National

  • Child Poverty

    100+ Organizations Urge Congress to Protect Low-Income Families amid COVID-19

    This pandemic calls for the enactment of policies and sufficient funding to protect low- and moderate-income people from economic disaster and to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable people in our nation. We cannot predict all of the impacts that the coronavirus and the recession will have on the people in our nation for years to come. Given what we know now, we share the broad economic security priorities for future COVID-19 response legislation and actions.

  • Child Health

    Amid COVID-19, We Must Protect Our Most Vulnerable Children From Lasting Harm

    Those disproportionately impacted by this crisis were either completely left out of the previous relief packages or have additional, critical needs that must be addressed in Congress’ next response to the COVID-19 crisis. We cannot allow this crisis to continue to exacerbate existing disparities, hit our most vulnerable children the hardest, and cause lasting harm.

    | National
  • CDF Letter to Congress on Prioritizing Children and Families in the 4th COVID-19 Package

    As the scope and scale of the devastation from COVID-19 continues to grow, it is clear that children and families need additional support. At the same time, certain particularly vulnerable children and those disproportionately impacted by this crisis – including children living in poverty, children of color, children in the foster care system, and children in mixed immigration status families – were either completely left out of the previous relief packages or have additional, critical needs that must be addressed in Congress’ next response to the COVID-19 crisis. The unique and urgent needs of children must be a priority in Congress’ ongoing efforts to support the American people through this pandemic.

  • Child Welfare

    Congress Must Support Families and Address Further Strain to Child Welfare System

    On behalf of nearly 600 national, state, and local organizations, CDF sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging Congress to act immediately to equip the child welfare system with the tools it needs to handle this crisis. Strengthening the system to face these challenges requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the entire child welfare continuum.

    | National
  • Child Welfare

    CDF Continues Call for Increased SSBG Funding amid COVID-19

    The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) is a proven key source of support to help communities respond to critical needs in national disasters and an important tool in times of recession because it can provide assistance to cash-strapped states, territories, and counties quickly. We urged Congress to increase funding to the SSBG by $4.1 billion to respond to the growing needs of older people, children and families, and people with disabilities in the midst of COVID-19.

  • Child Poverty

    CDF's Comments on Alternative Measures of Poverty

    CDF submitted comments urging OMB to meaningfully expand—not artificially shrink—poverty measures to include all children experiencing economic deprivation, not just those currently counted as poor and requesting that any modifications to poverty thresholds capture the full breadth of resources needed to support children's healthy development.

  • Immigration

    Safeguards for Migrant Children Are Not a “Loophole”

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, citing coronavirus concerns, is removing unaccompanied children to countries where they fear violence and persecution. This is deeply troubling, and it is also a violation of children’s legal rights under federal law.

    | National
  • Immigration

    We’re All in This Together. COVID-19 Relief Must Protect All Families.

    Congress’ third bill responding to the impacts of COVID-19, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) was a necessary but incomplete step forward in the fight to ensure the needs of children and families are met in the midst of this pandemic.

    | National