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All Pull Together

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The second in a recurring column from GRACE & ECPCA’s President & CEO, Shimica Gaskins

August 5, 2024

When I first encounter the long, hot days of summer, I’m reminded of my time at Children’s Defense Fund-California, where I had the privilege of supporting CDF Freedom Schools sites across the state. CDF Freedom Schools gather energetic children, motivated student leader interns, and committed site supervisors and staff for six weeks of programming each summer–reaching thousands of children across the U.S. With a rich history grounded in the spirit of 1964’s Freedom Summer, Freedom Schools support children’s educational attainment and teach them about what it means to be civically engaged. Held in places of worship, schools, and at community-based organizations, participants experience joy and laughter among their peers, are immersed in a culturally reflective curriculum, and learn about social justice and how they can have an impact on the world.

Each day begins with a foundational part of the program, a coming together called “harambee.” From the Swahili for “all pull together,” harambee instills in these young people the idea that we create positive change–and that the way we do that is with each other. 

I’m reminded of this spirit looking back at our recent state budget battle and the funding we secured for hardworking Californians. In a shift from the surpluses of the last few years, this year lawmakers were faced with tough choices in balancing the budget. Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, the safety of families with low incomes and other vulnerable community members was threatened in this process, as budget plans would have pushed more Californians into hunger and poverty by stripping vital support away from parents and children, foster youth, seniors, and people with disabilities. Deeply troubling, these cuts would have disproportionately impacted Black and Brown communities and immigrants.

But faced with that possibility, what did we do together? First, we reminded our leaders about our values. That every person is worthy of dignity and respect. That everyone’s basic needs are worth fighting for. And that we have a duty to prioritize giving the next generation what they need to succeed. Second, we showed up in beautiful ways. Our coalition brought legislators more than 700 emails written by families explaining what programs and benefits mean to them. We assembled at the capital for hearings, lobby days, and office visits, sharing the direct impact of government decisions on our communities. We also rallied with hundreds of our neighbors, illuminating the power of a people-driven, diverse coalition.

In the end, the final budget agreement reflected a commitment to prioritize proven anti-poverty programs and rejected the failed austerity measures that have been relied on in the past. We have more work to do, but it is a remarkable step to preserve vital programs in the current budget climate.

As we take a little time to enjoy the summer with friends and family, I hope you’ll pause to reflect on the difference we’ve made. It’s evidence that advocacy works, of the power of a unified message, and of the relentless spirit needed to fight for community needs. This wasn’t our first fight, and it certainly won’t be our last. But I feel more equipped for the next one seeing the strength of our collective efforts.

Like I so often heard the kids in Freedom Schools proclaim, “I can make a difference in myself, my family, my community, my state, my country, my world.” Last month we did just that, and we accomplished it because we all pulled together.

Forward Together Rally, Rally for a Fair Budget, Select Committee on Poverty Strengthen Coalition Advocacy

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The 2024-25 state budget agreement prioritizes proven safety net programs that provide cash, child care, food, health care, and other supportive services, even in the face of a budget shortfall. Our support for the state budget is bolstered by the hard work and advocacy of our End Child Poverty California Coalition. Our IMAGINE Forward Together Rally and SEIU’s Rally for A Secure California Safety Net allowed our communities to come together and push back against cuts that will hurt families and children in California. Our budget success comes down to our collaboration and joint efforts! When families are under attack, what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!

Hayward Promise Neighborhood members are ready to rally.

On May 15th, End Child Poverty California and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California co-hosted the 2024 IMAGINE Rally at the State Capitol. Coalition members, community members, advocates, and families gathered to stop the CalWORKs double cut, fulfill promised child care slots and rate reform, ensure foster youth are stable and secure, and protect the workers who provide vital public services.

“We can’t balance our budget on the backs of struggling families and then criminalize the new poverty we have created.

We have to push back and center the people & communities who need us most.”

