My life’s work has provided me with a unique perspective on our individual rights to clean air, clean water, unobstructed access to the commons, and our rights to make our own decisions about our bodies. — Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Children Have Fundamental Human Rights

To Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.:

I am hopeful that we can agree on this fundamental point: Children have human rights, including the right of adolescents to be listened to and respected, particularly on matters related to decisions about their own bodies, health, and well-being.

In that vein, I am writing with great concern that your…

It’s time to restore American leadership, and a place to start is by investing in our nation’s future: our children.

This means investing in their education and growth, protecting their health and safety, protecting them from economic hardship, poverty, and hunger, and helping them develop their God-given potential.

To achieve these goals, our nation’s leadership should ensure that the best interests of children govern all policies that impact children and youth. In a 2020 election eve poll by Lake Research Partners, American voters agree by an overwhelming 81–13 percent margin.

This week is Children’s Week (June 13–19) in the United…

There are moments in time when historic or transformational changes are made by our nation’s leaders to really make a difference for children and families in this country. If President Biden’s just released American Families Plan becomes law, today would be one of those moments.

Unfortunately, the reality we face is that children are often merely an afterthought of election officials, as kids do not vote, do not make campaign contributions or operate a Political Action Committee (PAC), and do not employ a team of lobbyists to demand that lawmakers hear their concerns and address their needs.

To overcome these…

Thanks to the South Florida Sun Sentinel editorial for highlighting significant concerns with a so-called “Parents’ Bill of Rights” (HB 241) that passed the Florida Senate this week and is now on the way to Gov. Ron DeSantis for either his signature or veto.

The Governor should veto this legislation because of its numerous problems and flaws. Instead, the Governor should form a special advisory committee that actually includes children and youth in the discussion about their health, education, and well-being. Kids, after all, might just have something to say about their own lives and future.

At the outset, let’s…

Children in the wealthiest nation in the world should not be living in poverty. And yet, 1 in 6 children in the United States do. The negative consequences that even short stints in poverty have on the health, education, and well-being of children is enormous. The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) issued a report in 2019 that highlighted an estimated cost of child poverty to the nation of between $800 billion and $1.1 trillion annually.

In contrast, during the 1960s, the U.S. embarked on a “War on Poverty” that successfully cut poverty among senior citizens in this…

Every aspect of the lives of children and families are being negatively impacted by this global pandemic and economic recession. Our kids are NOT alright.

To ensure the full needs of our children are addressed as our nation attempts to “Build Back Better,” we need a Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that understands the full-array of challenges and issues facing our nation’s children and families.

That person is Xavier Becerra.

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with Xavier Becerra and his staff on issues related to health care coverage, public health…

No child should live in poverty in a country with the wealth of ours. Yet, there were 12 million children in the United States living in poverty in 2019. Children were more than 50 percent more likely to live in poverty than adults. In a great nation, there is simply no excuse for this.

The following chart from the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution further highlights the disproportionate impact of poverty upon children.

A 2020 election-eve survey of voters by Lake Research Partners reflects a divided nation on politics but finds American voters bridge that divide in their common support of a better life for children.

This vision includes ensuring that the “best interests” of children (81–13 percent support) govern decision-making involving them, an independent Children’s Commissioner is established (65–26 percent) “to protect and improve the care and well-being of children,” and that Congress and the President will work together to address issues such as cutting child poverty in half (70–20 percent) and covering all children (85–12 percent) with health insurance coverage.

While…