(RNS) — Leading one of the largest and oldest denominational organizations for women, United Women in Faith, I frequently consider the nation in which I want to live. One thing that comes up repeatedly is the importance of loving and celebrating children.

Many people say they support and honor children. However, the prevalence of mass shootings at places where children live, learn, play, shop and connect indicates otherwise. That some states still allow corporal punishment in schools, where adults feel justified in physically hitting children, is yet another indication we have work to do in terms of how we see, embrace and care for children. Further, our nation cannot claim to love children when it is willing to deport unaccompanied minors or remains silent in the face of such injustice.

I want to live in a country that does better and gives families what they need to raise healthy and strong children, ensuring they have enough food to eat, a safe place to sleep and well-equipped classrooms to nourish their minds as well as their bodies. I want to live in a place where children laugh easily and where play is seen as essential to their development.

This should be a collective aspiration buttressed by societal action, which is why I’m excited about the annual National Observance of Children’s Sabbath, organized by the Children’s Defense Fund, a national children’s welfare organization. For the Children’s Sabbath, faith groups host special services and rededicate themselves to the well-being of youth during worship, prayer, education or community gatherings. The United Methodist Church recognizes the Children’s Sabbath from Oct. 17-19, which United Women in Faith fully supports.

Formerly known as United Methodist Women, we are a sisterhood of women devoted to putting faith, hope and love in action to allow women, children and youth to thrive. We advocate for ending the pushout of children of color in schools, raise awareness about the climate crisis and advocate for elected leaders to invest in renewable energy. We also support a number of National Mission Institutions that serve women and children across the country.

It’s easy to say that children are our future, but for that to be the case, we must challenge food insecurity and poverty. The Children’s Defense Fund found that in 2023, of the 74 million children in the United States, about 1 in 6 lived in poverty. These children often struggle to access affordable early childhood education and care, health care, nutritious food and high-quality schools. Loving children requires protesting the recent budget cuts to the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicaid and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, all of which safeguard children’s health and economic security.

In the U.S., too many view the care of children as an individual versus communal responsibility. This places undue burden on already underresourced parents and not enough burden on collective responsibility and community care.

What would it look like if we saw all children as our children? What would it look like if we actually listened when they spoke? This could mean seeing them as gifts to be stewarded. It could involve putting away our phones, tablets or computers and making space for them amid the digital clutter.

Loving children also means examining the information we consume. The current narrative in politics and in popular culture about young people suggests some facilitate harm, without acknowledging the ways in which our society harms them and sets them up to fail. Additionally, it plants seeds of mistrust about children, especially those who are already marginalized. Studies show that people often view Black children as being older and less innocent than white kids, and Black girls as being less deserving of protection. Narratives that criminalize Black children erase their innocence and make them vulnerable to exploitation, crime and abuse.

Part of caring for children is also ensuring that the stories they read and hear reflect their worth and their world. At United Women in Faith, our reading program is rooted in that belief, just as CDF’s Freedom Schools embody it through their own powerful model. Both programs affirm that literacy is liberation. When children and families see themselves in books — especially when Black and brown children encounter stories that affirm their dignity and dreams — it nurtures imagination and resilience. Reading is not just about decoding words on a page — it is about belonging, identity and possibility for the entire family.

As our observance of Children’s Sabbath approaches, we must challenge our elected leaders to prioritize the well-being of children in policymaking at all levels. I hope we think more critically about what it means to truly see, honor and love children, and view it as the key to a nation that works for and serves all.

(Sally Vonner is general secretary and CEO of United Women in Faith. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.)