Voices for Healthy Kids 2022 Annual Progress Report
Letters from Leadership
From the American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown
Childhood is but a grain in the sands of time—it seems in a blink babies go from our protective arms into the world. Giving them the best opportunity for a long, healthy life is the aim of Voices for Healthy Kids.
Created in 2013 by the American Heart Association with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Voices for Healthy Kids champions policies to equitably improve the communities where children live, learn and play—especially those historically impacted by health and economic disparities.
While equity has always been our focus, last fiscal year inspired a reimagining of purpose, driving the Voices team to dig deeper for better ways to help children thrive amid inequities heightened by the pandemic.
With an investment by RWJF, we created a national action plan to support grassroots advocacy and develop resources to transform communities in partnership with the people who live there.
Today, more families in food deserts have access to fresh produce, streets and sidewalks in several cities are safer for biking and walking, the Keep Kids Fed Act extends pandemic-era school meal waivers, the Healthy Kids’ Meal Bill applies to both food and drinks and several states have expanded Medicaid.
That’s only a snapshot.
I am proud to say that in 10 years, Voices for Healthy Kids has achieved 346 policy successes, touched 281 million lives and secured $5.3 billion to build healthier communities.
We are called to make even greater strides this year. Lighting our path is the Association’s 2024 Impact Goal to advance cardiovascular health for all, including identifying and removing barriers to healthcare access and quality.
I celebrate staff and volunteer advocates for making an extraordinary impact.
Thank you to our funders, supporters and collaborators for helping Voices for Healthy Kids create a path to health equity for all.
Together, we are a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.
With heart,
Nancy BrownChief Executive OfficerAmerican Heart Association
From the Voices for Healthy Kids Executive Director Lori Fresina
As Voices for Healthy Kids approaches its 10-year mark, we continue to advance policy change that improves the lives of children and families, always with equity as our North Star. If I were to name a theme for the past year, it would be “trust the process.”
We transitioned from creative reimagining to concrete, practical action. What emerged were new approaches to equity-centered grantmaking, policy development, leadership development, campaign support and our own internal hiring practices.
We have learned that meaningful change can be bumpy, and that building processes that intentionally give up power and control can be downright scary!
Our Advocacy Impact Pilot supports equity-centered, community-led policy campaigns in four cities. Residents prioritized key issues for these campaigns, including some issues in areas that were new to us. Our job was to trust the process, even when that pushed us outside our comfort zone.
We continue to make our grantmaking process more anti-racist. We created the Fair Start Index, a data tool that guides our grant dollars to communities of highest need and opportunity. Holding ourselves accountable to our equity goals requires us to be more intentional about where we want to invest while being more curious about who we want to fund. We learned that our approach was good but that it needed to be better.
Amid hyper-partisanship, some advocates in conservative jurisdictions have felt caught between their commitment to equity and their desire to pass legislation, even if that means staying silent on race, racism or equity. To meet the moment, Voices for Healthy Kids regularly convened a nationwide peer group of advocates working in conservative jurisdictions to problem solve, share success stories and identify needs. Together, we developed a supportive community of peers and new messaging aimed at helping advocates and decision-makers converse about substantive issues without getting caught in partisan quicksand.
As always, we are grateful for the support of our funders, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, the Bainum Family Foundation, and the Pritzker Children’s Initiative. Thank you for making our work possible.
With each passing year, we are ever-more appreciative of our entire Voices for Healthy Kids network—our grantees, national collaborators, community-based organizations, researchers and more. We continue to learn with and from you. Thank you for the critical role each of you plays in creating equitable communities nationwide.
With respect and gratitude,
Lori FresinaExecutive DirectorVoices for Healthy Kids
By The Numbers, 2013-2022
Increasing Impact
346policy successes (as of 8/1/22)
281 millionpeople affected by Voices for Healthy Kids policy wins* **Represents population of states and/or communities impacted by policies passed. Policies must meet American Heart Association’s guidelines, which are based on science and potential population impact (as of 8/1/22).
$5.3 billionsecured in appropriations to support mission-related programs and services that address the root causes of childhood obesity and health inequities (since the start of the initiative)
Building A Movement
290campaigns funded (as of 8/1/22)
27organizations in the Strategic Advisory Committee aligning with policy priorities and centering health equity (2022 committee)
111organizations participating in Voices for Healthy Kids’ advisory committees, work groups and other collaborations (as of 8/1/22)
73,178online grassroots advocates (as of 8/1/22)
Training and Resources
22advocacy toolkits created
24national message research projects
6,101requests for skills building, planning and consultation (technical assistance)
Policy Wins Across the U.S.
Policy Wins
Alabama
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
$30 million in additional funding to support quality childcare across Alabama.
American Heart Association – Alabama
Alabama
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2022
Alabama appropriated $17.8 million to incentivize childcare providers to increase their quality rating scores.
The Women's Fund of Greater Birmingham
Alabama
Preemption Efforts
-
2021
Advocates defeated multiple bills that would have stripped authority from local county health departments during a public health threat and the COVID-19 pandemic.
American Heart Association – Alabama
Alabama
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2015
Alabama Board of Education adopted statewide nutrition standards for competitive foods sold in schools
American Heart Association – Alabama
Policy Wins
Alaska
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
$7.5 million secured in state budget to increase wages for childcare workers to help stabilize childcare operations in Alaska.
American Heart Association - Alaska
Alaska
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
$1.5 million secured in the state budget to provide additional funds to Head Start Programs in Alaska.
American Heart Association - Alaska
Alaska
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Alaska passed HB 168 allowing online applications for SNAP benefits.
American Heart Association - Alaska
Alaska
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Alaska approved $500,000 to fund Double Bucks for SNAP and WIC recipients to spend at farmers markets, as well as additional funding for the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.
American Heart Association - Alaska
Policy Wins
Arizona
Preemption Efforts
-
2023
Successful campaign to defeat harmful preemption legislation backed by the tobacco industry to prevent local efforts on tobacco control.
American Heart Association – Arizona
Arizona
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2022
Tolleson School District passed a water access policy increasing access to no-cost, clean water, ultimately improving their environment, helping lead to better health outcomes, and ground softening for larger districts to follow suit.
American Heart Association – Arizona
Arizona
Preemption Efforts
-
2022
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Arizona
Arizona
Preemption Efforts
-
2021
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Arizona
Arizona
Preemption Efforts
-
2020
Multiple groups joined together during the 2020 legislative session to stop almost 20 preemptive bills put forth by the Arizona legislature.
American Heart Association – Arizona
Arizona
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
Voters in Mesa approved the Mesa Moves bond program, which will help fund regional roadway improvements, projects to reconstruct arterial roads across the city, and active transportation like biking and walking.
American Heart Association – Arizona
Arizona
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
A special appropriation of $500,000 for SNAP incentives was included in the Arizona COVID-19 pandemic response budget to ensure increased access to fruits and vegetables.
Pinnacle Prevention
Arizona
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
Tuscan AZ City Council unanimously adopted a Complete Streets ordinance that prioritizes equity and will improve transportation options within the community for all people.
Living Streets Alliance
Arizona
Preemption Efforts
-
2019
An Arizona bill that would have preempted local control of tobacco work and undone all previous tobacco control policies at the local level was stopped.
American Heart Association – Arizona
Arizona
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
In Tucson, AZ, approved a ballot measure that will create a pool of $67.1 million through the sale of bonds to implement connectivity projects in the city.
American Heart Association – Arizona
Arizona
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2015
Voters passed a tax ballot measure expected to generate $16.7 billion over the life of the tax, with a significant portion being spent on walking and biking infrastructure.
American Heart Association – Arizona
Arizona
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2014
Arizona SB 1336 passed nearly unanimously, helping schools unlock the gates and open up their facilities to the community for either leased or uncompensated use of public school grounds.
American Heart Association – Arizona
Policy Wins
Arkansas
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
The Arkansas Legislative Committee authorized a request from the Arkansas Department of Human Services to allocate $1.8 million in CARES Act funds to go to Statewide Critical Direct Feeding Services for Children, Elderly, and Families
American Heart Association – Arkansas
Arkansas
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2020
The Little Rock School District was the first district in the nation to adopt a water access policy requiring all new construction and major renovation projects in schools to include water bottle filling stations.
American Heart Association – Arkansas
Arkansas
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2020
The North Little Rock School District added a water bottle filling station requirement to its district wellness policy, requiring filling stations for any new construction or school renovation.
American Heart Association – Arkansas
Arkansas
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Rogers, AR, mayor issued an executive order requiring all city vending machines to comply with nutrition guidelines to ensure that healthier food and beverage options are available on local public property.
American Heart Association – Arkansas
Arkansas
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
The Little Rock, AR, city manager signed a healthy vending policy for all vending machines located in buildings and on property owned by the city.
American Heart Association – Arkansas
Arkansas
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
Fayetteville, AR, mayor signed an executive order requiring all vending machines on city property to comply with GSA/HHS nutrition standards and that all vending machines provide calorie labeling.
American Heart Association – Arkansas
Arkansas
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
Springdale, AR, adopted nutrition standards for vending machines on city owned and leased property.
American Heart Association – Arkansas
Policy Wins
California
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
$1.4 billion in funding (over two years) was secured to supplement reimbursement rates for all childcare providers in the state improving access.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
California more than doubled the appropriations for the CA Nutrition Incentive program in the 2021-2022 budget with $20 million of new funding.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
Oceanside Unified School District passed legislation that all newly constructed public-school buildings and schools undergoing major renovations must be equipped with bottle filling stations
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Successful campaign for local investment in SNAP Incentive and Produce Prescription programs
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
California became the first state in the nation to permanently adopt free school meals for all K–12 students.
California Association of Food Banks and the Center for Ecoliteracy
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
California's Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $2 million in discretionary funds from redirected federal American Rescue Plan dollars to go toward SNAP incentives, Los Angeles' Market Match program.
Hunger Action LA
California
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
Oceanside Unified School District updated their School District Wellness Policy to improve water access.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
San Diego County Board Members unanimously approved $2 million in funding for SNAP incentives and $1 million in funding for produce prescriptions
American Heart Association – California
California
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
The San Jose City Council unanimously approved $6.78 million in funding for active transportation infrastructure improvements.
California Walks
California
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
The Los Angeles City Council allocated over $100 million to make streets accessible for everyone: $34.6 million for Vision Zero, $30.9 million for Complete Streets and $38.7 million for bike and pedestrian projects.
Investing in Place
California
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2019
California allocated over $142 million over four years to increase access to and provide support for Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
California Head Start Association
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2018
The San Francisco fiscal year 18-19 budget included over $1 million in funding for Healthy Food Vouchers.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2018
The city council in Daly City, CA, unanimously approved a new policy requiring the default beverage offered with kids’ meals to be water, milk or non-dairy milk-alternative
Public Health Advocates
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2018
California passed legislation requiring the default beverage offered with restaurant kids’ meals to be water or milk.
Public Health Advocates
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2018
The 2018-2019 California State Budget included $9 million in funding for the CalFresh Fruit and Vegetable EBT Pilot program to help low-income residents purchase and consume more California-grown produce.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
The Perris, CA, City Council passed an ordinance making water, milk and 100% juice the default drinks served with children’s meals in restaurants.
Public Health Advocates
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
The Cathedral City, CA, city council passed an ordinance requiring healthy beverages to be the default option in restaurant kids’ meals.
Public Health Advocates
California
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
The Long Beach, CA, city budget was approved, including $10 million dollars for bike and pedestrian safety improvements throughout the city. Funds were available thanks to successful ballot measures that provided the necessary transportation dollars.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2017
California AB 841 restricts junk food marketing in all California schools during the school day.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
The Santa Clara County, CA, Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance prohibiting restaurants from offering drinks other than water or milk in combination with a kids’ meals.
Public Health Advocates
California
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
The City of Los Angeles approved the 2018 budget, including $27 million to support the Vision Zero initiative, an effort to eliminate pedestrian traffic deaths by creating safer active transportation infrastructure
Investing in Place & L.A. County Bicycle Coalition
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
The Long Beach, CA, City Council unanimously passed the Kids First Choice policy, removing sugary drinks from restaurant kids’ meals.
Public Health Advocates
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
Oakland, CA, voters approved a one-cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
Albany, CA, voters passed a one-cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
Stockton, CA, City Council unanimously passed an ordinance requiring the default beverage offered with kids’ meals to be water, milk or non-dairy milk-alternative.
Public Health Advocates
California
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Santa Clara County, CA, voters approved Measure B, a 0.5% sales tax, with $250 million of the money generated by the tax dedicated to improving walking and biking infrastructure.
American Heart Association – California
California
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Los Angeles County, CA, voters passed Measure M, a 0.5% sales tax and 0.5% traffic relief tax, which will funnel an estimated $25 billion into active transportation projects over the coming years.
Yes on Measure M & Investing in Place
California
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2016
California adopted a smart snacks competitive foods policy, ensuring that 6,314,700 students have access to healthier snacks in schools.
American Heart Association – California
California
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Stanislaus County, CA, voters passed Measure L, a 0.5 cent sales tax, estimated to generate $960 million dollars over 25 years for local transportation investments.
American Heart Association – California
California
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Monterey County, CA, voters approve Measure X, a sales tax increase, which will provide $20 million for pedestrian and bike improvements, $20 million for Safe Routes to Schools programs and $360 million to local road maintenance and safety over 30 years.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
San Francisco, CA, voters passed a one-cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks.
American Heart Association – California
California
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
California AB 1613, an amendment to the 2016 budget, redirected $900 million in cap-and-trade funds to greenhouse gas reduction efforts, including $10 million in new funding for the Active Transportation Program.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2016
California secured $9.5 million for water filtration systems for schools in low income neighborhoods and $500,000 for technical assistance to those schools.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
San Francisco, CA, adopted a new ordinance that improves the nutritional quality of foods and beverages in vending machines on city and county-owned properties.
American Heart Association – California
California
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2015
Local ballot initiative passing a sugary drink tax and earmarking dollars to improved community wellness in Berkeley, CA
American Heart Association – California
Policy Wins
Colorado
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
A successful ballot initiative to provide no-cost, healthy school meals for all public school students in Colorado.
Hunger Free Colorado and American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
The Golden City Council voted unanimously to approve a healthy kids meals ordinance that makes healthy beverage options the default on kids meals menus in restaurants throughout the city.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Longmont, Co passed a legislation that requires all restaurants to sell children's meals with default beverages of water, dairy milk, or non-dairy milk with no added sugar.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2021
Innovative and community-based campaign to increase access and support to childcare in Colorado.
Small Business Majority
Colorado
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Successful campaign to increase SNAP incentive appropriations to increase access to healthy food.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Preemption Efforts
-
2019
A preemption law in Colorado was repealed, giving local governments more power to tax and regulate tobacco products.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2019
The Colorado legislature approved $1.1 million in physical education appropriations, prioritizing funding for high-need schools and districts.
