July 2025

Welcome to the Health Justice Project Team!

Each month, AJE will send out this special health justice newsletter to update our community on events, trainings, and other programming related to our Health Justice Project (HJP).

The HJP works to ensure that DC’s children and youth with disabilities and special health care needs (CYSHCN)—and their families—can get the care, support, and information they need to live healthy, self-determined lives.

The HJP helps families, especially those in underrepresented communities, learn how to:

• Work with doctors and healthcare providers
• Understand their healthcare rights
• Get support for their children in schools and the community
• Speak up for changes in the healthcare system

Upcoming Events and Trainings

From all signs, the summer of 2025 is going to be a hot one, both climate-wise and politically. Keep cool by staying in tune with the upcoming events and trainings of the AJE Health Justice Project.

See below AJE's upcoming Health Policy Camp that launches later this month from July 14th to July 25th. This will be a great space to recharge and kick the summer off with political education and intention.

Here are highlights of upcoming panel and workshop topics covered at the Health Policy Camp by subject-matter experts that are part of Team AJE and some of our Community Health Advisory Panel members. Topics include:

• What Is Health Justice?
• Social and Political Determinants of Health for DC’s Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Care Needs
• From Stories to Strategy: Parent Testimony Training
• Barriers to Caring for the Caregiver: Wellness + Advocacy Practices
• Unpacking Disability Accessibility for Better Health Care Access
• From ER to Early Intervention: Building Your Medical Home
• Looking at the Future of the DC Alliance Insurance Program
• What the Proposed Big Beautiful Bill Means for the DC Disabilities Communities
• Youth Transitions: Helping DC Children Win from Early Intervention through Adult Services
• We Keep Us Safe: Mutual Aid for Disability Justice

Stay tuned to our new monthly newsletter for more upcoming health justice events and updates.

Community Resource of the Month

This summer, DC rolled out its expanded SUN Bucks (“Summer EBT”) program. This program helps close the summer hunger gap when students do not have access to nutritious school meals. Eligible students will receive a one-time $120 Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) benefit to purchase food this summer.

The DC SUN Bucks program is part of a historic federal initiative to address child hunger during the summer months, when access to free and reduced-price school meals is interrupted.

To learn more about the DC SUN Bucks Program, click here. 

Community Health Advisory Panel

AJE’s Community Health Advisory Panel (CHAP) first convened in March 2025 and meets on a bi-monthly basis. It consists of a multi-disciplinary body of healthcare professionals and is co-led by AJE's Parent Ambassador.

The CHAP was formed for:

• Identifying solutions to address priority areas identified by Parent Ambassadors for the elimination of health disparities and achieve health equity in DC, as identified by parents/Community Health Ambassadors.

• Engaging in systems change advocacy within targeted wards.

• Co-develop a plan to address priority issues using community organizing principles, implementing strategies, and approaches to share with policy decision-makers and the community.

• Increase knowledge and build on the collective experiences of panel members, facilitating the exchange of information.

Each month, we will highlight a member of the CHAP, sharing their contribution to the DC systems of care for children and youth with disabilities and special healthcare needs and their families.

Stay Tuned: Each month, we'll be highlighting members of the CHAP and sharing their bios and community work.

To participate in the special panel at he July 18, 2025, virtual CHAP meeting during the Health Policy Camp, email advocacy@aje-dc.org or register for the Camp here.

Parent Ambassadors Program Updates

The Parent Ambassadors Program promotes leadership development for veteran family leaders who have experience navigating the DC systems of care for children and youth with disabilities and special healthcare needs. Our primary goal of the Project is to improve education and healthcare outcomes for children and youth through parent-led advocacy efforts in collaboration with key stakeholders in the DC systems of care and policy decision-makers. Each month, we will share updates of the three leadership tracks of the Parent Ambassador Program, which include: Parent Cafe Leaders, Community Health Leaders, and School-Based Leaders.

#DisabilityPrideFridays Highlight

AJE is proud to launch #DisabilityPrideFridays - a weekly Friday social media tribute to Black and Brown disability justice heroes who’ve paved the way for equitable access and collective liberation, esp. those whose works have shaped the systems of care.

Each month, we will feature a profile of a famous person in the history of the disability justice movement from our Friday social media posts. If you haven't already, follow AJE's X, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram profiles.

DC Medicaid and The DC Healthcare Alliance Updates:

What You Need to Know from the FY2026 Budget

The DC Healthcare Alliance (DC Alliance) —a crucial program for low-income immigrant residents—also faced steep eligibility restrictions in the proposed budget. Originally, the Mayor’s proposal aimed to cut the DC Alliance eligibility for adults to 135% of the federal poverty level, end adult eligibility altogether by FY27, and impose strict rules like in-person recertifications every six months and proof-of-residency requirements.

In response to collective advocacy and community voices, the DC Council’s Committee on Health made recommendations to counter many of these restrictions, including:

• Restoring $3.7 million in FY26 and $12.1 million across the financial plan to eliminate harsh provisions.
• Removing in-person recertification for adults and youth.
• Allowing public school enrollment as proof of residency.
• Extending eligibility for new youth beneficiaries up to age 26.
• Restoring durable medical equipment coverage for all Alliance beneficiaries through FY27.

To read the blog piece, click here.

About AJE:



Advocates for Justice and Education is the federally designated Parent Training and Information Center and the Health Information Center for DC. AJE seeks to empower families, youth, and the community to be effective advocates to ensure that children and youth, particularly those who have special needs, receive access to appropriate education and health services.

Our passion is empowering families by equipping parents and students with disabilities with the tools they need to be their own advocates.

Have questions? We are here to educate, advocate and empower. Contact us today!