Assemblymember Issac G Bryan
Assemblymember Issac G. Bryan fighting to protect our communities.
Our own Yesenia Jimenez leading the crowd in a chant to protect our saftey net programs.

Community came together and brought the power. Jasmine Chantell from California Youth Connection shared the life-changing effect of the Supervised Independent Living Program (SILP) for foster youth who age out of foster care and need a bridge to independent, safe living. Assemblymember Corey Jackson stressed the need for a budget that considers the implications of cuts among our most marginalized populations. Senator Susan Rubio urged that we should be expanding, not cutting, the safety net programs and support families need.

This budget must be rooted in justice.

Assemblymember Corey Jackson
Jasmine Chantell from California Youth Connection shared her inspiring story and the help she received from the SILP program.
Senator Susan Rubio talks about the importance of safety net programs for her constituents.
Assemblymember Corey Jackson commits to a budget rooted in justice.

Thank you to our wonderful community leaders in action, from the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Project SPARC, California Youth Connection, Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA), Hayward Promise, Lideres Campesinas, and SEIU CA along with Assemblymembers Corey Jackson & Issac Bryan.

Thank you to our wonderful speakers!

Our advocacy continued into June as we joined SEIU for their Rally for a Fair Budget. Advocates gathered to fight for a fair and balanced budget for our children, families, and workers, ensure that big corporations pay their fair share, and that budget cuts do not gut essential programs that serve our communities, especially children. We were proud to come together and show that we can balance the budget without disastrous cuts to the programs that support our children and families. Both rallies served as a call to action for our coalition to defend our vision of a secure California where every family can afford to thrive.

Following the rally, a hearing of the California Assembly’s Select Committee on Poverty and Economic Inclusion was being held in the State Capitol. Shoutouts and thank yous to all of the panelists:

  1. Devon Gray from EPIC, who provided an overview on the state of poverty in California and weaved in stories heard directly from community during a statewide listening tour.
  2. Kayla Kitson from the California Budget & Policy Center focused on the inequity of our current tax system and the opportunity California has to equitably raise revenues that will support ending poverty and wealth inequality.
  3. Keely O’Brien from the Western Center on Law and Poverty highlighted anti-poverty interventions including SSI/SSP, cash assistance including guaranteed income, full pass through of child support.
  4. Pricila Cenobio from the Dolores Huerta Foundation shared the impact of CalWORKs and WIC on farmworker families like her own and emphasized the conditions that farmworkers face each day.
  5. Andree Petron, Santa Clara County Social Worker Supervisor and SEIU 521 member, spoke about the impact that the safety net has on alleviating poverty and mitigating abuse, neglect, and other emergencies for our children.
  6. Kellie Longo Flores from the California Association of Food Banks talked about hunger and the proven stabilizing and stimulating impact of CalFresh on families, business, and the economy.

And our own Yesenia Jimenez emphasized the significance of human dignity as the foundation to liberation and highlighted two key opportunities California has to undertake economic inclusion and dignity in establishing unemployment benefits for undocumented workers (Safety Net for All) and ensuring that undocumented students have equal access to jobs and opportunities on campus.

The Select Committee hearing was a powerful testimonial on the value of the social safety net and the ways California can better support its communities. Thank yous also go out to Select Committee Chair Isaac Bryan and his team for their preparation of the event as well as to Assemblymembers Gomez Reyes, Juan Carrillo, Kalra, and Jones-Sawyer for their participation during the day.

SEIU members lead the fight for a secure California where families thrive.
SEIU community gathers at the State Capitol.
Assemblymember Liz Ortega speaks out in favor of a fair budget that protects workers and families.

