A voter-approved children’s fund refers to local public revenue that is dedicated to children’s services in an election by the voters. These types of funds also are called

• local dedicated funds,
• Children’s Services Councils (in Florida),
• Children’s Services Funds (in Missouri),
• Strong Start (San Miguel County, CO) or Right Start (Summit County, CO),
• Best Starts for Kids (King County, WA),
• Early Childhood Millage (in Kent County, MI), or
• simply children’s funds.

These funds support a variety of programs and services for children and youth including

• prenatal and infant health and development services;
• child care and early education programs;
• after-school and summer programs;
• youth mentorship, leadership, and career support;
• mental health, behavioral health, and wellness support; and
• other programs and services typically provided outside of core school-day hours.

Voter-approved children’s funds do not support the general operating budget for K-12 public schools since school districts typically receive funding from other designated local, state, and federal sources.