Children's Defense Fund

Last night, @RevDrStarsky joined faith leaders, elected officials, and KBLA TALK 1580 to honor civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson in Los Angeles. Watch his reflection on Jackson’s decades of leadership advancing justice and well-being here: https://bit.ly/476buKF

‘Horror on a shocking scale’: resurgent US movement calls for end to family ICE detention Solidarity campaign mobilizes as thousands of children like Liam Ramos taken amid Trump’s immigration crackdown

“Horror on a shocking scale” | #CDFTexas Trudy Taylor Smith recently spoke with The Guardian as to why the U.S. must end the cruel practice of family detention happening nationwide. All children deserve to grow up with dignity, hope and joy! Read more: https://bit.ly/4rRBJwE

“I am proof the social safety net supports youth.” | America must defend and strengthen the supports that help its children and families thrive. In The Imprint, CDF’s Destiny Drake West shares why protecting supports for youth is urgent and personal.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4l9mI71

Our #CDFCA team held a Celebration of Joy last night in Los Angeles as they celebrated the voices, creativity, and visions of children and young people. We want to thank our team, Samuel Halperin Youth Public Service Awardee, and Advocate for Joy honorees for the amazing night!

"Do your first works over" | @RevDrStarsky recently spoke to the congregation at Quinn Chapel AME Church in Chicago for a special day of worship. Watch the full video of what he had to say here: https://bit.ly/4qUlUUN

Episode 4 of Season 2 of Young People Lead is out now! #CDFCA Radical Imagination Fellows talk with Melissa Milchman (Coalition for Juvenile Justice) on how system involvement disrupts the development of foster and transition-age youth. Listen on Spotify, Apple & YouTube: https://bit.ly/4b46Hfb

Well…that was a bust. Did you BINGO? #sotuforchildren

Last night’s speech DID NOT move us any closer to viable solutions #forourchildren.

In the words of @revdrstarsky, “Our children deserve a nation that prioritizes their well-being…The State of America’s Children is precarious.”

Did you catch it? Earlier today, CDF’s Brittany Packnett Cunningham joined Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley to share their thoughts ahead of tonight’s State of the Union Address.

Watch their full conversation here: https://bit.ly/4s8QjzE

#StateoftheUnion is tonight! We’ll be watching to see what the president says about issues affecting children and families.

Follow along with our BINGO card and mark off anything that's mentioned: https://bit.ly/47aHkpB

#SOTUforChildren

#StateoftheUnion is tonight, but, as Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson writes, the state of our children is precarious. Read his reflection on how policy choices are leaving many youth without the support they need. Then follow the President's remarks tonight using our BINGO card: https://bit.ly/3OxQd6i

This #BlackHistoryMonth, we honor the Black young people who shaped American history, including members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), who stepped into civil rights leadership and pushed our nation toward justice and transformative change. Thank you!

The State of the Union is Tuesday night! What do you expect the President will say about child well-being in America? Grab our #CDFBingo sheet and play along as we track what’s said and what’s not! More: https://bit.ly/4rwXm5k

Keep up with the latest news affecting children and youth across the country. Follow us on all our channels for policy updates, opportunities to get involved, and inspiring stories that drive change!

Our #CDFNewYork team recently advocated for youth justice, child well-being, and immigrant rights at the 55th NY State Association of Black Puerto Rican Hispanic and Asian Legislators Caucus Weekend. Among other things, they discussed the urgent need to pass #NY4ALL. Great work!

Meet the Young Organizers Survival Corps Young organizers from around the country gathered at Haley Farm to study past social movements and train in the tactics of nonviolent resistance and grassroots organizing.

Read this piece in The Nation by Sam Theoharis and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, one of our #HallProctor2026 Great Preachers. They spotlight young organizers leading during this precarious time and highlight Alex Haley Farm's role in movement building. Read: https://bit.ly/4aTZqOQ

For today's #TBT this #BlackHistoryMonth, we reflect on the strength and wisdom of legendary poet Maya Angelou. Revisit the powerful words she shared with our team in 2012: https://bit.ly/4rf8BiI

Only ONE WEEK until the #CDFCA Celebration of Joy! Southern California friends, join us for a special night highlighting the stories, talents, and perspectives of children and young people from across Los Angeles. Learn more and sign up here: https://bit.ly/4aqptgJ

#CDFNewYork’s Juan Diaz wrote an op-ed in City Limits on why New York lawmakers must pass the proposed #NY4All legislation to protect immigrant and mixed-status families, reduce fear, and ensure every child can thrive: https://bit.ly/4kMa65E

Episode 3 of Young People Lead is here! #CDFCA’s Radical Imagination Fellows talk with Victor Hinderliter from LA County Health Services about the systemic roots of youth homelessness and solutions to address it. Listen on Spotify, Apple & YouTube: https://bit.ly/4qMNp2H

We are saddened by the passing of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., an elder of the Civil Rights Movement. For more than 60 years, he offered humanitarian inspiration and courageous witness for children and young people. We thank him for his sacrifice and send condolences to the Jackson family.

This #BlackHistoryMonth, we’re honoring Black youth who shaped American history, including the Clinton Twelve, who integrated a previously all-white high school in Clinton, Tennessee, in 1956. Each year, we teach young leaders convening at Alex Haley Farm, also in Clinton, more about their legacy.

"We’re in this together” | This #BlackHistoryMonth, hear from students in our Black Student Leadership Network as they explore what justice truly looks like in America and why their voices matter. Read the blog: https://bit.ly/4bRwecr

CDF is proud to stand with our partners in the National Coalition to End Family & Child Detention as we renew our call to end the harmful, cruel practice of locking up children.

Read what #CDFTexas’ Trudy Taylor Smith, Esq. has to say: https://bit.ly/4aBnsgx

This week, #CDFNewYork’s Sabah Merchant joined youth advocates in Albany for Healthy Minds Healthy Kids and the Kids Can’t Wait advocacy days, urging lawmakers to invest $200M in behavioral health and expanding community supports, so every child gets timely, quality care.

It’s #TBT. During #BlackHistoryMonth, we reflect on the Black young people whose courage transformed America. We remember Ruby Bridges, who bravely integrated her New Orleans school in 1960. She shared her story at our national conference one decade ago: https://bit.ly/4hwjUNJ

We welcome news the federal government will scale back its immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Today we joined lawmakers & Faith In Action on Capitol Hill to denounce ICE. We won’t rest until their violent and politicized tactics end nationwide and all youth are protected: https://bit.ly/3O9Ar1n

Early bird registration is open for #HallProctor2026! Join us at Alex Haley Farm, in Clinton, Tennessee, with #GreatPreacher Rev. Dr. Jacqueline Thompson as we gather, renew our spirits, and advance justice and joy for young people. Register now: https://bit.ly/3ZJB97M

Episode 2 of Young People Lead is out now! #CDFCA’s Radical Imagination Fellows talk with the Social Justice Learning Institute's Derek Steele on how foster care, housing instability, and systemic inequity shape education. Listen on Spotify, Apple, & YouTube: https://bit.ly/3O6F2Bj

This #BlackHistoryMonth, we honor Black young people who made an extraordinary impact on American history. Today, we remember Claudette Colvin, who at 15 was arrested in Alabama for refusing to give up her seat to a white woman on a bus. Thank you, Claudette.

Early bird registration is LIVE for #HallProctor2026! Gather with us at Alex Haley Farm, in Clinton, Tennessee, alongside #GreatPreacher Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis as we sing, pray, organize, and advocate for children’s well-being nationwide. Register now: https://bit.ly/3ZJB97M