WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the United States navigates a complex and increasingly fraught political landscape, the national youth advocacy organization Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is preparing to host a major gathering of policy experts, community leaders, and child advocates. Scheduled for this coming November at Howard University in Washington, D.C., the American Youth Policy Forum aims to confront how recent legislative and administrative decisions are impacting the growth, security, and overall well-being of the 73 million children living across the nation.
The upcoming gathering, titled “Doing Our First Works Over: The New State of America’s Children,” arrives at a critical juncture. Organizers note that the forum comes at a moment when harmful political decisions are actively undermining the health, educational progress, and fundamental stability of children and youth in every corner of the country. By bringing together advocates, researchers, and community builders from across the nation, the event is designed to serve as a space for deep reflection, rigorous strategizing, and the charting of a concrete path forward for America’s young people.
The discussions slated for the two-day forum will delve deeply into some of the most pressing systemic challenges facing the nation. Keynote addresses and panel sessions will critically examine the current state of public education and public health systems, the ongoing weakening of the federal Department of Education, and the broader political attacks directed at 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 foundational support for millions of families. However, recent policy shifts and funding battles have heightened vulnerabilities, exacerbating deep-seated challenges related to food security, preventative healthcare, and early childhood support systems.
A central highlight of the conference will be the official unveiling of the 2026 State of America’s Children Report. This comprehensive annual document summarizes the status of children in the United States across a broad spectrum of well-being indicators. The report offers an unvarnished look at critical metrics, including child population trends, child poverty rates, income and wealth inequality, housing stability and homelessness, child hunger and nutrition, overall child health, early childhood development, educational outcomes, youth justice, and the devastating impacts of gun violence. For decades, this report has served as an indispensable resource for policymakers, advocates, and journalists seeking to understand the realities facing the nation’s youngest generation.
The 2026 American Youth Policy Forum, powered by CDF, will take place on November 4 and 5, 2026. The event will be hosted at the Blackburn University Center, located on the campus of Howard University at 2397 6th St NW in Washington, D.C.
The forum will feature a distinguished roster of speakers, researchers, and organizational leaders who are at the forefront of social policy and child advocacy. Among the prominent figures scheduled to present 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; Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus on Children; Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer 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.
Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for CDF, emphasized that the conversations held during the forum will provide a vital compass for future advocacy efforts and policy initiatives aimed at safeguarding children nationwide. Pointing to the timing of the event just after the national elections, Packnett Cunningham noted that the responsibilities of child advocates extend far beyond a single day at the ballot box.
“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.”
Echoing these sentiments, Nick Vucic, CDF National Director of Public Affairs, stressed that the forum directly addresses the urgent reality of the current political environment. He argued that intentional action is required to navigate these hurdles so that young people are given the genuine opportunity to thrive rather than merely survive.
“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.”
Founded in 1973, the Children’s Defense Fund has spent more than half a century working toward a nation where marginalized children can flourish, where leaders consistently prioritize their health and well-being, and where communities possess the collective power to ensure that every young person thrives. As the only national, multi-issue advocacy organization operating at the direct intersection of child well-being and racial justice, CDF champions the needs of America’s most diverse generation—comprising the 73 million children and youth under the age of 18, alongside 30 million young adults under the age of 25.
Through grassroots organizing movements rooted deeply in marginalized communities, CDF builds enduring power for child-centered public policy. These efforts are consistently informed by principles of racial equity and the authentic, lived experiences of children and youth. Among its many initiatives, the organization’s renowned CDF Freedom Schools program continues to operate in nearly 100 cities across 30 states and territories, providing educational enrichment and community empowerment.
