Our Voice for Children

May 2021

Register Today to Attend the CDF Proctor Institute

If you've considered joining us for our annual interfaith convening but have not yet made it to Proctor, this is the perfect year to finally attend! Registration is now open for our 27th annual CDF Samuel DeWitt Proctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry, this year entitled, "Listening to the Children: A Radical Revolution of Values." This year's CDF Proctor Institute (July 20-22) and Dale Andrews Freedom Seminary (July 7 and 19-20) will again be held virtually to ensure a safe and accessible experience for all. Click here to register today. Registration is open to all, and we can't wait to join with you in Beloved Community!

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Our Advocacy for Children

Throughout the month of May, we had opportunities to lift up important progress that had been made on behalf of children and to make clear where we must redouble our efforts to ensure our children have what they need to thrive. Here are some of the ways we advocated for children and their families this month:

 Immigration:  CDF-Texas published a report detailing the mental health toll of the cruel practice of immigrant detention and recommending community-based alternatives to create a humane immigration system that supports children and families. Learn more.

 Youth Justice:  We highlighted how a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on juvenile life sentences without parole goes against decades of law and understandings of adolescent development while upholding injustices against Black children and other children of color. Learn more.

 Child Poverty:  We celebrated the Biden Administration's announcement that the IRS will release a simplified tax filing tool which, if implemented well, will ensure that families with low incomes can access the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) and receive monthly payments starting July 15. Learn more.

 Education Equity:  We reflected on 67 years since the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that ended legal segregation in education and shared policy recommendations for recommitting ourselves to finally fulfilling that promise. Learn more.

 Immigrant Families:  We called on Congress to roll back a Trump-era policy and restore access to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) for immigrant children who lack Social Security Numbers (SSNs), thereby ensuring we can deliver on the full promise of the CTC to all children. Learn more.

 Child Nutrition:  We sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging them to pass a robust Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) this year and ensure more consistent and equitable access to school, summer, after school, and early childhood meals. Learn more. 

Your Window into the Movement

Over the past week, the CDF Freedom Schools® program officially kicked off summer 2021 with the Ella Baker Child Policy Training Institute National Training for all CDF Freedom Schools staff! We were thrilled to be able to share the following sessions from that training with our broader community on Facebook, and we invite you to explore them now:

Child Watch Roundup

In a Child Watch column published this month, Marian Wright Edelman applauded recent actions to ensure children won't go hungry when schools are closed this summer and called on our leaders to implement additional, common-sense solutions to keep our children fed year-round. Read the column.

Catch up on the rest of Marian Wright Edelman's recent Child Watch columns:

• Hope for Millions of Children on the Horizon
• Prayers for Mother's Day
• Wonderful New York City Mayor David Dinkins

Be sure to sign up to receive Marian Wright Edelman's Child Watch column directly to your inbox every Friday.

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