WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the nation navigates a complex and shifting political landscape, the Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), a prominent national youth advocacy organization, is preparing to convene policymakers, community leaders, and child advocates from across the United States. In November 2026, the organization will host the American Youth Policy Forum at Howard University’s Blackburn University Center in Washington, D.C., bringing national attention to the urgent needs of the country’s 73 million children and youth.
Titled "Doing Our First Works Over: The New State of America’s Children," the two-day forum is scheduled for November 4 through November 5, 2026. According to organizers, the gathering comes at a critical juncture when harmful political decisions and shifting legislative priorities are actively undermining the growth, health, and overall well-being of young people nationwide. By gathering experts to reflect, strategize, and chart a definitive path forward, the forum aims to address the compounding crises facing America’s younger generations.
The event will serve as a collaborative space for advocates to examine the broader systemic challenges impacting public education, public health systems, and essential safety net programs. Discussions will place a heavy emphasis on the weakening of the federal Department of Education, as well as the ongoing political and budgetary attacks on foundational support systems such as Head Start, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Medicaid. Organizers note that these attacks have directly exacerbated existing challenges related to food security, childhood health, and early childhood support systems.
A central feature of the upcoming forum will be the official release of the 2026 State of America’s Children Report. This comprehensive document provides a sweeping summary of the status of children across a wide spectrum of well-being indicators. The report examines child population trends, child poverty rates, income and wealth inequality, housing stability and homelessness, child hunger and nutrition, child health outcomes, early childhood education, youth justice, and the pervasive crisis of gun violence affecting young communities.
The urgency of the moment is underscored by the timing of the conference, which falls immediately after the November 3 national elections. Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for the Children’s Defense Fund, emphasized that the responsibilities of child advocates extend far beyond Election Day itself.
"Election Day may be November 3, but the work for children and youth continues beyond that day," Packnett Cunningham stated. She explained that attendees will collectively examine the implications of the 2026 election results for children and adolescents, explore the specific policy issues shaping their health, education, and economic mobility, and identify concrete strategies for moving from a state of political uncertainty into decisive action.
Nick Vucic, CDF National Director of Public Affairs, echoed these sentiments, pointing to the pressing reality that advocates must actively navigate a fraught political climate to ensure that young people have the opportunity to truly 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."
The forum’s agenda features a diverse and accomplished group of speakers, researchers, and organizational leaders who will lead keynotes and panel sessions. Among the scheduled participants 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; Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus on Children; Brittany Packnett Cunningham 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.
Founded in 1973, the Children’s Defense Fund operates as a unique national multi-issue advocacy organization working at the critical intersection of child well-being and racial justice. The organization envisions a nation where marginalized children are empowered to flourish, where political and community leaders actively prioritize their health and safety, and where communities possess the collective power to ensure long-term success. CDF advocates for the nation’s most diverse generation, representing the 73 million children and youth under the age of 18, alongside 30 million young adults under the age of 25. Through grassroots movements built within marginalized communities, the organization fosters child-centered public policy informed by principles of racial equity and the lived experiences of young people. Its signature initiative, the CDF Freedom Schools program, operates in nearly 100 cities across 30 states and territories, continuing a decades-long legacy of community-based empowerment and educational advocacy.
