About

Children’s Defense Fund builds community so young people grow up with dignity, hope, and joy.

CDF believes that children and youth must live with dignity, hope, and joy. Our young people ask us to listen to their dreams and concerns, and demand a life where they are free to be curious, creative, and fearless. We affirm their power, sovereignty, and agency. Their lived experience, along with their parents, caregivers, families, and community leaders, inform our policies and programs. Direct service grounds our work, where we organize, train, and mobilize with communities to ensure equity and justice for all Black and Brown children and youth. Our history is rooted in the Civil Rights and Women’s movements, and we are stewards carrying the fight for equity forward, working at the intersection of racial justice and the well-being of children and youth. With our work centered on children and youth, we will make a lasting difference in their lives.