It’s been a grueling and complicated fight, but three years after 62% of Oakland voters passed the Children’s Initiative of 2018, the California Court of Appeal overruled a decision of the lower court and said the measure had passed. This is a big deal – once again confirming that only a majority vote is needed to pass voter initiatives. Even though the Oakland City Attorney had published in the voter handbook that the measure needed a 2/3 vote, it didn’t matter said the Judge – the ballot handbook cannot override state law. Yea for Justice James Humes!

Now Oakland will finally get the $30 million annually through a parcel tax of $198 per single home parcel. Two-thirds of the funds will go to early care and education and 1/3 will go to college readiness through Oakland Promise.

The measure can be accessed here. 

Five cities in California are in the process of creating a department dedicated to youth - Richmond, Sacramento, Long Beach, San Diego and Los Angeles. Realizing that this is a happening thing that is building on lessons from San Francisco (the state's first city department for kids) and Oakland, Funding the Next Generation has written a guide about how to create a department. Please link to the cover graphic below and peruse its easily accessible 30 pages with lots of examples and resources. It covers everything from start-up ideas to partnerships to a vision of how a department can bring a community together to work for equity for young people.

Funding the Next Generation is creating a learning community for leaders of these efforts to form new divisions in local government dedicated to children and/or youth. Contact Margaret Brodkin to discuss joining the group.

LET’S GET BUSY AND MAKE 2022 AND 2024 THE YEARS WE PLACE CHILDREN’S MEASURES ON THE BALLOT.  

You’re invited to a webinar on Wednesday, January 26, at noon PT to learn more about this year’s Children’s Funding Institute, presented by Children’s Funding Project and Funding the Next Generation. The Children’s Funding Institute is a yearly, three-day boot camp (scheduled for the mornings of March 22 - 24, 2022) where communities interested in pursuing local dedicated funding for kids can get the tools and expertise they need to succeed.

We invite all interested communities to attend the webinar on Wednesday, January 26, at noon PT to learn about the topics we will cover during the institute, how to assemble a team to join, and more. Register here.  

Funding the Next Generation has formed a cohort of leaders who are aiming to place a local revenue measure on the ballot for kids in either of the next two elections. The group is meeting virtually on a quarterly basis to share strategies and insights, and receive targeted training and coaching. The group will also have the opportunity to be referred to a C-4 funder for support for their campaigns.

margaret@fundingthenextgeneration.org

Long-time highly-regarded children's advocate Wendy Lazarus has a new cause: children's impact assessments, an exciting strategy to require government to undertake a process similar to what they must do about the environment - determine the effect of policies on kids. The Kids Impact Initiative website is filled with accessible resources about how to get this to happen, and their newest fact sheet is titled "Making sure kids get their fair share of American Rescue Plan Funds." If you are interested in their starter guide for advocates on how to use this strategy to strengthen policymaker accountability, link here. Check it all out - this can be a very strategic step toward ultimately getting a dedicated fund in your city or county for children and youth.

The Children's Funding Project has released two new case studies about successful kids’ ballot measures in Multnomah County, OR, and San Antonio, TX, two communities that are home to some of the largest, voter-led pre-K programs in the country. Together, they will generate $200 million in annual revenue and serve 9,000 pre-K students per year.

With election planning in full swing, CFP is sharing the stories of these successful communities where voters decided to prioritize children and youth. Hopefully, they can inspire the next generation of ballot measures for kids. They're also sharing a partner toolkit that contains draft social media posts, newsletter blurbs, and more. You can access the partner toolkit here.

Here is the link. Check out chapters on Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Higher Education, Health and Human Services and Housing.

Funding the Next Generation has now officially merged its work with Children's Funding Project, our new fiscal sponsor and partner. We are delighted to coordinate our work and build a stronger movement to fund opportunities for children and youth, in California and nationally.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, ideas or requests for support - no matter how big or small. With a team of some of the best experts in the country, we provide free technical assistance on everything related to local revenue measures for kids and budget advocacy with your city or county.

margaret@fundingthenextgeneration.org

415-794-4963