What we mean when we talk about "children's funding"
Upon hearing the name of our organization, people often ask us, “What do you mean by ‘children’s funding’ ?” To many, allocating money to kids begins and ends with funding for the school day. However, kids only spend about 20% of their time in the classroom. While incredibly important, only focusing on school-time neglects the 80% of the time that children spend elsewhere. 

“Funding children” means providing high quality childcare, home visiting, and Pre-K. It means ensuring that kids have a safe place to learn and play after school and in the summer. It means that youth have positive mentors and opportunities to gain work experience. Ultimately, it means preparing children and youth to learn, work, and thrive. 

Wayne County, MI (home of Detroit) is aiming to do just that by expanding afterschool services and summer programs. We have spent the last few years working with stakeholders in the County to place an afterschool funding proposal on the March 2020 ballot. The proposal, if passed, will provide the kids that live in Wayne County increased access to afterschool programs that keep them “safe, improve their academic performance and prepare them for the jobs of the future.”

Whether focusing on improving funding for infants or youth, we know that our job will never be done. There will always be more opportunities to #FundOurKids!
What We're Working On
'Connect With an Expert' form

Each stage of the children's funding process poses its own challenges. We understand that different communities around the country require different types of assistance and expertise throughout. To address this, we have launched a form for interested communities to get in touch with our wide network of funding and campaign experts. No matter if you're planning, executing, or implementing your children's fund, we have an expert for you.
Afterschool around the country

Nationwide, nearly 50% of families want but do not have access to afterschool programs. With the 2020 elections on the horizon, many localities are following the lead of communities such as Oakland and Broward County, FL in providing safe and enriching places for their kids. Just this month, Detroit, MI's Wayne County successfully gathered enough signatures to place an afterschool program proposal on the March 2020 ballot. Allegheny County, PA is looking to do something similar by creating a Department for Children’s Services.

If you are passionate about providing afterschool in your community, please reach out to us. Keep following this newsletter for updates on afterschool around the country.
What We're Thinking About
  • Sacramento, CA successfully placed a measure on the March 2020 ballot to create a 2.5% set aside of the city's general fund. This will raise $12 million annually for early care, afterschool, and preventive services for youth.

  • Baltimore, MD and North Dakota have established children's cabinets, joining a large cohort of states and cities around the country with coordinating bodies specifically for children's services. For more info on children's cabinets and starting one in your community, please reach out to our expert, Amelia Vaughn.

  • In New York, it costs over 20x more to imprison a child than provide them public education. This map by No Kids in Prison compares states' youth incarceration costs to their investments in public education.
ICYMI (In case you missed it)
  • We partnered with Harvard Graduate School's Ed Redesign Lab to release the Massachusetts fiscal map, detailing federal and state funding for youth in the state. Did we mention it's searchable, sortable, and downloadable?

  • Generating new funding for children's programs is hard, especially when it involves taxes. Our Funding Our Future report details the nine questions to ask yourself and your community as you pursue high-quality early care and education.