Policy and Advocacy

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Policy and Advocacy

BACKGROUND

The Bay Area Partnership’s policy and advocacy work is grounded in the understanding that publicly-supported programs must be user-friendly and designed to maximize the potential for local success.  All too often, policies are developed without enough input from those who implement programs at the ground level and end up mired in bureaucratic complexities.  The Bay Area Partnership works to remedy these challenges so that public resources will serve children and youth as effectively as possible.

OUR INITIATIVE:  CONNECT PROGRAMS AND POLICY

The Partnership is an active advocate for Bay Area children in the areas of education, youth development, health and nutrition, and serves as a critical bridge between local needs and the work of policymakers at the local, state and federal levels.  In the late 1990s, the Partnership played a key role in the development of after school policy in California with the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, and our work ensured that field voice was reflected in this statewide program.  In 2000, the Partnership provided key feedback in the reauthorization of the federal Child Nutrition Act, which resulted in a streamlined paperwork process so schools could more easily access the subsidized snack program for low-income children.

With close ties to practitioners in the field, our staff has in-depth knowledge of the day-to-day workings of after school, nutrition and health programs, and a real understanding of the challenges these programs face.  We also utilize our relationships with key policymakers to closely monitor the inner workings of the policy process and translate policy developments back to practitioners in the field. 

OUR LEGISLATIVE WORK

The Bay Area Partnership’s current policy work includes:

• Providing regular legislative updates and alerts to regional stakeholders
• Generating field support for needed policy reforms
• Testifying on relevant legislation in Sacramento
• Conducting advocacy training
• Working closely with policy makers to improve how public funds are administered

Key legislative reforms supported by the Partnership’s efforts include:

• AB 2324, signed into law in 2002, which provided more flexibility in the hours of operation for after school programs funded by State grants
• SB 854, signed into law in 2004, which increased the per-student funding for federally-funded after school programs by 50 percent
• SB 638, co-sponsored by the Partnership and signed into law in 2006, which made sweeping reforms to state and federal after school funding, enabling thousands of low-income children access to quality after school programs

SB 638: IMPROVING PROPOSITION 49

Proposition 49, passed by California voters in 2002, allocates $550 million annually to the state’s After School Education and Safety (ASES) Program.  This comes on top of $140 million in federal after school dollars in our state, and dramatically increases access to after school programs.  However, the initial ASES policy was riddled with structural problems that severely limited the effectiveness of this funding source.

In response to this dilemma, the Bay Area Partnership spearheaded the creation of Senate Bill 638 and served as a bill sponsor for this landmark legislation.  Working side-by-side with bill author Senator Tom Torlakson, the Partnership helped translate information and experience from the after school field to significantly improve the way ASES and 21st Century funds are administered.  These changes ensure that more than half a billion dollars in state and federal funding benefit the children most in need in California.  

SB 638 brought important reforms, including:

• A 50 percent increase in the daily student rate for after school grantees
• Funding based on ‘grants’ rather than ‘reimbursement,’ which promotes a more effective flow of resources from the state to local programs
• Increased funding for teen programs
• Program evaluation process that moves beyond a simple examination of standardized test scores and recognizes the unique role after school programs play in keeping children safe and engaged in a low-pressure, supportive and fun learning environment

NEXT STEPS

Building on the momentum of our recent legislative success, we are currently focused on following activities:

• Closely monitoring the implementation of SB 638 to ensure that the law’s intent is maintained in all aspects of the Proposition 49 rollout
• Advocating for an increase of school meal and nutrition education resources for low-income schools
• Building closer ties with additional partners, such as child care advocates, to so we can all work together to address the needs of children and families