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 »

South Panola High School's drama team Risque Business kicked off the 2012 Zero Tolerance School Discipline Summit. Hundreds from all over the state packed the MS e-Center at JSU.
Dozens of talented teens put their best words and art forward at the Art and Poetry Justice Slam at Jackson's Metro Center Mall. Click here to see a slideshow of the winners and partners who joined CDF-SRO. Photo by skipp martin
As more Americans experience economic uncertainty, the face of poverty in our nation today is changing. Read Marian Wright Edelman’s Child Watch^® Column »
This newly released report is a compilation of the most recent and reliable national and state data on key child indicators. Read it now »

Students Give Zero Tolerance School Summit Thumbs-Up

Hundreds of community leaders, advocates, students, teachers, and parents attended the 2012 Cradle to Prison Statewide Summit Focusing on Civil Rights and Zero Tolerance School Discipline Policies.

Breakout sessions gave participants from all over the state a chance to interact with experts as they explored how children are disciplined in public schools.

Hear and see compelling stories about zero tolerance policies on our summit Youtube channel. Stay tuned for 2012 summit highlights.