Center for the Study of Social Policy

10/06/2026

Congratulations to our colleague Esther Hernández on being selected for the ZERO TO THREE 2026-28 Fellowship Class.

Esther is one of 20 early childhood leaders from across the U.S. and around the world chosen from more than 300 applicants. The 18-month fellowship is ZERO TO THREE’s premier leadership development initiative, built to support leaders who take a courageous, just, and collaborative approach to transforming programs, systems, and policies so babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.

In the words of Kimberly Bradley, director of ZERO TO THREE’s Leadership Development Institute: “Esther brings a valuable perspective grounded in community engagement, family-centered approaches, and environmental justice.”

Esther brings more than eight years of experience across early childhood education, community engagement, health, and organizing, and we’re proud to have them on the CSSP team.

Congratulations, Esther!

10/01/2026

CSSP is grateful to continue supporting the Office of Equity Division at the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services), a partnership that began in early 2025.
 
During a site visit earlier this month, Juanita, Danielle, and Arthur spent time facilitating a discussion about the Department’s ongoing commitment to equity with the DCFS Executive Team. They also worked directly alongside DCFS staff and leadership as they develop an Equity Accountability Plan to embed institutional contributions to equity and drive meaningful change across the agency.
 
Grateful for the ongoing partnership, deep engagement, and commitment of the Office of Equity Division team and LA DCFS!
 

09/29/2026

In 1969, a four-year-old on Detroit’s East Side walked into a Head Start classroom at Annunciation Catholic Church. The teachers there fed him, cared for him, and sparked a love of learning that carried him into kindergarten and far beyond, all the way to becoming a military veteran and the leader of a national research center.

He wouldn’t have had that start without Head Start, and he’s far from alone. In Michigan alone, the program serves more than 26,000 children a year across nearly 600 sites. Now the White House wants to gut it, under the banner of “expanding” it.

Don’t be fooled. It’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

CSSP is fighting for Head Start, for the countless future leaders sitting in those classrooms right now. We hope you’ll join us.

You have until October 6 to submit your comment to the Federal Register.

Don’t miss CSSP President and CEO Leonard Burton’s commentary in Michigan Advance.

09/23/2026

Day 1 of the CSSP Virtual Summit is a wrap. Thank you to everyone who joined us today to share your day and insights! 💡

Tomorrow we turn ideas into action with four interactive workshops, and space is still available. Choose one workshop from each time slot:

⚡1:00–2:45 PM ET: From Insight to Action or Partnering for Impact
⚡3:00–4:45 PM ET: Applying Developmental Principles in Practice or Advancing Racial Justice for Children and Families

Each workshop is $29 and comes with practical tools you can take back to your community. Register before tomorrow: https://bit.ly/iia2026

09/23/2026

Today kicks off our Ideas into Action 2026 Summit — Shaping a Just Future for Families! Today and tomorrow, we'll convene policymakers, researchers, service providers, organizers, and families for two days of engaging conversations and practical workshops on how government can re-commit to families. 🥳

Day 1 kicks off today at 11:00 AM EST and consists of:

🌟 A fireside chat with Khalil Gibran Muhammad

🌟 Panel: Cash and Caregiving — how direct cash can complement other policies supporting young children

🌟 Panel: Advancing Meaningful Prevention — supporting wellbeing for children and families outside of child welfare

🌟 Panel: Supporting Immigrant Children and Families — meeting the moment and building toward a better tomorrow

🌟 Keynote from Markita Barideaux, LCSW: "Our Responsibility to Do The Work"

🌟 Additional remarks from Shawn Ginwright and Jennifer Ng'andu.

Day 2 (Thursday, September 24) offers four ticketed workshops ($29 each) diving deeper into practice and implementation.

Registration is still open: https://bit.ly/iia2026

If you need any technical assistance or encounter issues with your registration, please email [email protected] for support.

09/22/2026

Ask any parent how they care for their young child, and you'll rarely get a simple answer. A grandparent on Mondays. A center three days a week. A neighbor when work runs late. Care isn't one choice. It's a moving puzzle families piece together and re-piece as their children grow.

That's the reality at the heart of our new report, authored by Elisa Minoff: The Care Families Use, The Care Families Want: How Policy Can Better Support the Care of Young Children. Drawing on in-depth interviews with more than 70 parents, caregivers, and providers across the country, it shows how families actually sequence and combine care — from the care they use, the care they wish they had, and the gap policy too often leaves between the two.

Because supporting families means meeting them where they are, not forcing every family into a single mold.

🔗 Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/gdTmTgNx

🎟️ To hear more insights like the ones in this report, register for our Ideas into Action 2026 Summit — Shaping a Just Future for Families, taking place Wednesday and Thursday, September 23-24: https://bit.ly/iia2026

09/21/2026

THIS WEEK! Our Ideas into Action 2026 Summit — Shaping a Just Future for Families is taking place THIS Wednesday and Thursday, September 23-24. There's still time to register!

🌀Day 1 (September 23, 11:00 AM–5:00 PM ET) is FREE and open to all, offering six engaging sessions comprised of panels, a fireside chat, a keynote, and other remarks.

🌀Day 2 (September 24, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM ET) offers four ticketed workshops ($29 each) diving deeper into practice and implementation.

🎟️ Registration takes just a moment: https://bit.ly/iia2026

Families across the country are navigating real economic pressure and growing threats to their health and well-being. ��That’s exactly why we’re bringing some of the nation’s top experts together this September — to tackle some of the most important issues facing our nation.�
Ideas into Action 2026 is two days of honest conversation and practical tools aimed at real policy change — not just talk.�
Join us September 23–24. Registration is open — https://bit.ly/iia2026

09/17/2026

This report sheds light on the care arrangements families use when their children are young, the care arrangements they actually want, and how policy can better support all of those arrange­ments.

Based on rigorous qualitative research and in-depth interviews with more than 70 parents, caregivers, and child care providers across the country, including over 50 parents, the report offers a nuanced portrait of how families sequence and combine care arrangements when their children are young, their preferences for care, and how government programs can better support that care moving forward—exposing the complex reality of care that our political debates too often ignore.

LINK IN OUR BIO 🔗

09/10/2026

Three panels. One shared goal. 🤝

On September 23, Ideas into Action 2026 brings together researchers, advocates, and practitioners for three critical conversations on how government can re-commit to families.

🗣️ Cash and Caregiving | 12:00–1:15 PM ET
How direct cash can complement other policies to support the care of young children.

🗣️ Advancing Meaningful Prevention | 1:30–2:45 PM ET
Supporting wellbeing for children and families outside of child welfare.

🗣️ Supporting Immigrant Children and Families | 2:45–4:00 PM ET
Meeting the moment and building toward a better tomorrow.

Families are navigating deepening economic uncertainty and real threats to their health and well-being — these conversations dig into what actually works, and how to scale it.

09/04/2026

Immigration enforcement and exclusionary policies don’t just affect individuals — they undermine the health and stability of entire families.

This panel brings together providers, advocates, and researchers to share the policy solutions and cross-sector strategies needed to meet families’ urgent needs while mitigating harm in real time.

Opening remarks from Jennifer Ng’andu, moderated by Shadi Houshyar, with Wendy Cervantes, Mayra Alvarez, Aimee Hilado, and Amalia Jauregui.

📅 Sept 23 | 2:45–4:00 PM ET
🔗 Link in bio to register