New Article: The Impact on Kids of the Trump Administration’s First 100 Days

Posted by Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity on May 20, 2025

In this Spotlight Exclusive we speak with Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus on Children, about the growing threat that Trump-era budget cuts pose to America’s children. Proposed reductions to programs like Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, and Head Start—combined with attempts to eliminate the Department of Education and birthright citizenship—could leave children without many of their basic rights. “And by definition, according to current law, babies cannot access Medicaid or SNAP until some government bureaucrat says that they’re a citizen,” says Lesley. He describes a disturbing trend where nearly every indicator for child well-being is worsening, including rising poverty, infant mortality, and declining vaccination rates. Despite limited resources, his organization is fighting on multiple fronts and sees some potential for bipartisan progress on childcare and the Child Tax Credit.  “[T]o be bipartisan for a moment, where’s the big agenda from Democrats?” Lesley asks. “Where’s the alternative vision on childcare, on paid leave?”

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