Report

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) recently released a landmark study, A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty, which confirms that child poverty is a solvable problem when there is the political will to address it. Written by a committee of the nation’s leading experts on child poverty, this study puts forward an evidence-based policy agenda that, if prioritized and implemented by our nation’s lawmakers, would cut our child poverty rate in half within a decade. First Focus Campaign for Children put together this analysis of the nearly 600-page study to a) highlight the findings and policy options that we...

THE FIRST FOCUS CAMPAIGN FOR CHILDREN CONGRESSIONAL SCORECARDOur nation’s children face an array of problems, including poverty, violence, abuse, neglect, hunger, education inequity, poor nutrition, homelessness, lack of health coverage, infant and child mortality, and family separation of mixed immigrant households. These issues demand attention, policy solutions, political will, and action that make children a priority.Unfortunately, kids are far too often an afterthought in Congress. The problem is that children don’t vote and don’t have Political Action Committees (PACs) that garner and demand attention.Children need Champions and Defenders who are willing to focus on,...

Our child policy experts rate the current bills and votes in Congress. Do they help kids or harm kids? Find out with our bill and vote trackers.

Any policies that affect children should base their foundations on the best interests of the child. (more…)

Our nation’s children face an array of problems, including poverty, violence, abuse, neglect, hunger, poor nutrition, education inequity, homelessness, lack of health coverage, infant and child mortality, and family separations in mixed-status households. These obstacles demand attention, policy solutions, political will, and action that to make children a priority.Unfortunately, kids are far too often an afterthought in Congress. The problem is that children can’t vote and don’t have Political Action Committees (PACs) that garner and demand attention.Children need Champions and Defenders, who are willing to focus on, support, raise their voices, and attach their name to legislation that would...

Each year, millions of American families are evicted from their homes. Families with children are evicted at much higher rates, and children who experience eviction often face high rates of mobility and unstable living environments that can have a negative impact on their education, physical health, mental health, and interpersonal relationships.Interventions to support children and families who have been evicted must acknowledge all of the barriers to stability, and address both the reasons why the family was evicted as well as the trauma experienced as a result of...

Our partner organization First Focus and Save the Children released in October 2012 America's Report Card 2012: Children in the US. Commissioned by former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Sen. Casey (D-PA), America’s Report Card provides a holistic picture of unmet needs in five areas of a child’s life: economic security, early childhood education, K-12 education, permanence and stability, and health and safety. These corresponding policy recommendations provide real solutions that work for kids in these five areas.

One in seven American children has an unemployed parent as a result of the current recession, known by many as the "Great Recession." These 10.5 million children are more likely to experience homelessness, suffer from child abuse, fail to complete high school or college, and live in poverty as adults than other children. The economy is technically emerging from the recession and is likely to recover in the coming years. However, the same may not be the case for our children without a concerted effort to address their needs and provide them...

Public schools kept nearly 800,000 homeless students in school during the 2007-08 school year with the support of the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program. The number of homeless students entering our classrooms continues to grow, and school districts need additional support to help these children and youth stay in school even though they havelost their homes.Since the beginning of the Great Recession, 26 states collectively report an increase of over 221,000 homeless students, or 50 percent. Although these children are at risk of health/mental health problems and are less likely...

The United States is facing a deep recession with an unemployment rate of ten percent. 15 million Americans are out of work and nearly six million have been so for six months or more. Unemployment not only tightens a family’s budget, but directly impacts children’s futures. Studies have shown that a parent’s unemployment has negative effects on a child’s education, future earning potential, and emotional well-being. In addition, workers in their teens are bearing the brunt of this current economic downturn with an unemployment rate that is more than two and a...