Our Voice for Children
January 2021
365 Days of Impact
In 2020, our children faced a brand-new virus and continued to battle a 400-year-old disease: the deeply rooted racism that impacts children's lives every day. With your critical support, the Children’s Defense Fund fought all year against these twin crises, through direct service programs, organizing in communities around the country, and policy advocacy at the national and state level.
Thank you for being our partners in this critical work. Take a look at what we accomplished together last year.
A Historic Swearing-in
On January 20, Joe Biden was inaugurated the 46th President of the United States. The swearing in of his new Vice President, Kamala Devi Harris, was a historic occasion, marking the first time that a woman, a Black person, or a person of South Asian descent has served in that role. This is deeply important for all of our country's children, who need to see people in power who reflect their own diverse identities in order to fully understand the power they hold themselves. Read more about why we're celebrating this affirmation for young people everywhere.
Our Advocacy for Children
January brought with it a new optimism about the what this year holds, as well as many reminders that the work to provide marginalized children and families what they need to thrive is far from over. Throughout a month with many national headlines, we fought to ensure children remained at the center of the nation's conversation. Here are some of the ways we advocated for children and their families this month:
Racial Justice: We shared reflections from our President and CEO, the Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson, about the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, in which he called for concerted efforts to overcome the hatred and racism that permeates our society and political reality. Learn more.
COVID-19: CDF-Minnesota celebrated the announcement of Governor Walz's Recovery Budget, which centers the needs of under-resourced and over-burdened children and families—including an expanded working family credit and child care credit, out-of-school and summer programs, child care, and paid family leave. Learn more.
COVID-19: We highlighted how President Biden's COVID-19 relief proposal would help families in crisis and would take a long overdue step to address our nation's shameful child poverty crisis that could lead to the largest reduction in child poverty rates in decades. Learn more.
Child Welfare: We condemned former President Trump's eleventh-hour move to finalize a rule that would allow taxpayer-funded discrimination in the child welfare system. Learn more.
Whole Child: CDF-Ohio, on behalf of the Ohio Children's Budget Coalition, urged Governor DeWine to start state budget talks by prioritizing child health, quality child care and K-12 education, children services, youth justice, economic stability, and critical broadband infrastructure. Learn more.
Child Wellbeing: We applauded the U.S. House of Representatives' action to impeach former President Trump for a second time and urged the Senate to convict the president and ensure he can never again hold the power of the presidency. Learn more.
Help make sure vulnerable children will not get left behind as our country responds to this pandemic. Donate to the Children in Crisis Fund >
A CDF Freedom Schools® Call-to-action
This month, CDF Freedom Schools® sponsor organizations attended fully virtual CDF Freedom Schools Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute sessions to prepare Executive Directors and Project Directors to serve children across the country during summer 2021. In a keynote address on the last day of training, CDF President and CEO the Rev. Dr. Starsky Wilson shared a call-to-action for all who seek justice for children. Watch his full remarks here.
Child Watch Roundup
In a Child Watch column published this month, Marian Wright Edelman invoked the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to remind us that charity, while important, is not a substitute for the hard work of breaking down the inequities and injustices that are creating harm in our communities. Read the column.
Catch up on the rest of Marian Wright Edelman's recent Child Watch columns:
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