Children’s Health and Healing
Promise
All young people enjoy regular, nourishing meals and active lives,
marked by positive social adjustment, sustainable environments, and
healthcare homes for their bodies and minds.
Problem
10.7 million young people live in food-insecure households. In 2021,
more than 4 in 10 (42%) students felt persistently sad or hopeless and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019, 4.4 million children were uninsured in the United States.
Policy Path
In this zone, CDF will advocate for public policy related to: (1) Child Nutrition and Food Security, (2) Youth Mental Health and Social Emotional Wellness, (3) Healthcare coverage, and (4) Environmental justice.
Moonshot Generational Commitment
Ensure permanent, universal free school meals and children’s physical and mental health coverage.
Learn MoreRelated Updates
-
Keeping the Charge
On June 6, Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) celebrates Founder’s Day. This date was chosen to honor the birthday of our founder and president emerita, Marian Wright Edelman.…
-
For Our Children: We Owe them Peace of Mind
I spent most of the month of May on the road. From community celebrations with our state office and civil rights partners in New York, to stops on the State of the People Tour in Newark, Detroit, and Richmond, to keynotes and commencement addresses in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Baltimore.…
-
Early Childhood
Take Action Today to Oppose SB 1798
If passed, Senate Bill 1798 would amend the Texas Education Code to reclassify students whose presence in the United States is “not authorized under federal statute” as non-residents.…
-
Immigration
Tell Your State Representatives to Vote NO on H.B. 1554 and S.B. 1005
If passed, House Bill 1554 and Senate Bill 1005 would endanger children, separate families, and lead to violations of the right to due process by prohibiting public funding for legal services in immigration matters for people who are considered “unlawfully present.”…