WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the United States navigates a complex and increasingly fraught political landscape, national child advocacy leaders are preparing to sound the alarm over policies they warn are actively undermining the health, education, and general well-being of the nation’s youth. In November 2026, the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF)—a prominent national youth advocacy organization—will convene the American Youth Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., bringing together policymakers, economists, health experts, and grassroots organizers from across the country to address what organizers describe as an urgent turning point for the nation’s 73 million children.
Scheduled for November 4 through November 5, 2026, the high-profile gathering will take place at Howard University’s Blackburn University Center. Titled “Doing Our First Works Over: The New State of America’s Children,” the forum arrives at a critical juncture just after the 2026 midterm elections, designed to serve as both a reflective summit and a strategic planning session for advocates committed to protecting vulnerable young populations.
According to CDF leadership, the event is framed around a pressing realization: while electoral cycles come and go, the daily struggles faced by America’s children persist and, in many cases, are being exacerbated by harmful policy decisions at various levels of government. The forum will focus heavily on how shifting political priorities are weakening foundational public systems, including public education and public health infrastructure, while simultaneously scaling back crucial safety net programs that millions of families rely on for daily survival.
Among the central issues slated for discussion are the ongoing political and structural weakening of the U.S. Department of Education, alongside concerted attacks on essential federal assistance programs such as Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Medicaid. Organizers point out that the erosion of these programs has directly worsened systemic challenges related to childhood food insecurity, inadequate healthcare access, and the lack of robust early childhood support systems.
In addition to panel discussions and strategy sessions, the forum will serve as the official launchpad for the release of the 2026 State of America’s Children Report. This comprehensive annual publication provides an exhaustive overview of the status of children across the United States, breaking down data and lived realities across a wide spectrum of well-being indicators. The report examines critical metrics including overall child population demographics, child poverty rates, growing income and wealth inequality, housing instability and homelessness, child hunger and nutrition, physical and mental health outcomes, early childhood education access, youth justice system interactions, and the escalating crisis of gun violence impacting American youth.
The two-day event will feature a diverse lineup of nationally recognized experts, researchers, and organizational leaders. Among the scheduled speakers 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 UCLA and co-author of Investing in Children’s Mental Health; and Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus on Children.
The roster also includes 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 emphasized that the timing of the forum—occurring immediately following Election Day—is deliberate and vital for charting a resilient path forward. She noted that the discussions held at Howard University will help lay the groundwork for future advocacy efforts and policy agendas designed to protect and uplift children nationwide.
“Election Day may be November 3, but the work for children and youth continues beyond that day,” Packnett Cunningham stated. She added that participants will collectively examine the implications of the 2026 election results for the younger generation, analyze the complex policy landscape shaping their access to healthcare, quality education, economic mobility, and overall well-being, and formulate actionable strategies to transition from a climate of uncertainty into concrete, impactful advocacy.
Nick Vucic, CDF National Director of Public Affairs, echoed these sentiments, stressing that the forum directly addresses the urgent reality of the current political environment and the necessity of holding leadership accountable to the needs of the rising generation. Vucic emphasized that the organization remains steadfast in its mission to ensure that every child is safe, supported, and provided with the resources necessary to thrive in their communities.
“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 over five decades championing a vision of the United States where marginalized children are empowered to flourish, where political and community leaders consistently prioritize child well-being, and where local communities possess the resources and authority to ensure youth success. Operating as the nation’s primary multi-issue advocacy organization stationed precisely at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice, CDF works on behalf of the country’s most diverse generation—encompassing the 73 million children and youth under the age of 18, as well as 30 million young adults under the age of 25.
Through grassroots organizing rooted deeply within marginalized communities, the organization builds sustained political power aimed at advancing child-centered public policy informed heavily by racial equity and the actual lived experiences of youth. Its signature initiative, the renowned CDF Freedom Schools program, continues to operate in nearly 100 cities spread across 30 states and territories, providing transformative summer educational and enrichment experiences for children who need them most.
As preparations for the November forum continue, organizers anticipate that the discussions and data unveiled in Washington, D.C., will serve as a rallying cry for advocates nationwide, reinforcing the commitment to defend the rights, health, and futures of America’s children against mounting political and systemic challenges.