RELEASE: California’s Final Budget Protects the Safety Net; ECPCA Coalition Commits to Further Advocacy

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GRACE & the End Child Poverty CA Coalition Look Forward to Adoption of a Final State Budget that Protects the Safety Net; Urge Continued Action to Ensure the Revenues Needed to End Child Poverty in California Are Achieved

[Pasadena, Calif.] – Statement attributable to Shimica Gaskins, President & CEO, GRACE & End Child Poverty California (ECPCA): 

This weekend, Governor Newsom and California legislative leaders announced the 2024-25 state budget agreement. The GRACE & the End Child Poverty CA Coalition supports this budget agreement, as it prioritizes proven safety net programs that support Californians experiencing poverty, even as the state faced a budget shortfall. We are grateful to the many parents and children who bravely spoke up and advocated for the outcomes achieved in this agreement, and we thank the Governor and legislative leaders for heeding their call.

This budget walks the walk to put our values first, making difficult choices that prioritize the most vulnerable Californians. We applaud Governor Newsom and legislative leaders for preserving vital safety net programs that provide cash, child care, food, health care, and other supportive services. This budget learns the lesson that austerity is a failed policy and sets the new standard that the anti-poverty safety net must be protected during a deficit.

Shimica Gaskins, GRACE & End Child Poverty CA President & CEO

The final budget agreement reflects a commitment to prioritize proven anti-poverty programs and reject failed austerity measures (across-the-board cuts) that have been relied on in the past. California has historically cut from the very programs that support people to overcome poverty and move into the middle class. A budget is a reflection of our values, and it must protect those hit hardest by the rising costs of basic needs. Austerity cuts were the previous playbook and they pushed Californians – disproportionately Black, Brown, Immigrant, and Indigenous families – deeper into poverty. This budget establishes a new blueprint for how California safeguards family and child stability when a budget crisis hits.

We extend our gratitude to Governor Newsom; Senate President Pro Tem McGuire; Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas; Budget Chairs Asm. Jesse Gabriel and Sen. Wiener; and Subcommittee Chairs Asm. Alvarez, Asm. Jackson, Sen. Laird, Sen. Menjivar, Sen. Padilla, Asm. Quirk-Silva, and Asm. Weber for this final budget agreement that prevents permanent and irreversible harm to children living in poverty.

California’s leaders demonstrated their shared values to prioritize ending child poverty, despite a looming deficit, including:

  • The Governor’s protects core cash grants in CalWORKs and Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) and supports healthy school meals for all as well as the Summer EBT program, the first new federal entitlement in a generation. 
  • The Legislature’s budget rejected cuts that would have meant irreversible harm to children and families by restoring life-saving programs across CalWORKs, child care, In-Home Support Services, CalFresh, and other vital anti-poverty programs. 

The budget also includes important actions to continue increasing workers’ wages. We underscore our commitment that increasing wages is critical to reducing poverty, and moving families beyond eligibility for public benefits and toward the middle class.

Furthermore, the budget agreement maintains the Summer Bridge Fund, keeping classified providers at schools and reinforcing summer wages for school meal providers who are essential to maintaining California’s nation-leading universal school meals and other child nutrition programs. 

In addition, we applaud actions to find budget savings by deactivating prison housing units and some actions to temporarily limit corporate tax breaks.

We urge the Governor and Legislature to permanently make California’s revenue system more equitable by ensuring wealthy corporations pay their fair share.

Despite these significant wins for families, we are disappointed that the final budget: 

While we’re disappointed that this budget hasn’t provided the opportunity to do even more to end child poverty, we support this budget agreement because it preserves progress and prevents devastating cuts, setting the new standard for budgets during future deficits. The significant actions taken during this administration toward the Governor’s North Star to end child poverty underscore that the constraints this year are from limited resources, not a lack of commitment. 

We are eager to work with all stakeholders to implement and build on the actions in this budget. Together, we can build a California where every child is valued and free.

Stay tuned for a full 2024-25 Budget summary and analysis. 

What Does California Value?

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The first in a planned monthly column from GRACE & ECPCA’s President & CEO, Shimica Gaskins

June 7, 2024

During tough times, families have choices to make. Two big questions loom: where might we cut back, and what can we do to get more income? Importantly, they ask those questions through the lens of what they value.

