Blog

The Census Bureau’s annual data-release of income, poverty, and health coverage statistics offers important insight into the economic circumstances of children and families in the previous year. The aggregate data released last week paints a picture of relative stability, with no significant changes to median income, poverty, and health insurance coverage rates between 2023 and [...]

With the passing of the Budget Reconciliation Bill (H.R. 1) on July 3rd, Congress put into motion significant cuts to critical programs that promote the health and wellbeing of children and families. These supports, including Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Child Tax Credit (CTC), and others, play an important role in ensuring [...]

Children need love, safety, and a sense of belonging to thrive; however, for far too many children in immigrant families across the country, the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement campaign has deprived them of this basic foundation for well-being. The Trump administration’s heightened mass deportation efforts, the erosion of due process protections, and ICE presence in [...]

On July 3rd, the House passed the final Budget Reconciliation Bill, stripping away essential supports like health coverage and food assistance from millions of young people and families. These cuts to programs including Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), will leave young people and families without [...]

Truly caring for children and youth means embracing the full diversity of their identities. As one young person shared with CSSP, “if you cannot see all sides of me – my race, my gender, my sexuality – you don’t see me.” Without seeing young people, we cannot do right by them. Studies have consistently shown, and [...]

Two Guides, One Goal: Partnering with Families to Transform Early Childhood Systems  An early childhood system is a vision of coordination, where all programs and services that support young children and their families — such as health, mental health, early learning, economic support, and family support — are coordinated, connected, and easy to access. While [...]

It is hard to imagine something more important to protect and promote than the safety, health, and wellbeing of children and youth. Yet, on June 18th—during Pride Month, no less—the Supreme Court failed to protect young people and their families from political attacks on their identities, health and wellbeing and their health care. In the [...]

This Juneteenth, as we celebrate the emancipation of over 250,000 enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, and with that the idea of freedom reaching us all, we are reminded that when it comes to racial justice, progress in this country is often delayed, yet possible.    At the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), [...]

Young people leaving the foster care system are not strangers to hardship and instability. Because the state removed them from their families—and in some cases communities—they often do not have access to the same level of support and guidance from family that many other young people receive as they make their way into adulthood. Society’s [...]

To thrive, all children need to grow up in their communities surrounded by loving and caring adults, and families need access to basic programs and services so they can meet their needs and participate fully in their communities. Government plays an important role ensuring each of these conditions is met. But the details that emerged [...]