Healthier Colorado
Colorado
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
The Denver, CO, 2019 budget included $15 million for citywide bike and pedestrian infrastructure improvements.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
Denver, CO, voters voted yes on the Denver GO Bond, securing more than $115 million for walking and biking infrastructure, including $30 million just for sidewalk improvements.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Lafayette, CO, City Council approved an ordinance requiring the default beverage offered with kids’ meals to be water, milk or non-dairy milk-alternative.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2016
Colorado adopted updated early care and education rules for childcare centers, improving nutrition and physical activity requirements and limiting screen time.
The Fund for a Healthier Colorado
Colorado
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
Boulder, CO, voters voted “yes” on measure 2H, a two-cent per ounce tax on sugary drinks.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2015
Denver, CO secured $7.1 million for bicycle and pedestrian projects, a $1 million increase from previous years’ budget allocations.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2015
Colorado adopted a competitive foods statewide policy to ensure the nutritional quality of foods in schools.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Colorado
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2015
The Colorado Transportation Commission allocated $2.5 million annually, starting in fiscal year 2016, to fund the Safe Routes to School Program that was created through legislation in 2014.
American Heart Association – Colorado
Policy Wins
Connecticut
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
$3.5 million in ARPA funds were appropriated to increase access to affordable childcare by New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker.
American Heart Association – Connecticut
Connecticut
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
$35 million was appropriated for Care4Kids, a program that is part of the CT Office of Early Childhood and helps low to moderate income families pay for childcare costs.
American Heart Association – Connecticut
Connecticut
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
A successful campaign to place water bottle filling station in schools in CT increasing access to healthy hydration.
American Heart Association – Connecticut
Connecticut
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2015
Connecticut authorized bonds for construction of walkways and bikeways ultimately securing $9.8 million to build active transportation infrastructure.
American Heart Association – Connecticut
Policy Wins
Delaware
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
Success in securing over $12 million so more 3-and-4-year-olds can have access to Head Start programs in Delaware.
American Heart Association – Delaware
Delaware
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
$10.347 million in public funding was appropriated to provide wage increases to childcare workers and to address workforce shortages and workforce retention issues.
American Heart Association – Delaware
Delaware
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2022
Delaware increased funding by $66,581,900 for the Purchase of Care Program, which provides access to childcare for vulnerable populations, and to address childcare workforce shortages and workforce re
Rodel
Delaware
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
The Delaware legislature approved over $15 million in bike and pedestrian appropriations as part of the 2021 Capital Improvements Act.
American Heart Association – Delaware
Delaware
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
House Bill 79 was passed by the Delaware legislature, requiring healthy drink options as the default beverages in all kids’ restaurant meals.
American Heart Association – Delaware
Policy Wins
District of Columbia
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Give SNAP a Raise policy passed in DC that provides a 10% monthly bonus to District SNAP recipients to help them stretch their food budget and access more healthy food.
American Heart Association - District of Columbia
District of Columbia
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
The District of Columbia doubled appropriations for the Produce Rx program to $500,000, enabling more under-resourced residents, mostly in Wards 7 and 8, to better access fruits and vegetables.
DC Greens
District of Columbia
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
The District of Columbia Council Committee on Health recommended doubling $500,000 for the Produce Rx program
DC Greens
District of Columbia
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2014
Washington, DC, enacted a procurement policy that creates a framework for worksite wellness in the District, including adopting AHA’s Fit Friendly Worksite recommendations and creating nutrition standards aligned with the Federal General Service Guidelines for foods and beverages available in vending machines and served in city facilities in the District of Columbia.
American Heart Association – Washington, DC
Policy Wins
Florida
Preemption Efforts
-
2020
Florida advocates responded to multiple preemptive policies during the 2020 session, effectively stopping the passage of new preemption bills and paving the way for future preemption repeal.
Florida Rising Together
Florida
Preemption Efforts
-
2019
Florida advocates successfully stopped multiple attempts to pass tobacco preemption in the state legislature.
American Heart Association – Florida
Florida
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
Pinellas County, FL, voters voted to renew an existing 1% sales tax that generates money for capital improvements, including an estimated $412 million over ten years for transportation projects.
American Heart Association – Florida
Florida
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
St. Petersburg, FL, mayor signed an administrative healthy vending policy to improve foods available in all city owned and operated facilities.
American Heart Association – Florida
Florida
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2014
Florida adopted a competitive food rule in July 2014 and is working to implement the federal standards by ensuring their schools have the necessary resources and technical assistance needed for success. Florida AHA worked directly with schools to implement the new standards.
American Heart Association – Florida
Policy Wins
Georgia
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
A community-driven campaign that resulted in the City of Atlanta funding $500k to support a SNAP incentive program, increasing access to fresh, healthy, locally grown food.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Georgia
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2022
Athens County, Ga., passed a complete streets policy ensuring safety for all users of sidewalks, bike lanes and crosswalks.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Georgia
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2021
Atlanta approved a tax district that will fund a trail system to provide a safe space for walking, biking, and other physical activity.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Georgia
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Fulton County, Georgia made an administrative rule for the first time to fund Wholesome Wave Georgia to expand the SNAP Healthy Incentive program from ARPA funding to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Georgia
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2021
Augusta passed a referendum that provides at least $25 million specifically toward bike and pedestrian funding projects.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Georgia
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
Atlanta allocated over $1.4 million in transportation funding to support the Huff Road Complete Streets Project to bring equitable walking and biking to an underserved area of the city.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Georgia
Preemption Efforts
-
2019
Georgia advocates defeated legislation that would have prevented local governments from enacting or enforcing comprehensive smoke-free ordinances.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Georgia
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
Atlanta, GA, enacted a new Complete Streets policy, which will help shift more people from driving to other modes of transportation, expanding transportation options for all people.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Georgia
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
The Savannah City Council passed a resolution implementing healthy vending and healthy food service policies, ensuring that the 2,600 city employees, as well as visitors to city property, have access to healthier foods and beverages.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Georgia
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Atlanta, GA, voters approved a five-year increase in sales tax to generate $380 million to fund active transportation projects throughout the city.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Georgia
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2015
Georgia Department of Education adopted a statewide nutrition policy to ensure healthier competitive foods are available in schools.
American Heart Association – Georgia
Policy Wins
Hawaii
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
After advocates acted, Hawaii SNAP participants will now have a Double Up Food Bucks (Da Bux) fruits and vegetables incentives program funded at $500,000 via state funding, with additional private funding pending.
Hawaii Appleseed
Hawaii
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
The Hawaii Governor signed Senate Bill 549 into law, requiring restaurant kids’ meals to have healthy beverages as the default option starting January 2020.
American Heart Association – Hawaii
Hawaii
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
The state legislature in Hawaii passed a $100,000 allocation ($50,000 per year for two years) for Double Up Food Bucks, making fresh, nutritious foods more affordable for people who can’t afford to shop at high-end grocery stores.
Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice
Policy Wins
Idaho
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
Success in ensuring an investment of $15 million for Child Care Infrastructure Grants in FY 2024, increasing access to affordable, high-quality childcare, with focus on high-need communities across Idaho.
American Heart Association – Idaho
Idaho
Preemption Efforts
-
2021
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Idaho
Idaho
Preemption Efforts
-
2020
Advocates successfully defended against preemptive language in the Idaho tobacco retail licensure bill.
American Heart Association – Idaho
Policy Wins
Illinois
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
A collaborative effort that secured $50 million in the FY24 budget, funding construction/renovation of early childhood facilities, increasing the number of childcare programs with priority in communities with the greatest underserved population.
American Heart Association - Illinois
Illinois
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
The FY24 Illinois budget included $5 million to expand home visiting programs called The Early Head Start Home-Based option, providing support for low-income pregnant people and families with children under 3.
American Heart Association - Illinois
Illinois
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Cook County, Ill., passed legislation that provides $4.5 million for nutrition security initiatives, including Veggie Rx, from the American Rescue Plan Act supplemental ordinance.
American Heart Association - Illinois
Illinois
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Illinois adopted policy that requires all restaurants in the state to make the default beverage choices of water, non-flavored sparkling water, and 100% apple juice.
American Heart Association - Illinois
Illinois
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
Chicago allocated over $550,000 in CARES Act funding to support SNAP incentives, supporting both SNAP participants and local farmers markets.
American Heart Association - Illinois
Illinois
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
Illinois included $500,000 in funding for SNAP incentives infrastructure in the 2020-2021 state budget.
American Heart Association - Illinois
Illinois
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
Legislators in Illinois passed a six-year transportation capital program that includes $50 million annually for bike and pedestrian projects.
American Heart Association - Illinois
Illinois
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
The Cook County, IL, County Board of Commissioners passed a one-cent per ounce tax on sweetened beverages.
American Heart Association - Illinois
Policy Wins
Indian Country
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
The Navajo Nation Council voted to extend the Healthy Diné Nation Act (HDNA) of 2014, a tax on unhealthy items like: sugary drinks, candy, chips, etc.. A portion of revenue is allocated toward community wellness projects and clean water initiatives.
First Nations Development Institute
Indian Country
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2014
Navajo Nation passed a 2% price increase on sugary beverages and non-nutritious food and eliminated the 5% sales tax on water, fruits, seeds, nuts and vegetables.
First Nations Development Institute
Policy Wins
Indiana
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Passage of law that reduces the barriers to nutritional assistance for some vulnerable populations, including extending the eligibility period and streamlining the application process for the elderly and those individuals with disabilities.
American Heart Association - Indiana
Indiana
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2021
Evansville, IN passed a complete streets policy making it easier for people to be physically active while getting around town.
American Heart Association - Indiana
Policy Wins
Iowa
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
The Iowa Governor allocated $1 million in CARES Act funding to the Double Up Food Bucks program to increase SNAP participants’ purchasing power for fruits and vegetables.
American Heart Association – Iowa
Iowa
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
The Des Moines City Council built upon the success of their complete streets policy by approving nearly $60 million in streets funding, including $13 million for bike and pedestrian projects.
American Heart Association – Iowa
Iowa
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
The City Council of Des Moines, IA, voted unanimously to adopt a revised Complete Streets policy to improve the transportation network for all users within the city, with a focus on equity, prioritizing areas that have seen historical underinvestment.
American Heart Association – Iowa
Iowa
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2015
Iowa HB 570 unanimously passed the Senate and was signed by the governor to clarify liability allowing the use of municipal property for recreational activities.
American Heart Association – Iowa
Policy Wins
Kansas
Preemption Efforts
-
2023
Successful defeat or harmful preemption legislation that threatened the local policy efforts regarding nutrition, tobacco, etc.
Kansas Black Leadership Council and American Heart Association - Kansas
Kansas
Preemption Efforts
-
2022
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association - Kansas
Kansas
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
Wyandotte County passed an equity-focused complete streets policy to make streets and sidewalks safer for walking, biking, and rolling.
American Heart Association - Kansas
Policy Wins
Kentucky
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2021
Successful campaign to pass updated standards for licensed childcare centers on healthy foods, physical activity and screen time.
American Heart Association – Kentucky
Kentucky
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2020
Kentucky established early care and education standards on nutrition, physical activity, screen time, and sugary beverages in licensed centers.
American Heart Association – Kentucky
Kentucky
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
The Louisville City Council updated the existing complete streets ordinance to focus more specifically on performance measures, transparency, accountability and equity to increase roadway safety and encourage active living.
Kentucky Youth Advocates
Kentucky
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2019
Water bottle filling stations are now required to be installed in all newly constructed schools and school modernization projects in Kentucky.
American Heart Association – Kentucky
Kentucky
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Louisville, KY, mayor signed an executive order to increase healthier food and beverage offerings in vending machines on city property.
American Heart Association – Kentucky
Policy Wins
Louisiana
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Louisiana allocated $889,000 to create or expand a market match SNAP program, doubling SNAP dollars available for spending at farmers markets.
Market Umbrella
Louisiana
Preemption Efforts
-
2022
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Louisiana
Louisiana
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
A successful campaign to increase access to healthy hydration buy ensuring water filling stations in schools in Louisiana.
American Heart Association – Louisiana
Louisiana
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2021
New Orleans, La., passed a bond measure that dedicates bike and pedestrian funding to the city budget, focusing on communities with low to moderate incomes.
Bike Easy
Louisiana
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
New Orleans' city council passed a law that makes healthy beverage options the default for all kids meals.
American Heart Association – Louisiana
Louisiana
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
New Orleans passed a city ordinance requiring planning, designing, funding, operation, and maintenance of the city's transportation system
Bike Easy
Louisiana
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
Voters in Baton Rouge, LA, approved a sales tax that will generate approximately $170 million over 30 years to improve sidewalks, connectivity, safe biking and walking routes.
American Heart Association – Louisiana
Louisiana
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Louisiana Governor signed Executive Order 17-15, requiring healthy vending for all state owned and leased properties, making Louisiana the first state in the country to meet all of AHA’s policy priorities for healthy vending.
Tulane
Louisiana
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Jefferson Parish, LA, president signed an executive directive requiring both healthy vending and healthy food service on all Jefferson Parish public property.
American Heart Association – Louisiana
Louisiana
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
New Orleans, LA, finalized a healthy food procurement vending and healthy food service procurement policy impacting over 5,500 city employees and 378,000 residents.
American Heart Association – Louisiana
Policy Wins
Maine
Preemption Efforts
-
2023
Successful defeated a harmful preemption bill that threatened to severely impact ongoing local tobacco work in Maine, and would have potentially restricted sugary drink work as well.
American Heart Association - Maine
Maine
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
Maine passed LD221, which included a Meals for Students Fund, establishing a nonlapsing, dedicated fund for free breakfast and lunch at schools for all students.
American Heart Association - Maine
Policy Wins
Maryland
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2021
Successful campaign to secure significant public dollars for early head start, head start and early care and education.
American Heart Association – Maryland
Maryland
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
The Montgomery County Council in Maryland approved nearly $30 million in funding for implementation of the 2018 Master Bike Plan, which will support active transportation and recreation.
American Heart Association – Maryland
Maryland
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
The Howard County Council appropriated $5.3 million dollars for bike and pedestrian improvements, with a focus on ADA compliance.
American Heart Association – Maryland
Maryland
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
Prince George's County Council passed the Healthy Kids’ Meals bill (CB-071-2020), legislation that would curb the number of sugary drinks and unhealthy foods sold with restaurant kids’ meals.
The Horizon Foundation
Maryland
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
Howard County included $1.45 million in its 2019 budget for biking projects.
American Heart Association – Maryland
Maryland
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2018
The County Executive of Baltimore County issued an executive order that improves the nutritional quality of foods and beverages in vending machines on county-owned properties.
