer Boys & Girls Club in Morgantown, West Virginia.

There is no cost for children's charities to become a member organization of Festival of Children Foundation, but certain criteria must be met:

The organization must be a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has held this registration for a minimum of 5 years.

The organization must be located within the United States, and primarily serving constituents in the United States.

The organization must exist primarily to serve children and families.

The organization must offer services in one or more of the following categories:  Arts & Culture, Education, Environment, Health & Wellness and/or Social Services.

Festival of Children Foundation is delighted to welcome the Mountaineer Boys and Girls Club of Morgantown, West Virginia to our esteemed roster of member organizations!

September 2012 to be Designated National Child Awareness Month

We're excited to welcome Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, Founder & Executive Director of Festival of Children Foundation back home to Southern California after a week of meetings in Washington, D.C. where she and her political consultant Tom Wilson were laying the groundwork in getting September 2012 designated as National Child Awareness Month (NCAM). 

Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) are sponsoring a Senate Resolution which is expected to reach the Senate floor for a vote in mid-to-late June.  When it passes, and we are confident that it will, it will mark the 5th consecutive year that September is declared National Child Awareness Month by the United States Senate.

Bearing a striking resemblance to Festival of Children Foundation's goals and objectives, NCAM's mission is to focus America's attention on four guiding principles:

• Nurture one child.  That's all it takes to make a difference.
• Children are the future of philanthropy.  It's our responsibility to teach them the importance of sharing and giving back.
• Actions speak louder than words.  Find a children's cause that's important to you and get involved.
• Many hands make light work.  So join forces with those who share your goals and dreams.

Festival of Children Foundation presents Kidz EcoFest at Doheny Blues Festival!

Festival of Children Foundation is proud to partner once again with Omega Events in presenting Kidz EcoFest at the 15th Annual Doheny Blues Festival taking place May 19 & 20 at Doheny State Beach.

Young blues fans will enjoy incredible educational opportunities, including music appreciation, crafts and other fun interactive activities guaranteed to keep them engaged and entertained.

Appreciation for music and the arts starts with the education and passion of our children. Kidz EcoFest at the Doheny Blues Festival is another way Festival of Children Foundation lends support in the community. Whether kids want to run around in bounce houses, jam at the Beach Shack, or get involved in craft projects, we're sure fans of all ages will enjoy an incredible weekend at Doheny.

For more information, visit http://www.festivalofchildren.org/.

Festival of Children Foundation Funds Dreams of Orange County Children's Charities

We're proud to share that Festival of Children Foundation recently awarded over $45,000 in grant money to seven Orange County children's charities as part of The Possible Dream 2012 grant program, thanks to generous contributions from Share Our Wine Foundation and Verizon Wireless.

All of Festival of Children Foundation's Orange County based member organizations were invited to apply for the grant money.

A panel of diverse judges reviewed over 60 applications and after careful consideration, selected these charities to each receive grants based on their dreams:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County

Families Forward

Human Options

Kids Konnected

Pacific Symphony's Heartstrings

THINK Together

Youth Employment Service (YES) of the Harbor Area, Inc.

Above are representatives from the non-profits who attended the check presentation ceremony held on March 1, 2012.

"It was the innovative thinking and ability to impact the lives of children that caused these dreams to rise above. We hope this grant money will help these organizations achieve their dreams to the very fullest of its potential," said Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, Founder & Executive Director of Festival of Children Foundation.

Put Heart In Everything You Do

Did you know that February is American Heart Month?


Festival of Children Foundation wants to empower kids to live a healthy life and have a good HEART. We can accomplish this by teaching our children:

H: Humility

E: Empathy

A: Appreciation

R: Resilience

T: Tenacity

Make a pledge to put heart into everything you do. Donate. Volunteer in your area. Join a cause and be an advocate. Get involved and share your story on our Facebook page.