DC Action

Individuals in a conference room listening to a presenter.

Individuals around a conference table engaged in a discussion

This morning, the TANF is Still a Lifeline Coalition held a Council briefing on the District's only cash assistance program for families with children and the devastating impact of cuts. TY @cmfrumin.bsky.social and staff from other council offices for engaging in this important conversation.

"My message to the Senate is don't disrupt tax-filing season," says @mayorbowser.dc.gov today, ahead of an expected vote in the Senate this week on a Republican resolution that would repeal a D.C. law that made changes to the local tax code.

Opinion: DC must restore TANF, pull children out of poverty Planned changes to Temporary Cash Assistance for Needy Families will impact 15,000 children, pushing them deeper into poverty.

Opinion: D.C. must restore TANF to pull more children out of poverty 51st.news/opinion-dc-r...

"When adults struggle less with physical & mental health they have more capacity to support their children...Furthermore, the extent of children’s coverage should be more clearly communicated throughout DHCF, to health care providers & offices, & to families" More: wearedcaction.org/publications...

NEWS: The D.C. Council just rejected an emergency bill that would have extended the summer's expanded youth curfew for another three months. The votes against came from Trayon White, @robertwhitedc.bsky.social, @brianneknadeau.bsky.social, @cmlewisgeorgew4.bsky.social, and @chenderson.bsky.social.

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Back to School Community Safety Toolkit — Free DC Families and parent organizations have an important role to play in ensuring schools remain safe, structured, and supportive places for children to learn. This toolkit compiles ideas from education ad...

And @freedcproject.bsky.social has put together a 2025 Back to School Community Safety Toolkit — check it out at freedcproject.org/schools

DC has not had cash bail since 1992.

We’ve been collecting data.

In FY23, 92% of individuals released pretrial were not arrested for a new offense.

www.courtexcellence.org/news-items/2...

Over the last week, we've heard countless concerns about harmful federal law enforcement activity in our communities.
 
I have created an online form where neighbors can anonymously report and document concerning incidents involving federal agents.
 
Submit reports here: ➡️ bit.ly/4msqJmU

DCCAPE results are out. Good: progress for nearly every group! Bad: massive gaps remain, and those who we aren't getting to proficiency also have fewer edu opportunities (and in the current political climate even more challenges). To see how your ward's doing go to wearedcaction.org/dc-kids-coun...

PSA

Tonight!

From a HUD lit review: "Sweeps of encampments do little to...resolve the problem of encampments...Clearance with little or no support may actually reduce the likelihood that people will seek shelter because it erodes trust and creates an adversarial relationship" www.huduser.gov/portal/sites...

There were also big policing differences between wards. To see the percentage of police stops, searches, arrests, and use of force with children in your ward compared to the share of teens in your ward check out our ward snapshots. Ward 1 is shown here wearedcaction.org/dc-kids-coun...

Health & Safety

Police were also far more likely to use force with Black children than white : 154 out of 157 of the use-of-force incidents with children under the age of 18 in 2023 were with Black children. In nearly 1/3 the police pointed a firearm at the child #DCKIDCOUNT wearedcaction.org/dc-kids-coun... 2/3

Even without Trump militarizing District law enforcement, Black children were already disproportionately policed. Black youth under 18 were stopped at > 10x the rate of their white peers. Police also searched Black youth under 18 far more often than they did white youth: 935 compared to just 6. 1/3

Want to support DC residents? Call these Coucilmembers today:

CM Christina Henderson - (202) 724-8105 office
CM Matt Frumin - (202) 724-8062 office
CM Robert White - (202) 727-8174 office

Tell them to vote in support of Parker's amendment to raise revenue via capital gains.

Chairman Mendelson circulated an amendment to the budget last night to pull back $30M in appropriations.

Join us in making phone calls to the Chairman's office (202-724-7002) ASAP asking them to preserve ECE funds.

DC Council still has time to keep 26k adults from losing Alliance health coverage and 6k children in ICP from having health coverage reduced. If you want to brush up on what those programs are before you contact councilmembers check out our snapshot: wearedcaction.org/publications...

Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

🚨 Before Congress’s Medicaid cuts take effect late 2026, DC Council plans to shift many #WashingtonDC residents off #Medicaid. About 10% won’t qualify for the alternative and must fend for coverage on the Exchange. Learn more about Medicaid at wearedcaction.org/publications...

Anti-Poverty Leaders' Letter to the DC Council: "We are Deeply Alarmed" We, the undersigned, write to you as leaders of long-standing organizations that work to meet the needs of DC residents with low incomes.

One of the many blows to children and families is the plan to reduce medical insurance for immigrant children (no longer covering any specialist visits) and cutting healthcare entirely for most adult immigrants. Email the Council about this now at actionnetwork.org/letters/inve...

NEW: Leaders from 20 local anti-poverty orgs sent a letter to Council to raise alarm about the proposed DC budget and the long-lasting harm it will cause to the poorest residents. www.dcfpi.org/nonprofitlea...

Budget rev still needed to ensure all children & families can thrive in DC. Increase ERAP, restore full DC CTC, ensure all public health plans provide COMPREHENSIVE & affordable care, let all homeless families access safe & dignified housing, fix paid leave & fully fund child care. Let’s do this! 💪

💻Creation of behavioral health services dashboard for youth (TY @chenderson.bsky.social @cmzparker5.bsky.social)
👦🏿Restoration of Office of Ombudsman for Children (TY
@cmzparker5.bsky.social)

🏥 Reverting to annual and not in-person Alliance reenrollment + 1-yr delay the end of coverage for youth 21-26 (TY @chenderson.bsky.social)
👶🏾Partial reinstatement of DC Child Tax Credit @cmzparker5.bsky.social)...

Other notable cmte investments in kids that should be protected as Council advances full budget:
💸 Increase in TANF benefits (TY @brianneknadeau.bsky.social @cmfrumin.bsky.social @cmlewisgeorgew4.bsky.social); $1.5M to continue family guaranteed income pilot (TY CM McDuffie)...

. @anitabondsdc.bsky.social missed an important opportunity to help working families; we call on
@chmnmendelson.bsky.social to undo the Mayor’s cuts.

We also need full Council to fix #PaidFamilyLeave. @mayorbowser.bsky.social’s proposed benefit reductions will hurt babies, new parents, and families who need to care for a sick child or other loved ones.

TY @cmlewisgeorgew4.bsky.social @cmzparker5.bsky.social @chenderson.bsky.social @brianneknadeau.bsky.social @cmcharlesallen.bsky.social CM Pinto for speaking up for ECE at markup. Early edu is too important to child dev, academics & DC econ to shortchange. We need Council to find the $ before 7/14