Sugar-Free Kids MD/Horizon Foundation
Maryland
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2018
The Baltimore City Council passed an ordinance requiring the default beverage offered with kids’ meals to be water, milk, non-dairy milk-alternative or 100% juice.
Sugar-Free Kids MD/Horizon Foundation
Maryland
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
The Howard County Council approved $3 million in appropriations for biking and walking infrastructure products.
The Horizon Foundation
Maryland
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
Baltimore, MD, passed the strongest Complete Streets policy in the country to date, with a major focus on equity.
Baltimore Complete Street Coalition
Maryland
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Montgomery County, MD, County Council unanimously approved Bill 1-17, requiring healthy options in vending machines on county property.
The Horizon Foundation
Maryland
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Prince George’s County, MD, County Council unanimously adopted a healthy vending policy to help ensure Prince George’s County’s over 900,000 residents have access to healthier options while on public property.
The Horizon Foundation
Maryland
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
The Howard County, MD, County Council approved the fiscal year 2018 budget, which included a more than $3.5 million investment in active transportation infrastructure and improvements.
The Horizon Foundation
Maryland
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2015
Baltimore, MD, secured a long-term vending contract and procurement policy to ensure healthier choices on government properties.
The Horizon Foundation
Maryland
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2014
The Maryland Senate passed bill 716, instructing the State Superintendent to adopt rules to improve nutrition standards and limit screen time in childcare centers.
The Horizon Foundation
Policy Wins
Massachusetts
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2022
Working with the Common Start coalition, successfully advocated for $16.5 million for Head Start programs, as well as millions of other dollars allocated to support other early care and education programs.
American Heart Association – Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Successfully advocates for $110 million appropriations for no-cost, healthy meals for all public school students.
Project Bread
Massachusetts
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Successful advocated for $24 million in funding for the MA Healthy Incentive Program in the FY23 budget making the program sustainable year-round. MA is the state with the highest appropriations for SNAP incentives in the country.
Massachusetts Food System Collaborative
Massachusetts
Preemption Efforts
-
2021
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Boston passed the 2021 operating budget and the FY 21-25 capital plan, allocating funding for safe, reliable, and accessible streets and spaces and $524,724 for the expansion of the Double Up Food Bucks program to increase access to healthy foods.
American Heart Association – Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
The Boston City Council approved over $500,000 in funding for SNAP incentives infrastructure as part of the fiscal year 2021 budget.
The Boston City Council included $14.3 million in the fiscal year 2021 budget to fund bike and pedestrian projects in low-to-moderate income neighborhoods.
American Heart Association – Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
Massachusetts allocated $13 million for its Healthy Incentive Program, a SNAP incentive program that provides a one-to-one match for fresh and fruits and vegetables at farmers markets.
The Massachusetts’ Governor issued the 2020-2024 Capital Investment Plan, which includes $11.5 million per year for the Complete Streets Funding Program.
American Heart Association – Massachusetts
Massachusetts
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
The Massachusetts fiscal year 2020 budget includes $6.5 million in funding for the SNAP Healthy Incentive Program, which provides SNAP recipients with $1 back on their EBT cards for each dollar spent on eligible produce.
The Boston City Council voted unanimously to approve the 2020 budget and 2020-2024 capital budget, including $16.15 million in funding for bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
The Massachusetts fiscal year 2020 budget includes $6.5 million in funding for the SNAP Healthy Incentive Program, which provides SNAP recipients with $1 back on their EBT cards for each dollar spent on eligible produce.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation approved more than $110 million as part of the five-year capital investment plan to fund walking and biking projects throughout the state.
Massachusetts secured the release of $12.5 million in state revenue for the newly created complete streets certification program.
American Heart Association – Massachusetts
Policy Wins
Michigan
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Successful campaign to ensure all public school students in Michigan will have access to co-cost, healthy school meals.
American Heart Association – Michigan
Michigan
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Successful campaign to increase access to SNAP benefits for those who need it in Michigan.
ACCESS
Michigan
Preemption Efforts
-
2020
A coalition of advocates defeated a six-bill package that would have prohibited local bans on flavored e-cigarette products.
Keep Michigan Tobacco Free Alliance
Michigan
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
Michigan passed SB 690, a mid-year supplemental bill that allows the state to spend funding from the CARES Act, and allocated a one-time appropriation of $1 million to the Double Up Food Bucks program.
Fair Food Network
Michigan
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Michigan lawmakers allocated 5% of annually appropriated funds from the Community Revitalization Program to support healthy food access, totaling an estimated $12-$15 million over that five-year period.
American Heart Association – Michigan
Policy Wins
Minnesota
Family Economic Supports
-
2023
MN HB 2 was passed and signed by the governor, bringing PFML benefits to public and private sector employees across the state. The program will ramp up over the next 2.5 years, and workers will be able to begin taking leave and receiving benefits on January 1, 2026.
American Heart Association - Minnesota
Minnesota
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
Secured $10 million in increased funding by MN legislature for Head Start programs, with a special set aside of 10.72% specifically for Tribal Head Start programs.
American Heart Association - Minnesota
Minnesota
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Successfully passing of legislation ensuring that starting with the 2023/2024 school year, all students have access to a no-cost breakfast and lunch.
American Heart Association - Minnesota
Minnesota
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2014
A coalition of nearly 40 organizations secured funding for $1 million annually for Safe Routes to School infrastructure
American Heart Association - Minnesota
Policy Wins
Mississippi
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
American Heart Association - fought back against serious efforts to zero out the budget for the Healthy Food and Families SNAP Incentive Program, threatening access to healthy foods for SNAP participants in Mississippi.
American Heart Association – Mississippi
Mississippi
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Mississippi passed SB 2077 and SB 3015 creating the Mississippi Healthy Food and Families Program, with $400,00 to make produce-matching grants to eligible nonprofits administering SNAP incentive prog
American Heart Association – Mississippi
Mississippi
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2020
The Brookhaven School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved a measure that will allow students and staff to carry refillable water bottles at schools.
American Heart Association – Mississippi
Mississippi
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
The Jackson, MS, mayor signed an executive order that strengthened the city’s existing complete streets ordinance, adding equity components that were missing from the original ordinance.
American Heart Association – Mississippi
Mississippi
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2017
Mississippi State Department of Healthy adopted updated licensing standards for both center-based and home-based child care, improving physical activity requirements to complement their strong nutrition and screen time rules.
American Heart Association – Mississippi
Mississippi
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Jackson, MS, mayor signed an executive order implementing nutrition standards for all vending machines and food service operations on city property.
American Heart Association – Mississippi
Mississippi
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2016
Mississippi adopted Smart Snacks Standards for all foods and beverages sold in Mississippi schools, going above and beyond by not allowing nutrition standard exemptions for fundraisers.
American Heart Association – Mississippi
Policy Wins
Missouri
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Successful campaign to increase access to SNAP for recipients as their incomes increase and simplification of the SNAP application process.
American Heart Association – Missouri
Missouri
Preemption Efforts
-
2023
American Heart Association - worked side by side with the Kansas City Chamber and Missouri Realtors to defend against harmful preemption legislation, protecting local tobacco regulatory control.
American Heart Association – Missouri
Missouri
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
St. Louis, Mo., passed legislation that requires the default beverages at food service operations to be healthy options for kids.
American Heart Association – Missouri
Missouri
Preemption Efforts
-
2022
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Missouri
Missouri
Preemption Efforts
-
2021
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Missouri
Missouri
Family Economic Supports
-
2020
Voters in St. Louis approved Proposition R, which will raise $2.3 million annually for Early Childhood programs and services each year.
WEPOWER
Missouri
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2020
Missouri voted to expand Medicaid to cover an additional 230,000 adults.
Beyond Housing
Missouri
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2018
The City Council in Kansas City, MO, passed an ordinance requiring new transportation infrastructure projects to include Complete Streets components, with a priority on ensuring successful implementation of Complete Streets in low and moderate-income neighborhoods.
American Heart Association – Missouri
Missouri
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2018
The Kansas City, MO, Board of Education adopted an updated school wellness policy to promote student health and help facilitate student learning of lifelong healthy habits around nutrition and physical activity.
Communities Creating Opportunity
Missouri
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
St. Louis mayor signed an executive order implementing nutrition standards for all vending machines and food service operations on city property.
American Heart Association – Missouri
Missouri
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Kansas City, MO, improved their 2014 vending policy to bring it up to date with modern nutritional standards. Residents, city employees and visitors will have access to healthier options while on city property.
American Heart Association – Missouri
Policy Wins
Montana
Preemption Efforts
-
2023
Successful coalitions came together to defeat serious preemption threats to local democracy in Montana.
American Heart Association – Montana
Montana
Preemption Efforts
-
2021
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Montana
Montana
Preemption Efforts
-
2019
A Montana bill that would have stripped local authority to regulate tobacco and e-cigarettes was defeated
American Heart Association – Montana
Policy Wins
Nebraska
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
$317k secured to help support the Double Up Food Bucks program which had been funded in the 2022 legislative session at $2.5 million.
American Heart Association – Nebraska
Nebraska
Preemption Efforts
-
2022
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Nebraska
Nebraska
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Nebraska's SNAP eligibility was set to go down to 135% of FPL on 10/1/23 due to a sunset provision after a previously expanded access to 165% . Worked hard to extend the sunset to keep thousands of Nebraska’s most vulnerable citizens' food secure.
American Heart Association – Nebraska
Nebraska
Preemption Efforts
-
2020
A Nebraska bill with potential to preempt the local regulation of “consumer merchandise,” including tobacco and soda taxes, was defeated.
American Heart Association – Nebraska
Nebraska
Preemption Efforts
-
2019
A Nebraska bill that would have impacted the ability of local communities to regulate tobacco licensing, taxes and fees was defeated.
American Heart Association – Nebraska
Policy Wins
Nevada
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2022
Henderson, Nevada passed a complete streets policy as part of its Henderson Strong Comprehensive Plan making the community more walking, biking, and active transportation friendly.
American Heart Association – Nevada
Nevada
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada approved over $35 million for walking and biking projects in Las Vegas.
American Heart Association – Nevada
Nevada
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
The Regional Transportation Commission in Nevada approved budget items allocating $10.33 million and $20.83 million in bike and pedestrian infrastructure and safety funding to the City of Henderson and Clark County respectively.
American Heart Association – Nevada
Nevada
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
The City of Las Vegas funded eight active transportation projects, providing nearly $10.5 million to make the city more bike and pedestrian friendly.
American Heart Association – Nevada
Nevada
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada approved over $12 million in funding to support a connected and safe active transportation network in Las Vegas
American Heart Association – Nevada
Nevada
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Clark County, NV, voters voted “yes” on Question 5, allotting approximately $43 million for Safe Routes to School projects and $119 million to biking and walking projects over the next 10 years.
American Heart Association – Nevada
Nevada
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2014
A school wellness policy has been passed in Nevada to support overall student wellness.
American Heart Association – Nevada
Nevada
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2014
Nevada passed a law to prevent unhealthy foods from being marketed in schools.
American Heart Association – Nevada
Policy Wins
New Hampshire
Preemption Efforts
-
2022
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted the authority of towns and cities to pass regulations or ordinances on public health issues.
American Heart Association - New Hampshire
New Hampshire
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2022
New Hampshire passed legislation requiring all new buildings and substantial renovations of schools to include free, safe and appealing water that is accessible to all children through water bottle fi
American Heart Association - New Hampshire
Policy Wins
New Jersey
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
$3.5 million was appropriated for SNAP participants to purchase produce, and receive a credit for an equal amount to be used on additional produce, doubling purchasing power for fruits and vegetables.
American Heart Association - New Jersey
New Jersey
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2022
Trenton passed a city ordinance updating the Complete Streets policy making the city more friendly to active transportation.
American Heart Association - New Jersey
Policy Wins
New Mexico
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Successful passage of legislation ensuring all students across New Mexico have access to a no-cost, high-quality, breakfast and lunch at school.
American Heart Association – New Mexico
New Mexico
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2022
Enshrined funding for early childhood education in the state constitution through a ballot measure, resulting in $150 million in recurring appropriations to fund ECE programs in New Mexico.
New Mexico Voices for Children
New Mexico
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2022
Las Cruces, NM, passed a complete streets policy that will create a complete, connected network for all transportation users, build multimodal roadways, and improve efficiency for all travelers, inc.
American Heart Association – New Mexico
New Mexico
Preemption Efforts
-
2020
Advocates in New Mexico ensured an amendment that would have preempted any and all local regulation of tobacco usage and sales was not included in SB 131.
American Heart Association – New Mexico
New Mexico
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
The Albuquerque City Council passed an ordinance to amend the existing complete streets policy to ensure equity, transparency, accountability and community involvement are integral parts of the City’s road and street construction process.
American Heart Association – New Mexico
New Mexico
Preemption Efforts
-
2017
During New Mexico’s 53rd legislative session, advocates worked to defeat three bills that would have prevented local governments from taxing foods and beverages.
American Heart Association – New Mexico
New Mexico
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
Albuquerque, NM, City Council passed a resolution to provide access to healthier food options in city owned and operated facilities.
American Heart Association – New Mexico
New Mexico
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2014
New Mexico Public Education Department adopted rules requiring all foods served in schools meet quality nutrition guidelines ensuring that all students receive the best school foods available.
American Heart Association – New Mexico
Policy Wins
New York
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
The coalition successfully secured $134.6M to fully fund healthy school meals for all CEP schools on an ongoing basis vastly increasing access to no-cost, healthy school meals in New York State.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
New York dedicated $2 million to the Double Up Food Bucks program in its 2022-23 budget.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
New York City received a $5.5 million Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) grant and committed to matching that amount for a total $11 million investment in SNAP incentive programs.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Family Economic Supports
-
2021
The New York State Legislature included $2.1 billion for the Fund for Excluded Workers as part of the state's budget
Make the Road NY
New York
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
New York City became the first city in the northeast to pass legislation requiring restaurants to automatically serve kids’ meals with healthy drink option.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2019
Physical education assessment and accountability measurements were approved by the New York City Council to determine where more resources are needed to ensure every child has access to effective physical education.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
Street Design Checklist bill was passed by the New York City Council, making the city’s Complete Streets policy official.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2018
New York City secured an additional $39.8 million in physical education appropriations to help hire additional certified physical education teachers.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
New York City allocated an additional $101 million to expand the city’s greenway through East Harlem.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2017
New York City allocated additional funding to physical education, investing approximately $385 million over four years to support capital improvements for physical education programs.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2017
New York City allocated $21 million to support physical education programs for the city’s 1.16 million students.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
New York AB 3009C, an appropriations bill, allocated $200 million to fund the Empire State Trail system throughout the state.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
New York City Capital Budget was approved, including $100 million of initial funding to create a seamless greenway along the waterfront of the East Side of Manhattan.
