Child and Family Policy Advocacy and Research Organizations

There are a number of national and Iowa organizations, covering a wide spectrum of political perspectives that have developed policy positions and advocacy agendas on a broad range of “child and family policy issues” that generally cover health, education, child welfare and well-being, and family security and support concerns.  There also are policy resource organizations that have sought to compile policy information about child policy.

Brief information about these organizations, as well as links to their websites, are provided below under three headings:

National Policy Advocacy Organization

Iowa Policy Advocacy Organizations

National Policy Resource Organizations

National Policy Advocacy Organizations
The Children's Defense Fund 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. CDF provides a strong, effective and independent voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby or speak for themselves. CDF lobbies on behalf of children at the federal level and has policy positions and information in the areas of: : (1) children's health (2) ending child poverty (3) child welfare (4) early childhood education & care and (5) elementary & high school education.
Every Child Matters is a national nonprofit organization devoted to improving the lives of children and families by advocating for better public policy during state and local campaigns. Every Child Matters urges federal legislative action from the President and Congress to invest in areas such as (1) children's health (2) child abuse and neglect (3) after-school programs (4) pre-school education and (5) tax credits to the working poor.
The Family Research Council (FRC) champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society. FRC shapes public debate and formulates public policy that values human life and upholds the institutions of marriage and the family. Believing that God is the author of life, liberty, and the family, FRC promotes the Judeo-Christian worldview as the basis for a just, free, and stable society. Policy areas that FRC promotes include: (1) human sexuality and (2) marriage and family.
First Focus is a bipartisan advocacy organization dedicated to making children and families a priority in federal policy and budget decisions. First Focus takes a unique approach to children’s advocacy, engaging both traditional and non-traditional partners in a broad range of efforts to increase federal investments in programs that address the needs of our nation’s children. First Focus' policy areas include: (1) child health (2) children of immigrants (3) child welfare, rights & safety (4) early childhood (5) education (6) tax & budget policy and (7) child poverty and family economics.

The Heritage Foundation is committed to building a future where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society flourish. The Heritage Foundation's domestic issues with a strong focus upon children and families include: (1) education (2) family & marriage (3) health care (4) immigration and (5) welfare.
Voices for America's Children is the nation’s largest network of multi-issue child advocacy organizations. The nationwide nonprofit, nonpartisan network spans almost every state, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Voices leads advocacy efforts at the community, state and federal levels to improve the lives of all children, especially those most vulnerable, and their families. Voices policy areas include: (1) school success (2) early care and education (3) children's health (4) child welfare (5) equity and diversity (6) economic success and (7) children & the federal budget.

Iowa Policy Advocacy Organizations

Every Child Counts is an advocacy network to make children a priority for policy action and to provide network members with advocacy tools on important child policy issues, including policy statements and positions on children's issues, as well as conducting advocacy training. Its state legislative agenda includes policy recommendations in the following areas: (1) quality care and education (2) child well-being and development and (3) child and family economic success.
The Iowa Family Policy Center (IFPC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to equipping, empowering and encouraging Iowans to build communities where families are valued and strengthened. IFPC'S mission is to restore and defend traditional moral principles in the culture by advocating for sound public policy. IFPC's key family issues are: (1) marriage (2) sanctity of life (3) education (4) gambling (5) sexuality and (6) taxes and spending.

National Policy Resource Organizations

The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) is dedicated to promoting the economic security, health, and well-being of America’s low-income families and children. NCCP uses research to inform policy and practice with the goal of ensuring positive outcomes for the next generation. NCCP's featured topics are: (1) Family Economic Security (child poverty, immigrant families, low-wage work, measuring poverty, social security, welfare, work supports), (2) Early Childhood (early care & learning, infants & toddlers, integrated systems) and (3) Health & Mental Health (adolescent health & youth development, children's mental health, healthy development).

NCCP's Improving the Odds for Young Children provides a state-by-state picture of the population of young children and the policy choices that states make across a range of services.

Produced by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, PolicyforResults.org focuses on policy priorities related to children and families.  Under each of these priority areas, specific topics are examined in detail using a results-based framework that links data on child and family well-being to specific policy strategies. PolicyforResults.org's key child and family topics are: (1) improve early grade level reading (2) reduce teen and unplanned pregnancies (3) increase exits from foster care to permanence (4) reduce child poverty

 
The Tufts University Child & Family Web Guide offers information of resources and websites regarding child development across a variety of issues and age ranges. The Guide includes a policy section that offers weblinks to organizations with policy research and information in the following areas: (1) parenting 2) education (3) child development and (4) health/mental health