To make our vision possible and sustainable, our region needs a local, dedicated fund for children and youth.
This is the north star.
Since our very first gatherings in early 2019–before officially becoming the Children First Collective–we have known that our path leads to the pursuit of protected investment in our young people.
After having spent hundreds of hours drafting budget recommendations, attending municipal and County meetings, and working to ensure that children, youth, and working families get their fair share of a budget that reflects our beliefs and values, we believe in a dedicated fund now more than ever.
The emerging and exciting movement of local, dedicated funding for children and youth is about getting beyond rhetoric when it comes to loving kids, and having budgets better reflect the public’s values. We know full-well that what gets funded gets done."
Margaret Brodkin, Founder/Director of Funding the Next Generation
Local Dedicated Advocacy for a Local Dedicated Fund
When we come together as a community, we can create lasting change. By uniting our voices and efforts, we have the power to establish a local dedicated fund for children through the ballot box.
This fund would ensure consistent, sustainable resources to support the programs and services that children and families rely on most. How do we know it’s possible? Because our polling says so!
Learning from other CA communities with dedicated funding
Across California, communities have come together to successfully pass ballot measures dedicated to funding children and youth priorities. From Alameda County to Sonoma County, the City of Pomona to San Francisco, these efforts have transformed how local governments invest in the child care ecosystem.
With the support of organizations like Funding the Next Generation and the Children's Funding Project, these regions have secured sustainable, community-driven funding to support programs that uplift children and families. Their success shows us what’s possible when we work together to prioritize our future.
