FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, December 2, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. PT
Contact: Matt Roman, [email protected], 617-835-3167
Over 1,000 Organizations Demand Governor Newsom Prioritize Kids in 2025-26 Budget
The Children’s Movement letter demonstrates widespread support for increased funding for kids
OAKLAND, CA — Last week, through The Children’s Movement of California, over 1,000 organizations sent this letter to Governor Newsom urging him to prioritize kids in his upcoming 2025-26 state budget proposal and ensure they are first in line for any additional funding.
“We must end our state’s constant cycle of putting kids on the chopping block, and the incredible level of diverse support this campaign has received makes that clear,” said Ted Lempert, President of Children Now, which coordinates the Children’s Movement. “As we hear reports of increasing funding next year for other government programs, we insist that any additional funding available go to improving kids’ well-being.”
According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, California ranks 35th among all states in child well-being (factoring in health, education and economic well-being). Children Now’s 2024 Report Card further confirms California’s poor standing in supporting kids: Among all states, California ranks last in parents’ ability to get their kid mental health care, second worst in the percentage of kids receiving a health checkup, and third worst in both teacher-to-student ratio and the percentage of kids with tooth decay or cavities. A key step towards improving these dismal outcomes is to stop sacrificing children’s well-being in favor of other priorities and instead put kids first in line to receive increased funding.
The Children’s Movement is the largest and most diverse children’s advocacy network in the country, composed of more than 5,600 direct service, business, labor, parent, student, civil rights, faith, and community groups from across the state that care about kids and want to see public policies that prioritize them. Through strategic collective action campaigns, The Children’s Movement showcases the widespread support for kids across California and pushes state leaders to prioritize kids in policymaking.
“This collective demand of over 1,000 organizations sends a powerful message that California must commit to our kids in the upcoming state budget,” said Lempert. “We are confident our state leaders will hear this message, but the proof has to be in not just preserving funding for kids but prioritizing them with additional dollars.”
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Children Now is a non-partisan, whole-child research, policy development and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting children’s health and education in California. The organization also leads The Children’s Movement of California, a network of more than 5,400 direct service, parent, civil rights, faith-based, and community groups dedicated to improving children’s well-being.
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