Join us for 2026 Celebration honoring Donna Cooper.



Promises Broken

  An About-Face on Child Care “The United States can’t take care of day care. That has to be up to a state. It’s not possible for us to take care of day care, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things. They can do it on a state basis.” President...

Is PHL Mayor Meeting the Moment?

  Checking the Boxes for Philly Kids While we always want more, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker continues to invest in Philadelphia children and teens. As a candidate in 2023, she pledged to support the comprehensive Kids’ Campaign agenda, and her new fiscal...

Testimony: Universal PreK, PA House of Representatives

Testimony on Universal PreK Zaina Cahill, Early Childhood Education Policy Director Children First March 3, 2026 Download PDF My name is Zaina Cahill and I am the Early Childhood Education Policy Director at Children First in Philadelphia. I am a certified teacher,...

True or False

  Here Are the Facts about Child Care Because a YouTuber posted on social media that he wasn’t allowed in secure child care centers in Minnesota, he claimed fraud. The President reacted to the post and – without any evidence – ordered an immediate freeze of $10...

Budget Wins For Kids

  With Disappointment at the Federal Level, Pennsylvania’s State Budget is a WIN for Kids.  Ask most Pennsylvanians how they would grade the performance of their state and federal representatives and senators and they’d generously give them an F. In our...

This Will Scare You

  Sticks and Stones and Names Will Hurt You  Troublemaker. Disruptive. Difficult. These labels can follow a child around their whole life with devastating consequences. At a Philadelphia City Council hearing organized by Children First, teenagers shared their...