National

  • Child Welfare

    Comments on HHS Nondiscrimination Proposed Rule

    CDF submitted comments on HHS's proposed rule on nondiscrimination protections for HHS-funded programs. Government-sanctioned discrimination is diametrically opposed to the cardinal rule of child welfare, that the best interest of the child is paramount, and, as such, it should never be allowed in the child welfare system. This rule would threaten the ability of the child welfare system to promote permanency for youth in care and will jeopardize the safety and well-being of children in foster care.

  • Immigration

    Family Detention is Dangerous and Wrong

    There is no safe way to detain children and families. This administration’s attempt to expand family detention is dangerous, and the Children’s Defense Fund will continue to fight its cruelty.

    | National

  • Health

    CDF and Other Leading Children’s Health and Medical Groups Respond to South Carolina Waiver

    With this Section 1115 waiver approval, South Carolina becomes the first state in the nation to exclusively impose the harmful policy of work requirements on low-income parents with children. Children rely on healthy parents and caregivers to help them meet their health and developmental needs, and this waiver will make it harder for parents to be there for their children.

  • Child Health

    Legislation Should Address Vaccine Hesitancy and Rise in Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

    Vaccines are essential to protecting children, families, and communities, and herd immunity is especially critical for vulnerable children with medical conditions as well as infants too young to be immunized. To maintain and increase vaccine coverage that will ensure necessary herd immunity, parents must have confidence in the safety and efficacy of vaccines, exemptions must be restricted, and existing exemptions must be monitored.

    | National

  • Child Health

    Addressing Our Nation’s Alarming Maternal Mortality Rates

    Each year, an estimated 700 women in the United States die from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. Since the CDC began tracking maternal mortality rates in 1987, the United States has seen a sharp increase in pregnancy-related deaths, most of which are entirely preventable.

    | National

  • Child Health

    Ongoing Attacks on SNAP

    Today, the Trump administration published a final rule that will weaken SNAP by imposing time limits and work requirements. By USDA’s own estimates, this change will result in nearly 700,000 people losing benefits. Earlier this year, CDF urged the Administration to withdraw this rule as well as other recent proposals to take food from hungry families.

    | National