Council Grants Final Passage to Young's Children and Youth Fund

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        
Contact: Lester Davis

Tuesday,  January 26, 2016
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Media Advisory

Council Grants Final Passage to Young's Children and Youth Fund

BALTIMORE, MD – Members of the City Council took an historic step toward improving the lives of children and youth in Baltimore by passing a first-of-its-kind fund to pump $31 million in new funding into programs geared toward children and youth.
The Children and Youth Investment Act, which was introduced in September by City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young, will invest in Baltimore’s children by doing the following:

• Earmark three percent of the city’s budget – an amount currently equal to $31 million – to be placed annually in a non-lapsing fund.
• Establish a framework for assessing the needs of Baltimore’s youth population.
• Outline the types of programs eligible for funding, spell out the limits of the usage of dollars, and collect data on programs that receive awards.

Young credited his colleagues on the Council for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him to place the needs of Baltimore’s young people first.

“The Council’s passage of this landmark bill represents a renewed sense of hope for our city’s young people,” Young said. “Passage of the Children and Youth Investment Act will help improve outcomes for our children – our most precious resources. It is my sincere hope that Mayor Rawlings-Blake takes this opportunity to unite our city and sign into law this piece of legislation that’s overwhelmingly supported by members of the Council, parents, students, teachers and advocates for our children.”

Youth advocacy groups heralded the passage of the Children and Youth Investment Act.

“The Student Leaders of The Intersection are so pleased that our elected officials have prioritized Baltimore's young people and passed The Children and Youth Investment Act,” said Jamyla Krempel, director of programming with The Intersection, a non-profit organization dedicated to shifting expectations for Baltimore’s young people by transforming high school students from underserved areas into college-bound leaders. “We know that youth can positively transform our city, but they need resources to do it. We are grateful for President Young's leadership. By investing in our children and youth today, we are securing positive outcomes for our future.”

Taylor Spann, 16, a student leader with The Intersection and first year student at Bard High School Early College, said the passage of the youth fund is an exciting step for her and her peers.

“I am over-joyed. We truly need this investment,” Spann said. “I believe that this act will not only benefit our youth, but our entire city.”

The legislation will immediately be forwarded to Mayor Rawlings-Blake for her signature. Afterward, the item will be placed on the ballot during the November general election for consideration by the voters of Baltimore City.

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