National

  • Child Poverty

    Understanding the Expanded Child Tax Credit

    The American Rescue Plan includes a significant, one-year expansion to the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Millions of newly eligible children and their families will benefit from this major expansion, and successful implementation is now key to realizing a significant reduction in child poverty, building racial equity, and creating a public investment for the good of all children. Here’s what you need to know about the expanded CTC.

  • Child Health

    It’s Time to Make CHIP Permanent

    More than 700,000 children lost health coverage between 2016 and 2019, even before our country began facing a devastating pandemic that has left more than 28 million Americans infected with COVID-19, including more than three million children. As we work to reverse course and get all eligible children covered, making CHIP permanent is critical so we can depend on it to always be there.

    | National

  • Education

    My CDF Freedom Schools experience

    A letter written to Children's Defense Fund supporters by by Keely Norris, Ed.S, educator and CDF Freedom Schools® Ella Baker Trainer alumna.

    | National

  • Child Health

    Congress Must Close America’s Coverage Gap

    CDF-Texas has worked tirelessly for the last decade to convince Texas legislators to expand Medicaid to low-wage Texans, to no avail. Without Congressional action, Americans living in the 12 non-expansion states could be waiting another decade or more for basic, life-saving care.

    | National

  • Child Poverty

    More Than 700 State and Local Organizations Call on Elected Officials to Make Expanded Child Tax Credit Permanent

    August 4, 2021; Washington, DC—Today, over 700 community-serving organizations called on Congress and the Biden administration to make the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) a permanent investment and ensure it is available to all families who need it. The Automatic Benefit for Children (ABC) Coalition, co-chaired by the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) and the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), led this effort which comes at an urgent moment as the expanded CTC’s future past 2021 is uncertain. Congress must act now, or the expanded credit will expire after this year. 

    | National