ChildFund United States

With your support, ChildFund has been supporting children in the U.S. since 1952.

Although the U.S. boasts the largest economy in the world, American children continue to face immense challenges. About 16% of U.S. children live beneath the poverty line. Meanwhile, one in five U.S. children between the ages of 3 and 17 struggle with a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder. These are not isolated statistics: Research shows that children living in the country's most vulnerable communities are much more likely to face toxic stress, exacerbated by adverse childhood experiences like food and housing insecurity, substance use and mental illness, and domestic and community violence, that can disrupt healthy development.

ChildFund's flagship program in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, where nearly 40% of children experience poverty, focuses on addressing young people's unmet needs for mental, emotional and social support, bolstering the protective community factors that will help them thrive despite life's challenges. Through our partnership with AmeriCorps, we reach more than 8,000 elementary, middle and high school students with socioemotional learning programs led by young people, for young people.

Mental health support is an under-resourced need for American children, especially those living in marginalized communities. ChildFund works to support children’s mental and socioemotional health primarily through the child-friendly safe spaces we build in pre-K through high schools, known as No Pressure Zones, which provide children and youth with a quiet place to recharge, read books with positive messages and talk to trained staff throughout the school day about any problems they might be having at school or home. The No Pressure Zones also serve as the site for small-group meetups where our AmeriCorps members lead weekly guided reading and connection activities to support children who are facing challenges. In addition, we host school and community events that promote mental health and socioemotional learning, bringing children and families together to learn how to best support young people's health. We also help connect parents and caregivers to existing community-based health services and resources, and we distribute physical health items at key points throughout the year, including free lunches, winter coats, water bottles and more.

ChildFund supports children’s education in the U.S. by strengthening their socioemotional learning so they are better equipped to handle challenges like poverty, violence and instability that can interfere with school success. Through early learning activities, school-based and mobile No Pressure Zones and family engagement events, ChildFund helps children build key socioemotional skills — such as communication, empathy and confidence — while also encouraging a love of reading through storytelling, discussions and book distributions. These programs reach children from pre-K through high school, enhancing school readiness for young learners, promoting engagement and belonging for elementary and middle school students, and supporting older youth on a positive path toward graduation.

For the youngest children, our programs provide crucial socioemotional learning skills that help prepare them for a lifetime of success at school, work and in all their interpersonal relationships. For high school students, our No Pressure Zone small groups also incorporate skill building, work readiness and civic engagement, strengthening skills such as responsible decision-making, problem-solving, communication, teamwork, stress management, respect for others, self-confidence and self-motivation — all skills that employers have identified as the most valuable (but hardest to find) workforce skills for any 21st-century job.

Our AmeriCorps program offers opportunities for young people to build workforce development skills and find purpose and agency in addressing community concerns and needs. In 2025, this youth program won the Member Experience Shining Star Award at the AmeriCorps Texas Annual Grantee Meeting.

Our No Pressure Zones provide safe, protective environments that connect children to caring adults. These safe spaces have been proven to cultivate protective factors that can prevent or mitigate the negative effects of various adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse, neglect, substance abuse and poverty. When children have safe places to share their lived experiences and connect with others, they are much more likely to develop resilience in the face of all life's challenges.