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“Never budge! That's my rule. Never budge in the least! Not an inch to the west!  Not an inch to the east! I'll stay here, not budging!  I can and I will! If it makes you and me and the whole world stand still!" – The Zax by Dr. SeussOver 8 million children will be born during this Congressional term. And there are a sweeping range of issues before Congress that will fundamentally impact the lives of these kids.Unfortunately, our country's leaders seem more interested in playing politics than governing....

Here’s a fact you may have trouble believing: the government department in charge of housing refuses to acknowledge over one million homeless children and youth. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) current definition of homelessness excludes most homeless children or youth: those staying in motels or temporarily with others because they have nowhere else to go. So they don’t get help, simply because they’re young.But you can help us fix that right now. The bipartisan Homeless Children and Youth Act (S. 256, H.R. 576) would fix HUD’s definition to include homeless children and youth who have been verified as homeless by...

“When I was arrested by law enforcement for prostitution, I was made to feel like a criminal, like a juvenile delinquent. I felt stupid, ashamed, and ostracized by society. Days later, alone in my bedroom, I felt so abandoned, so forsaken by society, that I attempted suicide. I wish I could travel back in time to tell this young girl that, years later, advocates and legislators all across the country would be standing up for her, that they would demand better protection and services for kids like her.” -Testimony by Holly Austin SmithThese words by Holly Austin Smith, a victim of...

The First Focus Campaign for Children is proud to announce Sonia Nazario as a 2015 Champion for Children. In the past the Campaign has recognized members of Congress, journalists, and other stakeholders who stand out as strong voices for children in Washington and across the country. Nazario is well deserving of this honor due to her steadfast dedication to reporting the stories of migrant children.While Nazario is known primarily for her award winning work on the newspaper series “Orphans of Addiction” and her series on “Enrique’s Journey”, which was eventually expanded into a bestselling book, the First Focus...

1.3 million. That’s the number of homeless children and youth identified by public schools across the country last year. These students face challenges unimaginable to many as they lack the stability and safety of reliable housing. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of these children and youth are ineligible for key HUD services like emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and counseling that could shield them from abuse and exploitation. HUD’s current definitions of homelessness do not prioritize the type of homelessness that plagues many of these young people,...

As the new Congressmembers were sworn in and the new session began, former House majority leader Eric Cantor made the plea, “I hope the president and members from both parties will keep one number in mind: 8,053,000. That is an estimate of the number of new Americans expected to be born between now and the end of this Congress and President Obama's second term two years from now.”Cantor recognizes there’s a lot at stake for those 8,053,000 children in the policies and the priorities of the new Congress. That’s the right idea, but his priority for these kids is a...

Over the last year, First Focus Campaign for Children has been hard at work making children and families the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. Below is the list of our most popular resources for child advocates, policy makers, and the media in 2014. See the top 10 resources of our partners at First Focus. 1. Record Number of Homeless Students in U.S. Schools (Statement): Coalition statement on U.S. Department of Education data showing the United States has a record number of homeless K-12 students with over 1.2 million children being counted, an increase of 8 percent...

This week, the 114thsession of Congress was gaveled into order. Among it were 45 returning membersrecognized as First Focus Campaign for Children 2014 Defenders of Children. Defenders of Children support efforts to advance policies to improve the well-being of America’s children.The new Congress is a new opportunity for children’s advocates, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, future parents, pediatricians to share how important it is that children are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. A recent poll of House and Senate offices by the Congressional Management Foundation found that...

This week, the 114th session of Congress was gaveled into order. Among it were 46 returning members recognized as First Focus Campaign for Children 2014 Champions for Children. Champions for Children make extraordinary efforts to protect and improve the future of America’s next generation.The new Congress is a new opportunity for children’s advocates, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, future parents, pediatricians to share how important it is that children are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. A recent poll of House and Senate offices by the Congressional Management...

A pretty good indicator that U.S. laws protecting children are just not good enough is that tobacco companies voluntarily hold themselves to a higher standard. But just this week, Altria Group, one of the world’s largest tobacco companies, announced it would prohibit growers for hiring child laborers under age 16, a new regulation that offers greater protections to children working on U.S. farms than existing U.S. labor laws.The announcement comes just months after the release of a Human Rights Watch report, Tobacco’s Hidden Children, on tobacco child labor in the United States. Today in America, children as young as...