Updated 12/12/2024
An Unstoppable Movement for California’s Kids!
The Children’s Movement has made its voice heard! Together, we rallied 1,006 organizations to urge Governor Gavin Newsom to prioritize children in California’s 2025-26 State Budget. This impressive show of collective advocacy underscores the power of working together for a brighter future for our kids. On November 26, our team delivered the final letter, signed by over 1,000 organizations, to the Governor and key policymakers. The letter is a testament to the incredible commitment of Movement members to putting children first.
But the work doesn’t stop here.
Over the next few weeks, the Governor and his Administration will finalize the initial 2025-26 State Budget proposal, set to be released by January 10. This is a critical moment to ensure the talk turns into action: kids must be front and center in California’s budget priorities.
Whether you joined us in this campaign or are just learning about it now, there’s more you can do! After the Governor releases his budget proposal, we’ll share actionable ways you can advocate for kids through The Children’s Movement, a network of more than 5,600 organizations who come together during campaigns like this one to speak with one voice on behalf of children. Join The Children’s Movement today (it’s free!) to make sure you don’t miss out on future opportunities to stand up for kids. Don’t hesitate to reach out to the Movement team at [email protected] if you’d like to learn more before joining.
Every voice matters when it comes to shaping policies that impact the lives of California’s youngest residents. We’re deeply grateful for your support—whether you signed on to this campaign or are exploring ways to get involved in the future. Together, we’ll continue this important work to make sure every child has the opportunities they deserve. As the year draws to a close, we hope you enjoy meaningful moments with loved ones and step into the New Year inspired by what we can achieve together. Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to continue making an impact in 2025!
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor
State of California
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, California 95814
Don’t Cut Kids in the 2025-26 Budget
Dear Governor Newsom,
Our state takes pride in its role as a national leader, crafting dynamic and impactful policy solutions that spark waves of change across the country. Yet when it comes to supporting our kids, we instead trail far behind too many other states. California’s state budgets for too long have sacrificed children’s well-being in favor of other priorities, instead of asserting our commitment to kids and our collective future.
As you prepare next year’s budget proposal, we call on you to truly prioritize kids and end the constant cycle of putting them on the chopping block: Preserve full funding for childcare, kids’ health, foster care, and education (pre-K through higher ed) and don’t cut kids in the 2025-26 budget.
Committing to our kids is especially critical given the alarming reality that California ranks 35th among all states in child well-being. Our inputs are poor — we rank well behind our tax burden in terms of per capita spending on kids — and so are our results. We are 3rd worst in both percentage of kids who receive a routine health checkup and who suffer from tooth decay or cavities. 77% of our 8th graders are below proficient in math, and over two-thirds of our 4th graders are below proficient in reading. This is unacceptable for a state that ranks so high nationally on per-capita spending on most other government programs.
We call on you to stop repeating the mistakes of our past. This includes the 2024-25 budget cycle, where draconian cuts were proposed to programs impacting all facets of child well-being, including youth mental health and youth in foster care whom the state is legally responsible for. Even in difficult budget years, California must prioritize our children – kids should be the last ones forced to sacrifice and the first to receive new additional dollars. We must prioritize where we are behind other states and where it’s most critical to our collective future.
It is time for California to ensure that every child can thrive and succeed. We urge you to prioritize our children. Don’t cut kids in the 2025-26 budget.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned Organizations