In the midst of California’s budget season, the way the state raises and spends money naturally draws comparisons to household budgets and the choices families face. Unfortunately, how those questions are answered in our state budget don’t always reflect our highest values.

For families, the “values” lens that always rises to the top is about the next generation. Any necessary belt-tightening avoids cutting off opportunities for their children. They know that all their hard work doesn’t mean much if their kids don’t have what they need. So they prioritize, for them.

Initial plans to address the state’s budget shortfalls missed the mark in a values-forward approach. In fact, the Governor’s recent plan would push more Californians into hunger and poverty by stripping vital supports away from families, foster youth, fragile seniors, and people with disabilities. Deeply troubling, these cuts would disproportionately impact Black and Brown communities and immigrants.

The successes of these programs are what Joy Perrin, a California mom of two precious kids, wrote about in the Sacramento Bee last month. She shared how the CalWORKs Family Stabilization Program—a program that’s been on the chopping block—was the key support that led to getting housed, attaining her degree, and providing for her family. Her story reminds us that it’s reckless to try to solve a short-term budget problem by abandoning families in situations it will take a generation to climb out of.

For months, the End Child Poverty California Coalition has been imploring the administration and legislature to lead with California’s values. We have pushed for alternatives to cutting programs that are life sustaining for our most vulnerable children and families. The problem with only trying to cut your way out of budget issues is that cuts leave wounds with lasting and devastating impacts.

But what we choose to spend money on is only one of the key questions. The stubborn refusal to address revenue is simply not an option that struggling families have, so why should the government? With the 5th largest economy in the world that’s still benefiting wealthy corporations and the top sliver of our state, it’s foolhardy and shameful to not even ask how we enlarge the pie, rather than just cutting out chunks of it.

This past week the California Legislature unveiled its proposal, which thankfully prevents the deepest cuts while raising some new revenue. It’s a strong foundation, but still misses opportunities for bolder reforms to advance a more equitable California that lifts all children and families out of poverty.

We were in Sacramento over the past few weeks with hundreds of impacted community members and workers, and armed with emails from 765 parents experiencing poverty telling their stories—not just about the real choices they face, but also how critical programs make all the difference to their families. These Californians uniquely understand tough choices, but they also know how to hold tight to what they value—their kids and their futures—and are willing to do what it takes to set them up for success. GRACE and our coalition partners will continue to remind our elected officials to follow their lead.

RELEASE: Governor and Legislature Must Adopt Final California Budget that Prevents Harm To Children and Families

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May 10, 2024, Pasadena, Calif.

“This is the year in which California can and must put our values to the test, prioritizing above all else the most vulnerable children and families. We look forward to working with the Legislature and Governor to achieve a budget with no cuts to children and families experiencing poverty.” 

Shimica Gaskins, President & CEO of GRACE & End Child Poverty California

Just two years ago, child poverty was at historic lows through a combination of landmark state and federal actions during the pandemic. Now we see the dramatic, preventable, rise in overall child poverty. With this uptick, we also see deep racial disparities. 

Based on our current analysis of today’s May Revision CA Budget summary, we commend the continued progress on previous anti-poverty investments, and the prevented cuts. At the start of his administration, the Governor made ending child poverty his North Star. Actions by the Administration and Legislature over the past several years have proven those values. 

However, the May Revise includes significant proposed cuts to the safety net, including to CalWORKs, foster youth support, and immigrant services, as well as delays to food aid and child care. 

Positive news in the Governor’s May Revise:

Proposed Eliminations Include at Least:

  • CalWORKs:
    • $47.1M ongoing cut to the Home Visiting Program (45%).
    • $126.6M permanent elimination of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services funding.
    • $272M one-time cut to the Single Allocation.
    • Including January proposed $1.2 billion double-cut to CalWORKs and the Safety Net Reserve, this is at least some $1.75 billion in cuts to CalWORKs
  • $94.7M eliminating the In-Home Supportive Services undocumented expansion for all ages.

