About Us
Coalition for Quality Children's Media
A Collaboration of More than 10,000 Concerned Adults
KIDS FIRST! Endorsed and Recommended Media
Adult-Approved and Kid-Tested
KIDS FIRST! Media Training / Junior Film Critics Club
Not What to Think but How to Think
KIDS FIRST! Film Festival
The World's Largest Children's Film Festival
KIDS FIRST! CARES
Supporting Critically Ill Children Through Film
KIDS FIRST! Top 100 Kids Film List - 2008
KIDS FIRST! Travel
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. The Coalition is a voluntary collaboration comprising more than 10,000 media professionals, lobbyists, policymakers, child advocates, educators, parents and families nationwide.
CQCM Board and Staff
CQCM Members
CQCM By-laws
CQCM Annual Report
2007 IRS 990 Filing
CQCM W-9 jpg format W-9 pdf format (higher resolution)
Programs
KIDS FIRST!
KIDS FIRST! is the Coalition's program that evaluates, rates and endorses children's feature films, DVDs, videos, CDs, TV shows and interactive media using volunteer, community-based juries comprising child development professionals, 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. A KIDS FIRST! recommendation is given to TV series based on evaluation of a sample three episodes from a single season.
Reviews of endorsed or recommended titles are published on the KIDS FIRST! web site, in the KIDS FIRST! e-zine, and in reviews provided to publications and online sites such Grand Magazine, Working Mother, Dominion Publication's 13 regional publications (LA Parent, Bay Area Parent, etc.), ParentGuide, TiVo's KidZone and the Smart Television Alliance.
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! Top 100 Kids Film List - 2008
These are films for kids between the ages of 2 and 18 that KIDS FIRST! believes to 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.
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.
For more information, go here
KIDS FIRST! Media Literacy and Junior Film Critics Club
Our media literacy course teaches adults how to lead children in evaluating, critiquing and reviewing media - films, TV shows, DVDs, videogames or audio CDs. Using a curriculum designed for KIDS FIRST!, our training course is done entirely online at your own pace. Every adult juror who completes the course is responsible for gathering a group of children for their children's jury - the Junior Film Critics Club. For more information, go here.
KIDS FIRST! Film Festival
Now in its tenth year, the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival showcases new and classic children's films and videos from studios, independent filmmakers and student filmmakers suitable for a two- to 18-year-old audience. All films meet the KIDS FIRST! baseline acceptance criteria of: no gratuitous violence, no racial or cultural bias, no inappropriate sexual content, no replicable unsafe behavior, and no condescension towards children. Most importantly, the Festival looks for films that are new, innovative, inspiring, and will make a positive impact on the audience.
Annually, more than 600,000 kids and parents attend screenings of films from the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival. These screenings take place year-round at more than 120 different venues nation- and world-wide. Our partners include established film festivals such as the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Flatland Film Festival, the Women's Museum and the Delray International Film Festival in Florida; art and children's museums such as the Children's Museum of Houston and the Brooklyn Children's Museum; nonprofit film centers such as the Avalon Theater in Washington D.C., the Santa Fe Film Center, and the Pennsylvania Film Institute. Additionally we collaborate with many libraries, schools and local community organizations who screen films year-round. To find a venue near you where you can attend a screening, visit our online tracking system at kidsfirst.org/fest.
Submit a Title for Endorsement or Film Festival
Host a Festival
KIDS FIRST! Best Awards
Sponsors
Once a year, awards are given to films in more than 19 categories as well as five "Best of the Best" films at the annual KIDS FIRST! Best Awards. For a list of last year's awards, go here.
KIDS FIRST! Web Store
KIDS FIRST! endorsed videos, DVDs and CDs from independent producers are offered for sale at the KIDS FIRST! Web Store. For parents and educators, these titles are somewhat hard-to-find titles. For independent producers, our online store offers an opportunity to align their endorsed title with the highly respected KIDS FIRST! brand. To shop for independent films, DVDs or CDs, click 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.
KIDS FIRST! Cares
Be a part of the positive force that helps families be more critcal media users. By educating children and parents, KIDS FIRST! gives you tool to critique media and resources for finding media that is beneficial to your children. More...
Privacy
KIDS FIRST! / Coalition for Quality Children's Media's privacy policy is here.
