2025 American Youth Policy Forum, Powered by CDF Wednesday Agenda

Children’s Defense Fund believes that children have a right to health and healing, where all young people enjoy regular, nourishing meals and active lives, marked by positive social adjustment, sustainable environments, and health care that nourishes their bodies and minds. Unfortunately, the recently-passed budget reconciliation bill threatens their futures by decimating a program that has protected children’s health and strengthened communities—Medicaid. This vital lifeline has provided sixty years of care, but instead of celebrating coverage, we are facing devastating cuts that will harm millions of children. Further, we know that states must scramble to identify funding as this new law impacts their state budgets.

Join us as we gather experts across research, policy, and practice to discuss the impact of the budget reconciliation bill on children’s population health and its impacts on states. We will focus on the connection between children’s developmental needs and their right to health care, health care access as a component of family economic stability, and what states could, and should,
in order to continue supporting their most precious resources—children and youth.


Speakers:
Marvin Figueroa, BGR Group
Jade Little, Georgetown CCF
Amelia Coffey, Urban Institute

Children’s Defense Fund believes that all young people deserve to grow up in economically stable homes that are nurturing and ensure they grow up with dignity, hope, and joy. Unfortunately, we know that we know that poverty is one of the strongest predictors of adverse health outcomes in young children. We also know that while poverty is not just an absence of financial stability, chronic financial stress can affect how children’s brains grow and function. We also know that providing families’ automatic benefits is one way to help reduce these stressors.

Join us and our panel of experts as we discuss what automatic benefits are and the impact they have on lifting children and families out of poverty. Panelists will look at how automatic benefits connect economic and health justice, revealing how poverty’s impact reaches beyond finances to affect children’s health, development, and stability. Additionally, panelists will also discuss how the United States historically has provided automatic cash benefits to families in comparison with other countries and whether or not this method truly benefits those who need them the most.


Speakers:
Shadi Houshyar, CSSP (moderator)
Elaine Maag, Urban Institute
Elissa Minoff, CSSP
Krista Thomas, Chapin Hall

America was founded on the idea of fundamental natural rights, particularly inalienable rights, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, which stated that people are endowed by their Creator with these rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Unfortunately, its actions have shown that rights are just that–a thought, an unrealized ideal for millions of folks living on this land. We also know that the rights espoused by those who are called “”founders”” were limited to a specific subset of the population and were not afforded to millions of Black, Brown, Native, and Indigenous People. Join us for a community conversation with a dynamic group of youth serving as Youth Policy Consultants at Children’s Defense Fund as they discuss how they understand rights and what their vision is for a country and systems that honor, uphold, and protect the rights of youth.

Speakers:
D’Mya McCray, YPC
James McGee III, YPC
Idealia Robinson-Confer, YPC
Cody Rooney, YPC
Daftne Sanchez, YPC
Ashna Talukdar, YPC
Angela Zhong, YPC

This session explores the evolving youth justice landscape in the U.S. and how systems meant to protect and rehabilitate too often criminalize, surveil, and marginalize. The conversation will examine how young people, particularly those from foster care, low-income, and racial minority communities, continue to face disproportionate exposure to both the children’s (juvenile) and adult criminal legal systems. It will contrast federal trends with state-level innovation, asking what real safety and justice look like for emerging adults today.

Speakers:
Jaren Sorkow, CDF-CA (moderator)
Jose Perez, CDF-NY
Thena Robinson Mock, Vice President, Public Welfare Foundation
Magdalena Tsiongas, Council for Court Excellence

Senior Administrator of Policy and Advocacy for CDF-Texas, Trudy Taylor Smith, will facilitate a panel discussion exploring the current barriers that immigrant and first-generation students face in pursuing higher education and achieving economic mobility; potential policy solutions to address those barriers; and the long-term strategies needed to achieve them. Panelists will share their perspective and ideas based on their lived experience, research, and expertise in policy advocacy and community organizing.

Speakers:
Trudy Taylor Smith, Esq
Solomon Ayalew, DMV Chapter Director of African Communities Together and former immigrant student
Juliana Macedo do Nacimento
Juan Diaz

It is no secret that the reduction and erasure of early childhood programs and services has been the focus of this current Administration and Congress. We also know that many of these resources and supports are needed to ensure healthy development and stability, not only for young children but also their families. This is why it is crucial to have conversations that offer hope and joy in the face of these challenging times.

This workshop will examine the shifting federal landscape – including budget reconciliation, executive orders, the ongoing government shutdown, and the FY26 appropriations process and what these developments mean for children and families nationwide. Speakers will discuss how states are trying to navigate these challenges, finding creative ways to sustain and strengthen investments in children and families amid weakening federal infrastructure.

The discussion will also center on how advocates across all levels can respond collectively to safeguard critical programs and push back against harmful policies.

Speakers:
Paige Bussanich, AMCHP
Randi Schmidt, YWCA
Julia Cortina, NACO
Dr. John Stanford, CDF-OH