Carol’s Black History Month hero
The CDF Freedom Schools® program is rooted in the history and vision of the Civil Rights Movement, and Black leadership propels the program to [...]
Read MoreOur Lessons Only Hold Weight If We Live By Them
In a guest blog post, activist Jessica Kurzban shares a Valentine’s Day call to action for the Children’s Defense Fund community. This Valentine's Day marks three years since the Parkland shooting stole 17 beautiful lives, and over eight years since 20 precious first-graders were horrifically murdered at Sandy Hook. What have we learned? What have we done? What is the promise for tomorrow?
Read MoreAlexandria’s Black History Month hero
The CDF Freedom Schools® program is rooted in the history and vision of the Civil Rights Movement, and Black leadership propels the program to this [...]
Read MoreCongress Is Getting Serious About Fighting Child Poverty: A Review of the Latest Child Allowance Proposals
More than 10 million children were living in poverty in 2019 and the economic crisis created by the pandemic has threatened the security of millions more. These children need fast and flexible assistance. A child allowance would put cash directly into the hands of families with children to spend without restrictions—to put food on the table, keep the lights on, and keep children safely housed.
Read More“I Am A Child”: The Adultification of Black Children
No 9-year-old child should be handcuffed or pepper sprayed; no 9-year-old child should be arrested. Yet, this incident is not unique. Too often, Black children are treated as adults, and their normal adolescent behaviors treated as delinquent.
Read MoreBridget’s Black History Month hero
The CDF Freedom Schools® program is rooted in the history and vision of the Civil Rights Movement, and Black leadership propels the program to this [...]
Read MoreCongress Must Break the Stalemate and Act on the Bipartisan Support for the Direct Cash Assistance Families Need
It’s a new year and a new Congress, but some things haven’t changed: the pandemic continues, children and families across the country are in need, and relief isn’t coming quickly enough. Congress should act on the bipartisan support for direct cash assistance and provide $2,000 payments to every adult and child immediately.
Read MoreCDF and Partner Organizations Urge Critical Child Tax Credit Changes in the Next COVID Package
A society should be measured by how it treats its children. America will be judged by how we help our children and families who are struggling amidst our parallel crises of COVID-19 and systemic racism. Expanding and improving the child tax credit is a critical step toward living up to our country’s promise to our children.
Read MorePresident Biden Takes Key Steps to Address Hunger in New Executive Order
Recognizing that hunger is a moral and political failure with devastating consequences for our children and nation, President Biden exercised his authority last Thursday to issue an executive order to strengthen federal nutrition assistance. This executive order includes a number of provisions to address shortcomings in existing COVID relief efforts and provide immediate relief for millions of families struggling to put food on the table.
Read MoreNew Report on Child Maltreatment Showcases Rates of Abuse and Neglect Across the Country
This year’s report indicates that the number of children who were deemed to be victims of child maltreatment fell in 2019; however, so did the number of children receiving federally-funded services to prevent child abuse and neglect by supporting and strengthening families. And variations in rates of child maltreatment varied greatly by state, age, and race.
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