We are excited to share the news that Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald has convened a working group to begin looking at the creation of a children’s fund to provide resources for early childhood learning and out-of-school time programs across Allegheny County.
In 2018, PUMP served on the steering committee of Our kids. Our commitment., which advocated for the establishment of the Allegheny County Children’s Fund via a ballot initiative. More than 250,000 people voted YES on Election Day 2018 to establish the Children’s Fund, falling just short of a big win for our kids.
Nevertheless, the message we heard again and again throughout the campaign, on Election Day, and in the months since was this: the people of Allegheny County believe that we should be investing in the well-being of our kids through proven strategies, including early learning and after-school programs. These investments will pay huge dividends now and in the future in the lives of kids and families in the county, strengthening all of our communities.
We would like to thank County Executive Fitzgerald for hearing this message and leading the way forward. We would also like to thank everyone who is participating in the working group for dedicating their time and expertise to addressing the needs of kids in our county.
See the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s coverage of the press release.
The working group, per the County Executive’s charge, has a lot of work to do in a six month window including conducting research about available programs and gaps in the region, designing operations and possible budgets for a Children’s Fund, and – importantly – gathering input from the community through focus groups and community roundtable discussions. The working group met for the first time on March 20, 2019.
PUMP remains committed to supporting this effort however we can and will share opportunities to attend community meetings with all in our network. We encourage the PUMP community to stay engaged and make your voice heard on this important issue for our kids, our region, and our future.