Child Welfare Policy & News

A society must be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable—and most valuable—members: its children. The State of America’s Children 2020 makes it abundantly clear that by this measure, America is falling shamefully short. Within this report you will find stories, statistics, data and trends that show in the clearest terms how we are failing our children.

For years our country has not lived up to its promise to its children, and as we enter a new decade, the situation for many children is only growing more dire. And as we reach a critical turning point in 2020, when children of color will become the majority of children in America, we are failing these children worst of all.

Karen Zilberstein is a psychotherapist and author of "Parents Under Pressure: Struggling to Raise Children in an Unequal America." She's also clinical director of the Northampton, Mass., chapter of A Home Within, a national non-profit devoted to providing pro bono therapy to foster care youth and alumni.

Martha Gonzalez-Cortes is Senior Vice President of Community Investment at Kalamazoo Community Foundation in Michigan. She has a deep working knowledge of immigration policy issues, and a passion for finding systemic solutions to challenges faced by immigrant and refugee families.

Sen. Kaine (D-VA) introduces Child Welfare Workforce Support Act and Protecting LGBTQ Youth Act.

Two Tennessee bills would allow agencies to refuse to serve qualified families because of their faith, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity.

The film covers all the stages foster parents go through. The honeymoon period when the children first come to a new home and revel in their new rooms and toys. The trauma and anger that can prompt children who are in foster care to act out and disrespect their foster parents. The issues that occur when parents foster and adopt children of different races or cultures. And the patience and love that is needed when new families are created through adoption.