Anyone who lives in D.C. will probably agree that we work at an above-average pace. Luckily, everything slows down (at least slightly) at the end of the year – long enough for us to take the time to reflect on what we have accomplished.  This reflection is important, so I've taken the time to compile some of DC Action's accomplishments this year:

In January, DC Action for Children became the new Annie E. Casey KIDS COUNT grantee for the District and began focusing on data to track childhood well-being and using that data to help shape effective policies for the District's children, youth and families. Throughout 2011, DC Action produced numerous important data reports:

•    “A Tale of Three Cities: What the Census Says About the District and How We Must Respond” (April 2011). We distributed this at our April launch event (watch the panel discussion here) to nearly 100 invited guests. DC Action also widely distributed print and electronic copies to Council members’ offices, partners and reporters.
•    “D.C. Rolls Out 5-Year TANF Time Limit” (August 2011). We worked closely with the D.C. Economic Security Administration responsible for TANF to ensure that DC Action had accurate and up-to-date information on how families receiving welfare benefits would be affected.
•    “D.C. Student Test Scores Show Uneven Progress” (August 2011). This data snapshot reveals that gains in student scores have been slim to nonexistent at the elementary level, raising questions about the success of the District’s five-year old education reform effort.
•    “Medicaid and CHIP Provide Coverage to More than Half of All Children in D.C.” (August 2011).  This policy brief shows how dependent D.C. is on these critical safety net programs and explains how they are funded. We worked closely with the Department of Health Care Finance to ensure that it was accurate and comprehensive.
•    “Child Abuse and Neglect” (August 2011). After spiking in fiscal year (FY) 2009, substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect in the District returned to more historic levels in FY 2010. This data snapshot shows that child abuse and neglect have been declining across the country, a trend not enjoyed in D.C.

Throughout the year, DC Action for Children worked in partnership with government, advocates and providers to bring positive and lasting change for D.C.’s youngest citizens. Executive Director HyeSook Chung regularly testified before the D.C. Council, working to inform councilmembers and bring children’s voices into the Wilson Building. We also testified at hearings on the “South Capitol Street Tragedy Memorial Act of 2011” and analyzed the bill, recommending to Council staff several areas where it could be strengthened.

In October 2011, we took a step into our past to praise the roots and history of DC Action for Children. We held a luncheon in honor of DC Action’s “founding mothers”- Diane Bernstein, Marion Guggenheim, Cynthia McGrath, Elizabeth Siegel and Susan Zox Smith. We also awarded our first Diane Bernstein Children’s Champion Award to Maria Gomez, President and CEO of Mary’s Center. Lastly (but certainly not least!), we premiered our first video about our organization.

We are very excited about how well-positioned DC Action is to make the most for the District's children, youth and families in 2012. We look forward to working with all of you (in addition to city leaders) to ensure that our children have the support they need to thrive from birth through college and work. Our New Year’s resolution is to continue to work closely with our partners in all sectors to shine a light on the status of children and youth in the District and to drive evidence-based reforms.

We hope you will be one of those partners and support our work. We know it will help us share even more positive and exciting news in 2012. In the meantime, we wish you and your family a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.