March Newsletter

2023 State Legislative Session Preview

States are entering 2023 in a historically healthy position, with a unique opportunity to direct recent surpluses toward programs and services for kids. In our new blog post, we’re featuring the forward-thinking state leaders—Democrat and Republican alike—who are proposing investments for children, youth, and families in child care, mental and behavioral health programs, and after-school service.

Read the Preview

What's New

The Case for Strategic Public Financing Coordinators

Despite the influx of federal funding, many communities lack the staff capacity to increase and sustain investments for kids. These communities can benefit from having a person who wakes up everyday thinking about the money that supports the programs and services our kids need. In our new blog post, we share a job description template for a strategic public financing coordinator that states and localities can tailor and use to fill this role.

When Communities Should Consider Blending and Braiding Funds

In our new fact sheet, as part of our continuing Funding Our Kids 101 series, we explore ways communities can consider blending and braiding funds as part of their strategic public financing plan. We break down what this strategy looks like, how it works, and offer examples of successful communities that have used it to support kids, including universal pre-K in New York City and high school completion and career readiness in Broward County, FL.

In Case You Missed It

Engaging Youth Leaders in the Fiscal Mapping Process

Nearly 1/3 of Americans are younger than age 25, making their involvement in helping fund our communities necessary. Our new blog post highlights how communities, like San Antonio, TX, engage youth leaders in their fiscal mapping process.

A Community’s Guide to Strategic Public Financing

Strategic public financing helps leaders put their money where their goals are by pairing existing fiscal data and true cost estimates with potential sources of new funding. We released a new fact sheet on strategic public financing as part of our continuing Funding Our Kids 101 series.

Spotlight on Local Policymakers

Over the past decade, visionary mayors, council members, county commissioners, and municipal administrators have been champions for funding critical programs and services for the infants, toddlers, children, and youth in their communities. Simply put, we can’t support our kids without the efforts of our local policymakers.

For a look at how policymakers around the country are approaching this issue, check out our interviews with Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Congressman Greg Landsman, a former member of the Cincinnati, OH, City Council. We’ve also put together a fact sheet about how local policymakers can support strategic public financing in their communities.

Be sure to follow our newsletter and socials for our upcoming policymaker interview series, where we’ll be talking to more local leaders about how they support children and youth in their communities.

Watch the Jim Kenney Interview

Watch the Greg Landsman Interview

Read the Fact Sheet