Child Rights

Every child should have quality healthcare, a good education, and a safe home and community. But the United States lags behind other nations in protecting these basic rights. America has one of the highest infant mortality rates among developed nations, and the United States leads the world in violence against children and child poverty. Child farmworkers in the U.S. also continue to work in dangerous conditions at very young ages, and the United States is also one of the only nations that has failed to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. First Focus is working to educate policymakers about the need for reforms that protect the basic rights of every child in America.
Resources
Fact Sheet: Children’s Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3716)
Kathy Sacco, Micaela McConnell (Former Staff), Miriam Abaya | November 11, 2021 |
What is at stake for children? Children are the cornerstone of the world – comprising a quarter of the U.S. population and a larger …
Statement for the Record: “Making a Difference for Families and Foster Youth” Subcommittee Hearing
| May 12, 2021 |
First Focus Campaign for Children submitted the following testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Worker and …
COVID relief passes with aid for millions of children
| March 10, 2021 |
Biggest policy gain for children in decades The American Rescue Plan passed just moments ago by the House of Representatives marks the biggest policy …
Letter: Opposition to the attempt to overturn the Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act
| February 16, 2021 |
First Focus Campaign for Children sent the following letter to Senator Mike Lee in opposition of S.J.Res. 7, which would overturn the Minor Consent …
The Promises We Must Make to Our Children: Recommendations to the Biden-Harris Transition Team
| January 4, 2021 |
The kids are not alright. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession, we were failing our kids on a whole range of domestic …
Letter: In support of the Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act
Bruce Lesley | December 8, 2020 |
First Focus Campaign for Children sent the following letter to District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser in support of the Minor Consent for Vaccinations …
Letter: Urgent request to extend 2020 Census deadline
Bruce Lesley | October 15, 2020 |
First Focus Campaign for Children sent the following letter to Senate leadership with an urgent request to include extended deadlines for 2020 Census processing …
Key Stats on the Effect of COVID-19 on Kids
Aubrey Edwards-Luce, Averi Pakulis, Cara Baldari, Carrie Fitzgerald, Christopher Towner, Conor Sasner, Kathy Sacco, Michelle Dallafior, Miriam Abaya, Olivia Gomez | October 12, 2020 |
Updated on October 12, 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic is doing more than exposing the racial, ethnic, and economic disparities existing in our society; it …
Letter: In support of the FAIR Proceedings Act
Bruce Lesley | September 22, 2020 |
First Focus Campaign for Children sent the following letter to the lead sponsor of the FAIR Proceedings Act (S. 2389) in support of the …
Letter: In support of the Environmental Justice for All Act (H.R. 5986|S. 4401)
Bruce Lesley | August 25, 2020 |
First Focus Campaign for Children sent the following letter to the lead sponsors of the Environmental Justice for All Act (H.R. 5986 | S. …