About Us
Coalition for Quality Children's Media
A Collaboration of More than 100,000 Concerned Adults
KIDS FIRST! Endorsements and Recommendations
Adult-Approved and Kid-Recommended
KIDS FIRST! Film Festival
The World's Largest Children's Film Festival
KIDS FIRST! Junior Film Critics
Helpiing Children Cultivate a Healthy Media Lifestyle
KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions
Weekly radio show reviewing the newest film and DVD releases.
#1 Rated show on Voice America Kids Network
KIDS FIRST! Top 100 Kids Film List
An annually renewed list of the best films for kids between the ages of 2 and 18.
Coalition for Quality Children's Media
Mission
Our goals are: A. To teach children to
become critical media users; B. To help adults recognize the importance
of teaching critical viewing skills to children; C. To help children
identify and be aware of outstanding media programming;
D. To develop programs for children with special needs such as
low-income, hospitalized or at-risk children. |
The Coalition for Quality Children's Media is a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1991 whose mission is to teach children critical viewing skills and to increase the visibility and availability of quality children's media.
KIDS FIRST! evaluates, rates and endorses children's films, DVDs, CDs, TV shows and games using volunteer, community-based juries of adults and children from diverse backgrounds and offers a variety of means to showcase and enhance consumer awareness of sponsored products.
KIDS FIRST! is supported by more than 17 million teachers, librarians, media professionals, lobbyists, policymakers, child advocates, educators, parents and families nationwide. Support comes from national nonprofit organizations that include the National Education Association, REEL Fathers, National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Council of Women’s Organizations, with a cumulative membership of over 17 million.
CQCM Board and Staff
CQCM Members
CQCM By-laws
IRS 990 Filing for 2010
CQCM W-9 jpg format W-9 pdf format (higher resolution)
Programs
KIDS FIRST!
KIDS FIRST! evaluates, rates and endorses children's media using community-based juries comprising child development professionals and teachers as well as parents and children from diverse geographic, socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. A KIDS FIRST! endorsement is given to titles that meet the KIDS FIRST! baseline criteria and are approved by both adult and child jurors. Reviews of endorsed or recommended titles are published on the KIDS FIRST! web site, in KIDS FIRST! News and in reviews in print and online publications including Amazon.com, Parenthood.com, Grand Magazine, LA Parent, Bay Area Parent, Boston Parent, Colorado Parent, ParentGuide, TiVo's KidZone and Macaroni Kid, a network of more than 100 local online websites.
KIDS FIRST! is a voluntary initiative, only titles submitted to it will be evaluated, rated and endorsed. To submit a title for consideration, please visit our submit a title page by clicking here.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critics
The 20-year-old nonprofit KIDS FIRST! has always involved kids in reviewing media products. In 2010, we increased their visibility by launching a national campaign to find 5 kids, ages 6-15 to become official film critics and spokespersons for KIDS FIRST! The 2011 campaign drew 93 competitors and those 93 kids drew 11 Million votes.
These kids have had a blast this year. They review two to four films a month. They host a weekly radio show. They have attended red carpet events, press junkets and interviewed celebrities both and off the red carpet. Our 2011 Film Critics Boot Camp was held on the Disney lot in Burbank where 15 kids spend a week learning the ins and outs of entertainment reporting. The youth critics serve for one year. Our 2012 critics search campaign wrapped up the end of December and winners will be announced the end of January. Their reviews are seen by 5+ million viewers/listeners/month.
You can view the most current reviews on the KIDS FIRST! homepage and the KIDS FIRST! page on AOL Kids. Or, go to Voice America Kids to listen to the radio show.
KIDS FIRST! Film Festival
Now in its thirteenth year, the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival showcases new and classic children's films and videos from studios as well as independent and youth filmmakers. To qualify, a film must meet the KIDS FIRST! criteria of no gratuitous violence, no racial or cultural bias, no inappropriate sexual behavior, no replicable unsafe behavior and no condescension towards children. The Festival partners with more than 150 venues who host screenings year round to an audience of more than one million. Annually, KIDS FIRST! films will be seen by more than 10,000 viewers nationwide.
Submit a Title for Endorsement or Film Festival
Host a Festival
Sponsors
View our Short Films
KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions
Rated # 1 show on Voice America Kids network, our weekly radio features the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics reviewing the newest film and DVD releases. Hosts on the show are youth, ages 6-15 who have won a spot as an official KIDS FIRST! film critic through a national competition. Our executive producers work continuously with the kids, ages 6-15 to help them develop the skills needed to perform as an entertainment reporter. These 8 young people review all the newest films rated PG-13 or younger, interview celebrities both on and off the Red Carpet and help promote the show through their own social media networks. Voice America Kids is a channel on Voice America, internet radio with 3.5 million listeners a month.
KIDS FIRST! Best Awards
Once a year, KIDS FIRST! Best awards are given to films that have played at our film festivals throughout the previous year and rated the highest in their category. KIDS FIRST! Best Awards
Announcing 2010 Winners
2010 Nominees
2011 Nominees and winner will be announced in the spring of 2012. Past winners are available on these landing pages.
KIDS FIRST! Top 100 Kids Films
Annually, KIDS FIRST! creates a Top 100 Kids Film List of films for kids between the ages of 2 and 18 that we believe have universal appeal, exhibit outstanding attributes in terms of their production values and portray values and have qualities that make them as applicable today as the day they were first released. To qualify, a film must also be currently in distribution.
We know that media has the power to influence children, negatively or positively. The films on this list portray the values and ethics that we, as a culture wish to instill in our children. The idea behind this list is to provide a parent or caregiver with as much information as possible about the age appropriateness of a film, a brief synopsis, the key artists involved and any special audience issues it may address.
All Top 100 films are available on Amazon.com at www.amazon.com/KidsFirst!Top100 or on our site here. For the 2009 list, go here
KIDS FIRST! Travel
KIDS FIRST! Travel is a project of the Coalition for Quality Children's Media. In operation since 2006, the travel agency provides on-line booking of travel and commissions earned help support the projects of the organization.
Privacy
KIDS FIRST! / Coalition for Quality Children's Media's privacy policy is here.