American Heart Association – New York
New York
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2016
New York City, NY, secured $9 million in physical education appropriations.
American Heart Association – New York
Policy Wins
North Carolina
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
Charlotte, NC, voters approved a general obligation bond that will provide $30 million for investments to improve sidewalk and active space infrastructure in the city.
American Heart Association – North Carolina
North Carolina
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
Voters in Wake County, NC, passed a bond measure that includes $120 million for walking and biking infrastructure.
American Heart Association – North Carolina
North Carolina
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
The Mecklenburg County, NC, Board of Commissioners approved the fiscal year 2018 Parks and Recreation Project Ordinance, which allocated $4 million for the Little Sugar Creek greenway near downtown Charlotte.
American Heart Association – North Carolina
North Carolina
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
The Raleigh, NC, fiscal 2018 budget and fiscal 2018-2022 Capital Improvement Plan were approved, allocating approximately $9 million to fund bicycle and pedestrian improvements, invest in greenways and fund the City’s BikeShare program.
American Heart Association – North Carolina
North Carolina
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
The Mecklenburg County, NC, Board of Commissioners agreed to direct $49 million from a 2008 bond package funding source to support the greenway trail system throughout the county
American Heart Association – North Carolina
North Carolina
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2017
The North Carolina Child Care Commission voted to updated licensing standards for both center-based and home-based child care, strengthening physical activity, nutrition, screen time, tobacco and CPR requirements.
American Heart Association – North Carolina
North Carolina
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
The Durham, NC, city budget was approved, including $7.87 million dollars for sidewalk infrastructure.
American Heart Association – North Carolina
North Carolina
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
Raleigh, NC, voters passed a transportation bond that dedicated $35 million to improving the walking and biking infrastructure throughout the city.
American Heart Association – North Carolina
North Carolina
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Greensboro, NC, voters approved a $28 million transportation bond that earmarked $5 million for sidewalks, bike lanes and intersection improvements.
American Heart Association – North Carolina
North Carolina
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Charlotte, NC, voters passed a transportation bond that dedicated $42 million to improving the walking and biking infrastructure throughout the city.
Sustain Charlotte & Transportation Choices Alliance.
North Carolina
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2015
Mecklenburg County, NC, adopted a healthy food procurement vending policy to ensure healthier choices on county properties.
American Heart Association – North Carolina
Policy Wins
North Dakota
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
$65.6 million in state funding secured to reduce copays for working families with low incomes, increase childcare assistance to more families, increase CCAP for quality infant/toddler care, provide additional training stipends for childcare workers, and increased efficient and speed of child-care background checks.
American Heart Association - North Dakota
Policy Wins
Ohio
Preemption Efforts
-
2023
Equality Ohio fought to defend against harmful legislation that would have removed access to healthcare for young people and prohibited school personnel from supporting trans youth.
Equality Ohio
Ohio
Preemption Efforts
-
2023
Successfully rallied for a Governor veto of harmful preemption that prohibited local regulation of tobacco and alternative nicotine products, stopping future policies, and rolling back any existing local laws.
American Heart Association – Ohio
Ohio
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Successful campaign to double the state investment to $1 million dollars to support the SNAP produce incentive program in Ohio.
American Heart Association – Ohio
Ohio
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Toledo passed an ordinance to make healthy drinks, such as water, low-fat milk, or 100% juice, the first option to kids and families when they dine out.
American Heart Association – Ohio
Ohio
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
The Ohio General Assembly passed legislation to modernize water access requirements for school buildings by ensuring that newly built schools include water bottle filling stations.
American Heart Association – Ohio
Ohio
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Youngstown, OH's city council passed legislation that would make healthy beverage options the default for all kids meals.
American Heart Association – Ohio
Ohio
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Ohio increased funding to the Produce Perks (Double Up Food Bucks program) from $250,000 per year to $500,000 per year.
American Heart Association – Ohio
Ohio
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
Cleveland passed a healthy default drinks policy for restaurant kids’ meals in the city, making water, nonfat or 1% milk, or 100% fruit juice in a serving size of no more than 6 ounces the default beverage in meals for children.
American Heart Association - Cleveland & Neighborhood Leadership Institute
Ohio
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
Columbus adopted a default beverage policy to make healthy drink options the default for kids and families when they dine out.
American Heart Association – Ohio
Ohio
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2014
The Ohio legislature passed HB290, making it easier for schools to open their gymnasiums, pools, playgrounds, running track, athletic fields and other facilities to public use during non-school hours.
American Heart Association – Ohio
Policy Wins
Oklahoma
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Oklahoma allocated $1.1 million for nutrition incentive programs that helps low-income families purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy
Oklahoma
Preemption Efforts
-
2021
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Family Economic Supports
-
2020
Oklahoma voted to expand Medicaid in the state and prevent state lawmakers from limiting or reversing expansion.
Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy
Oklahoma
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
A temporary penny sales tax was approved by 71.7% of Oklahoma City voters to raise a projected $978 million over eight years, with $87 million allocated for sidewalks, bike lanes, trails and streetlights to support safe active transportation.
American Heart Association – Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
The City Council in Oklahoma City, OK, unanimously approved an updated comprehensive plan that implements Complete Street standards, ensuring transportation infrastructure is designed to enable safe access and use for all people.
American Heart Association – Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
Oklahoma City voters approved a $967 million bond package and a temporary continuation of a penny sales tax, to provide funding for infrastructure and public safety investments, including active transportation projects and improvements.
American Heart Association – Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Oklahoma City, OK, City Council unanimously passed a resolution implementing a healthy vending policy, followed by a policy memorandum from the City Manager detailing the policy requirements.
American Heart Association – Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2015
Tulsa, OK, adopted a healthy food procurement vending policy to ensure there are healthy food and beverage options served on city owned and leased properties.
American Heart Association – Oklahoma
Policy Wins
Oregon
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Secured $4.168 million to support the Double Up Food Bucks program to support increase access to fruits and vegetables for SNAP participants.
Double Up Food Bucks Coalition and AHA-Oregon
Oregon
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Successfully passed legislation and appropriations that significantly increased access to healthy school meals covering 76% of schools.
Healthy School Meals for All Coalition and American Heart Association – Oregon
Oregon
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Oregon included $4 million earmarked for SNAP incentives, nearly tripling the allocation for Double Up Food Bucks for SNAP participants to double their dollar to purchase fruits & vegetables at farmers markets, farm shares and participating markets.
Double Up Food Bucks Coalition and American Heart Association – Oregon
Oregon
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2020
Multnomah County established a "Preschool for All" program (universal preschool). The program prioritizes the community’s children who currently have the least access, children who speak languages other than English, & children experiencing poverty.
American Heart Association – Oregon
Oregon
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
The Oregon legislature appropriated $1.5 million to support infrastructure development and expand access to the Oregon SNAP incentives program.
American Heart Association – Oregon
Oregon
Preemption Efforts
-
2018
Oregon voters protected the right of local governments to pass local sugary drink taxes by voting against a beverage industry led constitutional ballot initiative.
American Heart Association – Oregon
Oregon
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
Oregon HB 2017 was passed, allocating $125 million in funding over ten years to the Safe Routes to School fund.
American Heart Association – Oregon
Oregon
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Portland, OR, voters passed a motor fuels tax, Portland’s first local funding source dedicated to active transportation infrastructure, estimated to generate $64 million over four years.
Fix Our Streets Portland Campaign
Oregon
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties, OR, secured $3.5 million for Safe Routes to School, including $1.5 million for a regional Safe Routes to School program and $2 million for street improvements near low-income schools and trails.
Bicycle Transportation Alliance
Oregon
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2015
Oregon passed a competitive foods policy to ensure the nutritional quality of foods available in schools.
Upstream Public Health
Policy Wins
Pennsylvania
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2022
Philadelphia, Pa., passed legislation ensuring all schools have at least one bottle filling station per hundred students and one per floor by 2025.
PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center, Inc.
Pennsylvania
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2022
Philadelphia, Pa., approved funding for 2,000 hydration stations at schools to ensure that all students have access to safe, clean drinking water.
PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center, Inc.
Pennsylvania
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2022
Chester County, PA passed a complete streets policy increasing safety and efficiency while enhancing the social equity needs of the transportation system.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2022
Successfully advocated for the appropriation of over $4 million invested by county commissioners into early childhood education.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2021
The Philadelphia City Council approved an increase in subsidy reimbursement rates for child care programs, which will increase the number of early child care spots for eligible children.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Preemption Efforts
-
2020
Advocates defeated a preemption bill that would have jeopardized sugary drink taxes in the state.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
The Philadelphia fiscal year 2021 budget includes $20 million in funding for safe and equitable bike and pedestrian projects.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
The Philadelphia City Council approved an ordinance to make the default drink in kids’ restaurant meals a healthy option, like water, milk or 100% juice.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
The Philadelphia City Council approved the city’s budget, which included $15 million in bike and pedestrian funding.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
Advocates in Philadelphia successfully opposed legislation to repeal the existing sugary drink tax.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Preemption Efforts
-
2018
A bill preempting sugary drink taxes was successfully defeated in the Pennsylvania legislature.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
Philadelphia, PA, City Council passed a 1.5 cent per ounce sweetened beverage tax with a 13-4 vote.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
Philadelphia adopted nutrition standards for vending machines on city owned and leased property.
American Heart Association – Pennsylvania
Policy Wins
Rhode Island
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
Secured $3 million in state appropriations for Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms in FY24 that will be used to reopen/maintain much-needed Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms in Rhode Island.
American Heart Association – Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
Rhode Island appropriated $11 million to preserve pre-k seats at risk due to expiring federal grant and to address the ECE staffing crisis by investing in childcare educators and staff.
American Heart Association - Rhode Island, Parents Leading for Educational Equity, RI Kids Count, Right from the Start
Rhode Island
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Rhode Island approved an $11.5 appropriation to fund a Retail SNAP Incentives Pilot Program that will provide a discount on fresh fruits and vegetables at grocery stores.
American Heart Association – Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2021
Providence passed a complete streets policy to create safe, more accessible and more equitable streets for everyone.
American Heart Association – Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
Rhode Island passed S459 and H5738, which requires water bottle filling stations in new constructions and major renovations in schools so kids have increased access to free, easily accessible, safe and good-tasting
American Heart Association – Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2021
Rhode Island allocated $15 million for physical improvements to and development of licensed Early Childhood care and education facilities.
American Heart Association – Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
More than 78% of Rhode Island voters approved a bond referendum to allocate $10 million to bike and recreation projects.
American Heart Association – Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2018
The Rhode Island Governor signed Senate Bill 2350A/House Bill 7419A into law, prohibiting advertising and marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages on school property.
American Heart Association – Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2017
Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families updated licensing rules for child care centers, improving nutrition, physical activity and screen time standard.
American Heart Association – Rhode Island
Rhode Island
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Rhode Island voters approved the $35 million Green Economy Bonds, which included $10 million for the State Bikeway Development Program to design and construct bikeways throughout the state.
Yes on 6 Coalition
Rhode Island
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2016
Rhode Island now has a smart snacks competitive foods policy in all schools to ensure the nutritional quality of foods in schools.
American Heart Association – Rhode Island
Policy Wins
South Carolina
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Successful campaign to secure funding supporting a SNAP incentive program increasing access to healthy food.
American Heart Association – South Carolina
South Carolina
Preemption Efforts
-
2022
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – South Carolina
South Carolina
Preemption Efforts
-
2021
Success campaign to defeat harmful preemption legislation.
American Heart Association – South Carolina
South Carolina
Preemption Efforts
-
2020
Advocates defeated preemption proposals that would have effectively prevented any local flavored tobacco ordinances and any local tobacco retail licensure ordinances.
American Heart Association – South Carolina
South Carolina
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2018
Spartanburg County, SC, enacted a binding administrative policy that requires healthy vending options on all county owned property.
Eat Smart Move More South Carolina
South Carolina
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2018
The mayor of Charleston, SC, signed a healthy vending policy covering all city owned and leased properties.
Eat Smart Move More South Carolina
South Carolina
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
Columbia, SC, City Council passed a healthy vending and food service resolution to ensure that healthier food and beverage options are available on local public property.
Eat Smart Move More South Carolina
South Carolina
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2016
South Carolina adopted a competitive foods statewide policy to ensure the nutritional quality of foods in schools.
Eat Smart Move More South Carolina
Policy Wins
Tennessee
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
Successfully passed legislation creating the childcare improvement fund and then established $15 million in funding over three years to allocate grants to nonprofit organizations for establishing new childcare programs or making improvements to existing programs, increasing access to quality childcare in Tennessee.
American Heart Association – Tennessee
Tennessee
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2022
Rutherford County School Board officially passed a policy ensuring all newly constructed schools, as well as those undergoing major renovations, will be equipped with adequate water bottle filling stations.
American Heart Association – Tennessee
Tennessee
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
The Board of Education in Hamilton County approved the installation of water bottle filling stations in all newly constructed or majorly renovated schools.
American Heart Association – Tennessee
Tennessee
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2018
The child care licensing regulations were streamlined to cover both centers and home-based care, establishing strong statewide nutrition, physical activity and screen time standards.
American Heart Association – Tennessee
Tennessee
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
The Nashville, TN, mayor amended an executive order (passed by her predecessor) to strengthen the city’s Complete Streets policy, expanding access to all modes of transportation for all users and promoting equity and transparency.
American Heart Association – Tennessee
Policy Wins
Texas
Preemption Efforts
-
2023
Successfully fought harmful preemption threat to local authority that could have prevented local work on tobacco regulation, and potentially impacted other American Heart Association - policy areas as well.
American Heart Association - Texas and Every Texan
Texas
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Worked to pass legislation that will make it easier for people to access SNAP .
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Secured $6 million in funding for a SNAP incentive program ensuring SNAP participants will have more access to fruits and vegetables.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2022
On July 19th, 2022, the El Paso City Council unanimously approved a Complete Streets policy to improve the safety, health and quality of life for all who use El Paso streets
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Preemption Efforts
-
2021
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Texas passed a bill to simplify the certification and recertification requirements for Texas seniors and people with disabilities accessing SNAP benefits
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
The Austin Independent School District updated its Project Development Manual to include at least one bottle filling station on each floor, wing, or other building section of a school building
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
Dallas County approved $7 million for bike and pedestrian projects, with much of the funding targeting two of the most underserved zip codes in the county.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2020
Voters in Austin, TX, approved two ballot measures that will provide $38 million for sidewalk rehabilitation, Vision Zero/pedestrian safety and urban trails, and $5 million for parks and recreation projects in the city.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2019
The Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 952 into law, requiring child care licensing regulations be updated to improve nutrition, physical activity and screen time standards for both center-based and home-based childcare programs.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
Dallas allocated over $8 million to bike and pedestrian projects in city to make streets, sidewalks, and pathways safer for all.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
Dallas County, TX incorporated healthy vending standards into their contracting process for food vending service providers, ensuring access to healthy food and beverage options on all county property.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Preemption Efforts
-
2019
Texas advocates worked diligently to stop a broad preemption bill that would have limited local lawmaking power and nullified many existing laws, including 104 comprehensive smoke-free ordinances.
