Speaking of Kids... Podcast By First Focus on Children cover art

Speaking of Kids...

Speaking of Kids...

By: First Focus on Children
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Who speaks for kids when lawmakers, the government, and elected officials are making decisions about their education, health and safety? You do! Children need our collective attention and voice. You’ve found Speaking of Kids…, a podcast series from First Focus on Children that examines how laws and public systems impact kids — not just in theory, but in real life. We’re here sorting out who’s actually for kids and who’s just kidding. Join our host, Messellech “Selley” Abebe, as she gathers voices from every corner of the kid-policy world: congresspeople, public health leaders, political organizers, parents, and the dogged advocates doing the hard work of imagining something better. Selley explores the ‘kid angle’ in policy and politics. What’s working? What’s not? And how can we take action to create a better future for the next generation? Listen and discover the hidden power that each of us has as an ambassador for children. We believe that kids matter. Their lives are worth protecting, their joy is worth preserving, and their futures are absolutely worth fighting for.First Focus on Children Parenting & Families Political Science Politics & Government Relationships Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Pratt Free Market Turns Libraries Into Lifelines for Kids

    Pratt Free Market Turns Libraries Into Lifelines for Kids
    Mar 19 2026
    In this episode, Messellech “Selley” Abebe chats with Dr. Emil Cunningham and Eunice Na about the Pratt Free Market, a free grocery store inside the Enoch Pratt Free Library that is helping Baltimore families access food with dignity. Dr. Emil Cunningham is the executive director of the library’s Office of Equity and Fair Practice, and Na coordinates the day-to-day operations of the market. Together, they discuss how libraries are expanding beyond books to meet basic needs, why food access is critical for children’s well-being and learning, and how trusted public spaces can play a powerful role in supporting families facing food insecurity. To learn more about the Pratt Free Market, you can visit the Enoch Pratt Free Library website. Want to keep digging into the real-life impact policy decisions have on children? Here’s some of what First Focus on Children has published recently: The Misguided Push to Abolish the Department of Education A Superintendent Speaks Out from the Front Lines of Our Public Schools Organized Abandonment: How Attacks on Public Systems Are Harming Parents and Children To join the conversation, follow First Focus on Children on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Send us comments on thoughts via email: SpeakingOfKids@firstfocus.org Find us on Twitter/X: @SpeakingOfKids and @First_Focus Want to be a voice for kids? Become an Ambassador for Children here. To support our work and this podcast, please consider donating to First Focus on Children here.
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    30 mins
  • Suzie Hicks Believes Kids Can Help Save the Planet

    Suzie Hicks Believes Kids Can Help Save the Planet
    Mar 4 2026
    In this episode, Messellech “Selley” Abebe sits down with award-winning filmmaker, author, and educator Suzie Hicks — also known as the Climate Chick — to explore how climate change shapes the world children are growing up in. Together, they discuss why climate education is often avoided, how fear and misinformation impact kids and adults alike, and what it looks like to talk honestly about the planet without overwhelming children. The conversation highlights the power of storytelling, emotional literacy, and community action in helping kids understand climate change not just as a crisis, but as a challenge they can face together. To learn more about Suzie Hicks and their work, you can visit the Suzie Hicks The Climate Chick and Sprout website, and follow them on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Want to keep digging into the real-life impact policy decisions have on children? Here’s some of what First Focus on Children has published recently: Born In The USA: The Constitution is Clear - Babies Are Citizens Born Equal: Defending The Constitutions Fourteenth Amendment For Every Baby H.R. 1 Puts Children Last: An Unprecedented Betrayal of America’s Future To join the conversation, follow First Focus on Children on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Send us comments on thoughts via email: SpeakingOfKids@firstfocus.org Find us on Twitter/X: @SpeakingOfKids and @First_Focus Want to be a voice for kids? Become an Ambassador for Children here. To support our work and this podcast, please consider donating to First Focus on Children here.
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    38 mins
  • Wendy Cervantes Demands Better Protections for Immigrant Kids

    Wendy Cervantes Demands Better Protections for Immigrant Kids
    Feb 18 2026
    In this episode, Messellech “Selley” Abebe talks with Wendy Cervantes about how immigration enforcement policies are shaping children’s daily lives, why fear and instability can have lasting developmental consequences, and what it would mean to truly center kids in immigration reform. Cervantes is the Director of the Immigration and Immigrant Families team at the Center for Law and Social Policy and co-founder of the Children Thrive Action Network. Together, Abebe and Cervantes explore the trauma many children in immigrant families experience, the ripple effects of detention and deportation on schools and communities, and the policy solutions that could better protect children’s safety, stability, and long-term well-being. To learn more about Wendy Cervantes and her work, you can visit the Center for Law and Social Policy website, the Children Thrive Action Network website, and follow her on X, and BlueSky. Want to keep digging into the real-life impact policy decisions have on children? Here’s some of what First Focus on Children has published recently: Born In The USA: The Constitution is Clear - Babies Are Citizens Born Equal: Defending The Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment For Every Baby H.R. 1 Puts Children Last: An Unprecedented Betrayal of America’s Future To join the conversation, follow First Focus on Children on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Send us comments on thoughts via email: SpeakingOfKids@firstfocus.org Find us on Twitter/X: @SpeakingOfKids and @First_Focus Want to be a voice for kids? Become an Ambassador for Children here. To support our work and this podcast, please consider donating to First Focus on Children here.
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    37 mins
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