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Washington – The bipartisan First Focus Campaign for Children sent letters today to congressional agriculture committee members, urging them to protect critical investments in child nutrition. The letters, to the chairs and ranking members of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee and the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee, were sent as each body prepared to consider “Farm Bill” legislation affecting initiatives that fight child hunger and obesity: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), SNAP-Education (“SNAP-Ed”), and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).“One in five kids will go to bed tonight not knowing if they or someone in their...

Washington – The First Focus Campaign for Children and the Women's Refugee Commission today applauded U.S. Senators Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) for filing an amendment to strengthen protections for children in the Senate “Gang of 8” comprehensive immigration reform bill. The amendment is also cosponsored by Democratic Senators Chris Coons (Del.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), and Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), and by Republican Senator John Cornyn (Texas). The Franken-Grassley amendment would keep families together whenever possible and help mitigate harm to children, including preventing children from entering foster care when immigration enforcement results in the detention or removal of...

The Huffington PostBlumenthal's amendment is set to be endorsed by more than 125 organizations, including the National Education Association, First Focus Campaign for Children and undocumented youth advocacy group United We Dream...Read more

Washington – The First Focus Campaign for Children today applauded U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) for filing an amendment to strengthen the DREAM Act provisions of the Senate “Gang of 8” comprehensive immigration reform bill. The senator’s “Little Dreamers” amendment would eliminate obstacles that deny younger children a five-year path to citizenship available through the underlying bill to older children and young adults.“The littlest kids have the biggest dreams, and Senator Blumenthal’s amendment would make those dreams come true much sooner,” said Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.The base bill (S. 744) provides a five-year path to citizenship for youth...

Washington – A new analysis released today by the bipartisan children’s advocacy organization First Focus shows that immigration reform legislation sponsored by a “Gang of 8” U.S. senators offers important improvements for children over current law.“The status quo devalues kids and tears families apart, so the ‘Gang of 8’ proposal is an important step forward,” said First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.Compared to current law, the Gang proposal makes several significant gains for children, including:An exceptionally strong version of the DREAM Act, offering eligible persons who entered the United States as children an expedited roadmap to citizenship...

Washington – A bipartisan “Gang of 8” U.S. senators today released immigration reform legislation. An initial review by the bipartisan children’s advocacy organization First Focus Campaign for Children confirms that the proposal includes components aligned with principles for immigration reform critical to advancing children’s interests and protecting their basic rights. Specifically, the legislation creates a roadmap to citizenship for aspiring citizens, including a more streamlined and inclusive version of the DREAM Act for undocumented youth, appointment of counsel for unaccompanied children in immigration proceedings, and reforms to help children in foster care reunite with parents who have been detained or...

LATINO MagazineDuke Storen, Chief of Staff for the Special Nutrition Programs at USDA, moderated the second panel, called, “On the Table: Childhood Nutrition and Food Insecurity.” The panelists included Rita Jaramillo, Chair of the National Latino Children’s Institute; Maritza Kelley, Senior Director of Advocacy and Legislative Affairs for First Focus Campaign for Children; and Lourdes Diaz, Vice President of Diversity Relations at Sodexo USA.More

Washington — The bipartisan First Focus Campaign for Children and more than 90 partner organizations Thursday released a letter endorsing legislation to help school districts serving a high proportion of children of color, children who are English language learners, and children in families with low incomes hire and retain highly qualified teachers. The Equal Access to Quality Education Act (H.R. 1334), sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.-27) and Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-Texas-15) seeks to ensure the equitable distribution of fully prepared and effective teachers to all students.“Nearly 60 years after Brown vs. Board of Education, separate and unequal is...

Washington — The bipartisan children’s advocacy organization First Focus Campaign for Children today thanked Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) and more than 50 other representatives for signing a letter challenging congressional leadership and President Barack Obama to find budget solutions that protect critical investments in children.“Every parent should thank Congressman Davis and his colleagues for their leadership in defense of children. The cynics say it’s all politics in Washington, but this important public commitment by more than 50 members of Congress shows that lawmakers are willing to put kids first,” said Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley.The letter, originated by...

Washington — The First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization, Tuesday sent a letter urging members of the United States Senate to reject legislation (S. 458) sponsored by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), to cut federal funding for child nutrition. The proposal would cut Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps) funding by more than $36 billion over ten years. An analysis by the Campaign for Children’s partner organization, First Focus, confirms that 47 percent of SNAP funding goes to feed children.“One in five children will go to bed tonight not knowing if their family will...