Faith in Texas
Texas
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
The San Antonio, TX, 2019 budget included $9 million for sidewalks and $1 million for bike lanes and other pedestrian safety measures.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
Voters in Austin, TX, approved two ballot measures that will provide $38 million for sidewalk rehabilitation, Vision Zero/pedestrian safety and urban trails, and $5 million for parks and recreation projects in the city.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
Voters in Dallas, TX, supported the 2017 Dallas Capital Bond program, securing tens of millions of dollars for walking and biking infrastructure throughout the city.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2017
Texas SB 1873 requires physical education quality reporting as part of the existing School Health Survey.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2017
Travis County, TX, voters approved a transportation bond that allocate approximately $65 million to walking and biking projects over the life of the bond.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2016
Austin, TX, approved a budget that had $800,000 earmarked to expand access to nutritious food, including $500,000 for healthy food retail and $300,000 to expand SNAP outreach efforts.
American Heart Association – Texas
Texas
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Austin, TX, voters approved a transportation bond that included more than $110 million to support a Safe Routes to School program, as well as sidewalk, bikeway and urban trail construction and maintenance.
Bike Austin
Texas
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2015
Austin, TX, secured funding to establish a healthy corner stores program to increase the availability of healthy food options in Austin.
American Heart Association – Texas
Policy Wins
Utah
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Advocates prevented $400,000 in SNAP funding from being cut from the state budget, protecting the state's SNAP Double Up Food Bucks program.
American Heart Association – Utah
Utah
Preemption Efforts
-
2021
Advocates mobilized to prevent a bill that would have preempted the state health department from protecting public health with regard to tobacco.
American Heart Association – Utah
Utah
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
The Salt Lake City Council approved their Capital Improvement Program Projects, which included over $13 million for bike and pedestrian infrastructure, with 82% of the funding dedicated to projects in low income communities.
American Heart Association – Utah
Utah
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2019
Utah Governor signed House Bill 208 into law, codifying the state’s Safe Routes to School program with a priority to fund projects in low-income communities.
American Heart Association – Utah
Utah
Preemption Efforts
-
2019
Advocates successfully worked with legislators to remove tobacco preemption language out of House Bill 324.
American Heart Association – Utah
Utah
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
The Salt Lake City Council approved a $25 million sales tax initiative to fund improvements to the city’s active transportation system.
American Heart Association – Utah
Utah
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2017
The child care licensing standards for both centers and home-based care were updated to require more nutritious food service, increased physical activity opportunities and limited screen time to promote a healthier child care environment.
American Heart Association – Utah
Utah
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2016
Salt Lake County, UT, voters passed a parks and recreation bond measure that included several million dollars in funding for sidewalks, bikeways and walking paths throughout the community.
American Heart Association – Utah
Utah
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2014
Utah Board of Education adopted standards for selling foods outside of meals in schools ensuring that foods meet nutritional quality standards.
American Heart Association – Utah
Policy Wins
Vermont
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
Collaborative work to secure $76.1 million in FY24, including overriding the Governor's veto, to support access to early care and education in Vermont.
Let's Grow Kids and American Heart Association - Vermont
Vermont
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2022
Vermont approved $6 million in appropriations over three years for early childhood education reforms including expanding eligibility & reducing copays, stabilizing & strengthening the workforce and upgrading failing information technology systems.
American Heart Association – Vermont
Vermont
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Vermont passed legislation that will provide universal free school meals, giving all kids a chance to thrive and succeed and increasing equity in schools.
American Heart Association – Vermont
Vermont
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2016
Vermont Department for Children and Families adopted updated licensing standards for center-based and family-based care centers, improving nutrition and physical activity requirements and limiting screen time.
American Heart Association - Vermont
Policy Wins
Virginia
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
For the first time, the Commonwealth of Virginia is funding SNAP incentives with $2 million over two years to improve nutritional access through farmers markets and community food retailers.
American Heart Association – Virginia
Virginia
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Advocates worked to pass SNAP "Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility," which will result in over $8 million in new SNAP benefits coming into the state.
American Heart Association – Virginia
Virginia
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2021
Richmond Public Schools updated its school wellness policy to make water access in schools a priority for the district.
American Heart Association – Virginia
Virginia
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2020
The Virginia legislature included a $1.25 million appropriation for SNAP incentives in the 2020-2022 biennium budget.
American Heart Association – Virginia
Virginia
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority is creating a six-year transportation plan that will support bicycle and pedestrian projects that will create or increase multimodal regional access for residents in low to moderate income communities.
American Heart Association – Virginia
Virginia
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2017
The Chesterfield County, VA, School Board adopted an update to the school wellness policy, bringing the school’s competitive food policy into full alignment with USDA standards for school foods.
American Heart Association – Virginia
Policy Wins
Washington
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
$7.5 million in public funding secured for Tribal Early Learning, increasing access to quality, culturally competent childcare for tribal communities in Washington.
The Suquamish Foundation
Washington
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Washington passed HB 1878 which would expand free meals to over 92,000 students and cover the excess cost for implementing the program.
American Heart Association – Washington
Washington
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Advocates helped secure additional state investment in the statewide Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Program (FVIP), which provides a match to SNAP shoppers to purchase additional fruits and vegetables
American Heart Association – Washington
Washington
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2021
Advocates worked for multiple years to develop an Early Head Start pilot program that grew into $18.7-million-funded Early Head Start program, as well as to codify the program into state law.
Washington State Association of Head Start and ECEAP
Washington
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Seattle, Wash., approved $308,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the Produce Prescription pilot program through the Seattle Indian Health Board.
American Heart Association – Washington
Washington
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
The Seattle 2020 budget included a $2.7 million investment in the City’s Fresh Bucks program, which offers a match to SNAP participants purchasing fruits and vegetables at authorized retailers.
Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition
Washington
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2018
The Washington child care licensing rules were updated for family-home and center-based childcare settings throughout the state, improving nutrition, physical activity and screen time standards.
Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition
Washington
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
The Seattle City Council approved the mayor’s 2018 budget, which includes $2.4 million for the city’s Fresh Bucks SNAP incentive program. The money is available thanks to the newly enacted sugary drink tax, which generated an estimate $14 million in 2018.
Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition
Washington
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2017
Washington HB 1235 requires physical education quality reporting at the school, district and state levels, assessing key factors of quality PE to help strengthen physical education programs throughout the state.
Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition
Washington
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2017
The Seattle, WA, City Council approved a 1.75 cent per ounce excise tax on sugary drinks, with generated funds used to support public health initiatives.
American Heart Association – Washington
Washington
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2015
Washington secured $5 million in funding for a “Healthy Kids Healthy Schools” grant program that can fund projects such as water bottle filling stations.
American Heart Association – Washington
Washington
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2015
Washington SB 5988 secured $75 million for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Grant Program, $89 million for the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Project List and $56 million for Safe Routes to School as part of a 16-year transportation package.
Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition
Washington
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2015
Washington HB 1299 secured $15.3 million for walking and biking infrastructure to support active transportation across the state.
Childhood Obesity Prevention Coalition
Policy Wins
West Virginia
Preemption Efforts
-
2023
Defeat of a dangerous preemption bill, written by an attorney for Reynolds American (tobacco company) that would have negatively impacted local authority over tobacco products
American Heart Association – West Virginia
West Virginia
Preemption Efforts
-
2022
Advocates defeated a bill that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco and other commercial products.
American Heart Association – West Virginia
West Virginia
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2022
West Virginia passed a water bottle filling station policy that requires new buildings and major renovations to include filling stations providing kids access to fresh water.
American Heart Association – West Virginia
West Virginia
Preemption Efforts
-
2020
Advocates in West Virginia defended against several preemptive bills to protect the rights of local governments.
The American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation
West Virginia
Preemption Efforts
-
2019
Preemptive language was successfully removed from a West Virginia bill, preserving the rights of local governments to regulate the sale, marketing and use of tobacco products.
American Heart Association – West Virginia
West Virginia
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2015
West Virginia passed SB 238, allowing members of the community to use school property for recreational use outside of school hours.
American Heart Association – West Virginia
Policy Wins
Wisconsin
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2023
Over $235k of funding in Dane County, Wisconsin went to support a SNAP incentive program, increasing access to healthy foods.
American Heart Association – Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Infants, Toddlers and Early Childhood
-
2023
A successful campaign for an appropriation of $27 million in the state budget, allowing for eligibility expansion for the WI Shares Child Care Subsidy program.
Kids Forward and American Heart Assoication - Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2022
Milwaukee County, Wis., allocated $1.1 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Milwaukee Market Match program, which provides matching dollars to participants in the Food Share for purchasing fruits and vegetables at farmers markets.
American Heart Association – Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Healthy, Equitable Schools
-
2022
School Wellness Policy in Madison, Wisconsin was updated to require all new and renovated school buildings to include adequate water bottle filling stations, increasing access to no-cost, clean drinking water.
American Heart Association – Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2021
Advocates worked to ensure the state did not lose its eligibility for enhanced SNAP funding of $50 million.
American Heart Association – Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Healthy, Accessible Food and Drinks
-
2019
The mayor of Madison, WI, signed an executive order implementing nutrition standards for vending machines on all city-owned or managed properties, helping ensure nutritious foods are available to employees and the public.
American Heart Association – Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Active, Equitable Communities
-
2018
The Milwaukee, WI, City Council adopted a new Complete Streets policy, which will expand transportation options for all users regardless of age, race, ethnicity, income or ability
Wisconsin Bike Fed
Policy Wins
Wyoming
Preemption Efforts
-
2020
There was a successful campaign in Wyoming to defend against preemptive language in the tobacco tax bill, stopping the legislature from removing local authority on tobacco control.
American Heart Association – Wyoming
Introduction
Introduction
Voices for Healthy Kids strives to make every day healthier for every child. Regardless of the ZIP code in which they were born, all children should grow up with access to healthy affordable foods, safe drinking water, high-quality early childhood development and family-friendly places for physical activity.
Working around the country, Voices for Healthy Kids advances equitable policies that make the places where kids and their families live, learn and play healthier. We do this by supporting advocacy campaigns, creating visibility for issues that affect children's health, mobilizing communities, elevating science and research via communications and messaging expertise and fostering partnerships.
Our team addresses systemic inequities and racism that have marginalized or excluded many communities, including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and/or communities with children living in families with low income. We prioritize those communities experiencing the greatest inequities, working with them in true partnership to improve opportunities for health. We also ensure that funding is directed to organizations on the ground with diverse leadership engaging communities of color and those experiencing high levels of poverty and food insecurity.
Voices for Healthy Kids is improving the flow of grant funding to communities facing the greatest inequities and teaming up with community leaders and organizations that are already making progress. By trusting, supporting and investing in the people and places experiencing the greatest inequities, we can remove barriers that stand in the way of healthy, thriving children and families everywhere.
“One of the most important things that I share is the adage of nothing about us without us. If you are going to be trying to influence lawmakers, be sure to uplift the voices of those who are affected by the causes that you are an ally for. Take them with you. Make sure you have factual, relevant information. Make sure that what you are saying is exactly what will help that community, as opposed to what you think would help that community.”
—2022 Community Conversation Participant
Commitment to Racial Equity
Commitment to Racial Equity
At Voices for Healthy Kids, our vision of equity is for children and their families to be free from oppressive conditions that limit their overall quality of life and wellbeing. For us, that means combating the inequities, biases and racism in current systems and policies that have intentionally marginalized or excluded some communities. We must do everything we can to change our racist and oppressive systems.
Achieving this bold vision requires listening to, creating space for, centering and partnering with Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and/or communities with children living in families with low income. By trusting, supporting, and investing in the people and places experiencing the greatest inequities, we can help remove barriers that stand in the way of healthy, thriving children and families everywhere. Together, we are helping to build a more equitable nation.
In FY 2021 - 2022, we:
Continued our own staff training on culture change and equity in the workplace.
Funded a pilot project in Minnesota working to build equity in governance with Voices for Racial Justice.
Launched the Fair Start Index to help increase our grantmaking focus on communities experiencing the greatest disparities so that our dollars provide maximum impact.
Committed to centering equity in our regranting process to improve health outcomes.
Continued to diversify our committees, vendors and applicant pools.
Worked to ensure funding is directed to organizations with diverse leadership and staff.
Held a roundtable on equity in breastfeeding policies.
Launched the Advocacy Impact Pilot to support long-term, equity-centered local policy change that improves the health of children and their families while transferring power and building capacity.
“We’ve especially appreciated your spirit of partnership and commitment to racial equity in our interpersonal and organizational relationship.”
Voices for Healthy Kids has always fostered a multi-directional learning community that’s not just about us sharing campaign guidance, skills and technical assistance, but also about us learning from local campaigns and communities.
Strategic Advisory Committee
Our Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) provides strategic guidance and direction to advance advocacy campaigns. SAC members explore and advance key movement-wide topics that broadly impact member organizations. In the spirit of centering community, we added several community-based organizations to the SAC this year as well as former Voices for Healthy Kids grantee organizations. Deepening understanding and commitments around health equity is a guiding priority.
Health Leaders for Healthy Kids
This is a collaborative of more than 15 organizations representing volunteer healthcare providers across multiple disciplines of health (oral health, diabetes health, cardiovascular/medical health and obesity health) committed to lending their voices to local policy campaigns through community conversations and invited to speak with the media, at public hearings, and more.
To support Voices for Healthy Kids’ increasing focus on infant and maternal health, this year, our Healthy Leaders for Healthy Kids Workgroup created a strategy around infant and maternal health priorities that will begin implementation in the next fiscal year.
Sugary Drink/Healthy Hydration National Collaborative
This collaborative provides an inclusive convening space for local, state, tribal and national stakeholders involved in efforts to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and increase healthy hydration—especially among children in communities with the highest prevalence of diseases related to sugary drink consumption, most targeted by beverage companies and most likely to lack access to safe, no-cost drinking water.
Collaborations with Native American and Alaskan Native Communities
Voices for Healthy Kids’ work with Indian Country began as a singular Fertile Ground grant program and has grown to include voices and perspectives that impact our policymaking and grantmaking practices. Some of the activities representing the relationships with Native American organizations and individuals to support and strengthen cultural understanding around policymaking include:
Exploring new opportunities with Francys Crevier, executive director; Catherine Dreyer, director of development; and Alejandro Bermudez, vice president of operations and programs; from the National Coalition of Urban Indian Health.
