May Newsletter

Young person staring into phone screen with techy digital background behind them.

Social Media Companies Should Fund Youth Development

Across the country, states, schools, localities, Native nations, and families are suing Big Tech companies for the harms caused to youth by social media. Our growing coalition unites youth organizations, parents, local leaders, and advocates to transform potential dollars from these lawsuits into funding for after-school programs, which a majority of voters agree are a necessity. Together, we can ensure that these funds go to programs that promote young people's well-being and help youth build real-world skills and connections outside of addictive apps.

Learn More and Join the Coalition

What's New

Sustaining Public Funding in Uncertain Times

Our recent webinar highlights strategies to help state and community leaders and advocates sustain their progress in organizing, securing, and maintaining public resources for kids during confusing and tumultuous political times.

Watch the Webinar

Our New Board Member

We are excited to welcome Cindy Arenberg Seltzer as our newest board member, drawing on her expertise in leading one of the largest voter approved children’s funds in the country. Seltzer has served as president and CEO of Children’s Services Council of Broward County since its inception in 2000. Her addition to our board realizes a joint dream she shared with our CEO and founder more than 10 years ago to create a national movement for voter-approved children's funds.

Meet Our Team

Arkansas Fiscal Map

Arkansas is the latest state to finalize a cradle-to-career fiscal map as a part of our state child and youth fiscal map partnership, which includes 22 states total. Arkansas advocates will use the data to inform policy changes aimed at increasing investments in early childhood education, health, child welfare, and other programs to support children.

Explore the Fiscal Map

In Case You Missed It

Kids’ Funding in State Legislatures

With state legislative sessions underway, we examine some of the critical funding bills for kids being considered in statehouses across the country.

Read the Blog

Moving Votes to Dollars

Denver Preschool Program, a member of our voter-approved children’s fund community of practice, shares tips and advice for implementing a new children's fund.

Explore the Blog

Spotlight on Youth Mental Health

Teens hanging around a public stairwell.

Expanding positive youth development programs and improving youth mental health are the ultimate motivations behind our coalition advocating to fund after-school programs with dollars from social media lawsuits. In 2023 alone, the most recent year available, 4 in 10 high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, 2 in 10 students seriously considered attempting suicide, and almost 1 in 10 students attempted suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Research shows that structured, high-quality youth development programs improve young people’s emotional health and prevent risky behaviors like addiction, bullying, and violence. That might be why funding youth mental health services remains popular across the spectrum of voters. After-school and summer programs play an essential role in supporting the healthy development of young people, yet they remain sorely underfunded and appear to be eliminated in President Trump's budget.