Center for the Study of Social Policy

As we move into 2025, we know we have a lot of important work ahead of us. While administrations may change, along with their policies and priorities, we must not lose sight of this simple truth: the hopes, aspirations, and needs of families across the country have not changed with the recent election. Now more than ever, we must continue to advance our shared vision of a society that upholds health justice, economic justice, and family autonomy, so that all families can lead happy and healthy lives. In that spirit, we've outlined our top five priorities for the coming year in our Five for 25 Campaign. These include: 1️⃣Ensuring families have flexible resources to meet their needs. 2️⃣Celebrating and supporting young people's full identities. 3️⃣Designing policies with families to reflect their values and customs. 4️⃣Valuing all forms of care and ensuring providers are financially supported. 5️⃣Ensuring access to holistic, healing-focused mental health services. Together, we can build a future where justice, opportunity, and equity are the foundation of our policies and systems. Learn more on how we plan to get there in our latest blog by CSSP President, Leonard Burton. https://lnkd.in/gNvrDu9T #CSSP #SocialJustice #FamilySupport #YouthAdvocacy #HealthJustice #EconomicJustice #AntiRacism #GuaranteedIncome

Leading a healthy life starts with mental well-being. When parents are supported, they’re better able to care for their children, reducing stress, and helping them grow into healthy adults. Likewise, when young people have access to mental health care and resources, they can build a strong foundation to pursue their goals and dreams. Yet, many families struggle to access the necessary supports, from mental health services to basic needs like child care, housing, and healthy food. Barriers to well-being are a daily challenge for young people and families. High costs, long waitlists, and narrow mental health care options often limit access to treatment until it becomes a crisis. Additionally, complex public benefit systems, including Medicaid, add stress and make it difficult for families to access the support they need. Parents, particularly, feel overwhelmed by administrative burdens that increase their mental health struggles and hinder access to services. To protect and promote well-being, we must ensure young people and families have access to holistic, culturally responsive mental health care and essential resources. Policies must address barriers like cost and availability, expand eligibility for programs like Medicaid, and streamline access to benefits. By working with families, we can create policies that prioritize health, reduce stress, and enable all families to thrive. Learn more about meaningful supports for mental health in this blog by CSSP Senior Associate, Shadi Houshyar. https://lnkd.in/eyDvxR4q

As we look to 2025, it’s time to prioritize supporting caregivers—parents, grandparents, teachers, and more—who nurture and care for young children. Care is essential for children to thrive, but too often, caregivers face financial hardships and lack support. The U.S. is the only wealthy nation without national paid family leave, leaving caregivers struggling. To set children up for success, we must invest in caregivers by expanding paid leave, increasing support for child care providers, and ensuring financial assistance like the Child Tax Credit. The next administration can support caregivers through tax reforms, like permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit and broadening the Earned Income Tax Credit to include full-time caregivers as well as other initiatives. To help caregivers thrive, we must ensure all care providers are financially supported in their vital work. Let’s build a future where every caregiver is supported. Learn more about investing in care and supporting care providers in this blog by CSSP Senior Policy Analyst, Elisa Minoff. https://lnkd.in/e-iTfnn7

Children, youth, and families deserve resources that support their well-being, and these must reflect the diverse needs of the community. For people of color, this means addressing the harms of racism, colonization, and xenophobia. Culturally responsive services, grounded in community values and identities, are essential for promoting health equity. Unfortunately, policies that prioritize “evidence-based programs” often overlook cultural needs, have historically been developed by primarily White researchers with White participants in mind, and most are not culturally responsive, limiting access to effective services. Research shows that services ignoring culture and identity can be ineffective or harmful, leaving participants hesitant to seek help. In contrast, culturally responsive programs are more effective. Despite this, government funding still favors "evidence-based programs" (EBPs) that often overlook cultural needs, leading to a one-size-fits-all approach. This limits access to culturally tailored services, preventing families from receiving the support they truly need. In 2025, we must push for policies that support culturally tailored programs, remove funding barriers, and ensure all families have the resources they need to thrive. Learn more about culturally responsive supports and advocating for resources so that all children and families can heal and thrive in this blog by CSSP Senior Policy Analyst, Esi Hutchful. https://lnkd.in/eiQXJX5z

This fall, members of the Parent Advisory Board of the Automatic Benefit for Children (ABC) Coalition were in the news! Co-chaired by CSSP, the ABC Coalition fights for a permanent child allowance to provide consistent and meaningful support to families. 🔹 Raegen Selden, a mother of six, spoke with CBS News about how the Child Tax Credit is critical for children and families at all times. https://lnkd.in/ehaP2fF6 🔹 Tia Simmons, a mother of two children and a caregiver to her niece, spoke with The 19th about advocating for a universal Child Tax Credit that benefits all families. https://lnkd.in/ec-bYtdE 🔹 Chloe Medina, a mother of four in La Habra, California, shared the importance of public programs and the positive impact the expanded 2021 Child Tax Credit had on her family in OtherWords. https://lnkd.in/efAUHBd3 To learn more about the ABC Coalition’s impact, read the Parent Advisory Board’s 2024 Year in Review. https://lnkd.in/enEZfmgv

