In Defense of Children

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Viewpoints and analysis from the CDF Policy team on issues impacting children. CDF’s policy advocacy focuses on the whole child because children don’t come in pieces. We seek to end child poverty and give every child a healthy start, a quality early childhood experience, a level education playing field, safe families and communities free from violence—with special attention to children involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.







What the Latest COVID Relief Bill Means for Children

This week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi introduced a new version of the HEROES Act. Despite the smaller price tag, this bill maintains many of the key priorities for children and families included in the May bill passed by the House, while also taking steps to address at least two critical pieces for children and families that to date, have been largely left out of Congress’ earlier efforts to ensure relief: significant funding for the child care sector and critical investments to help support children, youth, and families across the child welfare continuum. While this new bill may still fall short of all of the things we know children and families need to weather this health and economic crisis, it’s imperative that Congress take this crucial next step to ensure long overdue relief now. 

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Nation’s Thirst for Pandemic Relief No Match for McConnell’s Hunger for Power

200,000 Americans dead from COVID-19 and millions more marching for racial justice did not move Mitch McConnell to act, but one death on the Supreme Court propelled him into action. Just hours after Justice Ginsburg died, Majority Leader McConnell was rallying his troops in preparation for one of the quickest and most controversial Supreme Court confirmations ever.

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Children Aren’t Immune to the COVID-19 Virus or to the Racial Inequities it is Magnifying

While infection and death rates may in fact be lower for children when compared to adults, our children are certainly not immune—to the virus itself or to the racial inequities it is magnifying. Recent CDC reports show that more than 75 percent of children dying from COVID-19 are Hispanic, Black, and American Indian children, though they represent only 41 percent of the population. 

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Breonna Taylor and the Invisibility of Black Women and Girls in America

We’re in both an unusual and special time as a country. Unusual in that, in the midst of an intensified election year, where so many legislative decisions can negatively impact the livelihoods of the most vulnerable children and families, and the countless protests against racial injustice and police brutality happening all over the country, we are also searching for a level of normalcy from the effects of the pandemic in our everyday lives. This time is also special and calls for urgency in the continued push, pull and pressure to ensure long-lasting radical change for society as whole, but more importantly for America’s most oppressed and marginalized groups of people.  

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New Analysis from CDF: Congress Must Act Now to Ensure Children Can Stay Fed and Focused This School Year

We must ensure every child has consistent, safe, and equitable access to nutritious meals during this crisis and beyond. That starts with the Senate passing and the White House signing into law H.R. 8337 for temporary relief, but it doesn’t end with it. Congress must meet this moment urgently with a robust COVID-19 relief package to also boost SNAP benefits and make investments in a variety of basic needs programs that help our children and families thrive. 

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Introducing our 2020 Voter Guides

To help make voting more accessible, CDF has released its 2020 voter guides. Our guides explain why voting matters at every level of government (the presidential election is not the only election on the ballot!), highlight the children’s issues that are at stake in this election, and help you make a plan to vote smartly and safely, especially within the context of COVID-19.

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New Legislation Offers Long-Term Child Care Investment Children and Families Need

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear that child care providers are not only essential for the development and education of our next generation, they’re also essential for parents who need to continue working to keep food on the table; essential for healthcare workers, USPS workers, and other workers providing essential services; and essential to ensure businesses can stay open and the economy can recover. The Rebuilding a Better Child Care Infrastructure Act will provide the immediate and long-term funding needed to keep child care providers afloat amid the pandemic and reconstruct a child care infrastructure that will better serve all families.

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What the Supreme Court Means for Children

The Supreme Court will continue to be one of the most powerful forces shaping the lives of children and the world we are leaving for them. In a time of growing polarization, we continue to see more cases decided on close margins, giving a single Justice the power to profoundly impact the health, safety, and well-being of millions of children for generations to come. Confirming a new Justice is one of the most consequential actions that a Senator can take and as with any vote they take, CDF believes it is  imperative they do so with the interests of children in mind.

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TPS Protects Families. A New Ruling This Week Puts the Program at Risk.

This week, in a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration has the discretion to end TPS protection for 300,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Sudan. This means thousands of immigrants could be forced out of their homes of decades, separated from their families, and deported to countries where they would be unsafe. This family separation - and even the threat of separation - will have devastating effects on the health, well-being, and economic security of TPS holders and their children.

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