WASHINGTON – The First Five Years Fund (FFYF), the leading bipartisan early childhood education advocacy organization in Washington, DC, announced today that Sarah Rubinfield has been named the organization’s Director of Governmental Affairs. A seasoned political and public policy professional with more than 15 years of experience on Capitol Hill, Rubinfield joins FFYF as the organization expands its bipartisan federal lobbying and government affairs operations ahead of the 116th Congress and the 2020 elections. Rubinfield’s broad expertise will round out FFYF’s robust, inter-connected policy, advocacy and communications work. Her first day with FFYF will be December 12, 2018.
During her time on Capitol Hill as Chief of Staff to Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), and most recently to Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Rubinfield oversaw the Members’ legislative, communications, political and administrative operations during passage and implementation of key legislation such as the Affordable Care Act and the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act.
“We’re extremely fortunate and excited to have someone of Sarah’s expertise and influence joining the FFYF team,” said FFYF executive director Sarah Rittling. “Sarah Rubinfield has demonstrated a keen ability to reach across the aisle and negotiate important legislative achievements during her time on Capitol Hill. Her strategic political experience will be critical as FFYF builds on the existing support for early childhood education in Congress and prepares to capitalize on the political and policy opportunities ahead.”
“There are few issues before Congress that are as important or as widely supported as early childhood education,” said Sarah Rubinfield. “We have a tremendous opportunity before us to harness the overwhelming bipartisan support and undeniable research behind early learning and help Congress craft meaningful and lasting solutions for America’s children. I am thrilled to join the First Five Years Fund at this unique moment in history and look forward to the work ahead.”
Prior to becoming Chief of Staff, Rubinfield served as Representative Capps’ education policy advisor for nine years. During that time, she was the lead staffer for the bipartisan Congressional School Health and Safety Caucus. Rubinfield holds a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA, where she studied Political Science and Public Policy. Born in Lawrence, Kansas, and raised on the Central Coast of California, Rubinfield lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Adam, and their young daughter.
FFYF is the only bipartisan organization in Washington dedicated to advocating for the full continuum of care and education for children from birth through age five – particularly those living in poverty. Founded in 2007 as a pooled philanthropic fund, FFYF represents the interests of a small group of important charitable foundations: Buffett Early Childhood Fund, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Irving Harris Foundation, George Kaiser Family Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Pritzker Children’s Initiative, Heising-Simons Foundation and the Saul Zaentz Charitable Foundation.
The First Five Years Fund provides knowledge, data and advocacy – persuading federal policymakers to make investments in the first five years of a child’s life that create greater returns for all. FFYF helps America achieve better results in education, health and economic productivity through investments in quality early childhood education programs for disadvantaged children. http://www.ffyf.org