Proposed Delays Include at Least:

  • Implementation of Food for All for elderly undocumented seniors under the California Food Assistance Program is now scheduled to begin automation in 2026-27, with benefits set to start in 2027-28. This marks a 2-year delay from its original October 2025 date.
  • Indefinitely halts and conditions on future revenues the promised expansion of over 200,000 child care slots, limiting the expansion to 119,000 slots.

2022 Trigger Investments not in the May Revise Include:

  • Continuous Medi-Cal Coverage for Children Aged 0 through 4.
  • Child Support Pass-Through to Currently Assisted CalWORKs Families.

We know that fiscally, cuts to the safety net are proven to backfire by pushing children into deeper poverty. 

It’s our job to understand what the numbers on the ledger mean. For families facing poverty, these programs are a lifeline. Often they are all that stand between homelessness, family separation, deportation, and irreparable harm to our children from toxic deep poverty.  

“This may not be the year to create new programs and close loopholes in our safety net, which is disappointing given the high levels of child poverty across California,” said GRACE & End Child Poverty CA CEO Shimica Gaskins.

However, we cannot repeat the failed austerity cuts of the Great Recession. Those cuts proved that if safety net cuts are made, it will be years – if not a decade – to regain ground. We fought hard to get where we are today in 2024. We cannot go back. 

We know that the Governor and Legislature have shared values to lift children out of poverty. We will fight against these cuts and stand ready to provide solutions to prevent irreversible harm. 

In addition, we support ongoing commitments made to our workforce, and underscore that increases to minimum wages are among the best tools for families to exit poverty, and will protect some communities from some cuts proposed in this budget.

We also stand with the Governor, legislative leaders, mayors, county boards of supervisors and over 550 organizations in opposing the draconian California Business Round Table (CBRT) Taxpayer Deception Act Ballot Proposal. If enacted, it will immediately and permanently worsen this problem while pushing many solutions out of reach.

Hands Off! No Cuts! No Delays! IMAGINE 2024 Rally is Happening Next Week 5/15!

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On Wednesday, May 15th, End Child Poverty California and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California will be co-hosting the 2024 IMAGINE Rally at the State Capitol. We are gathering to stop the CalWORKs double cut, fulfill child care rate reform and slots, ensure foster youth are stable and secure, protect the workers who provide vital public services!

The day will start with hearing from our community leaders in action, from the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Project SPARC, California Youth Connection, Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA), Hayward Promise, Lideres Campesinas, and SEIU CA along with Assemblymembers Corey Jackson & Issac Bryan. Attendees will also have the opportunity to have advocacy visits with legislative leaders and their staff!

California needs a fair budget now, and the best way to get there is to protect those who need it most. Latine and Black families disproportionally experience poverty in California. Thirteen percent of California children are experiencing poverty and 76 % of California families are experiencing poverty with at least one working adult. We can IMAGINE a future where all our children are nourished, respected, secure, valued and free.

Please register here to attend and we will see you soon!

California Budget Center’s “Policy Insights” Conference Brings Policy Community Together

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On April 16th, the California Budget & Policy Center hosted their annual “Policy Insights” conference. From philanthropy to grassroots community-based organizations, stakeholders from across the state came together to brainstorm pathways towards inclusive policies that ensure access to food, shelter, and a stronger safety net to fall back on. California is the fourth largest economy in the world — instead balancing the budget on the backs of Black, Brown, Indigenous, AAPI, and immigrant communities, the state has the wealth and opportunity to lift millions of children and families out of poverty.

