Advocacy Resources Archive - Defending the Early Years

A woman pushes a young boy on a swing at a playground under a clear sky, with empty swings and a building in the background.

By Denisha Jones, Ph.D., J.D.

Debunking Myths About Head Start: How the Program Promotes Opportunity and Strengthens Families, Communities, and Economies

Decades of research illustrate Head Start’s effectiveness and its ability to meet the unique needs of local communities—along with the crucial role it plays in state and local economies.

By Denisha Jones, Ph.D., J.D.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes summer lunch program for low-income kids

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a state budget measure that would have enabled Texas to provide lunches during summer breaks to needy kids.

Colorful illustration featuring various people performing daily activities, including walking, gardening, pushing a stroller, carrying a child, and cooking, set against a patchwork background.

By Denisha Jones, Ph.D., J.D.

Quebec provides universal childcare for less than $7 a day. Here’s what the US can learn

Public childcare network is a win for everyone – kids, parents and the government, and the Quebec model is a shining example.

By Denisha Jones, Ph.D., J.D.

How Rural Schools Are Faring Under Trump

Thousands of rural schools nationwide are confronting a precarious financial future, as ongoing phenomena like declining student enrollment and staffing challenges converge with Trump administration policies that threaten funding and resources.

By Denisha Jones, Ph.D., J.D.

Julie Ehrlich: Cuts to Medicaid means cuts to children’s health care

The U.S. Senate is set to vote on its budget reconciliation legislation in the coming weeks, threatening to decrease Medicaid funding even more than the already alarming proposed cuts by the House-passed budget known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The budget cuts would result in millions of Americans losing their health care coverage and thousands of preventable deaths annually, according to a new analysis published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

By Denisha Jones, Ph.D., J.D.

DEFEND BLACK LIVES MATTER AT SCHOOL Call for Justice in Education

Statement in Solidarity with District 65 and Antiracist Educators Everywhere

We, the undersigned educators, parents, students, organizations, and community members, affirm our unwavering solidarity with Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and the Black Lives Matter at School movement in the face of a politically motivated investigation launched by the Trump administration’s Department of Education.