What a Year
Share this page:
One year ago, we were bundled up and standing on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento. And we weren’t alone: Parents, children, lawmakers, faith leaders, and members of grassroots organizations and partners were all standing with us.
Pastor and community leader Lesley Simmons stepped up to the mic to reflect on why.
Lesley Simmons speaking in Sacramento
“Faith calls us to lean all the way into this moment,” he said. “I want to invite all Californians to lean in and reimagine a future together, a future where our children aren’t left behind. A future where our families aren’t left behind.”
That was the day the End Child Poverty CA Plan was launched. Since then…
We’ve earned broad support for new investments in California children and families.
We rallied to #EndChildPovertyCA in Sacramento, Chula Vista, Los Angeles, Pomona, Weedpatch, Fresno, Salinas, Oakland, and San Bernardino. Our community of 47,000 Californians continues to grow, and we now count more than 60 organizations among our partners. This fall, in San Bernardino, we launched our partnership with Dolores Huerta and the Dolores Huerta Foundation to continue to build the statewide End Child Poverty community organization.
$5 billion in End Child Poverty Plan recommendations were adopted in the state budget.
The budget doubles the California Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families, includes a new Young Child Tax Credit for parents with children under 6, expands health care access to young Californians aged 19-26 regardless of immigration status, invests in youth-focused housing and rapid-rehousing programs, and more. Hundreds of you joined us at our advocacy day last January and joined us to testify in front of lawmakers about the urgent need. These are your victories achieved for all Californians.
In 2020, we’ll be working to get the rest of the plan passed so we can end extreme child poverty in California for good.
Achieving the goal of ending extreme child poverty will take a movement, and we laid a strong foundation for it together this year. We’re eager to expand our community in 2020 with on-the-ground outreach and a powerful digital campaign.
Your involvement will help spread the word and make this happen. Join the End Child Poverty organization in your community being led by our partner Dolores Huerta and the Dolores Huerta Foundation.
It’s been a landmark year for the #EndChildPovertyCA campaign. Thanks for staying involved as we continue to fight to end child poverty and build a bright future for ALL California children.
Here’s to a New Year full of commitment and joy!
Onward,
Conway Collis