WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the United States navigates a volatile and shifting political landscape, the national youth advocacy organization Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is preparing to host a major gathering in the nation’s capital to confront what organizers describe as unprecedented challenges facing the country’s youngest population. In November, policymakers, researchers, community leaders, and advocates from across the country will converge in Washington, D.C., for the American Youth Policy Forum, an event designed to examine how current political decisions are directly impacting the growth, security, and overall well-being of the 73 million children living across the United States.
Scheduled for November 4 through November 5, 2026, the high-profile forum is titled “Doing Our First Works Over: The New State of America’s Children.” The gathering comes at a critical juncture, unfolding immediately following the November 3 election cycle, and aims to provide a space for advocates to reflect on recent political shifts, strategize collectively, and chart a concrete path forward for America’s youth. The venue for the two-day event is the Blackburn University Center at Howard University, located at 2397 6th St NW in Washington, D.C.
According to organizers, the forum’s comprehensive agenda will dive deeply into the state of the nation’s public education and public health systems. Discussions will address the alarming weakening of the federal Department of Education and scrutinize how ongoing political attacks on essential safety net 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 significantly worsened systemic challenges related to food insecurity, children’s health, and early childhood support structures.
A central highlight of the gathering will be the official release of the highly anticipated 2026 State of America’s Children Report. This comprehensive document serves as an exhaustive summary of the status of children across the nation, evaluating their well-being through a wide-ranging spectrum of critical indicators. The report examines child population trends, child poverty rates, income and wealth inequality, housing stability and homelessness, child hunger and nutrition, child health outcomes, early education access, youth justice system dynamics, and the pervasive crisis of gun violence.
Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for the Children’s Defense Fund, emphasized that the discussions taking place at Howard University will serve as a vital blueprint for future advocacy and policy formulation aimed at protecting children nationwide. Noting the timing of the event just a day after the national elections, Packnett Cunningham stressed that the fight for the future of children and youth extends far beyond any single election day.
"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," Packnett Cunningham stated. She underscored that the collaborative environment of the forum will help transition advocates from anxiety over political instability into targeted, effective mobilization.
Nick Vucic, National Director of Public Affairs for CDF, echoed these sentiments, pointing to the urgent reality that contemporary political climates require constant vigilance and active resistance if young people are to have a genuine opportunity to thrive. Vucic emphasized that the core mission of the Children’s Defense Fund remains rooted in ensuring that every child is safe, supported, and provided with the resources necessary to reach their full potential.
"At CDF, we work to ensure every child is safe and supported," Vucic said. "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 distinguished roster of speakers, researchers, and organizational leaders representing diverse sectors of public policy, health, and social justice. Among the prominent figures scheduled to lead keynotes and panel discussions 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 expert 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 to the table, connecting macroeconomic policies, budget priorities, and healthcare systems directly to the lived experiences of children and families.
The urgency of the 2026 forum is deeply tied to the foundational mission of the Children’s Defense Fund, which has advocated for the nation’s youth for more than half a century. Founded in 1973, CDF envisions a nation where marginalized children are empowered to flourish, where leaders prioritize their health, safety, and well-being, and where communities possess the collective power to ensure youth thrive without exception. As the only national, multi-issue advocacy organization working precisely at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice, CDF centers its efforts on the needs of America’s most diverse generation—encompassing the 73 million children and youth under the age of 18, as well as the 30 million young adults under the age of 25.
Through grassroots movements established in marginalized communities across the country, CDF works continuously to build political and social power for child-centered public policy. These efforts are continually informed by a commitment to racial equity and the direct lived experiences of children and youth. Among its widely recognized nationwide initiatives is the CDF Freedom Schools program, which operates in nearly 100 cities spread across 30 states and territories, providing educational enrichment and community support during critical out-of-school times.
As the political debates surrounding public education, federal funding for safety nets, and healthcare access continue to intensify at both the federal and state levels, the upcoming forum in Washington, D.C., is expected to serve as a rallying point for the nation’s child advocacy community. By bringing together top experts, frontline organizers, and policy architects, the Children’s Defense Fund aims to forge a resilient path forward, ensuring that the needs of America’s children remain at the very forefront of the national agenda during a time of significant political transition.
