In our first policy advocacy effort, the Foundation supported partners to make the case for paid family leave, which the District of Columbia enacted in 2016. This past fiscal year saw the launch of the fund to pay for the program, which starts in 2020.
Over the past two years, we have supported a public education and advocacy campaign in the District to encourage public investments in proven birth-to-three programs that help children thrive. These public funds are essential for addressing the stark racial, economic and geographic disparities that exist across the city.
Following passage of the Birth-to-Three for All DC Act of 2018 — a blueprint for comprehensive education and health services for infants and toddlers — the DC Mayor and Council allocated $1.4 million to initially fund key provisions in the city’s 2019 fiscal year. Then in June 2019, the city made a significant down payment, allocating $15.8 million in 2020 for child care, home visiting and health care supports — another important step toward full funding of the law.
Our Foundation has played a role by helping various organizations engage and equip diverse community members to talk to decision-makers about the importance of increased supports for infants, toddlers and their families. We wrote a paper documenting the evidence base for early childhood investments. Foundation staff members also provided direct testimony before the DC Council, and we released a public statement celebrating the new financial investments.
In a compelling guest column in The DC Line, Cecelia Holmes, a Ward 8 resident and member of our campaign partner SPACEs in Action, describes the profound challenges of being a new mom in D.C. with limited financial resources and a baby who has a serious health condition, and the ongoing struggle to ensure her son has the resources and supports he needs as he grows up.
Our policy advocacy work, conducted in collaboration with many partners deeply committed to social justice and equity, ensures that important voices such as Ms. Holmes’ are included when critical policy decisions are made.
