Child Poverty

  • Child Poverty

    Nearly 170 Organizations Call for Congress to Include the Pandemic TANF Assistance Act in the Next COVID-19 Relief Package

    We urge Congress to demonstrate their commitment to addressing systemic poverty and racial, and gender disparities by including the Pandemic TANF Assistance Act in the next COVID-19 legislative package. The emergency grant program included in this bill would help families and children, especially families of color, meet their basic needs and is an essential part of more significant action and assistance needed for our most vulnerable.

  • Child Poverty

    Millions of Children Could Lose Their Homes if Congress Fails to Act

    The scale of the COVID-19 crisis is already staggering, but what comes next could be even more significant: Unless Congress provides robust housing assistance and fully extends the eviction moratorium to cover more families, more than 20 million people will be at risk of eviction by the end of September—disproportionately Black and Latinx renters—making housing and racial justice a key concern for our communities and Congress.

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  • Child Health

    Policy Brief: HEROES Act

    The Children’s Defense Fund-New York urges members of Congress to support the HEROES Act to help children and families struggling with food insecurity and unemployment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Child Poverty

    CDF Urges Congress to Expand the Child Tax Credit

    Ample research tells us that strengthening and expanding the Child Tax Credit and converting it into a monthly child allowance is one of the most powerful ways to address child poverty and increase long-term positive outcomes for our children. We strongly urge Congress to adopt changes to the Child Tax Credit, reflecting the provisions in the American Family Act (S.690/H.R. 1560), to ensure it is fully refundable and reaches all children in low- and no-income households with the greatest need.

  • Child Poverty

    The Urgent Need for the Senate to Take Action: Children and Families Need Cash Now

    Our children and families cannot afford to wait. Children’s lives have been upended by this pandemic - from their education, to their health, to growing hunger and homelessness. The Senate must take up an additional round of pandemic relief legislation immediately and include robust direct cash assistance to ensure that every family, especially families of color, can make ends meet during this crisis and beyond.

    | National

  • Child Poverty

    The Urgent Need to Extend Unemployment Insurance & Fight for Racial Justice

    It’s now up to the Senate to strengthen and enhance UI in additional COVID-19 legislation, yet Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated he wants to hit “pause” on any negotiations. Children and families don’t have time to wait. As unemployment soars in communities of color and UI claims climb, we see how persistent racial disparities in employment, wages, income, and poverty all make Black and Latinx families particularly vulnerable. There can be no “pause” on lifesaving assistance for our most vulnerable.

    | National

  • Child Poverty

    CDF Joins Over 2,000 Organizations Urging Congress to Expand SNAP Amid COVID-19

    COVID-19 has exacerbated already too high levels of food insecurity in America. We urge Congress and the White House to take action now to limit the depth and duration of this health and economic crisis by ensuring that the basic food needs of struggling families and individuals are met. Congress and the White House must act now to increase the SNAP maximum benefit, increase the SNAP monthly minimum benefit, and suspend SNAP time limits and rules changes that would cut SNAP eligibility and benefits.

  • Child Health

    Juneteenth: Celebrate Through Resistance

    As we commemorate Juneteenth on Friday, June 19, it’s impossible to not reflect on the history of this country and where we are today. Historically, America has refused to recognize Juneteenth as a national paid holiday.

    | National