National
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Child Poverty
The Build Back Better Act’s Child Tax Credit: How the bill gets us one step closer to a true child allowance
In early September, the House Ways and Means Committee approved their portion of the Build Back Better Act (BBBA), which includes and extension of the American Rescue Plan Act’s Child Tax Credit (CTC) through 2025. While this proposal falls short of making the program permanent, the plan includes many substantial and important improvements to the CTC. Unfortunately, these improvements are at risk of being weakened as Congress negotiates the Build Back Better package. Congress must not weaken this plan, as these critical changes are necessary to ensure families are able to rely on and benefit from this program for years to come.
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Child Welfare
A Time for Altruism
Foster youth are on the cusp of a crisis in the middle of a pandemic. If our representatives in Washington D.C. don’t act fast, thousands of foster youth will age out of foster care on October 1st, and many more will lose a lifeline to flexible cash assistance that young people like me fought for. We need Congress to pass legislation that extends the protections included in the Supporting Foster Youth and Families Through the Pandemic Act immediately.
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Listening to Heal Our Children
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Child Welfare
The Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2021 (S. 2689) Would Lead to Significant Unintended Consequences for Children in the Care of the Child Welfare System
Exempting QRTPs from the IMD exclusion would undermine the goals of Family First, weakening the standards of quality and leading more children to be placed in large-scale institutions, rather than promoting placements with family, as the law intends.
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Child Health
The Children’s Defense Fund-New York (CDF-NY) appoints Kercena A. Dozier as Executive Director
“Children’s Defense Fund‘s New York office has helped to set the progressive standard for advancing child well-being within our national organization and the broader children’s movement,” said Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President & CEO, Children’s Defense Fund. “We are excited that its future will be guided by a leader as strong, committed and prepared as Kercena Dozier. I look forward to working with her and our extraordinary team members on the ground to make sure all children and youth in the Empire State thrive.”
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Child Health
Statement from Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President & CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund
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Early Childhood
CDF Freedom Schools® Will Create Signature Teacher Training Pedagogy with the Help of American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Fellow
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Youth Voices: Children Deserve Characters Like Them
Children shouldn’t have to wait until maturity to begin to internalize the words, “love yourself”! Better representation in books, tv shows, and news media should start now: through empowering our children to be their genuine selves, encouraging them to engage with a variety of books and media, and showing them that they are the right person to make a change.
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