Public Policy - San Rafael, California, United States
MarinKids is a policy and advocacy campaign that aims to put kids first in Marin. We work with the community to improve policies that protect children and youth and reverse the trend of cutting critical funds for programs and services that help ensure Marin's kids are healthy, nurtured and educated to their full potential.Launched in November of last year, partly in response to the state fiscal crisis which has already negatively affected a range of educational, social supports and health care services for children and youth, MarinKids was founded by a broad range of community leaders, including representatives of business, education, health and social services, non-profits, and the faith and philanthropic communities.Not all kids in Marin are thriving. According to the data than 7% of Marin's children live in poverty, 2,000 children do not have health insurance, 19% of Marin's children are overweight and at risk of life-long health issues, a quarter of Marin's three- and four-year-olds don't attend pres-school, 36% of Marin's third-graders don't meet state standards for language and reading, and almost half of Marin's high school graduates don't complete college prep courses.With the support of key community stakeholders MarinKids will inform, educate, and provide tools for Marin residents to advocate for solutions to improve conditions for all children 0-18 in Marin County.