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

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
2006 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 and TV shows 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 such Grand Magazine, Working Mother, United Parenting Publication's 13 regional publications, 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! 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! 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 ninth year, the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival is a showcase for new and classic children's films, TV shows, and DVDs from studios, independent producers and youth producers.  Programming includes sneak previews of outstanding films, DVDs and TV shows made for children ages one through 18. Sneak peeks of new films from major studios, classic films, and hidden jewels from independent and student producers are shown. All films that are shown must 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 KIDS FIRST! Film Festival selects films that are new, innovative, and inspiriting. We know that media affects children, positively or negatively and we look for programming that will make a positive impact on the audience.

Annually, more than 600,000 kids and parents attend screenings of films selected by KIDS FIRST!  These screenings take place year-round, 365 days a year, at more than 100 different venues nationwide. Our partners include  established film festivals such as the Newport Beach Film Festival and the USA KidFilm Festival in Dallas; art and children's museums such as the Houston Children's Museum, the Brooklyn Children's Museum and the New York Hall of Science; nonprofit film centers such as the Avalon Theater in Washington D.C., the Santa Fe Film Center, and the Belcourt Theater. 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.

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 Celebration. For a list of last year's awards, go here.

Submit a Title for Endorsement or Film Festival
Host a Festival
KIDS FIRST! Best Awards
Sponsors


KIDS FIRST! Cares

KIDS FIRST! Cares, in collaboration with Corporations for Character provides positive, encouraging movies to children's hospitals and related institutions. We reach more than one million children who are hospitalized annually. KIDS FIRST! Cares is supported by private donations. More . . .