This stop will be the first of four visits Rev. Dr. Wilson will make to CDF Freedom Schools® sites this summer to hear from parents and children about child well-being America.
Media Contact: John Henry, jhenry@childrensdefense.org, Media Relations Manager, 708-646-7679
COLUMBIA, SC—On Wednesday, Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, president and CEO of the national children’s advocacy organization Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), will visit Columbia to learn more about the challenges facing children and families, as well as the solutions they seek, amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding the economy and key programs related to education and health in America.
Wilson will meet with parents and scholars at Francis Burns United Methodist Church on June 25 for the discussion. Francis Burns UMC partners with the CDF Freedom Schools® program to offer children and young people in Columbia, and the surrounding Midlands region of South Carolina, an opportunity to strengthen their literacy, leadership, and social-emotional skills while preventing summer learning loss.
Wednesday night’s event at Francis Burns UMC is one stop in a four-part multi-state listening tour led by Dr. Wilson and Children’s Defense Fund. In the coming weeks, Dr. Wilson will also visit CDF Freedom Schools partner sites in Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to hear from families and their children. Beginning Summer of 2022, CDF has held executive listening sessions with families at CDF Freedom Schools in nine different states.
Children’s Defense Fund’s annual listening tour, including the session at Francis Burns UMC, will help further inform its public policy positions and advocacy as the organization works to ensure all children and youth in America experience the joy of growing up.
“In Washington, DC, lawmakers are considering funding cuts to programs that improve the health, nutrition, and education of South Carolina children, including the more than 650,000 young people who rely on Medicaid to see a doctor,” Wilson argued. “Too many leaders fail to listen to the voices of the children, youth, and families they are charged to serve. We’re coming to Columbia and South Carolina because we want to better understand what supports and resources families need for their children to thrive. What we hear will strengthen our advocacy to protect safety net programs from harmful cuts and shape our positions on key issues going forward.”
| What: | Children’s Defense Fund – Executive Listening Session |
| When: | 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm, June 25, 2025 |
| Where: | Francis Burns United Methodist Church Columbia, South Carolina 29203 5616 Farrow Rd, Columbia, SC 29203 |