Submit to KIDS FIRST!

 

Online Submission Form

What is the KIDS FIRST! Endorsement

Application Fees for CQCM Members* First Title: $150 Subsequent Title: $75 Third and More Series Titles: $50 (when submitted at the same time) Late Deadline First Title: $170 Late Deadline Subsequent Title: $95 Late Deadline, Third and More Series Titles: $85 (when submitted at same time) Application Fees for Non-Members First Title: $300 Subsequent Title: $150 Late First Title: $350 Late Subsequent Titles: $170 Online Submission Form Producer Comments "Our relationship with KIDS FIRST! has proved to be an amazing, invaluable and incredibly rewarding one for our pre-school title "All Aboard America." They are an organization which truly cares about providing quality, age-appropriate programming that children can enjoy, and in which parents can feel confident. Bravo Kids FIRST!" Iyan M. Bruce, Executive Producer, All Aboard America  "Who would have thought an educational, historical puppet movie from a small town nonprofit in Alaska would get a contract with a great distributor like Maitland Primrose. It's evident that great things start with promoting your film with KIDS FIRST!" Joe Rizzo, writer, Baranov's Castle. "Thank you for keeping me updated about this opportunity and for supporting my film. I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with KIDS FIRST! It has given me a boost of energy to continue my work in children's animation." "Gidgie and Philly" producer, Katie Maren Minneapolis, MN "It's easy to make the typical mindless junk that passes for entertainment these days - it is so much harder to make things that teach, entertain and have a message that sticks with you, that you want to savor and recall over and over, just like the special books that we'd read over and over again when we were all kids ourselves. That's my mission and I know it's yours at KIDS FIRST! too Thanks so much for letting me be a part of this!" Kelly Kennedy, Producer/Director, The Baseball Card Shop

KIDS FIRST! evaluates, rates and endorses films, DVDs, TV show/series, CDs and video games designed for ages 0 to 18 using community based juries of adults and children. To qualify for an endorsement, a title must meet or exceed the KIDS FIRST! criteria and be approved by child as well as adult jurors. Endorsed titles are given a one-, two- or three-star rating indicating good, better and best.

KIDS FIRST! Endorsed Titles Receive

 

• The right to use the KIDS FIRST! endorsement seal and rating on all marketing materials

• Consideration for screening in the KIDS FIRST!® Film Festival

• Consideration for KIDS FIRST! Best Award

• Review posted on the KIDS FIRST! website and other KIDS FIRST! media partners' publications and websites

• Possibility to be sold through the KIDS FIRST! Web Store

• Represented by KIDS FIRST! for distribution and licensing.  

Evaluation Details

KIDS FIRST! evaluates, endorses and rates films, DVDs, CDs, TV shows/series and video games using volunteer community-based juries from a pool of more than 300 adults and 3,000 children. It is a voluntary endorsement process.

To receive a KIDS FIRST! endorsement, the producer or distributor of the program must submit it to KIDS FIRST! using the online application. The application fee may be paid online via credit card, by phone, or a check or money order mailed to our office. Six non-returnable copies of the program are mailed to our office at the same time as the form is submitted. Your application is not complete until the application form is submitted, payment is received and copies of the program arrive at our office.   

KIDS FIRST! adult jurors are vested with determining whether the title meets the KIDS FIRST! baseline criteria. Every title that is endorsed is reviewed by at least three adult jurors as well as children from their children's jury. The jurors use standardized evaluation tools that have eleven key questions and more than 50 specific assets.  A program must meet the baseline criteria before it is shown to the children's jury. If it does not meet the baseline criteria, it is not screened by the children's jury.

The adult juror awards both a quantitative and a qualitative evaluation of the program. The children's jury has their own evaluation tool which differs for each age group of children. Upon completion of their screenings, the children's jury awards both a quantitative and a qualitative evaluation.

KIDS FIRST! jurors are vastly diverse. There is no other single review authority that has a comparable representation of so many cultures. Since many juries are conducted at schools or day care facilities where the populations represent many different ethnic groups, KIDS FIRST! is able to obtain feedback from many cultural groups. Jurors represent multiple geographic regions from urban, sub-urban and rural areas. The adult jurors are educators, child development specialists, children’s librarians, Girl Scout Leaders and other interested adults and parents. These adults receive training from KIDS FIRST! to become certified as an adult jurors and children's jury facilitators. Each adult juror facilitates a group of children who serve on their children's jury.

Evaluated titles appear on the KIDS FIRST! website and in our media partners publications and reviews including:

 

Mail to:

KIDS FIRST! / Coalition for Quality Children's Media
112 W. San Francisco Street, Suite 305A
Santa Fe, NM 87501 USA
505-989-8076
fax: 505-986-8477
For question about your submission, speak with Lauren Longworth, Jury Manager

FAQs for Producers

Answers to frequently asked questions from producers.

More about the Coalition for Quality Children's Media

KIDS FIRST! and KIDS FIRST! Film Festival are projects of the Coalition for Quality Children's Media, a nonprofit organization supporting quality children's media since 1991.