WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the immediate wake of the pivotal 2026 midterm elections, the nation’s leading child advocacy organization, the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), is convening the American Youth Policy Forum at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The two-day gathering, titled "Doing Our First Works Over: The New State of America’s Children," arrives at a critical juncture. Organizers and child advocates note that the event comes at a moment when harmful political decisions and shifting legislative priorities are actively undermining the growth, stability, and overall well-being of the approximately 73 million children residing across the United States.
Running through Wednesday and Thursday, the high-stakes policy forum is designed to transition immediate election analysis into concrete, actionable advocacy. As lawmakers and political analysts parse the results of the 2026 midterms, the forum places children and youth squarely at the center of the national conversation, examining what the shifting political landscape means for federal and state youth policy, while identifying vital risks and opportunities for advocates as they prepare to engage with the upcoming session of Congress.
The convening opened with a high-profile plenary session hosted by Joy Reid, host of The Joy Reid Show. Reid led an opening panel featuring a distinguished group of leading child well-being and advocacy experts, guiding a discussion aimed at evaluating the election outcomes through the lens of America’s youth. Panelists explored the immediate ramifications for federal policy and state-level legislation, focusing heavily on issues that directly impact the daily lives, safety, and futures of millions of young people.
Participating in the inaugural panel alongside Reid were Reverend Leonard Burton, President and CEO of the Center for the Study of Social Policy; Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus on Children; Sharon Parrott, President of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Dr. Heidi Shierholz, President of the Economic Policy Institute; and Reverend Dr. Starsky Wilson, President and CEO of the Children’s Defense Fund. Together, these leaders examined the intersection of electoral politics and child advocacy, setting an urgent tone for the remainder of the multi-day conference.
Addressing Crises Across the Spectrum of Child Well-Being
In addition to high-level political panel discussions, the forum features the release of a special snapshot from the forthcoming 2026 State of America’s Children® Report. This comprehensive document serves as an annual barometer for the condition of children in the United States, synthesizing critical data across a wide spectrum of child well-being indicators.
The report and the discussions surrounding it encompass a wide array of interconnected issues, including total child population dynamics, child poverty rates, growing income and wealth inequality, the worsening housing and homelessness crisis, child hunger and nutrition challenges, broader child health concerns, early childhood education access, youth justice reform, and the devastating impacts of gun violence on American youth. By placing these empirical realities alongside the newly minted political landscape, the forum aims to give participants a clear, unflinching understanding of the challenges facing the nation’s youngest population.
Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for the Children’s Defense Fund, emphasized that the organization’s mandate extends far beyond a single election cycle, noting that the challenges facing children require sustained, vigilant advocacy regardless of shifting political power dynamics in Washington.
"Election Day may be November 3, but the work for children and youth continues beyond that day," Packnett Cunningham stated. "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."
Confronting Systemic Threats to Public Education and the Safety Net
Throughout the scheduled keynotes and panel sessions, speakers and attendees are diving deep into the institutional pressures currently facing public systems. Discussions are centering heavily on the current state of public education and public health systems, the troubling weakening of the federal Department of Education, and the persistent political and legislative attacks on essential social safety net programs.
Advocates at the forum are underscoring how cuts or structural rollbacks to foundational 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 directly exacerbated existing crises related to food insecurity, preventative healthcare access, and early childhood developmental support. For millions of American families, these programs represent the thin line between stability and destitution, making their defense a central priority for child advocates navigating the post-election congress.
Nick Vucic, National Director of Public Affairs for the Children’s Defense Fund, pointed to the essential role of accountability in safeguarding the nation’s youth from the consequences of adverse policy decisions.
"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 convening at Howard University’s Blackburn University Center runs through Thursday afternoon, bringing together grassroots organizers, policy experts, youth leaders, and advocates from across the country to formulate a unified agenda for the fights ahead in federal and state legislatures.
