Dear Lord be good to me. The sea is so wide and my boat is so small

The Children's Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind^® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. Full Mission Statement »

Join the Children’s Defense Fund-NY and the Institute for Juvenile Justice Reform and Alternatives (IJJRA) on Saturday, February 11th in the Bronx and learn more about the campaign to the raise the age in New York. The event will consist of a faith and community leader teach-in and film screening. For more information, click here.
CDF-NY’s Youth and Community Justice Tool-Kit is meant to equip teachers, youth program leaders, and community organizations with the information, resources, and interactive activities to teach people about justice issues in their communities. Read more...
Two important reports were released this week which highlight both the great strides that we as child advocates have made to ensure that every child has access to affordable and quality health insurance as well as emphasizing the need for public health insurance programs as private-employer sponsored insurance (ESI) is on a steep decline. Read more...
On December 14th, CDF-New York celebrated five extraordinary high school students who have overcome tremendous challenges to excel academically and give back to their community. Learn more about our Beat the Odds® scholarship recipients»

Creating Change: Freedom Schools

Freedom Schools Scholar
The CDF Freedom Schools® program provides summer and after-school enrichment that helps children fall in love with reading, increases their self-esteem, and generates more positive attitudes toward learning. Children are taught using a model curriculum that supports children and families around five essential components: high quality academic enrichment; parent and family involvement; civic engagement and social action; intergenerational leadership development; and nutrition, health and mental health. Read more...