The forum, which will take place November 5-6, will explore the impact of politics and policy on issues ranging from education and health care to child poverty.
Media Contact: John Henry, jhenry@childrensdefense.org, CDF Media Relations Manager, 708-646-7679
WASHINGTON, DC—Next week, Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) will host the American Youth Policy Forum, a two-day convening examining how politics and policy shape the lives of children and young people across the United States.
The forum will bring together child advocates, policymakers, researchers and young leaders to engage in policy analysis and strategy discussions. Together, they will explore how legislation can better support young people, particularly those marginalized by systemic inequities.
Discussion topics will include children’s health and Medicaid access, the impact of poverty on healthy development and potential policy interventions, expanding educational opportunities and economic mobility for immigrant and first-generation students, and how states and local governments are innovating to secure the future of child-focused programs in the wake of recently passed budget reconciliation legislation and the ongoing shutdown.
Featured speakers include Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Richard Besser, and United We Dream Co-founder Cristina Jiménez, among others. A full list of discussion topics and speakers can be found here.
Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Library
901 G St NW
Washington, DC 20001
November 5-6, 2025
*Journalists interested in covering the forum should contact CDF Media Relations Manager John Henry at jhenry@childrensdefense.org or 708-646-7679 by 12 p.m. EST on Tuesday, November 4.