Housing & Homelessness
More than one million K-12 students in America are homeless today. Whether that means sleeping in a shelter or crashing on a family friend’s couch, homelessness has disastrous consequences for every aspect of a child’s life – health, nutrition, education. In fact, every time a child is forced to move, it has the same impact on educational progress as missing a month of school. But federal agencies don’t even have a uniform definition of “homeless” for children. First Focus advocates an honest assessment of the family homelessness problem in America and a renewed federal commitment to ensure that no American spends his or her childhood homeless.
Resources
What does the President’s budget say about how we value children?
Tim Smith | February 11, 2020 |
Yesterday, President Trump released a $4.8 trillion budget proposal that would impose massive cuts to critical programs that children and families rely on every …
Statement: First Focus on Children’s Response to President Trump’s FY 2021 Budget
Michele Kayal | February 10, 2020 |
The proposed budget released today by President Trump takes direct aim at the health and well-being of America’s children. According to the FY 2021 …
Oversight Committee holds two days of hearings on four threats to America’s children
Tim Smith | February 5, 2020 |
On February 5 and 6, 2020, the Committee on Oversight and Reform conducted an in-depth, two-day series of hearings held by four of its …
House hearings tackle regulatory threats to children and families
Michele Kayal | February 3, 2020 |
Advocates blast policies that harm children WASHINGTON, D.C., February 3 — A broad coalition of nonprofit and faith-based groups from across the nation that …
‘Invisibilizing’ Homeless Children
Bruce Lesley | January 29, 2020 |
Childhood should be a time to grow, learn, play and feel safe. As Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City writes: …
Comments in Response to Proposed Rulemaking: Repealing the Disparate Impact Rule
Cara Baldari | October 18, 2019 |
First Focus on Children submitted the following comments expressing our strong opposition to a proposed rule that would repeal the Disparate Impact rule in …
Children’s Budget 2019
| September 10, 2019 |
First Focus on Children is proud to introduce the 13th annual release of its signature Children’s Budget publication, a comprehensive analysis of how kids …
Explainer: What to Know About the Final “Public Charge” Rule
Cara Baldari, Carrie Fitzgerald, Drew Aherne, Kristen Torres, Rachel Merker (Former Staff) | August 16, 2019 |
The Trump administration has finalized a rule that will expand the definition of a public charge when determining eligibility for individuals applying for admission …
Comments in Response to Proposed Rulemaking — Housing and Community Development Act of 1980: Verification of Eligible Status
Cara Baldari, Kristen Torres | July 8, 2019 |
First Focus on Children submitted the following comments to a proposed rule expressing our strong opposition to the changes regarding “verification of eligible status,” …
Fact Sheet: Impact of the President’s 2020 Budget on Housing
Cara Baldari | April 16, 2019 |
On March 11, President Trump presented his budget request for fiscal year 2020 (FY20) to Congress, outlining his spending priorities for the coming year. …