State and Federal Policy Reform

Policy analysis, partnerships and advocacy efforts to strengthen decision makers’ capacity to help kids and families through smart policies and system reforms.

Pro­grams alone won’t improve the out­comes for the mil­lions of chil­dren who live in pover­ty, lack health insur­ance, are unable to read pro­fi­cient­ly, have suf­fered abuse or neglect or are involved in the juve­nile jus­tice sys­tem. To change the future for an entire gen­er­a­tion of chil­dren, we must change state and fed­er­al poli­cies to bet­ter meet their and their fam­i­lies’ needs. 

While we do not lob­by, we do share our expe­ri­ence in help­ing kids, fam­i­lies and com­mu­ni­ties with pol­i­cy­mak­ers and invest in objec­tive research to help advance poli­cies that can make a difference. 

We bring a non­par­ti­san approach, exper­tise from work­ing on the front­lines and data-informed solutions.

From the Blog

A Black teenage boy speaks with a just-out-of-frame mental health professional during a psychotherapy session.

Webinar: Medicaid Opportunities to Support Youth Leaving Incarceration

An Oct. 10 webinar will explain how new federal Medicaid legislation can support young people returning from incarceration. Register for the session.

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Supporting Policy Reform and Advocacy

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Lifting Millions out of Poverty through EITC

For millions of Americans, having a job does not translate into financial stability. Many employees earn too little to provide adequately for their families. The Earned Income Tax Credit is a critically important lifeline.

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Helping All Kids Reach Their Full Potential

In its Race for Results policy report, Casey calls for improved data, a better use of evidence-based programs and economic inclusion strategies to connect children to opportunities for healthy development.

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Strengthening State Child Welfare Advocates

Sponsored by First Focus, the State Policy Advocacy and Reform Center is a go-to resource for state child welfare policy, improving the capacity of individual state advocacy organizations and the larger field.