When Systems Falter, We Show Up Stronger

As we come to the close of this year, I am reminded of the collective strength that can be found in shared purpose. Even amid shifting and challenging circumstances, the Center for the Study of Social Policy has much to be proud of, as we worked together to advance anti-racist, human-centered policies, so that all young people, families, and communities can thrive. 

In January 2025, we released our new three-year strategic plan, Translating Ideas into Action. The fulcrum of this plan is our North Star, which comprises three interconnected dimensions—economic justice, health justice, and family autonomy—with racial justice as the throughline. Our plan is a bold call to transform complex systems that have caused generations of harm through oppressive policy and practices. This plan is also an invitation to join us, as we work to improve the health, happiness, and success of every young person, family, and community. In its simplest form, we are working to manifest Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Beloved Community. 

Throughout 2025, one of our common refrains has been “when systems falter, we show up stronger.” And this year, in particular, we showed up while holding fast to our values and leading with purpose in polarized times. Below, you will find examples of how we did that; all designed in partnership with people on the ground and people with positional power to create more effective and equitable policies that support young people and families.

Reflecting on 2025 Impact

• Ensuring Families Have What They Need by Eliminating Work Reporting: Our research to support the elimination of work requirements and other barriers to critical programs continues to impact policy and practice. It has informed efforts at USDA to ensure that any employment and training offered to recipients of food assistance or SNAP is voluntary, and not a prerequisite for receiving assistance.
  
• Preventing Instability for Children in Foster Care in South Carolina: In Richland County, South Carolina, CSSP supported the Department of Social Services in launching a task force to increase the availability of mental health services through 24/7 rapid response interventions, shift practices to create individually tailored placements and services, prevent unnecessary removals of children and youth to foster care, and support those experiencing placement instability.
  
• Partnering to Advance Equitable Strategies in Los Angeles: This year, we supported the Office of Equity Division at the Los Angeles  Department of Children and Family Services on the development of their strategic direction. This work positions the Department to advance equitable practices, outcomes, and a culture of safety, equity, community, and belonging.
  
• Supporting Economic Security for Immigrant Families: Over several months in 2025, the CSSP team worked diligently to educate lawmakers on how changes to the Child Tax Credit proposed in H.R.1 would harm immigrant families. Ultimately, these efforts directly contributed to the final law not requiring married filers to file jointly to receive the tax credit, which would have excluded even more children with immigrant parents.
  
• Supporting Caregivers and Caregiving: As part of our policy work on caregiving, CSSP helped organize a conference in Philadelphia earlier this year, Our Right to Care, to discuss strategies to better support care work in the United States and abroad, including through direct cash. This deep collaboration between policy, research, grassroots organizations, and individuals is unfortunately rare, and the energy and fresh ideas that came out of the meeting continue to fuel our work. 

For the past 40 years, we have worked towards the promise of a healthy and thriving democracy. Next year brings renewed devotion to this promise, as our team remains guided by our North Star and steadfast in our commitment to racial justice. 

Our Focus for the Year Ahead

In 2026, we will build on this year’s momentum through the following work:

• Partnering with Community to Support Advocacy for Young Children: Our Early Learning Nation work brought together 40 parent-leaders in the space from across the country to build skills in early childhood advocacy and organizing. Participants described the experience as empowering and transformative for their leadership journeys. Over the first half of 2026, we will support parents to design, lead, and implement community projects that translate their learning into action, and we will be launching a new Spanish-language cohort.
  
• Partnering with Young People to Develop Policy Solutions Through CARES (Creating Actionable and Real Solutions): Over the past year, CSSP’s CARES youth Ambassadors have gone from learning about policy to authoring testimony, issuing statements, and shaping real-time solutions. In 2026, we are deepening these youth-led partnerships with three stakeholder convenings in New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta to advance upstream solutions for youth and emerging adults. The CARES youth Ambassadors will  step into even greater influence as policy leaders, advocates, and peer mentors across health care, housing, and nutrition assistance, next year and beyond.
• Advancing Work to Promote Culture in Healing: Our Culture is Healing work has expanded in many ways through increased awareness and growing national interest. We are currently refining the new strategies and will release them next year, as well as continuing to build on this work by developing case studies for key recommendations, identifying core principles and standards for “community-defined evidence”, and connecting with communities and organizations interested in implementing solutions.

These highlights provide a small glimpse into where we’ve been and where we’re headed. Most importantly, they reflect the depth of relationships, the breadth of our expertise, and the sincere dedication our team brings to this work every day. 

We are living in difficult, but not impossible times. These are times that require clarity of mission, the courage of leadership, and determination to keep pressing forward. As ever, because we are grounded in the strength and promise of people, we know that we can, AND WE WILL keep advancing towards our North Star for years to come.