Voter-approved children’s funds pose a unique opportunity for communities to harness public will to increase funding for children and youth and fill existing funding gaps. We define local voter-approved children’s funds as a portion of local tax revenue dedicated to children’s services via a ballot measure.

Since Pinellas County, FL, created the first local children’s fund in 1946, local communities have created more than 50 funds nationwide. Together these funds generate more than $2 billion annually for children and youth. Since 2019, Children’s Funding Project and our partner advocacy organization Children’s Funding Accelerator have supported the creation and reauthorization of 15 local voter-approved children’s funds and two state voter-approved children’s funds that collectively generate over $1 billion for kids.