Image courtesy of Voices for Virginia’s Children
2025 was a year that asked a lot of child advocates.
Looking back at a year defined by its extraordinary challenges, I am incredibly grateful to the people who make up the Partnership for America’s Children – our network members, funders, and partners – for all the ways that they have continued to show up for children and families. This annual impact report is a testament to what we have been able to accomplish together.
2025 State Policy Progress
Despite a federal landscape that is continually shifting, enormous new pressures on state budgets, and rising stakes for families, child advocates continued to fight for kids. And they won some powerful victories in 2025:
- In Arkansas, advocates won a years-long campaign that will allow pregnant women to receive care sooner, have ongoing care throughout pregnancy, and get access to prenatal and perinatal care even when living in maternal health deserts;
- In Nevada, advocates helped pass legislation that protects foster youth Social Security and federal benefits so that the funds support youth stability, not system costs;
- In South Carolina, advocates won a ban on the pervasive practice of “debt shaming” for students who cannot afford to pay for school lunch; and
- Advocates in New York passed legislation making the full child tax credit available to families earning the lowest incomes. Over a million children will benefit from this expansion.
These weren’t easy wins. They are the result of years of relationship-building, strategic persistence, and refusing to accept the notion that children’s well-being is negotiable.
Children deserve advocates who are ready for the challenges ahead
This moment is demanding more from child advocates than ever before. As federal decisions push ever more responsibility and financial risk onto the states, the work child advocates do in our state capitals becomes even more critical. The Partnership is here to engage, empower, and invest in that crucial work.
Across the network, member organizations are meeting this pivotal moment informed by the successes of their peers, and drawing from a deep well of collective knowledge throughout the sector. The Partnership engaged network peers by hosting 27 peer-exchange sessions and eight advocacy and capacity-building meetings in 2025. The Partnership created opportunities to empower advocates and strengthen organizational capacity through community-building forums, as well as organizational and leadership development opportunities.
The Partnership invests in child advocates by serving as a trusted intermediary, connecting child advocacy organizations to national and regional funding and capacity-building opportunities. In 2025, the Partnership also awarded nearly $1.3 million in targeted grants to child advocacy organizations.
The Partnership is here to walk alongside its network members with targeted resources, strong partnerships, technical assistance, and a supportive community of peers who understand the specific challenges advocates are facing in their states.
Leveraging our greatest strengths
Child advocates each bring a unique and powerful asset to this work: their deep connection to community. By reflecting the lived experiences of families in the data, the movement maintains a clear-eyed focus on what matters most: the real-world impacts of policy changes. Their work ensures that the well-being of children remains a top priority for policymakers.
The Partnership’s 2025 Annual Impact Report reflects a resilient, strategic, and deeply interconnected network. With grounded hope and persistent action, the Partnership continues to build a better future for America’s children and their families. Thank you for being part of that mission.
Many thanks to all Partnership members who generously shared their expertise and insights for the 2025 Annual Impact Report.