| | | | Last Chance! Boldy Stand for Equity Purchase your equi-Tee through March 13, 2021. Sizes range from youth XS to 4XL in adult sizes. Our goal is to raise $1,500 and we want to sell 150 shirts. Proceeds from the campaign will support production for our upcoming webinar on April 13th. |
| |
|
|
|
| |  | CASA De Maryland, an ACY partner, will host two Facebook Live events in the next two weeks for Spanish speakers. Topics include school reopening and supports for kids during the summer months. The events will be interactive with hopes that parents and community members click over to CASA's Facebook page to listen and ask question on each topic: March 11, 7 PM – 7:30 PM | School Reopening in Maryland March 18, 6:30 PM | What Parents Can Do to Prepare For Summer And Ensure Their Kids Get The Support They Need |
|
|
| | |
|
| The COVID Relief Act that passed in the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives provides families with much needed financial support as we continue to contend with, and recover from, the devasting impact of the pandemic. An integral part of the bill is the expansion of the existing Child Tax Credit. Previously, families could receive $2,000 per dependent. With the passage of the bill, the amount is increased to $3,000 per child from 7-17 years of age and $3,600 per child for under age 6. Research has shown that the costs associated with raising children are now one of the biggest barriers for upward economic mobility. It is estimated that the Child Tax Credit expansion will cut child poverty almost in half and benefit over 1.1 million Maryland children. In addition, ensuring that the Child Tax Credit is fully refundable guarantees that the lowest income families get critical support. Other benefits for families include: - Extending enhanced unemployment benefits through September 6
- Doubling the amount of rental assistance available to those at risk of eviction
- Extending the 15 percent benefit increase to SNAP, which includes $40 billion in child care relief
- Expanding the EITC to help over 255,000 Maryland workers
|
| |
|
| | This week, Melissa Rock, our Birth to Three Strategic Initiative Director, will support the following bills: SB711-Growing Family Child Care Opportunities Pilot Program: The COVID-19 pandemic has decimated Maryland’s childcare supply. Maryland’s childcare providers operate on very thin profit margins. For family-based childcare providers the situation is even more dire than for childcare centers. These providers often charge less to families and serve families with fewer resources. ACY is pleased to support SB 711 which creates a pilot program to support family based childcare programs. Supporting these family-based childcare providers is critical to ensure we do not widen the gaps in who can access high quality childcare for BIPOC and under-resourced families. |
|
|
| HB1202-Hospitals and Birth Centers, COVID-19 Visitation Policies, Doulas: One of ACY’s long standing legislative priorities is eradicating the significant racial disparities in birth outcomes for Black Marylanders. In Maryland, 44% of the maternal deaths in 2017 occurred 43-365 days after giving birth; a Black person giving birth in Maryland is 4 times more likely to die within 1 year of giving birth than a White person. This week ACY is supporting HB 1202, which will ensure doulas can be with an individual during birth despite COVID-19 restrictions. Doulas are one of the only interventions that uniformly improves birth outcomes for Black birthing individuals. SB923-Maryland Medical Assistance Program, Eligibility and Disenrollment: This week, ACY will also support SB 923, which will ensure that all Medicaid recipients remain covered through the first year after giving birth, rather than only sixty days. SB 923 includes an important requirement that regulations be developed to ensure there is care coordination for individuals as they near the end of their coverage to ensure they understand and have access to other health insurance options. For more information regarding our legislative agenda, click here. |
|
|
| | Join our Board of Directors Advocates for Children and Youth is looking for leaders to join our Board of Directors. A unique leadership opportunity awaits if you seek to put your talent in strategic thinking, financial forecasting, organizational behavior, project management, policy, advocacy, or events in service to ensuring equity for all kids in Maryland. Please contact Mariama Boney, Interim Executive Director at mboney@acy.org. |
| | |
|
|  | Advocates for Children and Youth is pleased to accept applications to serve on our Board. Join us! Over the past year, Advocates for Children and Youth's Board of Directors and Staff have been working on refining our approach to advocacy. We shared our mission statement, launched our campaign, Equity for All Kids during the 2020 legislative session, and continue to be responsive and preemptive to the new challenges that the pandemic has either magnified or exposed.
To give you further insight into our progress toward racial equity and inclusion both internally and externally, we are sharing our Strategic Framework, Theory of Change, and Values. With these tools in hand, we will work toward building a strong Maryland by advancing policies and programs to ensure children and families of every race, ethnicity, and place of birth achieve their full potential. |
| |
|
|
|
| Advocates for Children and Youth One N. Charles Street | Suite 2400 | Baltimore, Maryland 21201 |
| | Advocates for Children and Youth is funded by: Abell Foundation | The Annie E. Casey Foundation | Arnold Ventures | Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation | Clayton Baker | The Fund for Change | Fund for Families with Young Children | Greater Washington Community Foundation | Lockhart Vaughan Foundation | Meyer Foundation | OSI-Baltimore | Partnership for America's Children | |
| You are subscribed to the Advocates for Children and Youth email list as . |
|
|
| |
|
|
