Welcome to Kids Can’t Wait

This Substack is written by Bruce Lesley, a lifelong champion for children. The page includes in-depth articles, political and policy analysis, and interviews focused on the needs, well-being, and best interests of our nation’s children and grandchildren.

Kids Can’t Wait is dedicated to one simple truth: our nation’s children deserve to be at the center of politics and policymaking, not an afterthought. Yet far too often, they’re left behind by federal, state, and local lawmakers. We're here to change that.

This Substack is part of a broader initiative powered by First Focus on Children, First Focus Campaign for Children, and the forthcoming Kids Can’t Wait podcast. Together, we work to elevate the voices of children and those who advocate for them, including parents, youth, and child advocates.

What You’ll Find Here

Kids Can’t Wait is a space for deep dives into the politics, the politics, and powerful storytelling about the policies shaping kids' lives: from health care, to education and early childhood, to child poverty and hunger, to immigration, to the fundamental rights of children, and more. You'll find:

• Research-backed blogs from national child policy experts

• Behind-the-scenes updates on the political and policy discussions of importance to children and families

• Personal reflections on why any of this matters

• Urgent calls to action

• Tools and resources for advocacy and impact

Why Subscribe?

Because kids can’t wait.

The political attacks on children are growing and threatening their well-being and best interests. Children need a different path and vision that demands policymakers commit to improving their lives and future.

When you subscribe, you’ll receive free, thought-provoking content designed to inform, inspire, and mobilize in support of our children and grandchildren. And if you become a paid subscriber, you’re doing more than just supporting our analysis and work: you will be helping to fuel the advocacy necessary to fight against harmful policies and to help build a better future for kids.

Your subscription helps sustain this work and makes it accessible to those who can’t afford to pay. Together, we can build a community of care, action, and urgency.

About the Author

Bruce Lesley is the President of First Focus on Children and First Focus Campaign for Children, and serves as your guide here at Kids Can’t Wait. He has spent two decades in child advocacy, served on Capitol Hill for four Members of Congress, and worked across state and federal government, health care, and nonprofit sectors.

But more than that, I’m a dad of four, the son of educators, and someone who believes that how we treat our children says everything about who we are as a nation.

Join Us

Subscribe today to stay informed, stay connected, and help build a better world for kids—because they can’t wait for us to get it right.