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Promise 3: Children and youth will have a fair chance to succeed no matter where they live

Challenges like violence, health problems and housing insecurity too often prevent young people who live in high poverty areas from achieving their potential. The District can reverse the collective impact of these challenges and ensure a fair chance by focusing on the neediest communities first and eradicate opportunity segregation. DC should fund services close to where the most fragile children and youth live and most importantly make the success of low-income children and youth a priority in policy and the budget.

The new administration and City Council can take decisive action in their first 100 days to keep the “fair chance” promise by

• Aggressively addressing poverty and concentrated poverty. The new mayor should, among other things, ensure the Poverty Commission is staffed, all members are appointed and the commission has the full support of the new administration.



• More than 30% of the approximately 111,000 children and youth in the District of Columbia live in poverty.



• The number of census tracts with concentrated poverty doubled between 1990 and 2000.



• Locating more out-of-school time and other services in Wards 7 and 8.



• The 2000 census found that 114,992 young people under 18 lived in the District. Of these, 44,884 lived in Wards 7 and 8.



• A 1999 study found that the majority of out-of-school time programs were located in the center part of the city even though a significant portion of young people lived east of the Anacostia River.



• Implementing a proven substance abuse prevention strategy, using Local funds, targeting young people.



• Of the juvenile drug tests at the time of arrest in 2005, 51% of the youth tested had positive test results. The youngest arrestee who tested positive was 7 years old.



• According to Addiction Prevention and Recovery Administration in the Department of Health, there is no local investment for adolescent substance abuse prevention. The programs are federally funded.



• Fully funding the DC EITC Campaign’s public education and outreach efforts as well as free tax preparation sites.

These recommendations are achievable. To date, DC Action for Children has done its part to support the fulfillment of this promise by successfully advocating for

• The creation and then expansion of a local refundable earned income tax credit.



• Additional funding for the mental health program in schools.

* Mayoral candidates are excluded from registering for the 5 Promises to Kids Campaign.