Media & Resources

> > > Media and Resources

New Report: U.S. Can Lift 5.5. Million Children Out of Poverty Right Now

America can immediately lift millions of children out of poverty and reduce child poverty by 57 percent by making modest investments in policies that work, according to a new report released today by the Children’s Defense Fund. Ending Child Poverty Now, the second edition of a groundbreaking report first released in 2015, details the devastating impacts of poverty on children and our nation. It outlines nine policy improvements that, enacted together, would benefit 95 percent of all poor children, lifting 5.5 million of them out of poverty entirely. In California, home to 1.6 million poor children, the child poverty rate was reduced by 65%.

Read More

New Report Highlights Need to Address Child Trauma

Policy forum uplifts innovative community programs and policies that are helping children and youth heal Richmond, CA – Children's Defense Fund-California (CDF-CA) released a report emphasizing the need for community-based services to address and heal trauma experienced by children and youth. The report, Helping Children Heal: Promising Community Programs and Policy Recommendations, highlights exemplary programs in Oakland and Richmond that are healing children and youth and building resilience through trauma-informed mental health treatment paired with exposure to the arts. "We cannot afford to ignore the devastating impact that trauma and chronic exposure to violence have on our children and youth. New neuroscience research shows what those in our communities have long known: exposure to traumatic events in childhood harms children's developing brains so profoundly that the effects show up decades later in the form of poor health and mental health and [...]

Read More

Children’s Health Advocates Hail California’s Budget as a Historic Leap Toward Health Coverage for All Children

SACRAMENTO, CA — Children's health advocates commended state legislators and Governor Jerry Brown for crafting a budget that addresses key children's health priorities. The budget agreement includes $40 million in 2015-16 to expand access to Medi-Cal coverage to all income-eligible children, regardless of immigration status. "Thanks to leaders in California's Legislature and Governor Brown, more than 170,000 undocumented children will get access to health coverage, and the preventive care they need to grow up healthy and lead productive lives," said Wendy Lazarus, Founder and Co-President of The Children's Partnership. "This budget is a tremendous step toward providing coverage to every California child. When we invest in our hardworking families and their children, we will see substantial and lasting impacts that benefit all Californians." "California is stronger when everyone has access to health care, including our immigrant children and families," said Corey [...]

Read More

California Children’s Groups Urge Senate to Extend Funding for Children’s Health Insurance Program for Four Years

SACRAMENTO, CA — Recognizing the urgency of quick action to protect children's health, the U.S. House of Representatives voted today, with a strong show of bipartisan support, to approve the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). The bill would, among other things, extend funding and current policy for the highly successful Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for two years, ensuring that children from low- and moderate-income working families can get the comprehensive, affordable health coverage they need to reach their full potential. More than 1 million children and pregnant women in California have health coverage funded by CHIP. While thanking the House members for taking timely action to extend CHIP, children's health care advocates in California urged the Senate to come together and build on the solid policy in the House bill by extending CHIP funding for four years. [...]

Read More
You being redirected to the National Childrens Defense Fund website.