This year’s Annual Results Report comes at a time when families and communities across the country are navigating tremendous stress and uncertainty. The cost of everyday essentials — from housing, child care, food and health care — continues to rise. Public resources are shifting. Trusted safety nets are under strain. And the organizations that young people and families count on are being asked to do more, often with less.
For immigrant families in particular, life is even more uncertain. Changing policies, fears of family separation and confusion about who qualifies for services have added new burdens that threaten children’s well-being and disrupt daily life. These challenges are real, and they are taking a toll on families, communities and the people who work every day to support them.
And yet, amid all of this, our partners continue to push forward, guided by data and grounded in evidence. The progress you’ll read about in this report is proof of what’s possible when leaders refuse to accept the status quo. You’ll see mature efforts making a difference across the nation for many children and families, and promising programs beginning to demonstrate progress on a local scale. All of this work reflects the courage and determination of people who saw that better outcomes for kids were within reach and had the vision to try something different. They know — like we at the Annie E. Casey Foundation do — that when children thrive, our nation does too. That is dynamic resilience. And it’s exactly what this moment calls for.