Annie E. Casey Foundation

Generation Alpha is the first to grow up entirely in the 21st century. As they navigate a world defined by technology and the aftermath of COVID-19, Gen Alpha is shaping up to be a tech-savvy, diverse and highly educated generation. Here’s what we know so far about America's youngest residents.

Homeownership has long been a pathway to building intergenerational wealth, but rising costs have made it unattainable for many families. The Renter Wealth Creation Fund offers an innovative solution to help families build wealth by providing cash-back rewards for rent payments and the chance for renters to share in the value of their buildings.

All Nations Rise, a White Earth Nation nonprofit based in Callaway, Minnesota, combines civics and advocacy training with Ojibwe and Anishinaabe cultural teachings. Through its 23-week Indigenous Parent Leadership Initiative, the organization supports healing and community building among Native families.

As we welcome 2025, President & CEO Lisa Lawson invites us to make a collective resolution: to come together as a team for children and families. The challenges kids face today require creative, lasting solutions — and the best work happens when we use our unique strengths. Happy New Year!

I'm pleased to share The Sentencing Project's new report,  The Real Cost of ‘Bad News’: How Misinformation is Undermining Youth Justice Policy in Baltimore, revealing how media reporting on youth crime is misleading city residents and fueling poor public policy. https://lnkd.in/eR88rXug This report is a case study for what is happening throughout the nation: misstatements about youth offending -- often without any evidence -- fueling regressive policymaking that ignores the evidence about what helps children and adolescents succeed. We have, in our appendix, a roadmap for undertaking a similar effort in any community. This work was quite challenging, and we're happy to share our recipe.

“In our con­ver­sa­tions with young peo­ple in Bal­ti­more, many shared that they crave entre­pre­neur­ship and resources to build busi­ness­es free from dis­crim­i­na­tion and that ben­e­fit their com­mu­ni­ties. The find­ings from Cop­pin State’s study will not only help us bet­ter under­stand Baltimore’s com­plex land­scape of instruc­tion­al entre­pre­neur­ship pro­grams, but also how pro­grams and the ecosys­tem can be improved to bet­ter serve young entrepreneurs.” – Sara Cooper, GCDF, a senior asso­ciate at the Foun­da­tion

The number of students graduating from public high schools nationwide is projected to peak at 3.5 million in 2025 and then fall steadily until 2041, according to a new report by Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

It may surprise you to learn that 55% of Atlanta residents are renters, yet there are very few protections for renters in Georgia. Providing safe and affordable housing can be achieved at the state and local levels of government. This blog post highlights the housing advocates who work to ensure that our elected officials are adopting policies and allocating public funds to keep all residents safely housed. https://lnkd.in/exQ3HV-u

A new report by Human Rights for Kids examines the prevalence of child abuse and trauma among children prosecuted as adults in Maryland. Experience of abuse have profound and lasting effects. Individuals who experience abuse or neglect as children are 59% more likely to be arrested as children, 28% more likely to be arrested as adults and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.

A major shift in Medicaid policy for Justice involved youth and young adults is around the corner, and there is a great deal that folks in justice, health, behavioral health, and child welfare need to do in order to meet the needs of our young folks and their families. But this is much more than a compliance exercise. This is also an opportunity to undue a serious injustice. In almost every state, we over-rely on the juvenile justice system to serve as our physical and, moreover, behavioral/mental healthcare system for youth and young adults. We ask young people and their families to exchange their liberty for access to healthcare. Use this opportunity to start to untangle this web, rightsize and reorient our healthcare system to meet the needs of young folks, and let our young people simply have their healthcare needs met as they emerge without first awaiting justice system involvement. And if young people do touch the justice system, let's use these tools to build their healthcare supports OUTSIDE of the system while accessible from INSIDE the system - this way young people can receive the care they deserve while in AND after they exit the justice system without requiring a disruption in care as they transition back to community. We have work to do. If you're not sure how, let's talk.