Blog

Find our latest articles, reports, and weekly editions at Children's Defense Fund.

  • 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.

    | National

  • 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.

    | National

  • 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.

    | National

  • 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.

    | National

  • 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.

    | National

  • Child Poverty

    Frequently Asked Questions on the Child Tax Credit

    The American Rescue Plan includes a significant, one-year expansion to the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Millions of newly eligible children and their families will benefit from this major expansion, and successful implementation is now key to realizing a significant reduction in child poverty, building racial equity, and creating a public investment for the good of all children. Here’s what you need to know about the expanded CTC.

    | National

  • Child Health

    It’s Time to Make CHIP Permanent

    More than 700,000 children lost health coverage between 2016 and 2019, even before our country began facing a devastating pandemic that has left more than 28 million Americans infected with COVID-19, including more than three million children. As we work to reverse course and get all eligible children covered, making CHIP permanent is critical so we can depend on it to always be there.

    | National

  • Child Health

    Congress Must Close America’s Coverage Gap

    CDF-Texas has worked tirelessly for the last decade to convince Texas legislators to expand Medicaid to low-wage Texans, to no avail. Without Congressional action, Americans living in the 12 non-expansion states could be waiting another decade or more for basic, life-saving care.

    | National
Starsky Wilson stands at a podium in front of a crowd.

Featured Blog Series

For Our Children

From the desk of President and CEO Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, discover a new take on child well-being and advocacy. Read to learn more about shaping conversations, policies, and actions for improving the lives of our nation's children and youth.

Learn More