Family League Policy Newsletter: August 2017

Throughout the spring, Family League invited members of the Baltimore City Council to learn more about the city-wide Community School and Out-of-School Time (OST) investment strategy by visiting a Community School in each of their respective districts. The Community Schools strategy, developed jointly with City Schools and the Mayor’s Office, leverages health and wellness resources in each community to provide high-quality wrap-around services to students and their families. Each of Family League’s 45 Community Schools is staffed by a Community School Coordinator, who serves as a bridge between the school’s lead partner agency, local organizations, school staff, and students to ensure that every child has access to services that meet their non-academic needs. Check out photos from our visits (clockwise from left) with Councilmembers Cohen at Wolfe Street Academy; Dorsey at Reginald F. Lewis High; Burnett at Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary; and Schleifer at Arlington Elementary/Middle!

On June 7th, City Council Education and Youth Committee Chair Zeke Cohen hosted a hearing on the restoration of Community School and OST funding in Mayor Pugh’s FY18 budget at the War Memorial Building. The hearing was a platform for students and youth from all over Baltimore City to express how their lives had been positively impacted by Community Schools and OST programs, and to support the Mayor and City Council in reaching an agreement that would fully restore funding for these programs. Youth voice is an extremely powerful force, as evidenced by the report from City Council President Jack Young that an agreement had been reached between the Mayor and City Council, less than one hour into the hearing.

The Baltimore City Council adopted Mayor Pugh’s fiscal year 2018 budget, which granted Family League $6.8 million in level funding to service the existing Community School and OST programming, as well as $1.02 million to continue supporting Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs operating in Baltimore. The contested $2.4 million for Community Schools that advocates rallied for throughout the city was partially restored to $2.58 million, and those funds will be distributed via the Baltimore City Foundation, a nonprofit that provides grants to other nonprofit organizations in the city. Family League will coordinate with the Mayor’s Office of Human Services, as needed, as we work to continue assisting traditional public schools as they navigate the planning and implementation stages of becoming new Community Schools.

This summer, Family League hosted seven Youth Works/Hire One participants. Dominique Carrington, Je’Quan Carroll, Kim Hickman, Diamond Blount, Skylar Ramadan, and Precious Tatum were integral to the success of a wide range of projects throughout Family League, and took a day out of their extremely busy schedules to visit our nation’s capital and speak with United States Senator Chris Van Hollen.

The Governor’s Office for Children (GOC) has granted Family League $2.4 million in base funding and $400,000 in competitive grant funding for the 2018 fiscal year so that we can continue to offer support to our direct service providers in the areas of Community Schools, home visiting, ending childhood hunger, and serving opportunity youth. To learn more about how the funding will be allocated, click here. For the full release detailing funding awards for all 24 counties in Maryland, view the GOC press release here. 

Family League’s Policy Team has been monitoring the federal budget process and its implications for the residents of Baltimore. We have shared our concerns with our Senate and House representatives about proposed cuts to 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and funding for the MIECHV program. During the August recess, we will continue our outreach with elected federal officials and provide support and information as they work to ensure the passage of a responsible federal budget that values the needs of Baltimore’s children and families.