Step forward for children

 		Childrens Defense Fund


Our Initiatives

The ultimate goal of the Children’s Defense Fund is to make life better for all children in America. We seek to do this through our many and varied programs, backed by intensive research. 

Our Leave No Child Behind® mission aims to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities and, with the help of people like you, we are prepared to do all we possibly can to achieve these aims and give our Nation’s children the best possible start in life.

Please take a moment to explore four of our initiatives: Child Health Coverage, the Cradle to Prison Pipeline® Campaign, Beat the Odds® Program and CDF’s Freedom Schools® Program and find out how you can help!


Child Health Coverage
More than nine million children in America - nearly 90% from working households and the majority from two-parent families are uninsured. Additionally, millions more children are woefully underinsured. CDF is working to ensure that all children and pregnant women in America have access to affordable, seamless and comprehensive health and mental health coverage.


Cradle to Prison Pipeline Campaign
A Black boy born in 2001 has a one in three chance of going to prison in his lifetime and a Latino boy a one in six chance of the same fate. This is a national disaster and tells our children and the world that America’s dream is not for everyone. CDF's Cradle to Prison Pipeline Campaign is a national call to action to stop the funneling of tens of thousands of youth, down life paths that often lead to arrest, conviction, incarceration and, in some cases, death.


Beat the Odds Program
CDF's Beat the Odds program has awarded hundreds of college scholarships and other prizes to young people who have overcome tremendous adversity to achieve academic excellence, give back to their communities, and show personal strength and determination.


CDF Freedom Schools Program
The CDF Freedom Schools program is a summer and after-school reading enrichment program that, with the involvement of parents, families, and the community, fosters a “love of learning” in children and empowers them to make a difference in their communities and nation, all while having fun!

Take Action Now!

Be a voice for all children! Speak up to lift children out of poverty, ensure their right to adequate health coverage, good schools and safe streets, and protect them from abuse and neglect so they can grow up to be happy and healthy adults. Take action today and be a strong voice for all the children of America who cannot speak for themselves!

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Feature Story

Susan Castillo
Alief Hastings High School

Susan CastilloCDF Beat the Odds® scholarship recipient Susan Castillo has survived many obstacles including poor health, poverty, and an abusive and drug addicted father. In addition her younger brother was recently diagnosed Autistic. As a child she spent time in and out of the hospital for severe anemia and asthma and has had to work extra hard to maintain her grades and community involvement. She will be the first in her family to attend college and hopes to make life better for her family and those around her. She dreams of studying neuroscience and hopes to one day find a cure for Autism. View All Stories