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“A recent­ly released report from the Cen­ter for the Study of Social Pol­i­cy (CSSP) high­lights the chal­lenges encoun­tered by com­mu­ni­ty-based pro­grams that serve cul­tur­al­ly diverse fam­i­lies. Fund­ed by the Annie E. Casey Foun­da­tion, Cul­ture Is Heal­ing: Remov­ing the Bar­ri­ers Fac­ing Providers of Cul­tur­al­ly Respon­sive Ser­vices, pro­pos­es con­crete pol­i­cy rec­om­men­da­tions to address obsta­cles to the avail­abil­i­ty, financ­ing and sus­tain­abil­i­ty of [...]

Today, the Administration of Children and Families published an interim final rule that creates a framework for how states will report employment and education outcome data for their Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) programs in the years to come. The rule is intended to implement the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which places new requirements on states to report on employment, earnings, and high school attainment of families after they stop receiving TANF.

All children and their families deserve to thrive, living in communities that promote their safety, health, and happiness. We must remember that we owe all of our children this level of care and support and to achieve this we have to reimagine policies and programs in ways that center and support gender expansive and LGBTQ+ children, youth, their families and communities. This requires recognizing, engaging, affirming, and loving our young people—in short, it requires us to getREAL about what they need to thrive. 

Children need access to affirming, supportive, and inclusive health care; to caring adults who fully support and honor their development; to schools that promote their growth and learning; and to communities and friends that respect and support them. Unfortunately, despite knowing what children need, policymakers in many states have done the exact opposite, and are doing so at a staggering rate.

In December 2023, I was invited to CSSP’s convening, Moving Ideas into Action: Using Our Shared Power to Advance Justice, in Washington, DC. As a young parent leader who has not had many opportunities to meet with like-minded peers, this was the event of the year! Young adults with lived experience in foster care came together nationwide to learn from each other, deepen our knowledge and connections, and support our advocacy efforts.

As I reflect on my first year as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude for the work that CSSP has done in advancing our mission and honing our focus on health justice, economic justice, and family autonomy [...]

Washington, DC (April 15, 2024)—All young people belong to families and communities and deserve our collective love and support. Young people want to be seen for their “whole selves”—that is, in the full beauty and complexity of who they are. They deserve to feel encouraged, affirmed, and supported as they make their way in the [...]

The Automatic Benefit for Children (ABC) Coalition is a cross-cutting group of national, state, and grassroots organizations working together to create a child allowance, or a guaranteed minimum income for children, that provides regular, meaningful assistance to families, promotes racial equity and justice, enjoys broad public support, and serves as a foundation for a more [...]

This post was originally featured on MLBP.health, and was written by Amy Copperman. Click here to view the blog in full. DULCE (Developmental Understanding and Legal Collaboration for Everyone) is an innovative early childhood intervention that is spearheaded by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, and was co-developed by MLPB. Since 2013, the national DULCE initiative [...]

During the short time I have served on CSSP’s board, I have seen the vision of this organization begin growing into something even bigger and bolder than what it was initially built on. That is to say, CSSP has long had big ideas about ensuring that all children, youth, and families have what they need to thrive.