This Round Goes in Favor of Gun Safety

Last week in a critically important decision, the U.S. Supreme Court voted unanimously to uphold a federal law that makes it a crime for people convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor to possess guns in the case of United States v. Castleman. The Children’s Defense Fund and the American Academy of Pediatrics submitted an amicus brief to the court on how domestic violence is more deadly when abusers have access to firearms. The Court’s ruling was a positive step forward in the fight to protect people, not guns, but the fight is not over. Learn how you can join the fight to pass common-sense gun safety legislation by going to www.childrensdefense.org/dobetter.

Children’s Budget Watch

President Obama’s $3.9 trillion budget for fiscal year (FY) 2015 lays out his proposals and spending priorities for the coming years. The President's budget includes a number of important new investments for children and largely meets CDF’s budget principles, but there is still much work to be done since the budget is just a blueprint and any recommended investments must first be approved by Congress. Additional steps are needed to raise the revenue for investments in children and to make the tax system fairer.

We expect Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), chairman of the House Budget Committee, to release a starkly different budget and vision for America’s children later this week. Budgets are moral documents, reflecting our values. Will the Ryan budget meet the moral standards to which we hold ourselves? Stay tuned for answers and be ready to tell Congress, "be careful what you cut -- invest now or pay later."

Time is Running Out

Time is running out to get covered through the new health care exchanges this year! Thanks to Obamacare millions of uninsured Americans have a new opportunity to buy affordable health coverage – but you must act quickly! Today is the deadline to get covered this year through the new health insurance marketplace. Under Obamacare, most preventive health care is now free, and insurance companies can’t refuse to cover you if you have a pre-existing health condition.

If you are low-income or were in foster care at age 18, you may be eligible for Medicaid. If your children are under age 19 and uninsured, they may be eligible for coverage through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Medicaid. Those eligible for Medicaid or CHIP may enroll at any time in the year…but why wait? 

If you are uninsured or know someone else who is, check out www.healthcare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 to learn more and find out how to enroll.

Civil Rights Data Collection New Data Released!

On March 21, the US Department of Education released the latest round of the Civil Rights Data Collection – a survey of schools and districts that offers information about discipline practices and access to vital educational resources including early childhood education, teachers, and rigorous courses by student race, ethnicity, and disability. Unlike most years, this survey included every school and every district. You can look up schools and districts here. Some particularly troubling findings from the new data, which covers the 2011-2012 school year, include:

• Black students are suspended and expelled at a rate three times greater than White students. On average, 5 percent of White students are suspended, compared to 16 percent of Black students.
• Black and Latino students represent 26 percent of students enrolled in gifted and talented programs, compared to Black and Latino students’ 40 percent enrollment in schools offering gifted and talented programs
• Nationwide, one in five high schools lacks a school counselor

Check out more data snapshots here. CDF has been using this data, which has been collected since 1968, to advocate for a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start and a Safe Start for all children since 1973. Keep an eye out for new analysis and advocacy around this new data! 

Looking Back: Round-Up of Beat the Odds® Celebrations

Earlier this month we celebrated young people through Beat the Odds celebrations in Columbus, New York and Minneapolis. Take a moment to be inspired by watching the video tributes of these amazing young people who, against all odds, overcame tremendous adversity and are now excelling in school and in life.

Watch the videos and donate now to support our Beat the Odds scholarships and youth leadership development programs.

Looking Forward: Leveling the Playing Field for Children

At the Askwith Forum on April 10, Harvard University will release Improving the Odds for America’s Children: Future Directions and Policy and Practice, a new book dedicated to Marian Wright Edelman that examines the progress for children over the past 40 years since the Children’s Defense Fund was launched.  Policy leaders and researchers discuss the work ahead to level the playing field to ensure all children and families succeed. The book will be discussed at a forum opened by Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean and Professor James Ryan with remarks from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Forum panelists include CDF President Marian Wright Edelman, Smith College President Kathleen McCartney, Juvenile Law Center Executive Director Robert Schwartz, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Senior Researcher Arloc Sherman, and former Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland Superintendent Jerry Weast. Harvard Kennedy School's Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Religion and Public Life, the Reverend J. Bryan Hehir, will moderate the panel.

Proctor Institute: Standing Our Ground

Standing Our Ground: Justice and Equity for All God's Children -- that's the title for this summer's Samuel DeWittProctor Institute for Child Advocacy Ministry. Check out the exciting group of preachers and teachers we have lined up for this year:

Register now for July 14-18, 2014. Whether you are a first-timer, regular attendee, or alum returning after time away, we are eager to welcome you home to CDF Haley Farm for an unforgettable week with pastors, seminarians, child advocates, and young adults who share a heart for children and a passion for justice.