A few years ago, a good friend’s son played in the SMU-Navy football game, and I was psyched to see him play. But if you have never been to a game at Navy’s football stadium, there is a dizzying array of advertisements on the scoreboard, the field,…

In 2023, we decided to launch our podcast, Speaking of Kids. Our fundamental premise is that children are, far too often, an afterthought in public policy discussions and priorities in this country. Our kids are often invisible in these debates, even…

As a parent, there is perhaps nothing more terrifying than the helplessness felt when your child is gravely ill or injured. The rush to the emergency room is fraught with fear and uncertainty. When a child’s life hangs in the balance, every second…

Public schools, which were embraced after the Civil War as necessary to protect democracy and our republic, are under attack. Under the guise of “choice,” opponents of our public schools have embraced vouchers, which were formulated in the 1950s by…

Parenting is an ever-evolving journey. Just as you feel you’ve mastered one stage, children grow and present new challenges that render your parenting playbook obsolete. Moreover, every child’s individuality adds layers of complexity, reinforcing the…

The kids are not alright. Having a real, civil, and national public debate over the concerns, needs, and best interests of children is so desperately needed. Child mortality in this country rose by an astounding 20% between 2019 and 2021 and was led…

Mary (not her real name) was just a girl of eight when her mother fell ill. So ill that her mom no longer had the strength to dress, bathe or feed her children. HIV consumed her body, and with it came the ugliness of incontinence and the loneliness…

Birthright citizenship, enshrined by the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, has stood as a pillar of inclusivity since its ratification in 1868. It reads: All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction…

by Bruce Lesley, Messellech “Selley” Looby, and Leila Nematallah It is well past time to have a national conversation about the now and future of our young people. We are failing our children and they cannot wait for our nation’s leaders to do…

NOTE: I am now also posting on Substack and urge people to follow First Focus on Children and me there. As part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in 2021, Congress made unprecedented investments in children, as the share of federal spending on…

Just days after the end of Children’s Week, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Rep. Marianette Miller-Meeks (R-IA) introduced the Child Tax Credit for Pregnant Moms Act (S. 2092/H.R. 4258). This bill, as explained in the accompanying press release, “allows…

This blog was updated on June 15 to reflect the introduction of a Senate bill on the Child Tax Credit and an amendment offered in the House on the Child Tax Credit. Child poverty in our nation negatively impacts every aspect of the lives of children…

During the House debt ceiling debate, several members of Congress evoked the “next generation” as a newly discovered interest and reason for addressing the federal budget deficit. While we appreciate the fresh interest in children and agree that the…

On the House floor in last week’s debate over the debt ceiling bill (H.R. 2811), the House of Representatives passed a policy (218–216) that would cut 22% or more from education, child health, early childhood, child care, nutrition, homelessness, and…

Education is a children’s issue. While we have heard a great deal from politicians and well-funded right-wing groups about parental rights in education, education is a children’s issue. Their needs, concerns, and well-being must no longer be ignored…

As a child advocate, it is deeply frustrating to people in our community that issues of great importance to children, such as education, are rarely debated in Congress. Just a few years ago, we could not identify a single bill or vote in the U.S.…

Education is a children’s issue. Unfortunately, far too often, lawmakers ignore the needs, concerns, and best interests of children when making policy on education and other issues that impacts their lives. This is exactly what happened when the…

mericans have been warned — again — about lax attention to routine vaccinations. This time the warning comes from measles, an age-old, vaccine-preventable disease, with an outbreak in central Ohio among nearly 80 children and counting, almost all of…

The vast majority of parents are concerned about the health, safety, and well-being of all children — not just their own. Likewise, the American people overwhelmingly understand the importance of making investments in children and support addressing…

Far too often, policies that involve children fail to address their needs or concerns. In fact, children are often treated as an afterthought even when it comes to policies with “child” in the name. Instead, when the focus is on adults, institutions,…