Testimony to DC Council on Paid Family Leave | Kimberly Perry, Executive Director, DC Action for Children The COVID-19 pandemic reinforces the need for inclusive, accessible health programs. Fortunately, the District is almost ready to launch a new program that will help. DC’s new Universal Paid Leave Program is slated to launch July 1. Many of us in the advocacy...

DC Action for Children and DC Alliance of Youth Advocates Have Merged! by Kimberly Perry and Maggie Riden It is our pleasure to announce the merger between DC Action for Children and DC Alliance of Youth Advocates. Under the leadership of Kimberly Perry, Executive Director of DC Action for Children, the unified organization is fully operational and working towards a...

Testimony to DC Council about Home Visiting Programs | Ruqiyyah Anbar-Shaheen DC Action chairs the Home Visiting Council with other advocates, community-based providers, and agency leaders. This body works to strengthen home visiting in the District by building a cross-sector network of support for programs, advocating for resources and funding for their stability and growth, and collaborating to address system-wide...

Testimony to DC Council about Children’s Services Coordination for Children Experiencing Homelessness | Kimberly Perry In light of traumatic incidents at the family shelters shortly prior to this public health crisis, DHS must work with community leaders to develop a Children’s Services Coordination Plan in each family shelter setting (including the hotels). Instead of asking for additional funds, we urge...

Testimony to DC Council about SNAP | Rachel Metz Even before the pandemic, SNAP filled a major need in DC, particularly for children. In fiscal year 2019, 94,000 District residents participated in SNAP, which is about 13 percent of the District’s population.28 Of those 94,000 participants, 37,000 - just over one-third - were children under age 18 (with about one-third...

Please join me in welcoming our new Lead Organizer, Jamar Day! Jamar joined the team this week and has already been diving in organizing critical public forums for DC's parents and community members to weigh in on the Mayor's proposed budget priorities. As Lead Organizer, Jamar will facilitate a team of six community organizers, which many refer to as the...

DC Action for Children Executive Director Kimberly Perry and DC pediatrician Dr. Yael Smiley wrote about the importance of Universal Paid Family Leave in a recent op-ed in The District Line. The COVID-19 crisis reinforces the need for inclusive, accessible programs for public health and public benefits. Fortunately, the District is almost ready to launch a new program that will...

We welcome Jarred Bowman to DC Action for Children this week! Jarred joins us as a policy analyst working closely with our signature campaign, Under 3 DC, to monitor, evaluate and promote key public investments in the City’s early childhood education community. Jarred brings his expertise in child well-being, race equity and youth development to deepen relationships with key stakeholders...

Ruqiyyah Anbar-Shaheen, DC Home Visiting Council Chair and DC Action for Children Director of Early Childhood Policy and Programs, and Fernanda Ruiz, DC Home Visiting Council Program Committee Co-Chair and Mary’s Center Home Visiting Director, wrote for Under3DC about the importance of sustaining funding in the DC budget for vital home visiting programs. The stress of parenting through a public...

The District of Columbia is facing an unprecedented health and economic crisis, the results of which are likely to shape the future of the District for years, if not decades to come. Mayor Muriel Bowser has released her priorities for children, youth and families through her FY 2021 budget proposal. She’ll be presenting it to the DC Council today. The...