About the Public Policy Committee

Mission Statement

The Everychild Foundation Public Policy Committee is committed to the easing of suffering of local children through educating and enabling members to take an active role in advancing policies and procedures that support the wellbeing of local children.

History

On January 23, 2007 in recognition of the positive impact of policy and advocacy on behalf of the children of Los Angeles, the Everychild Board of Directors decided to create a public policy committee. The Public Policy Committee (PPC) is charged with advancing the Everychild Foundation’s mission of easing the suffering of children in Los Angeles through issue-focused education and advocacy of behalf of at-risk children.

PPC members receive extensive training and participate in policy opportunities by attending community workshops and conferences, meetings with field experts and seminars with invited experts.

With this expertise, committee members educate Everychild members, the community and elected officials about the challenges facing vulnerable and at-risk children and participate with like-minded groups to find solutions to help these often ignored children. In addition, the PPC promotes the education of Everychild’s membership though policy workshops, legislative alerts and maintaining notebooks on children’s issues.

Since its establishment in 2007, the PPC has rapidly become known throughout Los Angeles County for its policy contributions and members have been invited to attend community policy convenings, join local children’s policy initiatives and advocacy networks. Members have met with elected officials, submitted letters to the editors and contributed to policy blogs.

Current Public Policy Committee Activities

• Educating and informing members about local, state and federal laws, ordinances and policies that adversely impact the wellbeing of Los Angeles area children.
• Training interested members as advocates for children.
• Providing members issue-focused policy education about critical needs of local children with a particular emphasis on issues confronted by current and potential grantees. These include foster care/child welfare, the needs of infants and toddlers ages 0-3, juvenile justice, and the impact of homelessness on children and youth.
• Participating in local advocacy and policy leadership networks to strengthen and improve policies and public systems that advance the wellbeing of local infants, toddlers, and youth, including disenfranchised and at-risk children and their families.