July Newsletter

 
Pics of kids from VACFs

Voter-Approved Children’s Funds

Going Before Voters 

Summer has arrived and election season is heating up for campaigns seeking voter approval for dedicated funding for kids. In August, voters in Kalamazoo, MI, will decide whether to adopt a millage that is expected to generate more than $6 million for child care during its first year. As a member of the ballot measure cohort, a joint effort between Children's Funding Project and Children's Funding Accelerator, Kalamazoo’s Yes for Families coalition attended the 2025 Children’s Funding Institute and continues to receive coaching and expert guidance from our staff.


Looking ahead to November, several other voter-approved children's fund measures across the country have already qualified for the ballot! Watch for upcoming coverage this fall of the final list of ballot measure cohort and Children's Funding Institute alumni that make it to the ballot as well as news about the 2027 Children’s Funding Institute, our biennial training event for communities interested in securing local dedicated funding for kids. In the meantime, click below to explore new profiles about successful voter-approved children’s funds that are sure to inspire others.

Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Escambia Children’s Trust, United Way for Greater Austin, Strong Start, First 5 Sonoma County.

 
 

Celebrating Eight Years of Impact

Animation of progress meters from impact webpage

July marks our eighth anniversary, a perfect time to reflect on our impact and highlight the fundamentals of our work. Since our inception, we have trained more than 1,000 professionals in strategic public financing and helped communities and states secure more than $2.1 billion in new public funding to support kids. Today, more than 8 million kids are growing up in communities with dedicated public funding for the programs and services they need to thrive.


Over the last eight years, our experts have partnered with advocates and leaders in local communities, states, and Native nations to create sustainable sources of funding for children and youth. Our efforts in the specialties of fiscal mapping, cost analysis and modeling, and securing additional funding (including through some innovative new methods) is fueled by our passion to help all kids thrive. Meanwhile, earlier this year we launched Fund IRL, our national coalition working to ensure any payouts from current social media lawsuits fund programs and services that promote youth well-being. 


We don't do this alone! We are deeply grateful for the collaboration of our partners and funders as we advance our mission. If you are new to our work, we invite you to explore our Funding Our Kids 101 collection to understand the fundamentals of strategic public financing. We also recently reorganized our resource library to make our tools easier to access. Check it out!

 

In Case You Missed It

View of Database hompage

Latest Data on Federal Funding for Kids

Check out the most recent update to our Federal Funding Streams for Children and Youth Services database, which includes 2025 fiscal year data, 130 additional funding streams, and new features.

Youth looking over project together

Examining Fiscal Mapping Impact

Our recent blog highlights how advocates in four communities are putting their fiscal maps to work in pursuing and securing additional resources for children and youth.


 

Summer Break

Kids running through sprinkler

Our newsletter will take a summer hiatus in August and resume in September. New updates and resources are on the horizon for fall, so watch your email for upcoming announcements. Meanwhile, you can catch up on anything you’ve missed by exploring our newsletter archive. We hope everyone has a pleasant summer!


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