National

  • Child Health

    Children’s Defense Fund Deepens Commitment to Building Power for Children and Youth

    Washington, D.C. -- The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is deepening its efforts to organize and mobilize communities throughout the U.S. to build power for children and families with new initiatives focused on students and faith communities. The programs are made possible by new multi-year funding commitments, including a $5 million anonymous gift and a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment.

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  • Child Poverty

    It’s Time for Congress to Extend the Eviction Moratorium

    Roughly 15 million people in 6.5 million renter households are currently behind on their rent and face an increased risk of eviction. To protect these families and their children, Congress should extend the moratorium until the pandemic is over and all the emergency rental assistance provided in previous COVID-relief bills has reached renters in need.

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  • Child Poverty

    Biden Administration Permanently Boosts Nutrition Assistance in Continued Effort to End Child Poverty

    All 17 million children who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to access nutritious meals—nearly a quarter of all children in America—will receive additional assistance starting in October. This week, the Biden administration approved an historic expansion of the program, permanently raising benefit levels for the first time in more than 45 years. It is a long-overdue expansion and a critical step towards ending child poverty, advancing racial equity, and improving child well-being.

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  • Child Welfare

    New Policy Report from Young People with Experience in the Foster Care System

    The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Foster Youth Internship (FYI) Program® brings a cohort of young adults who have experienced the foster care system to intern in congressional offices on Capitol Hill and publish policy recommendations to best support young people impacted by the foster care system. After serving on a specialized COVID-19 Foster Youth Intern Pandemic Working Group, the 2021 Foster Youth Interns went on to intern for congressional offices this summer and have authored "Building the Path Forward for Change in the Child Welfare System" based on their experiences and expertise.

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  • Child Poverty

    Access to Benefits Are Essential for Immigrant Children to Thrive

    Immigrant children and families—like all children and families—deserve public benefits and income supports that promote their healthy development and well-being. Yet the law’s cruel restrictions had ripple effects, chilled access to benefits even when immigrant families were eligible, and arguably paved the path for the Trump administration’s exclusionary policies and anti-immigrant, fear-fueling rhetoric.

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  • Education

    New Research Confirms Suspensions Harm Students and Target Black Students and Students with Disabilities

    Harsh and exclusionary discipline practices have long-lasting, traumatizing, and potentially life-threatening consequences on students, disproportionately targeting and harming Black students and students with disabilities. As schools consider returning to in-person in the fall, we must ensure our students aren’t returning to a norm of criminalization and harm.

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