First Focus on Children

Day 2 of the Government Shutdown

WIC is a critical investment in nutrition for pregnant women and our youngest children.

Congress and the Admin should reject proposals, such as the President's budget, to slash funding the improves the health, nutrition, & well-being of children & pregnant women.

Head Start’s Footprint: Children’s Learning and Education | The Children's Equity Project

Day 1 of the Government Shutdown

The wisest investments we can make are in our children, and one of those programs is Head Start.

As this report by @ChildrensEquity shows, kids in Head Start display gains in many critical skills in just one year. cep.asu.edu/resources/He... (1)

How the Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket Fuels Presidential Power and a Government Shutdown Washington is back at the brink.

How the Supreme Court’s Shadow Docket Fuels Presidential Power and a Government Shutdown brucelesley.substack.com/p/how-the-su...

When Child Death Was Everywhere RFK Jr.’s health policies stem from the idea that the past holds the secret to health and happiness.

When Child Death Was Everywhere - The Atlantic

Urging you to follow and subscribe to our President @BruceLesley’s Kids Can’t Wait blog on Substack.

He provides the “child and family” perspective on policy issues before Congress and in the news.

open.substack.com/pub/bruceles...

Moms For Liberty Chapter Chairperson Takes Off Clothing At School Board Meeting Beth Bourne, who has in the past come under fire for over-the-top anti-LGBTQ+ stunts, removed her pants and top at a Davis school board meeting.

Moms For Liberty Chapter Chairperson Takes Off Clothing At School Board Meeting

Silencing Kimmel Hurts Kids, Too Jimmy Kimmel has often spoken for kids when other voices were missing.

Silencing Kimmel Hurts Kids, Too open.substack.com/pub/bruceles...

Bruce Lesley (@brucelesley.bsky.social) A Superintendent Speaks Out from the Front Lines of Our Public Schools…

Dr. John Kuhn speaks out in defense of his teachers, students, and schools as superintendent of Abilene ISD in Texas.

Republicans Say Their Big Bill Is Family Friendly. Not So Fast … – DC Journal - InsideSources The White House has told Republican lawmakers to get out there and start selling the “One Big Beautiful Bill” as chock-full of family-friendly

Republicans Say Their Big Bill Is Family Friendly. Not So Fast … – Chad Bolt - DC Journal - InsideSources dcjournal.com/republicans-...

Advocates warn child poverty could rise again after federal cuts to social programs - WMNF 88.5 FM

Yes, Cash Transfers Work A recent set of cash-transfer programs had lackluster results—but cash is still "near unmatched as a salve for poverty," @AnnieLowrey argues:

Yes, Cash Transfers Work - @annielowrey.bsky.social - The Atlantic www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Saying ‘No’ to Culture Wars, Crumbs, or Capitulation: Building a Child Advocacy Movement Children may be only 22% of the U.S.

Children are struggling and policymakers are failing them. Here are some thoughts on how we might find a path away from Trump’s “war on children.”

Saying ‘No’ to Culture Wars, Crumbs, or Capitulation: Building a Child Advocacy Movement open.substack.com/pub/bruceles...

Ossoff Report Details ICE Abuse of Pregnant Women and Children A Senate investigation documents 510 human rights violations, including miscarriages, child neglect, and sexual assaults in ICE custody.

Ossoff Report Details ICE Abuse of Pregnant Women and Children open.substack.com/pub/migranti...

To Democratic politicians,

Ignore the political consultants.

It is past time to stand up and champion children. Be loud and proud.

It is in your self-interest.

Senate Report Reveals Widespread Abuse of Pregnant Women and Children in Migrant Detention Centers In one case, a woman was reportedly left to miscarry alone in a hospital room for over 24 hours without medical assistance after staff delayed responding to days of heavy bleeding

Senate Report Reveals Widespread Abuse of Pregnant Women and Children in Migrant Detention Centers www.latintimes.com/senate-repor...

Trump is Trying to Exclude Immigrants From Many Federally Funded Programs. Here’s What it Means for Wisconsin. - Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper The rules seek to bar certain immigrants from accessing Head Start, health clinics, career training, substance abuse treatment and more. Much is still unclear, but here’s what we know so far. By…

Trump is Trying to Exclude Immigrants From Many Federally Funded Programs. Here’s What it Means for Wisconsin. - Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper milwaukeecourieronline.com/index.php/20...

People with developmental disabilities seeing Medicaid coverage lap... An increasing number of people with developmental disabilities are falling through the cracks of Medicaid, going months without health care coverage because the state can’t keep pace with new applications...

People with developmental disabilities seeing Medicaid coverage lapse more often | News From The States

New Orleans church’s proposed settlement with abuse survivors lays out ‘point’ system Archdiocese has proposed a system based on type of abuse suffered by victims as part of its ongoing bankruptcy case

New Orleans church’s proposed settlement with abuse survivors lays out ‘point’ system | The Guardian www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Judge skeptical of Trump administration's bid to end protections for immigrant children Government attorneys argued the protections are inhibiting the administration's crackdown on immigration.

Judge skeptical of Trump administration's bid to end protections for immigrant children wpde.com/news/nation-...

Dividing Lines Hurt Kids: How Gerrymandering Cuts Children When a state, a county, or a school district draws political lines or school boundaries that disadvantage and disempower the people and fail to reflect the interests, needs, and concerns of its…

Dividing Lines Hurt Kids: How Gerrymandering Cuts Children brucelesley.substack.com/p/dividing-l...

How gerrymandering undermines democracy and fails children.

Medicaid at 60: A Legacy of Protecting Children, Now Under Threat It has been 60 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation amending the Social Security Act, creating Medicaid (alongside Medicare). With

Medicaid at 60: A Legacy of Protecting Children, Now Under Threat | Abuko Estrada - First Focus on Children firstfocus.org/update/medic...

I Studied Poverty for Years. Then I Ended Up on Medicaid. I Learned a Hard Truth That Everyone Should Know. The day I enrolled in Medicaid, I arrived at the welfare office carrying a designer bag.

I Studied Poverty for Years. Then I Ended Up on Medicaid. I Learned a Hard Truth That Everyone Should Know. slate.com/life/2025/07...

The Boy Genius Who Killed 14 Million Poor People What is the moral weight of responsibility for the men who carried out DOGE’s work?

The Boy Genius Who Killed 14 Million Poor People www.thebulwark.com/p/the-boy-ge...

Who Counts as American? The Constitutional Crisis at the Maternity Ward Trump’s Executive Order 14160 rewrites the 14th Amendment – targeting babies and redefining birthright citizenship

The Trump Admin keeps losing in court on birthright citizenship, but it continues to move forward with guidance released by USCIS, the State Dept, and the Social Security Admin that paints a disturbing picture of what this would look like for BABIES. brucelesley.substack.com/p/who-counts...

New documents show how passport and Social Security rules would change to enforce Trump’s birthright citizenship order | CNN www.cnn.com/2025/07/28/p...

The bureaucracy, paperwork, and administrative barriers imposed by the EO could potentially negatively impact every baby born in this country.

MAHA Moms: What Say You? What does it truly mean to make America healthy again – for our children?

MAHA Moms: What Say You? brucelesley.substack.com/p/maha-moms-...