Publications

Race to Equity: 10-Years Later

The 10-Year Report unpacks how race, class, and, in some cases, gender impact Black Dane County residents.

DACA Recipients in Wisconsin

One of the most impactful federal policies we have to support immigrants in Wisconsin is the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. 

Topics

Health & Nutrition

First Round Complete: Fueling Change in Wisconsin’s School Food System

To help eliminate disparities in schools, earlier this year we announced a grant opportunity to build pathways for local and nutritious food to reach more schools across the Midwest. We’re so excited to announce that in the first round of grants, we received 67 applicants!

Language Access in Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s diversity is one of our greatest strengths. But when children and their families face language access barriers, they are often excluded from critical information and services, which can hinder their development and well-being.

Wisconsin Youth Conversations

healthTIDE and Kids Forward hosted four Healthy Food Youth Conversations with 30 middle and high school Latino, Black, and Asian students from Milwaukee, Appleton, and Stevens Point, which took place between December 2023 and January 2024.

Immigration

Immigrant Taxpayers Deserve Dignity and Justice

Undocumented Immigrants Pay $198.9 Million in Taxes in Wisconsin By Liliana Barrera & William Parke-Sutherland Immigrants have been and continue to be vital to our communities. Nearly 300,000 immigrants in Wisconsin—about 76,000 of whom are undocumented—have put...

Back-to-School Means Language Access More Important than Ever

Better access to services and resources for multilingual community members begins with proactive approach to language barriers Contacts: Emily Miota, emiota@kidsforward.org or Lisa Cruz, lisa@ourmci.org  Madison, WI – With kids heading back to the classroom and many...

Virtual Event, 9/4: Workers Speak

The State of Working Wisconsin & Policy Priorities Wednesday, September 4, 2024, 12pm CT Black, Brown, Indigenous, and rural communities face significant economic challenges like low wages, wage theft, and exploitative labor practices. Despite legislative...

Tax & Budget

Our Take: The Wisconsin 2023-25 Biennial Budget

We appreciate Governor Evers being a stop gap for some of the most egregious proposals from the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee (JFC). But, if we want to actually address Wisconsin’s racial disparities, we have a lot more work to do.

Proposed Tax Cut Privileges Wealthiest 1%, Leaves Struggling Families Behind

Wisconsin can be a place where we all—regardless of race or place—have what we need to make ends meet. However, last week the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee voted for a tax cut that would aid in gutting supports for families. Letting Wisconsin’s wealthiest off the hook from paying what they owe means many struggling families are left behind, particularly children and families of color and those furthest from opportunity. We are calling on Governor Evers to stand up for everyday families and veto this tax cut for the wealthy few.

Health Access in the Fox Valley

Many residents of the Fox Valley area face barriers to receiving health care, including lack of access, extremely high cost, and lack of insurance coverage.

Youth Justice

Explained: End Juvenile Life Without Parole in Wisconsin

Wisconsin relies far too much on incarceration and blames children for system-wide failures. Instead of incarceration, a better investment for Wisconsin’s youth is in basic needs such as health, housing, and employment.  Wisconsin should reimagine a community-based continuum of care grounded in youth voice, emerging adult research, and cross-system collaboration. 

Testimony: End Juvenile Life Without Parole in Wisconsin

Kids Forward supports SB801/AB845, which would eliminate juvenile life without parole. This critical advancement towards a more developmentally appropriate juvenile justice system will reduce and repair harm, decrease racial disparities, increase child and family wellbeing, and increase opportunities for community-based alternatives to incarceration. 

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