Blog

With lightning speed, the Trump administration has undertaken a deliberate campaign to sow chaos and confusion in its first days in office, grounding federal agencies to a halt and disrupting the day-to-day work of child and family-serving organizations across the country in a radical effort to refashion our democratic institutions and advance an agenda that [...]

On this National Day of Racial Healing, we’re reflecting on what it means to heal as a nation from the pervasive effects of racism. Yesterday, people celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr —a visionary leader who spearheaded the Civil Rights Movement in the United States and advocated for racial equality, [...]

This September, CSSP Senior Policy Analyst Elisa Minoff spoke with Kali Daughtery, a working mother, to discuss the lack of paid family leave in the United States. This year, Kali was pregnant with her second child and was expecting 12 weeks of paid maternity leave in her current job. However, she later discovered that she [...]

As we move into 2025, we know we have a lot of important work ahead of us. While administrations may change, along with their policies and priorities, organizations like the Center for the Study of Social Policy must not lose sight of this simple truth: the hopes, aspirations, and needs of families across the country [...]

As a society, we are responsible for ensuring that young people have the resources they need to thrive physically, psychologically, and developmentally. Part of promoting young people’s future happiness, health, and dignity is providing health care that recognizes all aspects of their evolving identities, including their gender identity and gender expression, and supporting them as [...]

Children deserve to live and be nurtured in families and communities, and to have access to the culturally responsive supports and services that they need to be healthy, well, and thrive. Without timely access to necessary supports and services, children with behavioral health conditions suffer and their needs often intensify. In too many instances, appropriate, [...]

Chloe Medina, a mother of four in La Habra, California, published an op-ed in OtherWords that underscores the importance of public programs to support families and the positive impact of the expanded 2021 Child Tax Credit. In her op-ed, Chloe highlights how public programs such as Early Head Start, Head Start, and its Transition to [...]

Our mental health is deeply connected to every element of our lives. It impacts our overall health, relationships, success in school and at work, our ability to care for ourselves and others, and to pursue our goals. Mental health is also protective, helping us cope with stress, life transitions, and difficult times. As Gwen, a [...]

Kali Daugherty, a mother in Milwaukee, spoke with the New York Times about the positive impact of the expanded Child Tax Credit in 2021. With the Child Tax Credit expiring in 2022 and rising inflation costs, Kali discussed what an expanded Child Tax Credit under a Harris administration would mean for her and her family. [...]

As we look toward 2025, it is critical that we promote the well-being of young children and their families by investing in care. Every day, young children are nurtured by a wide range of caregivers in a variety of settings—including teachers, parents, grandparents, and other loved ones and community members. In order for young children [...]