Averi Pakulis Vice President, Early Childhood and Public Health Policy

Averi Pakulis serves as the Vice President for Early Childhood and Public Health Policy at First Focus on Children. Averi has over 15 years of public policy experience on Capitol Hill, at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and in the non-profit sector. For four years, Averi served as a Policy Advisor to Secretaries Sebelius and Burwell at HHS in the Office of the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Legislation. Just prior to joining First Focus on Children, Averi served as the interim Legislative Director for HHS at the National Governors Association. Her experience covers areas of public health and human services, including behavioral health, opioid addiction and recovery, early childhood care and education, women’s health, family and medical leave, and child abuse prevention. Averi has worked closely with a number of public health and human service agencies such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, the Administration for Children and Families, the Federal Drug Administration, and the National Institutes of Health on agency regulations, programs, and grants.
Prior to her work at HHS, Averi served as Staff Director and Professional Staff Member for Senator Christopher J. Dodd on the Children and Families Subcommittee of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee from 2008-2011, where she led the successful reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. She also successfully worked to expand family and medical leave for family members of service members through a provision in the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act.
Prior to the Senate, Averi worked for nearly six years in the House of Representatives. She worked in the personal office of Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro leading the congresswoman’s health care portfolio.
Averi is originally from Connecticut and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Union College in Schenectady, New York. Averi resides on Capitol Hill with her husband and daughters.
Policy Brief: The Harmful Consequences of Work Requirements and Other Obstacles to Services for Children and Families
Abbie Malloy, Abuko Estrada, Averi Pakulis, Cara Baldari, Michelle Dallafior | April 4, 2023 |
Each year, federal programs provide children with affordable health care, nutritious food, stable housing, and early childhood education. These programs not only lift millions …
30 years after FMLA, children & families need more
Averi Pakulis, Cara Baldari, First Focus Campaign for Children | February 3, 2023 |
Thirty years ago, Congress passed, and the president signed into law, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which enabled some workers, for the …
Watch: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline – One Size Does Not Fit All
Averi Pakulis, Elaine Dalpiaz | October 21, 2022 |
This afternoon, First Focus on Children hosted a webinar on 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline entitled One Size Does Not Fit All: Ensuring 988 …
Issue Brief: Behavioral Health Parity For Children
Averi Pakulis, Elaine Dalpiaz, Olivia Gomez (Former Staff) | September 14, 2022 |
What Is Behavioral Health Parity? Treating mental health conditions and substance use disorders as equivalent to other health conditions in insurance plans is what …
Issue Brief: The Need to Incorporate Children, Youth, and Adolescents into State 988 Systems
Averi Pakulis, Elaine Dalpiaz, Olivia Gomez (Former Staff) | July 14, 2022 |
States are currently in the process of implementing the 988 National Suicide Hotline Designation Act, passed by Congress and signed into law in October …
Fact Sheet: Mental Health & Kids
Averi Pakulis, Elaine Dalpiaz, Olivia Gomez (Former Staff) | April 8, 2022 |
Children and teens in our country are experiencing a mental health crisis. Even before the pandemic, this crisis was severe, with 1-in-5 children under …
What’s at stake for kids if Congress doesn’t pass Build Back Better
Aubrey Edwards-Luce, Averi Pakulis, Cara Baldari, Carrie Fitzgerald (Former Staff), Conor Sasner (Former Staff), Elaine Dalpiaz, Haley Winter, Kathy Sacco, Michelle Dallafior, Miriam Abaya, Olivia Gomez (Former Staff), First Focus Campaign for Children | December 22, 2021 |
As negotiations have stalled and the fate of the Build Back Better Act hangs in the balance, children stand to lose access to monthly …
Watch: Experts discuss how to achieve vaccine equity for kids
Averi Pakulis, Carrie Fitzgerald (Former Staff) | November 18, 2021 |
First Focus on Children co-hosted a virtual Congressional briefing today to discuss how to achieve equitable distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine for children and …
Congress has a chance to get child care right. They need to take it.
Averi Pakulis, Conor Sasner (Former Staff), Elijah Nishiura | October 6, 2021 |
Once our children celebrate their 5th birthday, they are welcomed into a public school system that can provide valuable benefits to them and their …
What’s next for the largest unvaxxed population (kids)?
Averi Pakulis, Conor Sasner (Former Staff), Tim Smith | August 25, 2021 |
Like many of you, we have been watching in dismay as children’s health is politicized by adults. Just as kids begin to head back …