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Sacramento: Children’s Fund

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Sacramento: Children’s Fund

A.C.T. Success Stories

THE CHALLENGE

Sacramento youth led community organizations drove the campaign for Measure L, establishing a Sacramento Children’s Fund. The fund earmarks an amount equivalent to 40% of local cannabis licensing fees. It also creates a permanent source of youth funding upwards of $10 million dollars a year.

Councilmember Jay Schenirer, Councilmember Mai Vang and Youth Coalition Leader Monica Ruelas-Mares at the launch of ballot initiative in June 2022

Starting in 2016, community organizations and supporters spent countless hours volunteering, canvasing, and persuading Sacramentans to increase investments in the city’s children and youth, with priority given to those most impacted by poverty, violence, and trauma.

THE ACTION

Sac Kids First, led by Youth Forward, began collaborating with All Children Thrive in 2021. A.C.T. funded and supported Youth Forward because of the direct impact that a children’s fund would have on all five of the A.C.T. community action areas. The funding could be used to promote healthy child development, create protective environments, improve youth development and civic engagement, strengthen economic supports for children and families, and/or create access to safe and stable housing.

Sac Kids First – When Children Thrive, Sacramento Thrives

After Sacramento city council voted 8-1 to put measure L on the November 2022 ballot, A.C.T. and Sac Kids First recruited youth and community members, conducted team meetings, and educated the community on the importance of a continuous investment in local youth. With A.C.T. guidance, youth and community leaders developed and distributed fact sheets and met with community members and local officials.

A previous attempt to create the Sacramento Children’s Fund was rejected by voters in 2020 by 54% to 45%. An analysis of the vote entitled A Tale of Two Cities found those who voted ‘NO’ came from predominantly white, wealthy neighborhoods.  Supporters from diverse neighborhoods of lower income.

Mayor Steinberg and Councilmember Loloee and community members posing with the Grant Drumline after the 2022 State of the City address.

Opponents to the 2022 Measure L suggested ample money was already set aside for youth. They also expressed concerns about the authority and nature of spending decisions. Supporters like the Teacher’s Association understood the value in year over year investment to prevent childhood adversity.

THE OUTCOME

In June of 2022, Mayor Darrell Steinberg reversed previous opposition to the Children’s Fund  and instead previewed the initiative at his State of the city address. In a meeting with Sac Kids First, he said, “This is a statement that not only do we value young people, but we believe we should grant them real power, because that is what makes a difference in our society, and in our city and in the way we make decisions.”

Mayor Steinberg – June 2022 State of the City

On November 8th, 2022, Measure L passed resoundingly with 62.77% of voters in support.  Measure L requires a portion of the General Fund to be allocated to a new Sacramento Children’s Fund and requires the budget to use a certain amount of the General Fund to maintain pre-existing levels of youth services.

Sacramento Children and Youth Health and Safety Act – Ballot Measure

© 2022. California Department of Public Health. Funded under contract #21-10471

Author, Jazmine Clark, is a Communications Manager for Public Health Advocates.

Jazmine Clark

Bakersfield: Protective Environments

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Bakersfield: Protective Environments

A.C.T. Success Stories

THE CHALLENGE

For several years, residents of Bakersfield faced challenges navigating their community safely on foot.  The city lacked sidewalks in key areas near schools and other community landmarks. The lack of protective environments prohibited community members from a safe place to live, learn, work, and play.

Sidewalks in Bakersfield, CA

This made commuting to schools and parks particularly dangerous for the local youth and may have played a role in the deaths of three residents. Still, residents had difficulty convincing their elected officials to take action because they lacked a comprehensive plan to address the issue. Creating a protective environment that improved the physical and social landscape while reducing community violence, required funding and technical support.

THE ACTION

Community Members began meeting regularly in 2020.   ACT got involved in 2021.  Specifically, ACT funded and supported two neighborhood organizations: Greenfield Walking Group and Vision y Compromiso. 

Telemundo interview of Greenfield Walking Group

ACT helped the groups undertake a digital story telling project for Rexland project that helped highlight the problem and solutions from community members’ perspectives.  The community then used this information to inform decision-makers officials about the issue.  Greenfield Walking Group with support of ACT funding worked with hundreds of community members from Bakersfield to provide input and support for the grant application. Community members leveraged promotoras to meld technical expertise with community passion and conducted spirited and strategic outreach to local officials.

THE OUTCOME

Community participation and engagement was fundamental to the project’s success and results came quickly.  Sidewalk construction began in 2021 and was completed in Spring 2022.  The Rexland Community hosted a celebration on May 28, 2022, to mark the completion of the 5-mile sidewalk project.  The new sidewalk improved the physical and social environment by improving safe access to important resources in the community like schools, grocery stores, playgrounds, parks, and childcare centers.

Rexland community sidewalk project map

Collaboration yielded additional benefits. Community members cite strengthened relationships with local political leaders as well as with each other. They gained valuable experience in finding and applying for grants.  They also identified other community priorities and are already developing plans to address issues that lead to childhood adversity.

Youth and community violence can have lasting harmful effects on victims, their families, and the entire community. The success of the sidewalk construction in Bakersfield, reduces unintentional injury and potential deaths in the community while improving the health and wellbeing of all children.

https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/project-adds-5-miles-of-sidewalks-for-pedestrian-safety/

© 2022. California Department of Public Health. Funded under contract #21-10471

Author, David Wescott, is the of Director of Communications for Public Health Advocates.

David