DC Action for Children is an advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all children in the District of Columbia have the opportunity to reach their full potential. We work to accomplish our mission through four key strategies:

• Increasing public awareness of issues facing young children in the District of Columbia;
• Providing research and analysis to support effective public policies to ensure that all young children have access to quality early care and education;
• Collaborating with partners to strengthen the focus and work on behalf of children and their families; and,
• Empowering families, programs and communities to advocate for our youngest citizens.

History

DC Action for Children was founded in 1992 by stakeholders concerned about the deteriorating conditions for Washington, D.C.’s children, youth and families. They formed the nonprofit DC Action for Children to help break the cycle of poverty through early interventions in the lives of D.C.’s youngest citizens.

In its first two decades, DC Action for Children worked to improve outcomes for children, youth and families by focusing on a broad array of issues, including early care and education, child welfare, child health and youth development.

Today, DC Action for Children concentrates primarily on early care and education from the critical period from birth to age eight.

Impact

Since 1992, we have worked with concerned members of our community to achieve the following victories for Washington, D.C.’s children:

• DC Action for Children led the advocacy efforts for legislation that mandated the first-ever Children’s Budget Report, a critical planning and evaluation tool. After DC Action for Children incubated the report for the first six months of its development, it was presented by Mayor Anthony Williams with his proposed FY 2007 budget;
• During the FY 2007 budget process, DC Action for Children secured the Fenty Administration’s commitment to design and implement a comprehensive, citywide child abuse and neglect prevention plan aimed at ending child maltreatment; and,
• With DC Action for Children’s urging, the city directed local funds to the Child and Family Services Agency in FYs 2007 and 2008 to compensate for funds lost due to the federal government’s Deficit Reduction Act – thus averting funding cuts that would have been detrimental to the District’s children.

Other accomplishments include:

• Publishing DC Action for Children’s trademark budget analysis, What’s in it for kids?;
• Publishing and distributing four issue briefs focused on issues pertinent to children, including child welfare, mental health, and school readiness;
• Publishing analyses and updates on the FY 2008 and 2009 budgets and providing information, resources, and assistance to elected and appointed officials and their staff, advocates, service providers, and interested community members, to inform them of the issues and realities affecting the District’s children; and,
• Convening the Children’s Advocacy Roundtable, which issued KidBits: Using data to drive better outcomes for children and youth.