Press Releases
United Ways of California Joins Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Reject Citizenship Question in 2020 Census:
“It is unusual for philanthropy to come before the Court,” said Peter Manzo, President & CEO of United Ways of California, “but we and our partners want to ensure the Court understands how important accurate Census data are to effective philanthropic and charitable activities, and the harm an undercount in the upcoming 2020 Census will have on philanthropy’s ability to design data-driven investments and solutions tailored to local communities.”
A prime concern is whether the 2020 Census will ask people about their citizenship status, as has been proposed. The Census Bureau’s own analysis suggests that the effects of adding the citizenship question to the 2020 Census would significantly reduce the accuracy of the count. The inaccuracy that would result from this question is especially problematic because the groups likely to be undercounted are central to philanthropy’s mission, including young children, immigrants, low income families, and people in rural areas.
Restoring Healthy Start Will Connect Students and Families with Services
Richmond, Calif. — Flanked by leaders of the United Ways of California, the Children’s Defense Fund of California, and Richmond’s RYSE Youth Center, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) announced her bill, AB 875, to reestablish California’s Healthy Start program to connect children and families with critical services to improve health and academic outcomes and remedy trauma and violence.
"For over 15 years Healthy Start was a proven program,"said Peter Manzo, President & CEO, United Ways of California. "We’ve gone without it since 2007 And that’s 12 years too long. We’re thrilled Assemblymember Wicks is authoring AB 875. And we look forward to working with her and our fellow champions for children, youth, and families to launch a renewed Healthy Start. One whose impact delivers on the promise of California for all."
Coalition Encouraged by Governor’s Support and Expansion of CalEITC | More Than 400,000 New Households Expected to be Eligible
Sacramento, CA – Statement from the CalEITC Advocacy Coalition, of which the United Ways of California is a proud member, regarding the Governor’s budget proposal:
The CalEITC Advocacy Coalition is pleased to see the Governor proposing support and continued expansion of the California’s Earned Income Tax Credit to help working families. The California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) provides much-needed assistance to working families and individuals who are struggling to make ends meet. The Governor’s Budget is a step in the right direction in meeting many of the coalition’s goals, including increasing the credit for families with young children and expanding the income eligibility guidelines to reach more Californians. We look forward to working with the legislature to further strengthen the credit by ensuring that all working tax filers who meet the income eligibility are eligible for the credit, including working immigrant tax filers.
Assemblymember Wicks and Statewide Advocates Call for Reestablishment of Healthy Start Program
Richmond, Calif. — Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) will join with advocates from United Ways of California, RYSE Youth Center, Children’s Defense Fund, and others to announce the introduction of AB 875 to reestablish “Healthy Start.” Health Start, established in 1991 with bipartisan support, was a historic program that gave seed money grants to Local Education Agencies and community partners to address the social determinants of health and comprehensively meet the needs of students and their families. The program, which was cut in 2007 as a result of the Great Recession, helped connect children and families to services related to: dental health, mental health, vision, academic support, job training, violence intervention and prevention, parenting education, and more. Healthy Start 2.0 will build on the positive community-level impacts of the original program by integrating child- and family-facing service systems and emphasizing evidence-based approaches to program access and effectiveness, especially for high-need communities.
Governor’s Budget Invests in CalEITC, Kids’ Early Education & Healthcare
Los Angeles, CA – Statement from Peter Manzo, President and CEO of the United Ways of California, (UWCA) regarding Governor Gavin Newsom’s 2019-2020 budget proposal:
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- United Ways of California Assists CalSavers to Boost Saving for Retirement by California Private Sector Employees
- California’s 2018-2019 State Budget Provides Important Investments for Low-Income Families
- California’s State Budget Agreement Increases Eligibility for the CalEITC, Funds Free Tax Preparation and Increases Funding to House the Homeless
- Governor’s May Revise Includes Hope for Low Income Households by Increasing Investment in CalEITC and Addressing California’s Housing Crisis
