Dear John,

These last few weeks have been mind-numbing as we struggle to understand the reasons for the violence and, in turn, what our nation must do to prevent the scourge of inhumanity and pain that’s occurred most profoundly in Buffalo andor Uvalde. As I write to you today, the devastating massacre of 19 children and 2 teachers at an elementary school in Texas is weighing heavy on our hearts. And this comes just days after the racially motivated mass murder of 10 African Americans at a grocery store in Upstate New York.

The mass shootings – just two years after the tragic murder of George Floyd – is further evidence of the depth of never-ending racism in our country and why our efforts to advance an anti-poverty policy advocacy agenda and vision centering racial equity are so critical. Our individual and collective journey to dismantle systemic racism is far from over and requires constant self-awareness, unlearning, healing, and holding policymakers accountable at all levels.

While we process all of this, we continue to grapple with the leaked draft Supreme Court majority opinion pointing to Roe v. Wade being overturned. The right to abortion is fundamental to economic security and equity, bodily autonomy, and health care access. Undoubtedly, a decision in this direction would deeply worsen gender and racial inequities. That’s why CLASP is committed to standing with our partners in the fight for reproductive rights, gender justice, and the constitutional rights of everyone.

There is so much to do. Every day, CLASP’s policy priorities take on increasing urgency and are underscored by the persistent challenges around racial equity. And yet, CLASP must continue fighting for transformative equitable policies and the protection of civil and human rights in all we do. We know what we are up against, and we continue to push forward with full steam.

With that, we look forward to welcoming Indi Dutta-Gupta as our next Executive Director of CLASP in the coming weeks. Over the last several months, CLASP has been as busy as ever, in moving our work forward and investing more deeply in our grassroots partnerships. Even during this exciting time of transition, we remain firmly committed to our anti-poverty and racial equity mission, producing impactful reports and expanding and stengthening our partnerships, including among groups that include people with lived experience.

Here are a few proud highlights coming out of CLASP in recent months:


• CLASP worked alongside the Biden Administration to strengthen policy around “protected areas” – such as schools, health care settings, and places of worship – where immigration agents are restricted from carrying out enforcement activities. CLASP created a bilingual fact sheet for providers, updated a toolkit for early childhood providers on the policy, and partnered with the National Immigration Law Center and the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) to host a national webinar for more than 250 stakeholders to spread awareness about the new policy.


• Our immigration and child care policy teams entered a formal partnership with the United Parent Leaders Action Network (UPLAN) to support its knowledge of what is happening legislatively at the federal and state levels to inform their strategic engagement with policymakers. In one of our first major projects, we supported UPLAN in its national annual D.C. convening of over 100 parent leaders in May. The event lifted up UPLAN’s federal early care and education, immigration, and parent engagement priorities through a day of advocacy events including a rally, Hill briefing, and legislative meetings with 20 Congressional offices.


• CLASP supported the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls in its development of the “Black Women Best” legislative agenda. Black women experience the highest levels of labor market participation, despite carrying the biggest burden of economic hardships. Through the “Black Women Best” agenda, we are supporting policies that counteract this by advancing Black women and building a better economy for all.


• CLASP released an extensive report making the case for how and why states should equitably center infants, toddlers, and their families as they implement the American Rescue Plan. This piece included recommendations on how to improve support for communities of color and immigrant and mixed-status communities. By looking across multiple programs, CLASP is building awareness of the needs of infants and toddlers with a range of audiences.


• Select workforce priorities were included in the House Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) reauthorization bill, including provisions that support reentry services, serve those with barriers to employment, and increase emphasis on equity and job quality. Prior to House passage, CLASP submitted comments on an earlier discussion draft, with several language suggestions to improve equity and access making it into the final bill. Although CLASP believes there’s more to be done to strengthen WIOA to improve workforce development and economic opportunities for people with low incomes, we are pleased that the House-passed version included some improvements over current law.


• A New Deal for Youth outlined a #WhyWeCan’tWait legislative agenda, including criteria for high-impact legislation and endorsed legislation. These policies seek to redefine whose expertise, experiences, and systems of knowledge are valued, understanding that young people not only deserve a seat at the decision-making table, but can also shake the table and create the menu. We are encouraged to see traction around A New Deal for Youth on Capitol Hill, including through this May Hill Briefing.


• CLASP supported coordinated responses from both the Protecting Immigrant Families Campaign and the Children Thrive Action Network to deliver an organizational sign-on comment, bringing together 1,074 organizations representing every state in the country and D.C. to ensure immigrant families are re-enrolling in programs critical for their health and wellbeing.
• CLASP’s Parker Gilkesson published a report and related materials on “intentional program violations” in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Her body of work generated so much attention, including on the Hill where she testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Government Operations in a hearing entitled “Follow the Money: Tackling Improper Payments.” Several weeks after the hearing, she published an op-ed in The Hill on the same subject.


• Earlier this month, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee released a proposal to include significant new federal dollars for child care and early education in the federal budget reconciliation package. The press release announcing this new framework led with CLASP’s original analysis of the impact of their proposal, including an estimate that at least 1 million additional children would be served.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of the tremendous work we’ve been up to. We continue to provide our signature individualized technical assistance to allied organizations that can move promising policies forward through state legislatures, advocates, and administrators. We are in regular conversation with federal policymakers, helping inform their work on policies and programs that support people with low incomes and communities of color. We have provided data analyses to make the case for child care investments and regularly publish op-eds, including recently in The Hill and Ms. Magazine.

As we look forward during this period of transition, we continue to recognize and offer our deep appreciation for sustained support from partners like you. Your engagement has been a driving force in our efforts and evolution. We look forward to continuing to count on your support and partnership as we work toward dismantling institutional and systemic racism and recommitting ourselves to economic justice and racial equity.

Thank you for your dedication to CLASP and its mission. We’re so grateful to have you standing with us.

Sincerely,

Cormekki Whitley
Chief Operating Officer/Interim Executive Director

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1310 L St. NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC xxxxxx
United States