The mission of the Partnership for Children and Youth is to ensure that school-age children and youth living in low-income communities have the support and the opportunities they need and deserve to be successful in school and in life. The Partnership helps schools secure the resources necessary to provide after school and summer programs, health care, and nutritious meals. The Partnership also advocates for policies that enable schools and the community organizations they partner with to effectively serve children and youth in low-income communities.
The Partnership was formed in 1997 by leaders in government, philanthropy and business who were concerned about the persistent poverty and ongoing difficulties faced by children and youth in the region's lowest-income communities. An extensive analysis found that these poorest communities were vastly underutilizing funding streams which could cover the costs of critical support programs for children and youth. The Partnership was created to connect schools and their community partners in these underserved communities with available public and private resources.
The Partnership's work is organized into two key initiatives: Out of School Time, and School-Based Health. Both include grant writing support for schools, and technical assistance, training and coaching on partnerships, financing and program development. The Partnership also advocates on behalf of after school, summer and school health programs at the local, state and federal levels.
To date, the Partnership has:
