Network members joined three expert panelists in January for a Partnership Peer Exchange focused on how the federal landscape will impact child advocacy in 2026 – nationally, in the states, and locally. In this blog, you’ll get the big takeaways from:
- Elisabeth Wright Burak, Senior Fellow, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families
- Alicia Wilson, Community Education and State Policy Lead, Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition
- Hope Cooper, Partner, True North Group
The consensus was clear: a complex mix of new legislation, a charged political narrative, and evolving federal oversight will demand strategic and persistent action from child advocates nationwide, whether you’re in a red state, a blue state, or a purplish mix. But woven in with all that volatility, there are plenty of opportunities to have a positive impact for kids – and also some real reasons to be hopeful.
The Pervasive Impact of H.R.1
There is no greater force shaping the public policy landscape for children and families right now than the fallout from H.R. 1 (also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” or OBBBA). Of particular concern are its eligibility changes and work requirements, which are already having profound impacts on Medicaid, SNAP, and other safety net programs that children and families rely on.
- Coverage Loss: The most immediate risk: as more adults lose health coverage or access due to these new barriers, an inevitable ripple effect will cause more children to lose coverage, too.
- Varied impact by state: States are now faced with implementing the provisions of H.R.1, including some huge hits to state budgets. While some states are being thoughtful about drafting legislation that could cushion some of the worst impacts on families and children, other states are jumping in with both feet to expand and intensify the cuts that families will face.
The Pernicious 'Fraud' Narrative
“Fraud, waste, and abuse” has become a mantra on the right. “This non-factual narrative is wreaking havoc on how to talk about what kids and families need, and it is definitely bleeding into state legislative sessions,” said Elisabeth.
Unfortunately, as that narrative becomes orthodoxy among legislative leaders, state agencies are being forced to dedicate significant, already overtaxed staff capacity to demonstrating their compliance with new restrictions, and trying to “prove a negative” (that there is no fraud). That refocusing of effort pulls precious resources away from improving actual service delivery. This effort, in turn, creates greater obstacles for eligible, everyday families who are simply trying to gain access to the basic support systems their kids need.
Focusing on Real Risks vs. Political Noise
Communications from the federal government seem to be a constant blare of policy reversals, funding cuts, and new threats to the everyday programs that Americans rely on. In some cases, there are actions advocates could be taking to try to mitigate the harms in their own communities. But with limited capacity and a constant flow of new threats, the panelists urged advocates to focus their efforts on demonstrating the real-world impacts to kids and families of these policy changes – especially with respect to the implementation of H.R.1.
“Demonstrating the impact is probably the most valuable thing we can be doing right now,” said Alicia. “As these benefits start to disappear, or get harder to obtain, people start to recognize the value more vocally, and it’s an opportunity to really change the narrative around the value of a strong safety net. And we can start now by demonstrating the value of a strong safety net. What’s lost when we lose access to these programs? What’s lost when the funding goes away? And that’s hopefully going to shift the window a little bit toward wanting a robust safety net.”
Besides H.R.1, panelists lifted up some additional trends to watch for their impacts on kids and families:
- Immediate Funding Threats: Elisabeth warned of a growing trend for the administration to use funding freezes as a political tool, such as the recent (unprecedented) moves to withhold a significant portion of Minnesota’s Medicaid matching funds, and to freeze childcare and TANF funding in several states. In the Medicaid example, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) would have worked with a state on a corrective action plan, rather than taking the radical step of an immediate freeze.
- Upcoming Legislation: Hope shared that advocates can expect new federal child welfare legislation that is likely to be favorable, offering new flexibilities—but unfortunately not new money. Potential changes include allowing states to use Chaffee program dollars to serve young people up to age 26, as well as modifications to FYI housing vouchers and the ETV program.
- Public funds shifting from kids and families to big tech companies. There is no question that many states need to upgrade or overhaul the data systems they use to determine benefits eligibility, or track outcomes in the child welfare system, for example. However, contract awards are happening very rapidly and with little oversight, often with high-dollar contracts being awarded to large for-profit companies – rather than being used to actually serve children and families who are the intended beneficiaries of public funding.
- Easing Oversight: Hope highlighted the federal government’s efforts to ease the burden on states by trimming down the federal oversight process for the Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs). Given that no state has been fully compliant through four consecutive cycles, this new avenue for a Performance Improvement Plan is likely to be welcomed by state agencies, though it still requires a significant, data-heavy internal lift.
- The Chilling Effect: Changes to the Public Charge rule and a general anti-immigrant sentiment are creating a palpable “chilling effect” among families, causing people who are fully eligible for benefits to disenroll or avoid enrolling in benefits altogether, simply out of fear. This can cut off access to a wide range of basic needs for eligible children, from childhood pediatric visits to school meals.
Opportunities in Child Welfare
While the rapid shifts in the policy environment are unnerving, Hope presented several opportunities for child advocates to make an impact this year, particularly in the child welfare arena:
- Engage with your state child welfare agency on its Family First Prevention Plan. Nearly every state has such a plan, which is 50% funded through federal reimbursement. FFPP presents an opportunity to focus on front-end services, specifically those supporting families who are grappling with substance use issues, in-home parenting, and parent support programs. State FFP plans can assist in funding home visiting services, as well as mental health support.
This year, Partnership members taking part in the Child Welfare Hub and SPARC will be increasingly focused on how advocates can approach the existing Family First Prevention Plans in their states more strategically to benefit children and families.
- Funding and technical assistance opportunities for foster care recruitment and support: In 2025, Congress enacted a reauthorization bill that established requirements and opportunities for states, and grant funding remains available. For instance, the Regional Partnership Grants are highly effective and supported by robust evaluation. These grants are designated for families affected by substance use issues and can facilitate multi-sector partnerships, allowing the child welfare agency to collaborate with behavioral health entities, for example.
- Kinship care and foster care recruitment & support: There is considerable momentum right now around kinship and foster care that will be filtering down to the states from the federal level, presenting opportunities for engagement with both legislators and your state child welfare agency. Resources like the Kinship Navigator program can help to identify specific funding opportunities.
- Youth engagement: There is a concentrated push from the federal level to create more jobs, apprenticeship programs, and university partnerships for youth aging out of care, reflected in the Fostering the Future Executive Order. If your organization has experience or a passion for working directly with youth, now is an opportune time to capitalize on the support available for young people involved in the child welfare system.
Focus on what child advocates do best
The take-home message for state-level advocates is about cutting through the noise. The federal environment presents constant, complex policy shifts, threatened funding cuts, and new barriers for low-income families, families of color, and children with immigrant family members. In this volatile environment, advocates need to be vigilant about making sure the needs of kids and families are being heard and that the impacts of these policy changes are clearly communicated to decision-makers, voters, and impacted families.
Keep the conversation and learning going!
- Partnership members can use the Member Center to start a thread with the full network about a federal concern or question.
- Peer Connection Cohorts – members can continue this conversation throughout the year with peers by organizational role or focus. Sign up for a Peer Connection Cohort here.
Many thanks to Elisabeth Wright Burak, Alicia Wilson, and Hope Cooper for generously sharing their expertise and insights during the Partnership Peer Exchange.
Image by Anil sharma from Pixabay.