Resources

Resources
Poverty and Child Neglect: What we Know and What we Need to Do
Shadi Houshyar (Former Staff) | January 27, 2014 |
This is the 4th in a series of First Focus blog posts commemorating the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty and offering modern …
Can you guess the average age of homelessness in the United States?
Madeline Daniels (Former Staff), First Focus Campaign for Children | July 27, 2015 |
The average age of a homeless person in the United States is just 11-years-old, according to Alex Rosen, Manager of the Chapman Partnership Homeless …
Child Poverty and Homelessness Affect Education
Kevin Lindsey (Former Staff) | September 24, 2014 |
The past two weeks have brought data releases with encouraging news regarding child poverty and bad news regarding child homelessness. Both data releases have …
Children’s Budget 2015
First Focus | June 24, 2015 |
The federal government makes more than 200 distinct investments in children. These include traditional children’s initiatives like education and child abuse and neglect prevention. They …
Six reasons why children benefit from a minimum wage increase
Olivia Tompkins | July 20, 2016 |
Children, unable to care for themselves, rely on their parents to provide basic necessities and to invest in their future. It is evident that …
Key Facts about the CHIP Program
Lisa Shapiro | August 30, 2017 |
The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was enacted by a bipartisan group of lawmakers as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. …
Big Ideas – Pioneering Change: Innovative Ideas for Children and Families
First Focus | March 11, 2015 |
The latest in our Big Ideas series, Pioneering Change: Innovative Ideas for Children and Families offers 14 ideas from leading lawmakers, children’s advocates, and policy …
Why Medicaid Matters: Adopting a Child With Special Health Care Needs
Morna Murray (Former Staff) | April 25, 2018 |
In a continuing series on the personal impact that recent legislative and administrative proposals to restructure or severely reduce Medicaid health care will have …
A Letter to Congress: Extend CHIP Now
| December 18, 2017 |
CHIP funding expired almost three months ago on September 30, 2017, and families across the country are receiving disenrollment notices. No family should feel …
A Look Back at the UK Child Poverty Target: Transferable Themes for the United States
Natalie Branosky | April 7, 2015 |
Released with the Centre for Economic & Social InclusionUS and authored by Natalie Branosky and Jane Mansour, this report is a 14-year retrospective on …
Joint Letter: DHS, Implement the Homeland Security for Children Act
| June 21, 2022 |
First Focus on Children sent this letter signed by 30 organizations to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to thank him for …
Report: Unaccompanied Children in Emergency Intake Site (EIS) Facilities
| June 21, 2022 |
In May 2022, the Women’s Refugee Commission and First Focus on Children led a delegation of 11 advocacy organizations to the Emergency Intake Site …
Letter: 2022 HHS Environmental Justice Strategy & Implementation Plan Draft
| June 17, 2022 |
First Focus on Children sent the following letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Beccera in response to the request for information …
Statement: 5-and-under vaccine recommendation is “good first step
Michele Kayal | June 16, 2022 |
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine advisory committee today recommended the authorization of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in children 5 and under. The panel is expected …
By 6-to-1 margin, voters say federal government should spend more on children
Michele Kayal | June 13, 2022 |
American voters believe — by a roughly 6-to-1 margin — that the federal government is spending too little on the health, safety, and well-being …
Statement: Cautious praise for Senate gun violence agreement
Michele Kayal | June 13, 2022 |
In response to the Senate’s tentative agreement on gun violence legislation, President of First Focus on Children Bruce Lesley issued the following statement: “We …
Children’s Week begins with organizations urging action
Michele Kayal | June 13, 2022 |
Children’s advocacy organizations from around the country kicked off the fifth annual Children’s Week with a schedule of events aimed at urging Congress to better protect the health, safety, …
Julie Beckett’s Legacy Lives On
Carrie Fitzgerald, First Focus Campaign for Children | June 10, 2022 |
The loss of Julie Beckett, who passed away on May 13th in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was felt across the country. Individuals, families, current and …
Children’s Week 2022
| June 7, 2022 |
Children’s Week, which runs from June 12-18, unfolds this year as the country slides backwards on historic gains made for children. With robust leadership …
Our Kids Need and Deserve Champions
Bruce Lesley, First Focus Campaign for Children | June 2, 2022 |
First Focus Campaign for Children just released our 2021 Champions for Children Legislative Scorecard, which analyzed the sponsors of over 300 pieces of legislation …
First Focus #ProtectChildren and #ProtectFamilies Resource Center
| October 30, 2018 |
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has a proposed rule in the Federal Register that drastically changes long-standing, bipartisan immigration policy determining eligibility for …
The President’s 2015 Budget
Jared Solomon (Former Staff) | March 19, 2014 |
This fact sheet analyzes how children fare in the discretionary portion of President Obama’s fiscal year 2015 budget, highlighting notable increases, cuts, and new …