--- title: "Child Labor: Helping those who make a difference." description: Dana Investment Advisors has a history of advocating on behalf of social and faith-based clients through corporate engagements and shareholder resolutions. image: https://insights.danainvestment.com/hubfs/child%20labor-1.png --- - [Home](https://www.danainvestment.com/) - About Us - [Who We Are](https://www.danainvestment.com/who-we-are/) - [Who We Serve](https://www.danainvestment.com/who-we-serve/) - [Our Responsibilities](https://www.danainvestment.com/our-responsibilities/) - [Meet The Team](https://www.danainvestment.com/meet-the-team/) - [History](https://www.danainvestment.com/history/) - [Awards](https://www.danainvestment.com/awards/) - Our Services - [Overview](https://www.danainvestment.com/overview/) - [Equity Strategies](https://www.danainvestment.com/strategy-assignment/equity-strategies/) - [Fixed Income Strategies](https://www.danainvestment.com/strategy-assignment/fixed-income-strategies/) - [Wealth Management](https://www.danainvestment.com/strategy-assignment/wealth-management/) - Insights - [The Dana Viewpoint](https://www.danainvestment.com/category/the-dana-viewpoint/) - [News & Updates](https://www.danainvestment.com/content-library-category/news-updates/) - [Content Library](https://www.danainvestment.com/content-library-category/content-library/) - [Resources](https://www.danainvestment.com/resources/) - [Contact](https://www.danainvestment.com/contact/) - [Stay Informed](https://www.danainvestment.com/stay-informed/) [![Dana Investment](https://insights.danainvestment.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/DanaInvestment_May2023/images/mobile-logo.png?width=300&height=76&name=mobile-logo.png "Dana Investment")](https://www.danainvestment.com/) - About Us - [Who We Are](https://www.danainvestment.com/who-we-are/) - [Who We Serve](https://www.danainvestment.com/who-we-serve/) - [Our Responsibilities](https://www.danainvestment.com/our-responsibilities/) - [Meet The Team](https://www.danainvestment.com/meet-the-team/) - [History](https://www.danainvestment.com/history/) - [Awards](https://www.danainvestment.com/awards/) - Our Services - [Overview](https://www.danainvestment.com/overview/) - [Equity Strategies](https://www.danainvestment.com/strategy-assignment/equity-strategies/) - [Fixed Income Strategies](https://www.danainvestment.com/strategy-assignment/fixed-income-strategies/) - [Wealth Management](https://www.danainvestment.com/strategy-assignment/wealth-management/) - Thought Leadership - [Insights](https://insights.danainvestment.com/blog) - [The Dana Viewpoint](https://www.danainvestment.com/category/the-dana-viewpoint/) - [News & Updates](https://www.danainvestment.com/content-library-category/news-updates/) - [Content Library](https://www.danainvestment.com/content-library-category/content-library/) - [Resources](https://www.danainvestment.com/resources/) - [Contact](https://www.danainvestment.com/contact/) - [Stay Informed](https://www.danainvestment.com/stay-informed/) [![Dana Investment Advisors](https://insights.danainvestment.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/DanaInvestment_May2023/images/header-logo.png?width=300&height=76&name=header-logo.png "Dana Investment Advisors")](https://www.danainvestment.com/) MENU CLOSE ![](https://insights.danainvestment.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/DanaInvestment_May2023/images/search-image.png) # Child Labor: Helping those who make a difference. Published on Jun 13, 2025, 12:10:17 PM Dana Investment Advisors and other mission-aligned entities have long advocated on behalf of our social and faith-based clients to deploy best practices to avoid child labor violations. We have done this through corporate engagements and investor letters in food and beverage, mining, and textile companies over the years. Can these efforts move the needle? They can – and the changes scale when corporations and industries adopt better practices. We see this as one part of the solution. Let’s look at another. ### The State of Child Labor in the United States, June 2025 Child labor remains a persistent and growing problem in the United States, with recent years showing a significant rise in violations and increasing risks for the nation’s most vulnerable youth. The root cause? Poverty. According to a recent webinar and [report](https://www.unicefusa.