(left to right) Cody Van Felden (John Burton Advocates for Youth), Yesenia Jimenez (End Child Poverty CA), Amaris Gilbert (HOPE Youth Panel of Experts) Jala Abner (UCLA graduate student working on baby bonds) Young Jin Choi (UCLA graduate student working on baby bonds)

GRACE/End Child Poverty in California’s own Yesenia Jimenez spoke on the Baby Bonds panel about the state’s devastating racial wealth gap and stressed the need to invest in HOPE Accounts and the HOPE Act. “The program is designed for future expansion to ensure all infants born into poverty in California can access and participate in the state’s economy. The HOPE Act intends to create opportunity, economic autonomy, and inspire hope to reverse our state’s record level of inequality.” Amanda Feinstein, Director of the California Child Savings Account Coalition, also spoke on the panel and identified early wealth building investments such as Child Savings Accounts, Child Development Accounts, child trust funds as well as Baby Bonds and HOPE Accounts. The success of such investments, Feinstein shared, is based on targeted, funded and meaningful sums and long-term educational and economic success.

Powerful discussion on reparations from California Black Power Network Executive Director and co-founder James Woodson, (bio) Felicia Jones, and (bio) Don Tamaki, moderated by John Kim acknowledged the wealth stripped away from Black, Indigenous and other communities of color. Woodson states, “we still have slavery in the California Constitution. From a moral and practical standpoint, reparations requires a multiracial alliance to support Black led power building and liberation.” Additionally, Assemblymember Issac Bryan stressed that the California Budget can create a pathway to reparations by reinvesting money previous used to harm communities of color.

The California Budget Center’s Policy Insights Conference fostered collaboration, action and multiracial solidarity building to generating state revenues and provided valuable insight on how we can create systemic policy pathways and further empower our communities. We are encouraged that when faced with challenging budget decisions ahead, equitable policies that empower and support all Californians are possible.

IMAGINE 2024: Priorities to End Child Poverty

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The End Child Poverty CA Coalition urges the Legislature to reject cuts that harm California’s most vulnerable communities. Instead, we urge leaders to support revenues and investments that will lift all children and families out of poverty.

Our 170+ End Child Poverty CA partners and allies are stronger than ever in 2024! We IMAGINE a future where all our children are nourished, respected, secure, valued & FREE. 

California is blessed with abundance. We can use our wealth to back up our values and end child poverty. We reject cuts to programs that support our families. We’re here to move #ForwardTogether #NoGoingBack.

Download the ECPCA IMAGINE 2024 Policy Priorities One-Pager for Legislative Visits.

Social Media Toolkit

Safety Net – We are secure

  • ReImagine CalWORKs to be family-centered, anti-racist, and provide real pathways out of poverty (Budget)
  • End poverty in CalWORKs & SSI/SSP (Budget)
  • Child support: full pass-through for current CalWORKs families, and end collection of child support debt (Budget)
  • Foster youth: maintain robust investments that support the critical needs of foster youth (Budget)

Child Care – We are respected

  • Remove the “pause” and meet the Governor’s promise of 200,000 child care slots by 2026-27
  • Fully implement a single-rate structure to pay providers the true cost of child care (AB 596 Asm. Reyes; AB 596, Sen. Limon; AB 380, Budget)
  • CA Budget: Support Equitable Access to All ECE options that meet families’ needs

Hunger – We are nourished

  • Provide Food 4 All Californians (SB 245 Sen. Hurtado; AB 311, Asm. Santiago)
  • End summer hunger for children and families (Budget)
  • CalFresh: Statewide minimum $50 benefit (Sen. Menjivar, Budget)

Strong Communities & Tax Credits – We are valued

  • Create a Safety Net For All: wage replacement for undocumented workers (Asm. Durazo; SB 227, Budget)
  • Ensure and strengthen continuous coverage for children and families enrolled in Medi-Cal (Asm. Boerner; Budget)
  • Period equity now (Sen. Menjivar; SB 953)
  • Diaper need: fulfill unmet need (Asm. Ortega)

Keeping Families Whole – We are free

  • Bolster It Takes A Village place-based anti-poverty networks (Asm. Bonta & Asm. Jackson; Budget)
  • Maintain $20M in VITA free tax preparation assistance (Budget)
  • Plan for permanent statewide Guaranteed Income (Asm. Friedman)

ECPCA & EPIC Co-Host “Baby Bonds in Action: From California to the Nation’s Capital”

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To me wealth means being able to take care of your family and culture for generations.

