While the national election and a changed political landscape are likely to dominate headlines over the coming week, Election Day secured several big wins for local child and youth initiatives. In Texas and Missouri, voters approved Travis County Prop A and Platte County’s Children’s Services Fund both by wide margins. While votes are still being tallied in California through Wednesday morning, Sonoma County Measure I and City of Pomona Measure Y both appear to be on a path to victory; with well over 50% of precincts reporting, both measures enjoy a substantial lead. Collectively, these four measures will provide up to $133 million annually in sustainable, dedicated revenue to support child and youth services. This will translate into expanded services for approximately 42,800 children across the communities that approved their ballot measures. Check out our results tracker graphic on the right for more details about vote margins and the outcomes for other important local and state measures.

Voters in the state of Washington also preserved a significant source of revenue for education, child care, and early learning by rejecting Initiative 2109. The initiative sought to repeal a 7% tax on capital gains above $250,000, which generated $889 million for Washington children and youth in its first year alone.

The measure in St. Paul, MN, which faced public opposition from Mayor Melvin Carter, fell short of voter approval. However, the work of the coalition behind the Yes for St. Paul Families campaign built a local advocacy infrastructure that will have a lasting impact on the early childhood community in St. Paul. If history tells us anything, we’ll see these advocates succeed on a future ballot. 

For all these advocates, November 5 marked a major milestone. Voters in five communities weighed in on ballot measures to establish voter-approved children’s funds—the culmination of years of planning, community engagement, and coalition building. They created a local advocacy and power structure to secure big wins for kids, now and in the future. Read more about these campaigns, the funds they seek to establish, and the other measures highlighted in the results tracker above in our 2024 election preview blog.

Stay tuned to Children’s Funding Project’s updates page for more analysis of these campaigns and how their work will contribute to the future of the children’s funding movement. If you are interested in learning more about voter-approved children’s funds, Children’s Funding Project’s ballot measure cohort, Funding the Next Generation’s work with communities in California, and gaining first-hand insight into the ballot measure process—directly from the advocates who led these campaigns—join us on January 16, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time for our webinar The 2024 Election: Lessons Learned and the Path Forward for Voter-Approved Children’s Funds.

Dan Whitaker is a senior policy associate and Olivia Allen is co-founder and vice president of strategy and advocacy at Children’s Funding Project.

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