The Children's Partnership

The Children's Partnership (TCP) is a California-based advocacy organization advancing child health equity. It leverages research, policy advocacy, and community engagement to address systemic issues impacting children's well-being. TCP develops solutions across health coverage, mental health, digital access, and immigrant family support, fostering an equitable environment for all children in the state.

TCP was established in 1993 by co-founders Wendy Lazarus and Laurie Lipper. Their foundational insight arose from observing significant policy shifts that often overlooked children's unique needs. Recognizing a critical gap, Lazarus and Lipper created TCP for strategic advocacy, proactively championing children's interests and responding to evolving challenges within policy.

The organization serves all California children and families, especially those from marginalized communities, by influencing legislation and public programs. TCP envisions a future where every child in California has equitable opportunities to thrive, grow healthy, and reach full potential. They continually advance this mission by anticipating future challenges and advocating for child-centered solutions.

The Children’s Partnership is a nonprofit child-advocacy organization (not a company or investment firm) focused on policy, research and community engagement to advance health and opportunity for underserved children in California and nationally[1][3].

High‑Level Overview

• The Children’s Partnership (TCP) advances child health equity through research, policy advocacy, and community engagement, centering racial equity and family‑driven approaches[2][3].
  - TCP’s work concentrates on policy change (health care, coverage, technology access and related systems), community-centered research, and building community power to influence policymakers[2][1].
  - As an advocacy organization, its impact on the ecosystem is shaping public policy, informing practitioners with research, mobilizing families and partners, and serving as a convenor between community voices and decision‑makers in California and beyond[2][1].

Origin Story

• TCP was founded in 1993 by Wendy Lazarus and Laurie Lipper to set a children’s agenda on emerging issues after observing policy shifts that neglected children[1].
  - Early work included a 1994 report examining how computers and the Internet affect children’s learning and development, which helped start national conversations about technology’s impact on children[1].
  - Over three decades TCP has evolved into a California‑based national advocacy organization led (as of recent available filings) by President Mayra E. Alvarez and a small professional team focused on research‑driven policy and community partnership[1][3].

Core Differentiators

• Focus on policy + community: Combines evidence‑based research with direct community engagement to produce policy recommendations rooted in lived experience[2].
  - Intersectional, equity‑centered approach: Explicit emphasis on racial equity and addressing cumulative marginalization of children and families[2].
  - Convening and partnership capacity: Longstanding track record of building coalitions across sectors to translate research into policy and practice[1][2].
  - Recognized nonprofit governance and transparency: Listed as a 501(c)(3) public charity with public filings and rated 4/4 by Charity Navigator[3][5].

Role in the Broader Tech / Policy Landscape

• Trend alignment: TCP sits at the intersection of health equity, digital inclusion, and family‑centered policymaking — areas that have grown in prominence as policymakers address systemic inequities and the role of technology in access to services[1][2].
  - Timing and market forces: Increasing focus on social determinants of health, broadband/digital equity, and racial equity in policy creates demand for TCP’s research‑to‑advocacy model. TCP’s early work on children and technology gave it subject‑matter credibility as digital equity rose on policy agendas[1][2].
  - Influence: By translating community experience into policy recommendations and mobilizing partners, TCP helps shape state and local decisions that affect children’s access to health and social supports[2][1].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

• What’s next: TCP is positioned to continue leveraging research and community partnerships to influence California policy and national conversations on child health equity, digital inclusion, and family‑centered systems[2][1].
  - Trends to watch: Expansion of broadband/digital equity programs, Medicaid and public‑coverage policy changes, and increasing emphasis on racial equity in service delivery will shape TCP’s agenda and opportunities for impact[2][1].
  - Influence trajectory: If TCP sustains funding and coalition relationships, it will likely remain a key bridge between impacted families and policymakers—translating lived experience into implementable policy solutions and scaling successful models across jurisdictions[2][3].

If you’d like, I can:

• Pull TCP’s most recent annual report or policy briefs and summarize key recent accomplishments; or
• Map TCP’s major partners, recent campaigns, and funding sources.