Bruce Lesley

How The Big Lie and Big Joke Marginalize and Harm Children

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…

The Child Tax Credit Must Not Treat Children as an Afterthought

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,…

First Focus Campaign for Children just released our 2021 Champions for Children Legislative Scorecard, which analyzed the sponsors of over 300 pieces of legislation in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and a dozen key votes to identify the…

The Parallels Between Privatization of Medicare and Public Schools

When you examine different government privatization efforts, there are some disturbing parallels between what is happening in Medicare and similar efforts in public education. The Rise of Medicare Privatization With respect to Medicare, in 1982,…

Thank God for Our Teachers

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week, but why wait? Every day should be Teacher Appreciation Day. I have immense respect for the work that our nation’s educators do. They have dedicated their careers to our children, and they do so through their…

Childism, Under the Guise of Parental Rights, Is Detrimental to Children

Rachel Aviv just published a powerful, and yet horrifying, piece in The New Yorker about the case of Mackenzie Fierceton, who is still working to overcome an abusive childhood in Missouri despite far too many adults either ignoring, disregarding, or…

Gov. DeSantis: Anti-Safety, Anti-Science, Anti-Vax, and Anti-Child

Most parents and communities seek to do whatever it takes to promote the success of children and to protect them from harm, particularly when that harm can be prevented or significantly reduced. In contrast, although politicians often ignore and…

The Kids Still Aren’t Alright: Putting the Health, Education, and Safety of Kids First

Bruce Lesley Jan 11 · 9 min read The kids still aren’t alright. Despite the initial disregard for how COVID-19 was impacting children, a majority of people began to recognize that the global pandemic, which has been the biggest public health crisis…

A Senate Majority Is Allowing Child Poverty to Nearly Double

Bruce Lesley Dec 31 · 18 min read Former Secretary Robert Reich asks a very important question: Why has America chosen to dramatically reduce poverty among the nation’s elderly but not among our children? He juxtaposes the positive actions that our…

Parents Want a Forward-Looking Children’s Agenda, Not Regression

Bruce Lesley Dec 5 · 12 min read There is no doubt that parents are frustrated, overwhelmed, and at wits’ end after nearly two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and a rough economic recession that was particularly difficult for parents, women, and young…

Our Nation’s Budget: Will It Value Our Children and Our Future?

Bruce Lesley Nov 8 · 13 min read ) Since 2006, First Focus on Children has worked with the Urban Institute, which publishes Kids’ Share, on documenting the tragic decline in the federal share of the federal budget dedicated to our nation’s children…

Why Public Schools? They Are Fundamental to Democracy

Bruce Lesley Follow Oct 26 · 8 min read Our democracy needs, or actually demands, informed citizens. Consequently, our nation’s founders strongly supported the creation of public schools. Thomas Jefferson said: Above all things I hope the education…

Getting Back to School: For God’s Sake, Listen to the Kids

Bruce Lesley Follow Sep 7 · 6 min read When it comes to public policy that impacts children and youth, the best interests of children should govern. Kids provide important insights into their lives, their concerns, their needs, and their hopes and…

Children Need Adults to Act Responsibly and in Their Best Interests

Bruce Lesley Follow Aug 11 · 8 min read Our children are not alright. They pandemic and economic recession have affected every aspect of children’s lives. They need our full attention and protection more than ever. Children desperately need to be in…

10 Million Reasons to Protect the Health of Children

Bruce Lesley Jul 23 · 8 min read We should never gamble with or play politics with the health of millions of children. Therefore, to protect the health security and well-being of 10 million children, Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA) has introduced H.R.…

An Open Letter to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Human Rights for Children

Bruce Lesley Jul 21 · 16 min read My life’s work has provided me with a unique perspective on our individual rights to clean air, clean water, unobstructed access to the commons, and our rights to make our own decisions about our bodies. — Robert F.…

A Children’s Agenda 2021: Their Moment is Now

Bruce Lesley Jun 16 · 8 min read It’s time to restore American leadership, and a place to start is by investing in our nation’s future: our children. This means investing in their education and growth, protecting their health and safety, protecting…

The American Families Plan: Potentially the Most Important Proposal for Children Ever

The American Families Plan: Potentially the Most Important Proposal for Children Ever Bruce Lesley Apr 28 · 7 min read There are moments in time when historic or transformational changes are made by our nation’s leaders to really make a difference…

Gov. DeSantis Should Veto Florida’s Tragically Flawed So-Called ‘Parents’ Bill of Rights’

Thanks to the South Florida Sun Sentinel editorial for highlighting significant concerns with a so-called “Parents’ Bill of Rights” (HB 241) that passed the Florida Senate this week and is now on the way to Gov. Ron DeSantis for either his signature…

Cutting Child Poverty in Half Is Historic

Children in the wealthiest nation in the world should not be living in poverty. And yet, 1 in 6 children in the United States do. The negative consequences that even short stints in poverty have on the health, education, and well-being of children is…