Children's Defense Fund - About

About

Founded in 1973, The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is a non-profit advocacy organization that works to ensure a level playing field for all children. CDF works with individuals, communities and policy makers to enact, fund and implement public policy and promote successful programs that lift children out of poverty, protect them from abuse and neglect, ensure access to health care and quality education, and provide a moral and spiritual foundation to help them succeed with the support of caring adults and communities. The Children's Defense Fund is supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations and does not take government funds.

The Children's Defense Fund believes that every step taken to improve the lives of children improves the lives of all of us. CDF provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves and also facilitates youth leadership programs designed to attract, equip and mobilize the next generation of youth as child advocates

The principal public policy initiative is summarized by CDF's advocacy of the "Dodd-Miller Act to Leave No Child Behind (S. 448/H.R. 936)" bill, introduced in Congress in 2001. This differs only slightly from the No Child Left Behind Act. (George W. Bush used this phrase, trademarked by the CDF, in his Presidential campaign despite objections from CDF.)

The CDF bill's provisions would, according to the organization :

• prepare every child for school through full funding of quality childcare, Head Start and Early Head Start, and new investments in universal preschool education programs
• lift every child from poverty by 2010
• ensure that every child and parent has health insurance as a first step toward universal coverage
• end child hunger through the expansion of food programs, living wages, tax credits, and family supports
• make sure every child can read by fourth grade and can graduate from high school able to succeed at work and in life
• provide every child safe, quality after-school and summer programs to learn, serve, work, and stay out of trouble
• ensure every child decent affordable housing
• protect all children from neglect, abuse, and other violence and ensure them the care they need
• ensure families leaving welfare the supports required to be successful in the workplace, including healthcare, childcare, education, and training