Child Health
The compromise bill includes important generational investments to boost families’ economic stability and reduce racial inequities in income, housing, education, and health care that disproportionately harm Black, Latino, and Indigenous children. However, it leaves out important investments to ensure children and families have what they need to thrive.
Child Health
“President Biden’s framework brings us one step closer to a historic, essential, and long-overdue investment in our country’s children and families. We’re poised to boost families’ economic stability and reduce racial inequities in income, housing, education, and health care that harm Black and brown children every day. We appreciate the countless child advocates, parents, friends in the White House, and champions in Congress who have fought for decades to bring us to this point."
Education
Youth are still growing and learning at such a young age. They should not be subjected to such a harsh punishment because that affects them long-term. Placing them in juvenile detention centers does more damage especially when these centers are not equipped to truly help them on their educational journey.
Child Poverty
CDF urges Congress to prioritize robust investments within the Build Back Better Act for housing vouchers, public housing, and the national Housing Trust Fund (HTF) because these vital housing programs most directly meet the needs of the poorest and most marginalized children and youth in our country.
Child Welfare
Continued reliance on institutional placements puts our nation’s children—especially Black children—at risk of lasting harm to their health, development, and well-being. Congress must prioritize effective community-led, family-focused, youth-centered programs to ensure young people have the resources and supports they need to thrive within their families and communities.
Youth Justice
Criminal convictions create life-long barriers to employment, housing, and education that directly impact the conditions for children and families. Clean Slate is a crucial step toward racial and economic justice, addressing some of the deep racial disparities that are evident at every stage of the criminal legal system, and providing pathways to more full participation in our neighborhoods and communities, which is essential to the well-being of children, youth, and families.
