Ways to help

Children's legislative priorities

Improving and supporting access to high-quality health care for kids

Children's is committed to advocating for a strong Medicaid program for kids. More than half of the kids we care for are covered by Medicaid and we want to ensure that program funding supports the care and services kids need. We monitor and advocate on provider and insurance reimbursement, regulations and policies. We encourage increased investments in pediatric-specific care, pediatric research and the pediatric expert workforce.

Engaging in public and community health efforts

In order to strive towards our vision to have Wisconsin's children be the healthiest in the nation, we look beyond our hospital and clinic walls to help meet community needs. It is important that children are thriving in all aspects of health: physical, mental, social and dental health. These efforts include: promoting immunizations, improving access to healthy and affordable food, ensuring safe and stable housing, reducing environmental health hazards and more.

Preventing injuries and keeping kids safe

Prevention is a key component of pediatric health and well-being. Children's provides programs, services and education to promote safety and help prevent injuries and harm. We advocate to support: care seat safety, bike safety, promoting safe sleep environments, teen driving safety, gun violence prevention, concussion protocols and much more.

Supporting the well-being of kids and families

At more than a dozen locations across the state, Children's provides child and family counseling, child advocacy and protection services, community health education, family preservation and support services, and foster care and adoption services. Children’s supports and strengthens children and families across Wisconsin with family-centered and strengths-based programs to help keep children safely at home in a nurturing environment. We recruit, license and support foster and adoptive parents and are licensed by the State of Wisconsin to match and place children in safe and stable homes. Children's advocates for funding and policies for parent supports, to prevent abuse and support survivors, and to help meet the needs of children in out-of-home care.

Federal letters of support and testimony

May 2025 – Coalition letter in support of Pediatric Disaster Care program
May 2025 – Coalition letter in support of Emergency Medical Services for Children program
March 2025 – Coalition letter to Congressional leadership on importance of Medicaid & CHIP for kids
March 2025 – Coalition letter to Congressional leadership on Accelerating Kids' Access to Care
March 2025 – Coalition letter to Wisconsin delegation re: NIH funding
February 2025 – Coalition letter in support of Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act
February 2025 – Coalition letter to Congressional leadership to strengthen families and support children in the child welfare system
December 2024 – Coalition letter to Congressional leadership on Accelerating Kids' Access to Care Act
October 2024 – Coalition letter to Congressional leadership on Protecting America's Children by Strengthening Families Act
October 2024 – Coalition letter to Congressional delegation on Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act
July 2024 – Safe States Alliance coalition letter to Congressional leadership re: CDC Injury Center funding
June 2024 – Coalition letter to Congressional leadership re: gun violence prevention funding for research
May 2024 – Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment Program coalition letter
May 2024 – Innovation in Pediatric Drugs Act coalition letter
May 2024 – Emergency Medical Services for Children appropriations coalition letter
May 2024 – Pediatric Disaster Care Program appropriations coalition letter
February 2024 – EPA comment letter re: Lead and Copper Rule Improvements

State letters of support and testimony

April 2025 – Tobacco bar legislation coalition memo
March 2025 – Palliative Care Council testimony
February 2025 – Postpartum Medicaid extension testimony
February 2025 – Home visiting funding coalition memo
February 2025 – Postpartum Medicaid extension coalition memo
February 2024 – Child advocacy center funding testimony
February 2024 – Healthy food incentives and addressing childhood obesity testimony
February 2024 – Coalition letter in support of child advocacy center funding
February 2024 –Youth psychiatric residential treatment facilities testimony
January 2024 – Child advocacy center funding testimony
January 2024 – Family Foundations Home Visiting funding testimony
January 2024 – Asthma management plans and inhalers in schools testimony
January 2024 – Family Foundations Home Visiting funding testimony

Milwaukee area letters of support and testimony

February 2023 – Milwaukee County American Rescue Plan Act Allocation Task Force re: lead poisoning prevention
May 2022 – Milwaukee Market Match program Finance Committee testimony
October 2021 – Coalition memo to Milwaukee County Executive and Supervisors re: Market Match fruit and vegetable incentive program
September 2021 – Triple P, The Parenting Network coalition letter to Milwaukee Common Council re: American Rescue Plan Act funds for parent and family supports
July 2021 – Health care system coalition letter to Mayor Barrett re: American Rescue Plan Act funds for violence prevention
July 2020 – Letter to Wauwatosa Common Council re: mask ordinance
July 2020 – Coalition letter to Mayor Barrett re: mask ordinance
April 2019 - Wauwatosa Equity & Inclusion Commission Support Letter
March 2019 - Dr. Paradis Milwaukee Common Council Steering & Rules Committee testimony on lead poisoning prevention

Join our advocacy network

Children's Advocacy Network will keep you up-to-date on issues affecting children's health and well-being so you can contact your legislators on topics that matter to you.

Contact us

For information about our advocacy efforts, email us.

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