WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the nation navigates a complex and fraught political landscape, the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is preparing to host a major national gathering focused entirely on the well-being of the nation’s youth. In November 2026, the prominent national youth advocacy organization will convene the American Youth Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., bringing together policymakers, researchers, community leaders, and advocates from across the country to examine the pressing issues affecting the growth, safety, and future of the 73 million children living in the United States.
Entitled "Doing Our First Works Over: The New State of America’s Children," this year’s forum arrives at a critical juncture. According to organizers, recent political decisions at various levels of government are actively undermining the health, education, and general welfare of children and teenagers. The two-day event, scheduled for November 4–5, 2026, will be held at Howard University’s Blackburn University Center, serving as a hub for reflection, strategic planning, and the formulation of actionable policy solutions designed to protect and uplift America’s youngest generations.
The timing of the forum is deliberately intertwined with the national political calendar. Taking place immediately following the November 3 general elections, the event offers a vital space for stakeholders to evaluate incoming leadership and legislative priorities through the lens of child advocacy. Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for the Children’s Defense Fund, emphasized that the responsibilities of child advocates extend far beyond election day.
"Election Day may be November 3, but the work for children and youth continues beyond that day," Packnett Cunningham said. "Together, we’ll examine what the 2026 election results mean for children and youth, explore the policy issues shaping their health, education, economic mobility, and well-being, and identify strategies for moving from uncertainty to action."
The discussions during the forum will span a wide array of systemic challenges currently facing American families. Keynote addresses and panel sessions will critically evaluate the shifting landscapes of public education and public health systems, the ongoing weakening of the Department of Education, and the broader political and budgetary attacks on essential safety net programs. Programs such as Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Medicaid have historically provided a crucial buffer against poverty and deprivation. However, recent policy shifts and funding battles have exacerbated existing challenges related to food security, childhood health outcomes, and early childhood support systems.
A central feature of the upcoming forum will be the official unveiling of the 2026 State of America’s Children® Report. This comprehensive publication provides an exhaustive, data-driven summary of the status of children across the United States. The report covers a broad spectrum of indicators critical to child well-being, including overall child population trends, child poverty rates, income and wealth inequality, housing stability and homelessness, child hunger and nutritional access, physical and mental health metrics, early childhood development, public education quality, youth justice system dynamics, and the pervasive crisis of gun violence.
Nick Vucic, National Director of Public Affairs for CDF, underscored the urgency of confronting these issues head-on in order to ensure that young people are given the opportunity to thrive rather than merely survive.
"At CDF, we work to ensure every child is safe and supported," Vucic stated. "This means holding our nation’s leaders accountable so their policies and programs truly serve young people. We cannot allow decades of progress to be undone. Therefore, we must come together to shape policies that protect children’s futures and improve their daily lives. We plan to do just that at the 2026 American Youth Policy Forum, Powered by CDF."
The forum will feature a diverse lineup of nationally recognized experts, researchers, and organizational leaders who specialize in social policy, health economics, and child advocacy. Among the featured speakers scheduled to address attendees are Rev. Leonard Burton, President and CEO of the Center for the Study of Social Policy; Annie Donovan, President and CEO of the Raza Development Fund; Dr. Daniel Eisenburg, Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, and co-author of Investing in Children’s Mental Health; and Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus on Children.
Additional speakers include Brittany Packnett Cunningham of the Children’s Defense Fund; Sharon Parrott, President of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Dr. Ramesh Raghavan, Professor of Social Work at New York University; Dr. Heidi Shierholz, President of the Economic Policy Institute; and Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, President and CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund. These leaders will bring multifaceted perspectives from economics, public health, social work, and public policy to guide the dialogue and shape subsequent advocacy efforts.
Founded in 1973, the Children’s Defense Fund has long maintained a distinct mission: envisioning a nation where marginalized children flourish, leaders prioritize their well-being, and communities possess the institutional power to ensure they thrive. As the only national, multi-issue advocacy organization operating at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice, CDF focuses heavily on the needs of America’s most diverse generation, which includes 73 million children and youth under the age of 18, alongside 30 million young adults under the age of 25.
Through grassroots organizing in marginalized communities, CDF builds power for child-centered public policy informed directly by racial equity and the lived experiences of young people. Its ongoing initiatives, including the renowned CDF Freedom Schools® program operating in nearly 100 cities across 30 states and territories, continue to provide direct community-level support and educational enrichment. The upcoming American Youth Policy Forum in Washington represents a continuation of this decades-long commitment, aiming to translate collective expertise and grassroots resilience into enduring legislative protection for the nation’s children.
