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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 [...]

Let’s begin with a middle school stage play in Detroit. The lights are dim, the demerits are high, and a boy named Leonard has just been kicked off the production. Enter Miss Liggins, a teacher with a different script. She doesn’t erase the consequences—she rewrites the role. “You’ll be our stage manager,” she says. [...]

All children and youth should have the opportunity to live and grow in communities with supportive adults who care for them, learn in environments that promote their growth and development, and access quality and affirming health care. The current administration is undermining these essentials and has deployed a range of tactics, including Executive Orders, guidance [...]

To work, care for, and support our families and communities, we need to be healthy. To be healthy, we need health coverage. Health insurance, in other words, should come before work. This is why other wealthy countries guarantee access to health care, and health coverage is not typically tied to work.[i] The American health care [...]

As we mark another year in the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP)’s legacy, we reflect on the extraordinary journey we’ve taken and feel immense pride and gratitude for all we’ve accomplished. Since our founding over four decades ago, CSSP has worked tirelessly to transform public systems, partner with communities, and advance public [...]

When I first read the Parent Edition of the Manifesto for Race Equity and Parent Leadership, it was hard for me to get past the phrase “Parents know what’s best for their children.” As a child growing up in foster care, I’m pretty sure my mom didn’t know what was best for me, or herself, [...]