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 bring together prominent leaders, policy experts, and grassroots advocates from across the country. In November 2026, CDF will convene the American Youth Policy Forum in Washington, D.C., to examine the profound impacts that recent political decisions, legislative shifts, and systemic changes are having on the growth, health, and overall well-being of the 73 million children who live across the nation.
Scheduled for November 4 and 5 at the Blackburn University Center at Howard University, this year’s high-profile gathering is titled "Doing Our First Works Over: The New State of America’s Children." The forum arrives at a critical juncture when organizers say harmful policy decisions and partisan battles are actively undermining the foundational support systems that children and youth depend upon for a secure upbringing and a stable future.
The two-day event is designed to serve as a vital space for reflection, rigorous strategic planning, and the charting of a concrete path forward for America’s young people. Keynote addresses and panel discussions throughout the forum will tackle some of the most pressing systemic issues of the day, including the current state of public education and public health systems, the structural weakening and administrative challenges facing the Department of Education, and the relentless political 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 long served as bulwarks against extreme hardship, but advocates warn that recent policy threats have significantly worsened existing challenges related to food security, basic healthcare, and early childhood support.
In addition to robust policy discussions and strategy sessions, the forum will serve as the official launchpad for the highly anticipated 2026 State of America’s Children® Report. This comprehensive document provides an exhaustive summary of the status of children across the United States, breaking down complex data across a wide spectrum of child well-being indicators. The report examines critical areas including child population trends, child poverty rates, income and wealth inequality, housing stability and homelessness, child hunger and nutrition metrics, child health outcomes, early childhood education access, youth justice reform, and the devastating impacts of gun violence on communities and schools.
The urgency of the moment is underscored by the impressive roster of national leaders and researchers slated to speak at the forum. Featured speakers include 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 lineup also features 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.
Reflecting on the timing of the forum, which closely follows the national elections, CDF Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Brittany Packnett Cunningham emphasized that the responsibilities of advocacy and child protection extend far beyond a single day at the ballot box. She noted that the discussions taking place in Washington will serve as a compass for future advocacy efforts and policy directives aimed at safeguarding children nationwide.
"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."
Nick Vucic, CDF National Director of Public Affairs, echoed those sentiments, pointing out that the forum directly addresses the urgent reality that modern society must actively confront the pressures of a difficult political climate if the younger generation is to be given a genuine chance to thrive.
"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 five decades working toward a national vision where marginalized children are empowered to flourish, where political and community leaders prioritize their health and happiness, and where local communities possess the resources and authority to ensure that every young person thrives. Operating as the nation’s premier multi-issue advocacy organization working precisely at the intersection of child well-being and racial justice, CDF continually champions the needs of the country’s most diverse generation—encompassing the 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 neighborhoods, CDF builds collective power for child-centered public policy that is directly informed by a commitment to racial equity and the authentic lived experiences of children and youth. Its widely recognized CDF Freedom Schools® program operates in nearly 100 cities across 30 states and territories, providing essential educational and cultural enrichment during the summer months and throughout the year.
