Policy and Advocacy
Partnership for Children & Youth serves as a bridge between decision-makers and on-the-ground program providers to ensure local and state policies meet the needs of children and families. We advocate for the success of students in school and life.
How we advocate
We ensure that the needs of children and youth are met at the state level through research, analysis, convening expanded learning providers and stakeholders, and raising the voices of children, families, staff, and providers. Decision-makers are often several steps removed from the realities on the ground, and expanded learning programs are busy serving youth and families. To bridge this divide, we work with legislators to write new legislation, provide information to the Governor’s office, and assist expanded learning providers in connecting with their local representatives.
The California Afterschool Advocacy Alliance, or CA3, is a coalition of expanded learning providers across California coordinated by Partnership for Children & Youth and serves as a collective voice for afterschool and summer programs. Formed in 2009, CA3:
Successfully supported the enactment of dozens of legislative, administrative, and budget proposals impacting more than 900,000 students in 4,500 programs across California
Led the Save Afterschool Campaign to secure an additional $50 million for state-funded afterschool programs in 2017, and another $50 million in 2019 after a decade of flat state funding and rising operational costs
Paved the way for historic investments of billions of dollars in expanded learning programs, the creation of the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P), and the goal of universal access to afterschool and summer programs.
CA3 includes a variety of afterschool providers, intermediary organizations, and individual advocates. With several types of membership available, it’s easy to get involved.
Join as an individual and stay connected all year with relevant updates and opportunities to advocate.
Join as an organization and get access to our monthly meetings, regular state and federal policy updates, and our annual planning sessions.
Join as a Local Educational Agency and get regular updates on how statewide expanded learning policy affects LEA funding, the opportunity to influence statewide expanded learning policy, and access to LEA peers from across California.
Join as an intermediary and participate in our meetings, communications, and advocacy.
Our impact
Proposition 49 Implementation - Guided the rollout of the country’s largest investment in afterschool programs.
Research-Based Accountability Measures - Shifted measures of success for afterschool programs to focus on attendance instead of grades and test scores. Research shows that afterschool attendance drives school attendance.
More Equitable Funding for Afterschool - Ensured priority funding for schools with at least 50% free and reduced lunch eligibility.
Historic Investments for COVID Recovery - Years of communicating the value of expanded learning led to a historic $4.6 billion for afterschool and summer programs and critical flexibility for programs that served students even when schools were closed.
Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) - Our collective advocacy with our partners over the past two decades led to the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program, which will grow to $5 billion annually by 2025 for afterschool and summer programs. This will significantly increase access to expanded learning and enrichment opportunities through afterschool and summer programs for the state’s most underserved elementary students.