Dear Lord be good to me. The sea is so wide and my boat is so small

The Children's Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind^® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. Full Mission Statement »

On December 1st, CDF-California celebrated five extraordinary high school students who have overcome tremendous challenges to excel academically and give back to their community. Learn more about our Beat the Odds® program »
Current and alumni Beat the Odds Award recipients are welcomed by Conan O'Brien and the "Team CoCo" staff on the set of the Conan show. The students were acknoweldged by O'Brien and "Team CoCo" for their academic achievements and for overcoming adversity.
Honorees Nancy Kannampuzha and John Jimenez pose with actor John Cho at CDF–CA's 21st annual Beat the Odds Awards. Click here to view more pictures from the awards ceremony »
Governor Brown released a state budget proposal that puts California’s most vulnerable children at risk, including major cuts to cash assistance for families, children’s health, and subsidized child care. Learn more »

Creating Change: Beat the Odds

Help us change the odds for all children by supporting the CDF Beat the Odds® program. On December 1st, CDF-CA celebrated five extraordinary high school students from the Los Angeles area who have overcome tremendous challenges to excel academically and give back to their community. Each scholar received a scholarship, college counseling, a laptop computer, and an invitation to join CDF leadership training ladder to help pave the road to college and a successful adulthood. Help us support these young people by making a donation to the Beat the Odds Scholarship Fund. Watch this short video biography of one of our 2011 Beat the Odds recipients, the exceptional John Jimenez. Learn more...