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 »

Former Miss. governor William Winter was among those who greeted CDF Founder Marian Wright Edelman in Jackson. See photos of her visit to Jackson, the Delta, and detention centers.
Citizens and activists attended the Better Choices for Mississippi coalition forum in Jackson. CDF-SRO is part of the coalition that is educating citizens about state revenue and spending. The coalition released a new poll. CDF-SRO's director gives her thoughts in the coalition's statement.
Children's Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman ended her tour of Mississippi by speaking at the Strengthening Our Connections Conference in Jackson. Hear Edelman's comments about charter schools and providing quality education for Miss. children.
These young ladies graduated from a CDF-La class that teaches them to make proud choices to avoid teen pregnancy and diseases. CDF-La partnered with the Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies to teach the class.

Creating Change: National Conference

SAVE THE DATE: The Children’s Defense Fund National Conference,
July 23-25, 2012, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Today, 16.4 million children in the United States live in poverty. Nearly one in four children under the age of five is poor. Together we can and must do better. Join the Children’s Defense Fund as we gather leading experts to present the latest research and best practices to close the gap between what we know works for children and what we do in practice. This one-of-a-kind conference will connect communities of child advocates, young leaders, faith leaders, policymakers, service providers and others to create real change for children at the state, local, and federal levels in 2012 and beyond. Sign-up today to receive information and help us rescue the dream for all of America’s children. Stay connected »