Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) is a nonprofit organization that advances the rights and interests of children in the United States. The organization works to improve children’s health, safety, education, and social development.
The mission of CDF is to ensure that every child has “a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start” in life. The organization promotes the successful passage of children into adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. Programs of CDF have sought to provide health care for uninsured children, eliminate child hunger and poverty, prepare children for school, and educate the public about the needs of children. Much of CDF’s work specifically focuses on the needs of poor and minority children and children with disabilities.
Marian Wright Edelman , an American lawyer and activist, founded CDF in 1973. The organization is supported by contributions from corporations, foundations, and private individuals. It has national headquarters in Washington, D.C., and regional and state offices throughout the country.
See also Child welfare .