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/UNICEF_USA_ChildLaborReport.pdf) by UNICEF USA, children living in poverty work to support themselves and/or their families and often in dangerous environments. At risk populations include foster youth aging out of the system, children in agricultural jobs, and unaccompanied youth migrant workers.1 Remediation is difficult, and eliminating child labor abuse does not guarantee a good outcome for the child. Sadly, there are worse alternatives for young people living in poverty.![child labor-1](https://insights.danainvestment.com/hs-fs/hubfs/child%20labor-1.png?width=390&height=270&name=child%20labor-1.png) ### Bridge to Brighter, Inc. [![bridge to brighter](https://insights.danainvestment.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bridge%20to%20brighter.jpg?width=140&height=77&name=bridge%20to%20brighter.jpg)](https://bridgetobrighter.org)Bridge to Brighter, Inc. provides support for youth aging out of foster care, an at-risk population for child labor abuse and other pitfalls. Many of these youth do not graduate from high school or get their GED, and too many become homeless the day they age out of foster care. These factors alone make employment challenging. Below are some Q&A highlights from a recent conversation with Bridge to Brighter’s Executive Director, Nick Sgarlata and Dana’s Mark Mirsberger, CEO, Dan Sievers, Portfolio Manager, and Lydia Miller, Portfolio Specialist, where Nick shared their mission, services, and some incredibly inspirational stories about the youth they serve.  **Dana**: Nick, welcome to Dana’s headquarters. To get us started, may we hear your elevator pitch or can you give us an overview of Bridge to Brighter’s origins and goals? **Nick**: Bridge to Brighter is a non-profit organization providing housing and supportive programming, services, and resources to young men who have aged out of foster care. Our goal is to help aged out foster youth make a successful transition to adulthood and transform their lives. Founded by Kevin and Shelly Mehring, Bridge to Brighter started in April 2021 after six months of planning, and I was brought on as the Executive Director. **Dana**: This is quite an endeavor, Nick. Would you share a bit about your personal motivation and experience? **Nick**: My wife, Carrie, and I started fostering children in 2015. We have fostered 15 children and adopted two of them in 2021. We have three biological children as well. Carrie attended Valparaiso University and did her student teaching in Michigan City, Indiana. A child really touched her heart, and the experience planted a seed about fostering. That seed grew in me. For us, this is an expression of our faith and greater purpose. **Dana**: That is an amazing story. We can see how you are a great fit for this work – you live it. You mentioned faith. Is Bridge to Brighter a faith-based organization? **Nick**: Yes. Our mission is guided by faith to meet the needs of these youth. **Dana**: What differentiates your organization from others trying to help these youth? **Nick**: We offer a safe place to live. We purchased one multi-unit building in Milwaukee in 2021 that houses eight young men, each in his own apartment. With housing, these young adults can learn independent living and life skills – taking care of a home, following a routine, cooking, being accountable to themselves and others, and more. We partner with other entities for trauma care, education (high school completion/GED), and job training. **Dana**: The trauma care alone is such a big part of this, And it seems generational. **Nick**: Yes, often it is generational. I had a young man tell me, “Everybody in my family goes to jail.” The situations are complex. **Dana**: You have been operating for four years and housing young men for three years. What are your plans going forward? **Nick**: We are very excited about closing on another apartment building in Milwaukee soon! We expect to provide safe housing and supportive services to additional young men who are aging out of care. We want our Bridge to Brighter family tree to grow and flourish. **Dana**: Wonderful. Thanks again, Nick.  Tags: [Faith-Based Investing](https://insights.danainvestment.com/blog/tag/faith-based-investing), [ESG](https://insights.danainvestment.com/blog/tag/esg) [Back to Blog](https://insights.danainvestment.com/blog) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ## Related Articles ## [Where are Advisors on the ESG Adoption Curve?](https://insights.danainvestment.com/blog/where-are-advisors-on-the-esg-adoption-curve) To say ESG has hit an inflection point would be putting it mildly. Flows into sustainable funds... [Read More](https://insights.danainvestment.com/blog/where-are-advisors-on-the-esg-adoption-curve) ## [Advisors: Have You Asked What Your Clients Want from ESG?](https://insights.danainvestment.com/blog/advisors-have-you-asked-what-your-clients-want-from-esg) Environmental, Social and Governance investing has grown considerably in the past five years, but... 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