Expertise-sharing and education provided by Ahniwake Rose, National Indian Health Board, through technical assistance for policy campaigns and initiative priorities.
Strengthening and co-creating opportunities with multiple Indian Country partners, such as NB3 Foundation, who provided conference presentations, webinar opportunities and informed resource development.
Pearl Walker-Swaney, certified doula and breastfeeding counselor, and Cheri Nemec of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council in Wisconsin and chair of the National Indian and Native American WIC Coalition, providing expertise around maternal health in Native American communities.
Our Approach to Research
Our Approach to Research
The American Heart Association’s trusted science is a critical pillar of Voices for Healthy Kids’ policy change efforts, advancing the evidence base for new and existing policies and providing robust, research-based resources and materials to campaigns.
Recognizing gaps in our lived experiences of racial and socioeconomic inequities, Voices for Healthy Kids updated our research network to reflect the needs of the communities we work with. The Policy Research Advisory Group is a small group of equity-focused research experts who inform the research activities at Voices for Healthy Kids. They help us see the blind spots in our research approach, design, and methods and address them, while guiding us to get closer to the root causes of inequities and be more anti-racist in our policy agenda.
Voices for Healthy Kids continuously develops new strategies to address systemic racism and inequities. This year we worked diligently to develop and launch the Fair Start Index to ensure we are directing our resources to places with the greatest need. The Fair Start Index brings together many different data points to get an overall summary measure of communities experiencing the greatest inequities. We use the Fair Start Index as one way to evaluate where our work can have the greatest impact on disparities.
Our Innovation, Equity, and Exploration Workgroups explore policy questions to advance advocacy innovation and health equity, look at how policy issues overlap, and support dialogue on social, demographic, policy, and other trends related to our priorities. This year, the workgroups are focused on:
Exploring and identifying core strategies to advance racial equity in the policymaking process that will strengthen the ability to overcome historic and present-day intentional marginalization and alienation of government systems entrenched in system racism, led by Empower DC.
Exploring state and local policies and practices that address sugary drink counter-marketing and dissect the landscape of sugary drinks, healthy hydration, water access and racial equity in the Atlanta Metro area, led by Partnership for Southern Equity.
Exploring and better understanding state and local policies and practices supporting implementation of healthy hydration initiatives with early care and education environments, led by Voices for Georgia’s Children.
How We Work
How We Work
Voices for Healthy Kids is committed to helping our partners and grantees build their advocacy skills as they work to improve the health of children in communities across the country.
In the past, our team traveled around the country convening advocates and allies for trainings and conferences, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have shifted to hosting them virtually, which has allowed us to be more inclusive and reach more people. In 2021-22, we continued our successful series of online trainings, which included training campaign leaders, their coalition partners, members and supporters.
Highlights from the year include hosting trainings, providing technical assistance and creating resources to support advocates. Voices for Healthy Kids:
Streamlined the technical assistance request process for grantees.
Hosted three virtual equity-focused trainings with more than 100 participants, including current and past grantees.
Hosted a Summit in April—our first in-person Summit since 2019—with 80 participants from 38 organizations. Under the theme “The Power of Community,” we focused on listening to and learning from people in communities.
Hosted a preemption convening with more than 130 advocates.
Published the Mothers, Infants and Toddlers Fast Facts in English and Spanish.
Working with the Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham, continued supporting a training series for two cohorts of Women’s Policy Institute Fellows, community-based leaders who are working to shape and implement policies that address the needs of women across the state. We helped train the Fellows in all aspects of advocacy, including campaign planning, media outreach, messaging, grassroots organizing and social media.
Addressed the role of advocacy in dealing with the threat of preemption at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association and engaged in a four-day social media preemption campaign that yielded more than 13,000 impressions.
Working with the National Collaboration for Infants and Toddlers, launched our virtual Grassroots Community of Practice, which features topics on equity, media advocacy and using local data.
“I appreciated the attention to detail in creating diverse sessions, and especially the inclusion of walking tours and movement opportunities. I met so many wonderful people, and it has strengthened connections both within our grant collaboration team while also building new relationships across the country.”
—Summit Attendee
“The training provided lots of information, and ALSO provided opportunities to use the information in small-group settings. Especially when training is virtual, having breakout sessions to practice ideas and talk in small groups makes a huge difference in how much of the material I was able to integrate and hopefully will be able to use.”
—Virtual Training Attendee
Policy Priorities
Policy Priorities
Voices for Healthy Kids focuses our efforts on the places that have been disinvested in and systematically oppressed for far too long: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and/or communities with children living in families with low income. We advance equitable policies that make the places where kids and their families live, learn and play healthier. These policies make healthier options more accessible and affordable for all families. We work to:
Make healthy, affordable food easily available.
Decrease the consumption of sugary beverages.
Ensure early childhood programs and services are accessible and of high quality for families with low incomes.
Prevent states and special interests or industry from blocking local actions that promote health, wellbeing and equity.
Improve schools’ health and wellness policies and practices.
Increase access to safe, no-cost drinking water in schools and communities.
Direct public dollars toward family economic support.
“The wrap-around support and deep understanding of how policy advocacy actually works is exceptional.”
—2022 Grantee
Making healthy, affordable food and drinks easily available and decreasing the consumption of sugary beverages
Without access to affordable healthy food and drinks, a nutritious diet and good health are out of reach. We support state, local and tribal policies that increase access to healthy food and beverages, make it easier to eat healthy and drive industry innovation to improve the food and drinks we all need. We also drive for innovation. Voices for Healthy Kids team members Katie Bishop Kendrick and Stephanie Scarmo were authors on the policy statement, Strengthening US Food Policies and Programs to Promote Equity in Nutrition Security, which was published in the Association’s flagship journal Circulation and set a new agenda to help make healthy foods within reach for all.
This past year, Voices for Healthy Kids supported advocates in Illinois and the cities of New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Louis and Golden City, Missouri; Longmont, Colorado; and Youngstown, Ohio—all of which passed laws making healthy beverage options the default for kids’ restaurant meals.
We worked with advocates across the country to convince cities, counties and states to increase their investments in making healthy foods affordable to families. Rhode Island, for example, approved an $11.5 million appropriation to fund a Retail SNAP Incentives Pilot Program that will provide a discount on fresh fruits and vegetables at grocery stores. For the first time, Virginia is funding SNAP incentives with $2 million over two years to increase nutritional access through farmers markets and community food retailers. In Georgia, Fulton County voted to invest in expanding Georgia Fresh for Less, a program that matches the money SNAP participants spend on locally grown produce, dollar for dollar. And California’s Los Angeles County okayed a $2 million appropriation to fund a program that subsidizes the purchase of healthy foods at farmers markets.
Finally, with support from Voices for Healthy Kids, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy hosted a tour of a Double Up Oklahoma (DUO) participating grocery store where members of the State Senate learned about the benefits of SNAP Incentives from grocers, farmers and participants. Afterward, the lawmakers teamed up to sponsor and ultimately pass legislation that secured $1.1 million in funding for the program, helping families with low incomes purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
Ensuring early childhood programs and services are accessible and of high quality for families with low incomes
The more frequently infants and toddlers can be in healthy and supportive learning environments, the more likely they will be emotionally, mentally and physically healthy and thrive, and of course, their parents will be supported. We fund and support early childhood development opportunities at the state and local levels, with a focus on children growing up in communities historically underserved or even excluded from economic opportunity.
This year, we worked with advocates in Vermont to win the approval of $6 million in appropriations over three years for early childhood education reforms such as expanding eligibility to more families and reducing copays and stabilizing and strengthening the early child care and education workforce. Our grantmaking and support also helped extend access to child care and address workforce shortages in Delaware, with a funding increase of more than $66 million. In Alabama, we helped secure a $17.8 million appropriation to promote better child care quality. In New Orleans, a rapid response grant helped support the passage of policy that will expand New Orleans City Seats, a successful program that provides free, high-quality early childhood care and education to low-income families with young children and allows New Orleans’ economy and workforce to thrive.
Voices for Healthy Kids also provides trainings and resources for advocates for early childhood programs. This year, Dr. Stephanie Scarmo presented “Healthy Kids, Healthy Future: Advancing Equity in Early Childhood” at a conference hosted by Nemours Children's Health and Healthy Eating Research at Duke University.
“I want no different for your child than I want for my child. It’s pretty simple, so whatever they have in thriving, majority communities, that’s what we want in our community.”
—Community Conversation Participant
Preventing states, industry and special interests from blocking local actions that promote health, wellbeing and equity
Local governments are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of the people in their communities by reflecting local context and values. Depending on the community, that could mean passing local laws to improve quality of life through sugary drink taxes, paid sick leave, smoke-free worksites, limited use of plastic bags or equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.
Voices for Healthy Kids supports coalitions that defend local governments’ ability to promote health, wellbeing and equity against efforts that would allow the state to prevent local action. This kind of state and corporate interference is often referred to as preemption. Allyson Frazier co-authored an article in Circulation, Preemption: A Threat to Building Healthy, Equitable Communities, highlighting the threat of preemption faced by communities around the country.
This past year, Voices for Healthy Kids supported advocates who defeated a bill that would have preempted local authority of towns and cities to pass regulations or ordinances on public health issues, and advocates who defeated bills that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco in Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Massachusetts, Nebraska, South Carolina and West Virginia. For example, with Voices for Healthy Kids’ support for the sixth year, in South Carolina, H 3681 was defeated in collaboration with ACS CAN, American Lung Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and others. In the final three weeks, AHA's paid media campaign and quick mobilization prevented the industry's efforts to push the bill into special order status.
“[The training] disrupted our thinking and gave us some food for thought on our approach, particularly when dealing with conservative lawmakers and decision makers.”
—Preemption Convening attendee
Improving schools’ health and wellness policies and practices
Children—no matter where they live or what grade they are in—benefit from physical education, healthy food and clean water. That’s why we are committed to building healthy school environments. We do this by promoting good nutrition and access to safe and appealing water at no cost in all schools, especially those that have been historically under-resourced or excluded from economic opportunity.
In July of 2021, we proudly supported the work to make California the first state to provide healthy school meals for all students, but our work has just begun. In FY 2021-22, we supported advocates in Maine, Vermont and Washington to strengthen and expand healthy school meals programs for kids. We also funded efforts in Rhode Island, West Virginia and New Hampshire, as well as Philadelphia and Oceanside, Calif., to improve free access to safe drinking water in schools and other public buildings.
And, as we are committed to creating or funding resources and research that supports advocates who are working to improve school health, this past year, Voices for Healthy Kids supported the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality in releasing a new report about lead contamination in Philadelphia public schools.
Grantmaking
Grantmaking
At Voices for Healthy Kids, we work to ensure that our grantmaking is impactful and equitable. Our decisions are informed by data and are responsive and respectful to the needs and aspirations of communities that historically have experienced the greatest inequities. In FY 2021-22, Voices for Healthy Kids awarded 27 grants to organizations advancing racial and health equity to improve the health outcomes of children, families and communities.
This year, we engaged in an extensive grantmaking improvement process to simplify our application form and regranting procedures to create a more user-friendly experience for applicants and ensure equitable access to funding. We wanted to make clear through our language who and where we are looking to fund. Through this process, we addressed the top “pain points” identified by grant applicants who participated in a Grant Advisor survey. We are pleased with the result—and we think applicants will be as well.
In December 2021, we launched the Advocacy Impact Pilot to support long-term, equity-centered local policy change that improves the health of children and their families while transferring power and building capacity. Organizations are being funded in four locations—East Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Gulfport, Mississippi; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Charleston, South Carolina—to collectively advance policy issues identified by communities most impacted by inequities. We view this as an investment in community-led solutions to address health inequity and structural racism.
“This has been a transformative funding relationship thus far. The resources we've been given—such as budget for and relationship with an attorney whom we are encouraged to consult with on any nonprofit topic—is a game changer.”
“Thanks for being a part of this win for kids … without the resources from AHA, I am honestly not sure we would have won … the result of radical collaboration.”
“The VFHK staff was phenomenal in fostering partnerships.”
—2022 Grantees
Voices for Healthy Kids’ preemption policy fund helps protect local democracy and advance equity. The fund, backed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation, awards grants to organizations that protect the local right to advocate for and implement equitable policies and fight special interest groups that threaten the health and economic security of their communities.
Preemption occurs when a higher level of government supersedes the authority of a lower level of government; it is a constraint on local policymaking power. Preemption in and of itself is a neutral legal policy tool, but it can be misused as a legislative tactic to remove the regulatory power of local governments across a variety of issues. Special interest groups are using their significant resources to make sure their interests and bottom lines are protected by supporting the consolidation of power at the state level, effectively stopping local policy innovation.
Preemption is being used in aggressive ways in different political and social contexts. This past year alone, hundreds of bills were filed across the county that involved preemption. Unnecessarily limiting local control and blocking policies promoting health and equity has severe—and preventable—consequences. The consequences can be significant, and too often disproportionately affect women, people of color, low wage workers, and communities with high rates of poverty. In summary, when used aggressively, preemption perpetuates inequity.
Preemption campaign successes this year included:
Ohio, where, with the support of Voices for Healthy Kids, Equality Ohio, in collaboration with Kaleidoscope Youth Center, has been able to prevent preemption policies from passing that are aimed at harming Ohio's transgender youth, including by attempting to ban trans youth from playing sports, and by preventing trans youth and their families access to gender-affirming care. Anti-trans youth sports bills have passed in 18 states so far, and gender-affirming care bans have passed in three states so far. Success in Ohio is due to the orchestration of a broad coalition of groups who care about our transgender youth—from Ohio doctors and hospitals, to coaches and sports teams, to business leaders, parents and LGBTQ+ youth themselves.
Nebraska, where Voices for Healthy Kids’ efforts coordinating testimony, grassroots action and direct lobbying provided a strong defense for local control in protecting public health. As a result, a bill preempting localities from addressing e-cigarettes died in committee at the end of the session.
South Carolina, where, for the sixth year, a bill stripping local governments of their authority to regulate tobacco products was defeated. In the session’s final three weeks, Voices for Healthy Kids’ paid media campaign and quick mobilization prevented the industry’s efforts to push the bill into special order status.
Where We Fund
Our focus is on places where stark inequities exist. We are particularly interested in funding tribal nations, states, cities and counties experiencing the greatest health and social disparities as determined by data, but we understand that data never tells the whole story. Each community has unique strengths and challenges that aren’t fully reflected by numbers, and we welcome applicants to share community-specific information related to their own health and social disparities. In 2022, we are especially interested in applications from the following states and cities within these states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, and applications from all states and Puerto Rico are welcome.
