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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 [...]

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.

This tax filing season, some people can file their taxes for free, directly with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as part of a pilot program to provide taxpayers a free, high quality alternative to paid tax preparation businesses. The IRS, with the support of partners like the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), has been ensuring that families who are most impacted by barriers to tax filing, such as the complexity and costs, have been delivering feedback throughout the design and development process of this new Direct File program.

The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) welcomes three new members to its Board of Directors: Dr. Leon Caldwell (joined Summer 2023), Senior Director Health Equity Strategy and Innovations at American Hospital Association and Founder, Ujima Developers; Elliott Hinkle, Principal and Founder, Unicorn Solutions LLC; and Helly Lee, Director, Frontline Solutions. In addition, [...]

Too often policymakers have pathologized parents—suggesting something is wrong with them and that they are not deserving or capable of caring for their children without surveillance and outside intervention. This well-worn narrative is rooted in long history of anti-Black racism, going back to slavery, and has produced public policies and systems that do not effectively support families and actively cause them harm.