Kola, Oakland Community Member & Small Business Owner

February 22, 2024 – Oakland was filled with energy, community and all things Baby Bonds during our forum “Baby Bonds in Action: From California to the Nation’s Capital” in partnership with End Poverty in California (EPIC) on February 22, 2024. Check out our livestream!

Baby Bonds are a financial investment made when a child is born. They are available for that child to use for wealth-building tools as an adult. We know that Baby Bonds are a policy solution that helps level the playing field and bridge the racial wealth gap.

California State Senator Nancy Skinner speaks at “Baby Bonds in Action”

In California, we are creating the nation’s largest Baby Bonds program through a racial equity framework, allowing funds to be used for any wealth-building activity someone chooses for themselves.

As community member Jala Abner stated, “we continuously emphasize the need for financial literacy amongst the recipients of Baby Bonds…but what can we do to reduce the statistical or institutional discrimination that takes place within financial institutions?” We must name systemic racism & the gaping racial wealth gap to end poverty.

Panel discussions, question-and-answer sessions, and spoken word (check out Gia McLean’s poem below!) filled the day with joy, collaboration, and inspiration. Thank you to our wonderful lineup from John Burton Advocates for Youth, Liberation in a Generation, Parent Voices CA, the University of Michigan, The New School, The JPMorgan Chase Policy Center, the offices of the California, Washington, and Connecticut State Treasurer, End Poverty in California (EPIC), and GRACE/End Child Poverty California (ECPCA). Thank you to Senator Nancy Skinner, Mayor Michael Tubbs  and Governor Newsom’s office for the words of support.

We had the great fortune and pleasure of hearing from youth leaders during our “Investing in Our Future: Youth Voices on Baby Bonds” panel. Youth leader Amaris Gilbert said, “It’s exhausting trying to talk over people who are trying to speak for you.” Gilbert and her peers deserve the chance to build their financial future, regardless of their family’s economic security.

Left to right: HOPE Program Executive Director Kasey O’Connor, Mayor and EPIC founder Michael Tubbs, Youth Leader Ameris Gilbert, Youth Leader Janessa Smith, Senator Nancy Skinner, Youth Leader Marta Rivas, John Burton Advocates for Youth Youth advocate mentor Cory Van Felden, President & CEO of GRACE/End Child Poverty CA Shimica Gaskins.

The data are clear about the power of Baby Bonds to close the racial wealth gap. We will continue to reach out to impacted families for enrollment  in California’s program, and advocate for implementation of Baby Bonds. Thank you to all who joined us for a powerful day of action and community.

Big thanks to all of our wonderful speakers and moderators!

Poem by Gia McLean, Parent Voices CA

The coldness of winter leaves, ideas of warmth, well-being, family, and public policies
The balance of grappling emotions
The stillness of our homes
The laundry basket with 15 pair of jeansBonds of our families, health, and well-being abuelitaI
Stretched the love in my bones to modern jazz
February 2024
The coldness of winter leaves opportunities to end poverty in California
Nurturance of bonds, community connections, and diversity within families

The kids quickly run inside
No daunting task of chores, the liberty to create, love, learn
The balance of well-being, plenty, health to our bodies, and alleviating droughts of meditation
Legislative account of prosperity
Public policies that unfold stories of inclusivity, fades
The sunrise of our children brings warmth
The clarity of Beautiful bonesBlack hair, and hazel eyes
Art, education, laughter, diversityMy kids, and families post pandemic.

End Child Poverty CA Celebrates Successful IMAGINE 2024 #ForwardTogether Legislative Briefing!

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THANK YOU to our End Child Poverty Coalition partners, allies, & friends for an amazing IMAGINE 2024 #ForwardTogether Legislative Briefing! The day was filled with storytelling, collaboration, advocacy, and a commitment to move #ForwardTogether, no going back. Take a look at our livestream and highlights!