Who We Fund
Voices for Healthy Kids works to ensure that our funding is directed to organizations with diverse leadership and staff and that grantees are from and engaging communities that historically and systemically experience disinvestment, including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and communities of families with children living with low incomes. Campaigns must support, drive and inform tribal, state or local policy change efforts that will dramatically improve the health of children who are experiencing the greatest health disparities.
How We Evaluate
In addition to prioritizing location and evaluating leadership diversity, grant applicants are evaluated based on their potential to reduce health disparities, engagement and power building in communities most impacted, experience in changing policy, and understanding of the historical context of the issues and inequities.
Special Report: Saying YES to Kids To Transform Early Child Care and Education in New Orleans
Special Report: Saying YES to Kids To Transform Early Child Care and Education in New Orleans
Access to high-quality early child care and education for New Orleans’ youngest preschoolers is about to increase exponentially, after voters overwhelmingly said “yes” to kids in an April 30 ballot measure.
The ballot initiative sought approval for a new property tax that’s expected to pull in $21 million annually for early childhood education, creating enrichment opportunities for an additional 1,000 infants, toddlers, and 3-year-olds. It’s believed to be the nation’s largest dedicated municipal funding of early education programming for the birth-to-3 age group—most programs target older preschoolers.
A state matching grant will double the impact, expanding the city’s early childhood education program by 2,000 seats all together. Currently, the City Seats program serves 400 children from families with low incomes.
How They Did It
The driving force behind the tax proposal victory, the “YES For NOLA Kids” campaign, included diverse groups and voices united behind a message of the importance of early childhood education to New Orleans families, workers and businesses. Voices For Healthy Kids supported with a grant to help get it over the finish line.
“No one entity did this; we did this together,” said Libbie Sonnier, Ph.D., executive director of the Louisiana Policy Institute (LPI). “We were all singing the same note from the same page of the same songbook.”
LPI’s research on the economic impacts of Louisiana’s lack of child care, combined with its public opinion polling, proved critical to the campaign’s success. The on-the-ground grassroots work was carried out by the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice, a coalition of community-based advocacy, education and policy groups across Louisiana.
“They walked the streets,” Sonnier said. “They educated and spent time with people to help them understand what the tax proposition would do and how it would help the community.”
Hamilton Simons-Jones, a consultant who helped lead the campaign, noted that the main challenge to the initiative was not so much opposition but voter apathy. The tax proposal was the only item on the ballot election, which was held not only on a Saturday but on the first day of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
“We knew turnout would be low,” Simons-Jones said. “But we also knew that if we could mobilize Black and Brown women, we could win.” The Coalition turned to For Providers, By Providers, a New Orleans-based advocacy group of Black child care workers, to enlist the support of women of color.
Polling by LPI also showed the importance of getting white women ages 30 to 50 out to vote. “We got them the facts,” Sonnier said. “The polling helped us focus our efforts.”
This was not the first attempt to get dedicated funding for early childhood education through a ballot measure. A 2020 initiative sought a much smaller allocation—$1.5 million—that would have created an additional 100 early education seats while cutting city library funding by 40 percent. That proposition failed.
By asking for a lot more money to serve many more children, the stakes increased from being “a marginal improvement to a transformative improvement,” Simons-Jones said. “It gave people something to say ‘yes’ to.”
This time around, advocates spent a lot of time up front educating elected officials and business leaders. They made the case that early child care and education is good for businesses, which had been struggling to get workers, and an investment in public safety and crime prevention. They also stressed the accountability of the City Seats programs, its record of success and its broad support.
The Voices for Healthy Kids grant “made a huge difference,” Simons-Jones said. “It allowed us to implement our entire plan, including mailers, campaign videos and polling. It really helped us turn the corner on voter awareness.”
Sonnier agreed. “You couldn’t turn around anywhere without seeing YES For NOLA Kids,” she said, likening the effect to “surround sound.”
Ben Schmauss, policy engagement manager for Voices for Healthy Kids, said that in supporting the LPI, the Power Coalition and its partners, “We funded the right group to do the right work at the right time—and got out of the way.”
It’s an example, he said, of the power of investing in groups that are closest to the needs of their communities. “We’re trying to create lasting change by investing in, sharing power and decision making and building capacity with communities that historically have lacked investment.”
Grantees
Grantees
AHA Minnesota
AHA Ohio
AHA South Carolina
BREADA
Center for Planning Excellence
Florida Impact to End Hunger
Florida Rising Together (Statewide Alignment Group)
Georgians for a Healthy Future
Hunger Action Los Angeles
Hunger Free Colorado
ImpactTulsa
In-Advance
Magnolia Medical Foundation
Make the Road Nevada, a project of Make the Road States, Inc.
NAACP Maryland State Conference
New Mexico Voices for Children
Policy Institute for the Children of Louisiana
Rodel
The Suquamish Foundation
The Walls Project
Three O'clock Project
Urban Health Partnerships, Incorporated
Voices for Racial Justice
WEPOWER
Wholesome Wave
YWCA Greater Charleston
IntroductionCommitment to Racial EquityLeadership & CollaborationOur Approach to ResearchHow We WorkPolicy PrioritiesGrantmakingSpecial Report: Saying YES to Kids To Transform Early Child Care and Education in New OrleansGrantees
Introduction
Voices for Healthy Kids strives to make every day healthier for every child. Regardless of the ZIP code in which they were born, all children should grow up with access to healthy affordable foods, safe drinking water, high-quality early childhood development and family-friendly places for physical activity.
Working around the country, Voices for Healthy Kids advances equitable policies that make the places where kids and their families live, learn and play healthier. We do this by supporting advocacy campaigns, creating visibility for issues that affect children's health, mobilizing communities, elevating science and research via communications and messaging expertise and fostering partnerships.
Our team addresses systemic inequities and racism that have marginalized or excluded many communities, including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and/or communities with children living in families with low income. We prioritize those communities experiencing the greatest inequities, working with them in true partnership to improve opportunities for health. We also ensure that funding is directed to organizations on the ground with diverse leadership engaging communities of color and those experiencing high levels of poverty and food insecurity.
Voices for Healthy Kids is improving the flow of grant funding to communities facing the greatest inequities and teaming up with community leaders and organizations that are already making progress. By trusting, supporting and investing in the people and places experiencing the greatest inequities, we can remove barriers that stand in the way of healthy, thriving children and families everywhere.
“One of the most important things that I share is the adage of nothing about us without us. If you are going to be trying to influence lawmakers, be sure to uplift the voices of those who are affected by the causes that you are an ally for. Take them with you. Make sure you have factual, relevant information. Make sure that what you are saying is exactly what will help that community, as opposed to what you think would help that community.”
—2022 Community Conversation Participant
Commitment to Racial Equity
At Voices for Healthy Kids, our vision of equity is for children and their families to be free from oppressive conditions that limit their overall quality of life and wellbeing. For us, that means combating the inequities, biases and racism in current systems and policies that have intentionally marginalized or excluded some communities. We must do everything we can to change our racist and oppressive systems.
Achieving this bold vision requires listening to, creating space for, centering and partnering with Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and/or communities with children living in families with low income. By trusting, supporting, and investing in the people and places experiencing the greatest inequities, we can help remove barriers that stand in the way of healthy, thriving children and families everywhere. Together, we are helping to build a more equitable nation.
In FY 2021 - 2022, we:
Continued our own staff training on culture change and equity in the workplace.
Funded a pilot project in Minnesota working to build equity in governance with Voices for Racial Justice.
Launched the Fair Start Index to help increase our grantmaking focus on communities experiencing the greatest disparities so that our dollars provide maximum impact.
Committed to centering equity in our regranting process to improve health outcomes.
Continued to diversify our committees, vendors and applicant pools.
Worked to ensure funding is directed to organizations with diverse leadership and staff.
Held a roundtable on equity in breastfeeding policies.
Launched the Advocacy Impact Pilot to support long-term, equity-centered local policy change that improves the health of children and their families while transferring power and building capacity.
“We’ve especially appreciated your spirit of partnership and commitment to racial equity in our interpersonal and organizational relationship.”
Voices for Healthy Kids has always fostered a multi-directional learning community that’s not just about us sharing campaign guidance, skills and technical assistance, but also about us learning from local campaigns and communities.
Strategic Advisory Committee
Our Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC) provides strategic guidance and direction to advance advocacy campaigns. SAC members explore and advance key movement-wide topics that broadly impact member organizations. In the spirit of centering community, we added several community-based organizations to the SAC this year as well as former Voices for Healthy Kids grantee organizations. Deepening understanding and commitments around health equity is a guiding priority.
Health Leaders for Healthy Kids
This is a collaborative of more than 15 organizations representing volunteer healthcare providers across multiple disciplines of health (oral health, diabetes health, cardiovascular/medical health and obesity health) committed to lending their voices to local policy campaigns through community conversations and invited to speak with the media, at public hearings, and more.
To support Voices for Healthy Kids’ increasing focus on infant and maternal health, this year, our Healthy Leaders for Healthy Kids Workgroup created a strategy around infant and maternal health priorities that will begin implementation in the next fiscal year.
Sugary Drink/Healthy Hydration National Collaborative
This collaborative provides an inclusive convening space for local, state, tribal and national stakeholders involved in efforts to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and increase healthy hydration—especially among children in communities with the highest prevalence of diseases related to sugary drink consumption, most targeted by beverage companies and most likely to lack access to safe, no-cost drinking water.
Collaborations with Native American and Alaskan Native Communities
Voices for Healthy Kids’ work with Indian Country began as a singular Fertile Ground grant program and has grown to include voices and perspectives that impact our policymaking and grantmaking practices. Some of the activities representing the relationships with Native American organizations and individuals to support and strengthen cultural understanding around policymaking include:
Exploring new opportunities with Francys Crevier, executive director; Catherine Dreyer, director of development; and Alejandro Bermudez, vice president of operations and programs; from the National Coalition of Urban Indian Health.
Expertise-sharing and education provided by Ahniwake Rose, National Indian Health Board, through technical assistance for policy campaigns and initiative priorities.
Strengthening and co-creating opportunities with multiple Indian Country partners, such as NB3 Foundation, who provided conference presentations, webinar opportunities and informed resource development.
Pearl Walker-Swaney, certified doula and breastfeeding counselor, and Cheri Nemec of the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council in Wisconsin and chair of the National Indian and Native American WIC Coalition, providing expertise around maternal health in Native American communities.
Our Approach to Research
The American Heart Association’s trusted science is a critical pillar of Voices for Healthy Kids’ policy change efforts, advancing the evidence base for new and existing policies and providing robust, research-based resources and materials to campaigns.
Recognizing gaps in our lived experiences of racial and socioeconomic inequities, Voices for Healthy Kids updated our research network to reflect the needs of the communities we work with. The Policy Research Advisory Group is a small group of equity-focused research experts who inform the research activities at Voices for Healthy Kids. They help us see the blind spots in our research approach, design, and methods and address them, while guiding us to get closer to the root causes of inequities and be more anti-racist in our policy agenda.
Voices for Healthy Kids continuously develops new strategies to address systemic racism and inequities. This year we worked diligently to develop and launch the Fair Start Index to ensure we are directing our resources to places with the greatest need. The Fair Start Index brings together many different data points to get an overall summary measure of communities experiencing the greatest inequities. We use the Fair Start Index as one way to evaluate where our work can have the greatest impact on disparities.
Our Innovation, Equity, and Exploration Workgroups explore policy questions to advance advocacy innovation and health equity, look at how policy issues overlap, and support dialogue on social, demographic, policy, and other trends related to our priorities. This year, the workgroups are focused on:
Exploring and identifying core strategies to advance racial equity in the policymaking process that will strengthen the ability to overcome historic and present-day intentional marginalization and alienation of government systems entrenched in system racism, led by Empower DC.
Exploring state and local policies and practices that address sugary drink counter-marketing and dissect the landscape of sugary drinks, healthy hydration, water access and racial equity in the Atlanta Metro area, led by Partnership for Southern Equity.
Exploring and better understanding state and local policies and practices supporting implementation of healthy hydration initiatives with early care and education environments, led by Voices for Georgia’s Children.
How We Work
Voices for Healthy Kids is committed to helping our partners and grantees build their advocacy skills as they work to improve the health of children in communities across the country.
In the past, our team traveled around the country convening advocates and allies for trainings and conferences, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have shifted to hosting them virtually, which has allowed us to be more inclusive and reach more people. In 2021-22, we continued our successful series of online trainings, which included training campaign leaders, their coalition partners, members and supporters.
Highlights from the year include hosting trainings, providing technical assistance and creating resources to support advocates. Voices for Healthy Kids:
Streamlined the technical assistance request process for grantees.
Hosted three virtual equity-focused trainings with more than 100 participants, including current and past grantees.
Hosted a Summit in April—our first in-person Summit since 2019—with 80 participants from 38 organizations. Under the theme “The Power of Community,” we focused on listening to and learning from people in communities.
Hosted a preemption convening with more than 130 advocates.
Published the Mothers, Infants and Toddlers Fast Facts in English and Spanish.
Working with the Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham, continued supporting a training series for two cohorts of Women’s Policy Institute Fellows, community-based leaders who are working to shape and implement policies that address the needs of women across the state. We helped train the Fellows in all aspects of advocacy, including campaign planning, media outreach, messaging, grassroots organizing and social media.
Addressed the role of advocacy in dealing with the threat of preemption at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association and engaged in a four-day social media preemption campaign that yielded more than 13,000 impressions.
Working with the National Collaboration for Infants and Toddlers, launched our virtual Grassroots Community of Practice, which features topics on equity, media advocacy and using local data.
“I appreciated the attention to detail in creating diverse sessions, and especially the inclusion of walking tours and movement opportunities. I met so many wonderful people, and it has strengthened connections both within our grant collaboration team while also building new relationships across the country.”
—Summit Attendee
“The training provided lots of information, and ALSO provided opportunities to use the information in small-group settings. Especially when training is virtual, having breakout sessions to practice ideas and talk in small groups makes a huge difference in how much of the material I was able to integrate and hopefully will be able to use.”
—Virtual Training Attendee
Policy Priorities
Voices for Healthy Kids focuses our efforts on the places that have been disinvested in and systematically oppressed for far too long: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and/or communities with children living in families with low income. We advance equitable policies that make the places where kids and their families live, learn and play healthier. These policies make healthier options more accessible and affordable for all families. We work to:
Make healthy, affordable food easily available.
Decrease the consumption of sugary beverages.
Ensure early childhood programs and services are accessible and of high quality for families with low incomes.
Prevent states and special interests or industry from blocking local actions that promote health, wellbeing and equity.
