Have you heard the latest from Children First? 

Our Spring 2026 edition of Childwatch is filled with updates on the progress Children First is making for kids. Here are some highlights:

Paid Family Leave

Thanks to our hard work, paid family and medical leave legislation passed the PA House of Representatives. It’s front page on our newsletter because because it’s

the first time paid leave ever passed a major milestone in PA, and the first time in the country that paid leave legislation advanced with bipartisan support.

Making Second Chances Possible

For the first time in a REALLY LONG TIME, juvenile justice reform is progressing in the Commonwealth. Thanks to the diligent efforts of the PA Youth Justice Alliance (Children First is a co-founder), state lawmakers are putting aside partisan differences to advance important changes for kids caught up in the juvenile system. Read the newsletter to learn about two important bills are moving through the legislature.

Donors Make Our Work Possible

Meet Jean Smith, a retired teacher from Media who spent decades teaching English, who is using her generous donations to support children and teens – and also reducing her tax burden. Read Jean’s message about her support of Children First.

Voices for Education

More than 50 students from 11 Montgomery County schools are learning how to be the next generation of education advocates. Hear from the young participants of Voices for Education, a Children First and MCIU program that builds student knowledge, self-confidence and effective advocacy strategies to influence state educational policies.

Pa’lante Fellowship Launched

Hispanic leaders across Philadelphia came together with Children First to build a long‑term, coordinated strategy to improve outcomes for Hispanic children and teens through a new advocacy fellowship. Learn about the Pa’lante Fellowship and how they plan to change the life of Hispanic kids in Philadelphia.

The summer and fall are jam-packed with community events that are great opportunities to get folks involved in Children First’s work. We need volunteers to work alongside Children First staff members at neighborhood activities and engage parents and supporters in the work we do for children and teens. If you’re interested in volunteering a few hours of your time, contact stevenf@childrenfirstpa.org for more information.

The U.S. Department of Education shut down its Office of English Language Acquisition, the federal agency’s only arm dedicated to ensuring that English learners and immigrant students gained English proficiency and academic success.

Where does the School District of Philadelphia deficit come from? What will it take to fix all our city’s aging school buildings? Why do public schools still not have enough money after winning a historic lawsuit? Who’s actually in charge of schools?

Learn how Philadelphia schools are funded and why there are at risk of big cuts in this year’s budget. Register here for this online workshop.

Philly voters came out strong in support of kids on Tuesday! Nearly 90% of voters said “yes” to making the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson a permanent city office laser-focused on keeping kids in institutions safe.

Has our work inspired you?
If so, consider a donation to support continued achievements for children and teens.