Coalition members spoke about anti-hunger priorities, baby bonds for foster youth, state budget needs for children, fair living wages for childcare providers, MediCal renewal, access to tax credits and resources, and more! We sincerely appreciate the support and words of elected leaders Assemblymember Liz Ortega and Jess Bartholow from Senator Nancy Skinner’s office.

Powerful personal stories push our leaders to act. Thank you so much to Junebug, Liliana, Sayda, Bryan, Benyamin, Jess, for sharing their heart and soul in front of a standing-room-only crowd. We were incredibly grateful to Assemblymember Liz Ortega for sharing her personal story of being a single mother fighting for dignity. She now takes that experience to the capital to create change–acting on diaper needs and other issues affecting families. 

Advocates Tiffany, Itzúl, Jennifer, Kristen, Anna, Terri, Alissa, Bryan and Jessica laid out each part of the 2024 IMAGINE campaign’s policy priorities this year. The End Child Poverty CA Coalition has been incredibly successful in winning billions of dollars in proven investments to lift up children and families. In a tough economic year, we are committed to creative, equity-focused ways to continue moving forward. 

“I either pay someone out of pocket to take care of them with money we don’t have or I stay home and feel like I can’t give them the education I want for them when they’re young. We should be able to get ahead.“
– Liliana Camacho, Parent Voices Santa Clara

“In my family the idea of food has always been associated with money, stress, basic necessity. I want to save other families the stress of such a tight food budget.”
– Bryan, Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano

As Alissa Anderson of the California Budget and Policy Center said, “We know which investments are needed but we also know how to make those investments. It’s through fairer taxation. This is a policy choice and elected officials can choose differently.” 

The Legislative briefing was a great opportunity to come together behind a shared vision to move #ForwardTogether in 2024 to end child poverty. 

Partnership is an essential part of our work and our collective mission. TOGETHER, we will continue to IMAGINE a future where our children are secure, nourished, respected, valued, and free. Thank you to all the attendees, including Senate and Assembly staff, consultants, and other agency representatives who took the time to come out and listen.

  • Shout outs to everyone who helped make this day happen, including our speakers!
    • Jess Bartholow, Senator Nancy Skinner, and her team
    • Margaret Hanlon and the Legislative Women’s Caucus
    • Assemblymember Liz Ortega and her team
    • Alissa Anderson, California Budget & Policy Center
    • Amerika Nino-Rodriguez, Dolores Huerta Foundation
    • Tiffany Whiten, SEIU California
    • Liliana Camacho and June Kealoha; Jennifer Greppi and the entire Parent Voices squad
    • Kristen Golden Testa, The Children’s Partnership
    • Bryan Rodriguez, Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano
    • Itzúl Gutierrez, California Association of Food Banks
    • Benyamin Chao, California Immigrant Policy Center
    • Sayda Turcios, Lideres Campesinas & Safety Net for All Coalition
    • Richard Raya, MEDA and Mission Promise Neighborhood
    • Teri Olle, Economic Security Project California
    • Anna Hasselblad, United Ways of California
    • Sara Bachez, Children Now
  • Major kudos to our partners who filled the room and tuned in on Instagram! ECPCA organizations participating included:
    • Golden State Opportunity
    • California Budget & Policy Center
    • The Children’s Partnership
    • California Association of Food Banks
    • Western Center on Law and Poverty
    • Parent Voices
    • Child Care Resource Center
    • Coalition of California Welfare Rights Organizations
    • California WIC Association
    • Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano
    • The CAP Center
    • California Catholic Conference
    • United Ways of California
    • Friends Committee on Legislation of California
    • Oakland Promise
    • Dolores Huerta Foundation
    • Children Now
    • Economic Security Council California
    • SEIU California
    • Lideres Campesinas
    • Safety Net for All Coalition
    • California Immigrant Policy Center
    • PolicyLink
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