Racial Equity
Since 2012, the majority of babies born in America have been of color, and today, the majority of children living in the United States are of color, yet racial disparities persist in outcomes for children, particularly in health, education, and poverty. First Focus on Children is committed to ensuring that every child in America has the same opportunity to grow and thrive, regardless of race or ethnicity. Through our focus on racial equity, we seek to develop and advocate for policies that address structural racism and promote equitable outcomes for all of our nation’s children.
Resources
Letter: The first — and next — 100 days
Bruce Lesley | May 4, 2021 |
First Focus on Children sent the following letter to President Joseph Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris congratulating them on the achievements of their …
This is Our Moment — an announcement.
Bruce Lesley, First Focus Campaign for Children | April 15, 2021 |
I firmly believe that this is our moment. I don’t need to explain to any of you how bad things have been — this past …
Statement: Democracy, Voting Rights, and Our Youngest Citizens
Michele Kayal | April 13, 2021 |
In response to laws passed by several U.S. states, Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus on Children, issued the following statement: “In any democracy, …
More than ever, we need Champions for Children — these are policymakers meeting the moment
Bruce Lesley, First Focus Campaign for Children | February 4, 2021 |
Our nation’s children face multiple challenges to their well-being stemming from years of a declining share of federal investments in their future, the COVID-19 …
An open letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris From America’s children
Bruce Lesley, Christine Cully | January 20, 2021 |
Dear President Biden and Vice President Harris: Congratulations on rising to our nation’s highest offices. We’ve been talking to America’s children about what the …
Report says more than 4,000 NY children lost a caregiver due to COVID-19
Averi Pakulis, Cara Baldari | December 11, 2020 |
Between March and July of this year, 4,200 children in New York State lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19. Four-thousand, two-hundred individual children. …
Key Stats on the Effect of COVID-19 on Kids
Aubrey Edwards-Luce, Averi Pakulis, Cara Baldari, Carrie Fitzgerald, Christopher Towner (Former Staff), Conor Sasner, Kathy Sacco, Michelle Dallafior, Miriam Abaya, Olivia Gomez | November 19, 2020 |
The COVID-19 pandemic is doing more than exposing the racial, ethnic, and economic disparities existing in our society; it is compounding them, and so …
Creating equity for kids in the post-COVID world
Bruce Lesley, First Focus Campaign for Children | October 14, 2020 |
A new report from the advocacy group Groundwork Ohio, which champions high-quality early learning and healthy development strategies for Ohio’s youngest children, outlines ways …
Kids continue to lose health care coverage, report finds, with Latino children hit hardest
Carrie Fitzgerald | October 14, 2020 |
A report released last week by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families shows the continuation of the downward trend in health care …
2020 Children’s Budget Summit: Lawmakers and educators discuss continued decline in children’s share of federal spending
Michele Kayal | September 30, 2020 |
This year has delivered an unprecedented public health emergency and an economic crisis that has disrupted every facet of the lives of children and …