Improve schools’ health and wellness policies and practices.
Increase access to safe, no-cost drinking water in schools and communities.
Direct public dollars toward family economic support.
“The wrap-around support and deep understanding of how policy advocacy actually works is exceptional.”
—2022 Grantee
Making healthy, affordable food and drinks easily available and decreasing the consumption of sugary beverages
Without access to affordable healthy food and drinks, a nutritious diet and good health are out of reach. We support state, local and tribal policies that increase access to healthy food and beverages, make it easier to eat healthy and drive industry innovation to improve the food and drinks we all need. We also drive for innovation. Voices for Healthy Kids team members Katie Bishop Kendrick and Stephanie Scarmo were authors on the policy statement, Strengthening US Food Policies and Programs to Promote Equity in Nutrition Security, which was published in the Association’s flagship journal Circulation and set a new agenda to help make healthy foods within reach for all.
This past year, Voices for Healthy Kids supported advocates in Illinois and the cities of New Orleans, Louisiana; St. Louis and Golden City, Missouri; Longmont, Colorado; and Youngstown, Ohio—all of which passed laws making healthy beverage options the default for kids’ restaurant meals.
We worked with advocates across the country to convince cities, counties and states to increase their investments in making healthy foods affordable to families. Rhode Island, for example, approved an $11.5 million appropriation to fund a Retail SNAP Incentives Pilot Program that will provide a discount on fresh fruits and vegetables at grocery stores. For the first time, Virginia is funding SNAP incentives with $2 million over two years to increase nutritional access through farmers markets and community food retailers. In Georgia, Fulton County voted to invest in expanding Georgia Fresh for Less, a program that matches the money SNAP participants spend on locally grown produce, dollar for dollar. And California’s Los Angeles County okayed a $2 million appropriation to fund a program that subsidizes the purchase of healthy foods at farmers markets.
Finally, with support from Voices for Healthy Kids, the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy hosted a tour of a Double Up Oklahoma (DUO) participating grocery store where members of the State Senate learned about the benefits of SNAP Incentives from grocers, farmers and participants. Afterward, the lawmakers teamed up to sponsor and ultimately pass legislation that secured $1.1 million in funding for the program, helping families with low incomes purchase fresh fruits and vegetables.
Ensuring early childhood programs and services are accessible and of high quality for families with low incomes
The more frequently infants and toddlers can be in healthy and supportive learning environments, the more likely they will be emotionally, mentally and physically healthy and thrive, and of course, their parents will be supported. We fund and support early childhood development opportunities at the state and local levels, with a focus on children growing up in communities historically underserved or even excluded from economic opportunity.
This year, we worked with advocates in Vermont to win the approval of $6 million in appropriations over three years for early childhood education reforms such as expanding eligibility to more families and reducing copays and stabilizing and strengthening the early child care and education workforce. Our grantmaking and support also helped extend access to child care and address workforce shortages in Delaware, with a funding increase of more than $66 million. In Alabama, we helped secure a $17.8 million appropriation to promote better child care quality. In New Orleans, a rapid response grant helped support the passage of policy that will expand New Orleans City Seats, a successful program that provides free, high-quality early childhood care and education to low-income families with young children and allows New Orleans’ economy and workforce to thrive.
Voices for Healthy Kids also provides trainings and resources for advocates for early childhood programs. This year, Dr. Stephanie Scarmo presented “Healthy Kids, Healthy Future: Advancing Equity in Early Childhood” at a conference hosted by Nemours Children's Health and Healthy Eating Research at Duke University.
“I want no different for your child than I want for my child. It’s pretty simple, so whatever they have in thriving, majority communities, that’s what we want in our community.”
—Community Conversation Participant
Preventing states, industry and special interests from blocking local actions that promote health, wellbeing and equity
Local governments are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of the people in their communities by reflecting local context and values. Depending on the community, that could mean passing local laws to improve quality of life through sugary drink taxes, paid sick leave, smoke-free worksites, limited use of plastic bags or equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.
Voices for Healthy Kids supports coalitions that defend local governments’ ability to promote health, wellbeing and equity against efforts that would allow the state to prevent local action. This kind of state and corporate interference is often referred to as preemption. Allyson Frazier co-authored an article in Circulation, Preemption: A Threat to Building Healthy, Equitable Communities, highlighting the threat of preemption faced by communities around the country.
This past year, Voices for Healthy Kids supported advocates who defeated a bill that would have preempted local authority of towns and cities to pass regulations or ordinances on public health issues, and advocates who defeated bills that would have preempted local ordinances on tobacco in Arizona, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Massachusetts, Nebraska, South Carolina and West Virginia. For example, with Voices for Healthy Kids’ support for the sixth year, in South Carolina, H 3681 was defeated in collaboration with ACS CAN, American Lung Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and others. In the final three weeks, AHA's paid media campaign and quick mobilization prevented the industry's efforts to push the bill into special order status.
“[The training] disrupted our thinking and gave us some food for thought on our approach, particularly when dealing with conservative lawmakers and decision makers.”
—Preemption Convening attendee
Improving schools’ health and wellness policies and practices
Children—no matter where they live or what grade they are in—benefit from physical education, healthy food and clean water. That’s why we are committed to building healthy school environments. We do this by promoting good nutrition and access to safe and appealing water at no cost in all schools, especially those that have been historically under-resourced or excluded from economic opportunity.
In July of 2021, we proudly supported the work to make California the first state to provide healthy school meals for all students, but our work has just begun. In FY 2021-22, we supported advocates in Maine, Vermont and Washington to strengthen and expand healthy school meals programs for kids. We also funded efforts in Rhode Island, West Virginia and New Hampshire, as well as Philadelphia and Oceanside, Calif., to improve free access to safe drinking water in schools and other public buildings.
And, as we are committed to creating or funding resources and research that supports advocates who are working to improve school health, this past year, Voices for Healthy Kids supported the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center and the Black Church Center for Justice and Equality in releasing a new report about lead contamination in Philadelphia public schools.
Grantmaking
At Voices for Healthy Kids, we work to ensure that our grantmaking is impactful and equitable. Our decisions are informed by data and are responsive and respectful to the needs and aspirations of communities that historically have experienced the greatest inequities. In FY 2021-22, Voices for Healthy Kids awarded 27 grants to organizations advancing racial and health equity to improve the health outcomes of children, families and communities.
This year, we engaged in an extensive grantmaking improvement process to simplify our application form and regranting procedures to create a more user-friendly experience for applicants and ensure equitable access to funding. We wanted to make clear through our language who and where we are looking to fund. Through this process, we addressed the top “pain points” identified by grant applicants who participated in a Grant Advisor survey. We are pleased with the result—and we think applicants will be as well.
In December 2021, we launched the Advocacy Impact Pilot to support long-term, equity-centered local policy change that improves the health of children and their families while transferring power and building capacity. Organizations are being funded in four locations—East Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Gulfport, Mississippi; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Charleston, South Carolina—to collectively advance policy issues identified by communities most impacted by inequities. We view this as an investment in community-led solutions to address health inequity and structural racism.
“This has been a transformative funding relationship thus far. The resources we've been given—such as budget for and relationship with an attorney whom we are encouraged to consult with on any nonprofit topic—is a game changer.”
“Thanks for being a part of this win for kids … without the resources from AHA, I am honestly not sure we would have won … the result of radical collaboration.”
“The VFHK staff was phenomenal in fostering partnerships.”
—2022 Grantees
Voices for Healthy Kids’ preemption policy fund helps protect local democracy and advance equity. The fund, backed by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation, awards grants to organizations that protect the local right to advocate for and implement equitable policies and fight special interest groups that threaten the health and economic security of their communities.
Preemption occurs when a higher level of government supersedes the authority of a lower level of government; it is a constraint on local policymaking power. Preemption in and of itself is a neutral legal policy tool, but it can be misused as a legislative tactic to remove the regulatory power of local governments across a variety of issues. Special interest groups are using their significant resources to make sure their interests and bottom lines are protected by supporting the consolidation of power at the state level, effectively stopping local policy innovation.
Preemption is being used in aggressive ways in different political and social contexts. This past year alone, hundreds of bills were filed across the county that involved preemption. Unnecessarily limiting local control and blocking policies promoting health and equity has severe—and preventable—consequences. The consequences can be significant, and too often disproportionately affect women, people of color, low wage workers, and communities with high rates of poverty. In summary, when used aggressively, preemption perpetuates inequity.
Preemption campaign successes this year included:
Ohio, where, with the support of Voices for Healthy Kids, Equality Ohio, in collaboration with Kaleidoscope Youth Center, has been able to prevent preemption policies from passing that are aimed at harming Ohio's transgender youth, including by attempting to ban trans youth from playing sports, and by preventing trans youth and their families access to gender-affirming care. Anti-trans youth sports bills have passed in 18 states so far, and gender-affirming care bans have passed in three states so far. Success in Ohio is due to the orchestration of a broad coalition of groups who care about our transgender youth—from Ohio doctors and hospitals, to coaches and sports teams, to business leaders, parents and LGBTQ+ youth themselves.
Nebraska, where Voices for Healthy Kids’ efforts coordinating testimony, grassroots action and direct lobbying provided a strong defense for local control in protecting public health. As a result, a bill preempting localities from addressing e-cigarettes died in committee at the end of the session.
South Carolina, where, for the sixth year, a bill stripping local governments of their authority to regulate tobacco products was defeated. In the session’s final three weeks, Voices for Healthy Kids’ paid media campaign and quick mobilization prevented the industry’s efforts to push the bill into special order status.
Where We Fund
Our focus is on places where stark inequities exist. We are particularly interested in funding tribal nations, states, cities and counties experiencing the greatest health and social disparities as determined by data, but we understand that data never tells the whole story. Each community has unique strengths and challenges that aren’t fully reflected by numbers, and we welcome applicants to share community-specific information related to their own health and social disparities. In 2022, we are especially interested in applications from the following states and cities within these states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia, and applications from all states and Puerto Rico are welcome.
Who We Fund
Voices for Healthy Kids works to ensure that our funding is directed to organizations with diverse leadership and staff and that grantees are from and engaging communities that historically and systemically experience disinvestment, including Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/a, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and communities of families with children living with low incomes. Campaigns must support, drive and inform tribal, state or local policy change efforts that will dramatically improve the health of children who are experiencing the greatest health disparities.
How We Evaluate
In addition to prioritizing location and evaluating leadership diversity, grant applicants are evaluated based on their potential to reduce health disparities, engagement and power building in communities most impacted, experience in changing policy, and understanding of the historical context of the issues and inequities.
Special Report: Saying YES to Kids To Transform Early Child Care and Education in New Orleans
Access to high-quality early child care and education for New Orleans’ youngest preschoolers is about to increase exponentially, after voters overwhelmingly said “yes” to kids in an April 30 ballot measure.
The ballot initiative sought approval for a new property tax that’s expected to pull in $21 million annually for early childhood education, creating enrichment opportunities for an additional 1,000 infants, toddlers, and 3-year-olds. It’s believed to be the nation’s largest dedicated municipal funding of early education programming for the birth-to-3 age group—most programs target older preschoolers.
A state matching grant will double the impact, expanding the city’s early childhood education program by 2,000 seats all together. Currently, the City Seats program serves 400 children from families with low incomes.
How They Did It
The driving force behind the tax proposal victory, the “YES For NOLA Kids” campaign, included diverse groups and voices united behind a message of the importance of early childhood education to New Orleans families, workers and businesses. Voices For Healthy Kids supported with a grant to help get it over the finish line.
“No one entity did this; we did this together,” said Libbie Sonnier, Ph.D., executive director of the Louisiana Policy Institute (LPI). “We were all singing the same note from the same page of the same songbook.”
LPI’s research on the economic impacts of Louisiana’s lack of child care, combined with its public opinion polling, proved critical to the campaign’s success. The on-the-ground grassroots work was carried out by the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice, a coalition of community-based advocacy, education and policy groups across Louisiana.
“They walked the streets,” Sonnier said. “They educated and spent time with people to help them understand what the tax proposition would do and how it would help the community.”
Hamilton Simons-Jones, a consultant who helped lead the campaign, noted that the main challenge to the initiative was not so much opposition but voter apathy. The tax proposal was the only item on the ballot election, which was held not only on a Saturday but on the first day of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
“We knew turnout would be low,” Simons-Jones said. “But we also knew that if we could mobilize Black and Brown women, we could win.” The Coalition turned to For Providers, By Providers, a New Orleans-based advocacy group of Black child care workers, to enlist the support of women of color.
Polling by LPI also showed the importance of getting white women ages 30 to 50 out to vote. “We got them the facts,” Sonnier said. “The polling helped us focus our efforts.”
This was not the first attempt to get dedicated funding for early childhood education through a ballot measure. A 2020 initiative sought a much smaller allocation—$1.5 million—that would have created an additional 100 early education seats while cutting city library funding by 40 percent. That proposition failed.
By asking for a lot more money to serve many more children, the stakes increased from being “a marginal improvement to a transformative improvement,” Simons-Jones said. “It gave people something to say ‘yes’ to.”
This time around, advocates spent a lot of time up front educating elected officials and business leaders. They made the case that early child care and education is good for businesses, which had been struggling to get workers, and an investment in public safety and crime prevention. They also stressed the accountability of the City Seats programs, its record of success and its broad support.
The Voices for Healthy Kids grant “made a huge difference,” Simons-Jones said. “It allowed us to implement our entire plan, including mailers, campaign videos and polling. It really helped us turn the corner on voter awareness.”
Sonnier agreed. “You couldn’t turn around anywhere without seeing YES For NOLA Kids,” she said, likening the effect to “surround sound.”
Ben Schmauss, policy engagement manager for Voices for Healthy Kids, said that in supporting the LPI, the Power Coalition and its partners, “We funded the right group to do the right work at the right time—and got out of the way.”
It’s an example, he said, of the power of investing in groups that are closest to the needs of their communities. “We’re trying to create lasting change by investing in, sharing power and decision making and building capacity with communities that historically have lacked investment.”
Grantees
AHA Minnesota
AHA Ohio
AHA South Carolina
BREADA
Center for Planning Excellence
Florida Impact to End Hunger
Florida Rising Together (Statewide Alignment Group)
Georgians for a Healthy Future
Hunger Action Los Angeles
Hunger Free Colorado
ImpactTulsa
In-Advance
Magnolia Medical Foundation
Make the Road Nevada, a project of Make the Road States, Inc.
NAACP Maryland State Conference
New Mexico Voices for Children
Policy Institute for the Children of Louisiana
Rodel
The Suquamish Foundation
The Walls Project
Three O'clock Project
Urban Health Partnerships, Incorporated
Voices for Racial Justice
WEPOWER
Wholesome Wave
YWCA Greater Charleston
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