LGBTQ+ youth deserve to be supported and affirmed, whether in their families or foster care. Yet, while progress has been made, there are still harmful attacks on LGBTQ+ people and in particular, trans youth. As we near 2025, it is crucial that policies recognize and respect LGBTQ+ identities and eliminate harmful policies and practices. Research shows that affirming homes, schools, and communities help LGBTQ+ youth thrive. Sadly, many face barriers, especially in foster care, where 30% identify as LGBTQ+. It's time to ensure LGBTQ+ youth have access to supportive, inclusive services and environments. The federal government has made strides in protecting LGBTQ+ youth, including banning conversion therapy and ensuring access to gender-affirming care. However, we must continue to build on this momentum and ensure LGBTQ+ youth have access to affirming support, especially in foster care. It’s crucial we reject harmful policies and invest in inclusive communities that support all children’s well-being. Learn more about affirming LGBTQ+ youth and building strategies for communities and child welfare systems in this blog by CSSP Senior Associate, Alexandra Citrin. https://lnkd.in/gsu-pY4R #CSSP5for2025 #lgbtqia #genderaffirmingcare #mentalhealthmatters #wellness

🎧 In our first-ever bilingual episode of the #NewNeighborhood podcast, Sanaa Sharrieff interviews Dulce Sánchez and Blanca Fernández about their experiences as parent leaders. During the episode, Dulce and Blanca reflect on their stories of immigration, adapting to their new homes, and finding their voice to advocate for their children. Listen for an insightful conversation in both English (https://lnkd.in/eGVu7SeE) and Spanish (https://lnkd.in/e-PNCYB2).

As we look to 2025, it's time to expand economic security for young adults and families with children through unrestricted cash assistance or a guaranteed income. The success of programs like the expanded Child Tax Credit and local cash pilots shows that no-strings-attached cash helps people meet their needs, live with dignity, and pursue their dreams. Young adults and families with children often struggle with low wages and high costs, and are often caught in a daily struggle of trying to make ends meet. Unrestricted cash offers a foundation of support, letting people decide how best to meet their needs, raise their families, take on responsibilities, and seize new opportunities. With Congress taking on major tax legislation next year, now is the time to push for permanent expansions like the Child Tax Credit and explore guaranteed income for young people and families, so they can build a stable future. Learn more about unrestricted cash and promoting economic security for young people and families in this blog by CSSP Senior Policy Analyst, Elisa Minoff. https://lnkd.in/gVGrVTUn #CSSP5for2025 #guaranteedincome #childtaxcredit #familysupport

Did you know the United States is one of only seven countries without a national paid maternity leave policy? This September, CSSP Senior Policy Analyst Elisa Minoff spoke with Kali Daugherty, a working mother, to discuss the lack of paid family leave in the United States. This year, Kali was pregnant with her second child and was expecting 12 weeks of paid maternity leave in her current job. However, she later discovered that she was only eligible for six weeks at 60% pay due to having been at the company for less than a year. While Kali will use a combination of family support and creative work assignments to care for her newborn daughter, the lack of comprehensive paid family leave in the U.S. creates financial strain and undue stress on parents like Kali across the country. These challenges also impact a parent’s ability to bond with their newborn child—a time in a new parent’s life that is precious and limited. During the interview, Kali advocates for a comprehensive paid leave policy that would: ✅Provide universal coverage ✅Support all parents regardless of job tenure ✅Enable both parents to take family leave ✅Recognize the critical importance of early childhood and parental bonding Watch the conversation to learn more, and read about an exciting update from Kali here: https://lnkd.in/eN3EbNaP

Last week, CSSP President Leonard Burton, staff, and Ambassadors from our CARES Initiative gathered with national policymakers and advocates, including Commissioner Rebecca Jones Gaston, to recognize the importance of centering the voices of young people in driving policy, including the Chafee program, and to advance policy solutions that further support young people in their communities. Young people deserve to feel affirmed, supported, and connected to their communities. We have an opportunity to reimagine how policies and systems support and center the needs of young people by: ☑️Advancing a guaranteed income ☑️Ensuring access to inclusive health and well-being services ☑️Strengthening youth connections to family and community We look forward to building toward this vision for the future so that all young people can thrive. Liz Squibb Alexandra Citrin Kaysie Getty Shadi Houshyar