“Think of the debt we’re leaving the next generation,” deficit hawks will often remark. Yet sometimes the cuts they propose are our most important investments in the next generation. We need to make sure that when we balance the budget, we're not leaving behind a different kind of a debt: a human deficit.

Next week the congressional “super committee” faces a deadline to reduce the deficit by more than $1 trillion. This is a critical time to tell Congress to protect the programs that protect kids. Everything from Pell Grants to food stamps could be affected unless we act. You can use our new Facebook app to contact the super committee directly and tell them, "Don't Cut the Programs Children Depend On!"

Joblessness remains high, and we should remember that jobs lost often mean health benefits and food security lost as well. Although the recession is technically over, the hardship continues for the more than 9 percent unemployed, a rate that is much higher in certain hard-hit parts of the country.

It's crucial that we demand our members of Congress put kids first. Please join us.