WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the United States navigates a complex and increasingly fraught political landscape, national youth advocacy leaders are preparing for a critical gathering in the nation’s capital. In November 2026, the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF)—a prominent multi-issue advocacy organization dedicated to the intersection of child well-being and racial justice—will host the American Youth Policy Forum at Howard University.
The high-profile event, carrying the resonant theme “Doing Our First Works Over: The New State of America’s Children,” comes at a pivotal moment. Organizers note that the forum is designed to address a growing sense of urgency across the country, where recent political decisions and shifting legislative priorities have begun to undermine the growth, health, and overall well-being of the nation’s 73 million children and youth.
Scheduled for November 4 and 5, 2026, at the Blackburn University Center on the Howard University campus, the forum will bring together leading national advocates, policy experts, community organizers, and researchers. Attendees will engage in deep reflection, rigorous strategizing, and the collective task of charting a viable path forward for America’s young people in the wake of the 2026 midterm elections.
The timing of the forum is intentionally aligned with the national political calendar. Taking place immediately following Election Day on November 3, the convening will provide a vital space for stakeholders to evaluate what the electoral outcomes mean for the future of the nation’s youth. Discussions will explore the core policy issues shaping children’s health, education, economic mobility, and general well-being, moving participants from a place of uncertainty to deliberate action.
At the heart of the convening will be the official release of the highly anticipated 2026 State of America’s Children® Report. This comprehensive document serves as an annual barometer of child well-being in the United States, synthesizing data and analyses across a wide spectrum of critical areas. The report covers child population trends, child poverty rates, income and wealth inequality, housing security and homelessness, child hunger and nutrition, pediatric and adolescent health, early childhood development, public education, youth justice reform, and the ongoing crisis of gun violence.
Throughout the two-day event, featured panels and keynote sessions will dive deeply into the structural pressures facing public systems. Key topics will include the current state of public education and public health systems, the systematic weakening of the federal Department of Education, and the mounting 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 historically provided foundational support for millions of American families. Advocates warn that the erosion of these programs has significantly worsened challenges related to food security, healthcare access, and early childhood support systems.
The forum boasts an impressive roster of speakers and panelists from across the policy, academic, and advocacy sectors. Among the featured experts 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"; and Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus on Children.
Additional featured speakers include 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 conversations taking place at Howard University will serve as a foundational blueprint for future advocacy efforts and policy initiatives nationwide. Pointing to the reality that the struggles of children and families do not pause for an election cycle, she noted that the work of protecting and uplifting youth must continue with renewed vigor long after the ballots are cast. Together, participants will examine the direct implications of the 2026 political landscape and identify concrete strategies to safeguard the next generation.
Echoing this perspective, Nick Vucic, National Director of Public Affairs for the Children’s Defense Fund, underscored the urgent necessity of holding national leaders accountable. Vucic stressed that ensuring every child is safe, healthy, and supported requires constant vigilance, particularly when decades of hard-won progress in child advocacy and social welfare appear vulnerable to reversal. He maintained that the collective expertise gathered at the forum will be instrumental in shaping policies that not only protect the futures of young people but also tangibly improve their daily lives.
The Children’s Defense Fund, established in 1973, has long operated with the core vision of fostering a nation where marginalized children are able to flourish, where leaders consistently prioritize their health and happiness, and where communities possess the collective power to ensure their success. As the only national organization working simultaneously at the intersection of child advocacy and racial justice, CDF continues to champion the needs of America’s most diverse generation ever—encompassing the 73 million children under 18 and the 30 million young adults under 25 currently living in the United States. Through grassroots organizing in marginalized communities and renowned initiatives like the CDF Freedom Schools® program, which operates in nearly 100 cities across 30 states and territories, the organization remains steadfast in its mission to build enduring power for child-centered public policy.
