Federal Shutdown Reflects Trump’s Chaotic Government; Children and Families Pay the Price

CLASP’s statement on the government shutdown focuses on how policymakers’ inability to pass the budget could harm communities on the margins in a functioning government, this budget would be free from interference by a presidential administration. Instead, the administration is manufacturing chaos and dysfunction to continue to weaken the institutions families rely on to survive.

"Meeting the Moment" in These Challenging Times

On Monday evening, CLASP held a conversation with key CLASP alumni, staff, and allies to reflect on how the current administration is fundamentally unraveling basic rules and decency—and how we must move in the coming days to protect our multiracial democracy. Our presenters included:

• Alice Aluoch; Global Health Council, Lived Experience Consultant, and alum of CLASP's Community Partnership Group (CPG)
• Emily Andrews; Director of Program Management at the Freedom Together Foundation, and CLASP alum 
• Annie Burns; CLASP Trustee and Partner, GMMB
• Wendy Cervantes; Director of Immigration and Immigrant Families team at CLASP
• Wendy Chun-Hoon; CLASP President and Executive Director
• Pronita Gupta; Senior Fellow at Workshop, and CLASP alum

The Trump Administration is Using Student Debt to Build a Military State

Christian Collins’s fact sheet examines how the Trump Administration’s offer of student loan forgiveness for new Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and attempt to remove other options for student loan forgiveness reinforce the administration’s plan to make higher education less attainable for many potential students.

A Guide to Creating “Safe Space” Policies for Early Childhood Programs Available in Spanish

CLASP’s “A Guide to Creating ‘Safe Space’ Policies for Early Childhood Programs” is now available in Spanish. The guide gives practitioners, advocates, and policymakers information and resources to design and implement “safe space” policies that safeguard early childhood programs against immigration enforcement, as well as protect families’ safety and privacy. It also includes sample policy text that early childhood providers can adapt for their programs.

In “Families Affected by Substance Use Need Holistic Healing and Recovery Support,” Teon Hayes examines how treatment options for individuals dealing with substance use can best support their families as well.