Washington, DC · Since 2007
We improve outcomes for underserved youth, children, and families by empowering communities, supporting families, and strengthening public safety.
What we do
Workforce development, mentoring, health, financial literacy, recovery, and life skills. Every gift can be pointed at the one you care about.
Your gift at work
A monthly gift keeps a young person in a program for the whole year. It is the most useful money we receive.
About the Foundation
Children's Focus Foundation was founded in 2007 by Keisha Grace Hudson after years working inside the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. She saw young people who were gifted and capable, and she saw the statistics waiting for them on release. CFF exists to change that path.
We provide transitional housing and quality programs for court-involved youth, children, veterans, and families, built on partnerships with government agencies, social service providers, and community groups.
What we do
Every gift can be directed to the program area you care about most.
Skills, confidence, and work ethic that let underserved youth compete for higher-paying opportunities, with an emphasis on networking.
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Support for youth involved with the law and young people facing challenges at home, at school, or in the community.
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Physical fitness, healthy eating, and health education for youth and families, delivered through seminars and community health fairs.
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Education on testing and prevention, in collaboration with local health centers offering free testing and treatment.
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Money management and investing, taught with community bankers, financial institutions, schools, libraries, and D.C. agencies.
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Health evaluations, individual therapy, and help with housing and transportation to get young people onto the road to recovery.
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Self-management and social skills that prepare young people for the independence and responsibility of adulthood.
Learn more →Give to the area of greatest need and we will put it where it counts most this month.
Donate NowWatch video
Keisha Hudson started CFF in 2007 after watching young people leave custody and come straight back. Eighteen years later the work is the same: get there first, stay in the room, keep showing up.
Your gift at work
A one-time gift buys supplies and transport. A monthly gift keeps a young person in a program for the whole year. Both are tax deductible, and your receipt arrives by email straight away.
Ways to give
A recurring gift is the most useful money we receive. It lets us commit to a young person for a full program cycle instead of a single session.
Set up monthly giving →Make a gift in someone's name and we will send an acknowledgement card to the person or family you choose.
Give in someone's name →Employers, congregations, and agencies fund cohorts, host sessions, and open doors to jobs. Corporate matching welcome.
Start a conversation →Leadership
A native Washingtonian who founded CFF in 2007 after serving as a Youth Development Specialist with D.C.'s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.
Inside the programs
Every photograph below was taken at a Children's Focus Foundation program in Washington, D.C.
Join with us
Volunteers run sessions, mentor one-to-one, and open doors to first jobs. Tell us what you can offer and we will find the right fit.
Sign up now
News & events
Staff will post these directly, no developer needed.
Recognizing officers who show how positive engagement builds public safety, reduces recidivism, and earns the trust of young people.
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CFF was recognized at Marion Barry's 40th Anniversary Summer Youth Employment Program.
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A new partnership bringing officers and young people together in the same room, on the same side.
Read more →Our partners
Program news, event invitations, and the occasional story of someone whose life turned around. No more than once a month.
Our story
Why we exist
Children's Focus Foundation was founded by Keisha Grace Hudson in 2007, after years working inside the D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services as a Correctional Officer and Youth Development Specialist.
During her tenure she worked with numerous adjudicated and neglected boys and girls. Some were involved in substance abuse, others were emotionally unstable. Despite their challenges she grew a bond with many of them and found each one unique and exceptionally gifted in their own way.
The statistics told a different story. Many of those young people were murdered in the community soon after release, and many were rearrested. That is when she established the Children's Focus Foundation.
Her vision is to directly impact the conditions young people face, so those conditions do not lead them down the path of incarceration.
Our mission
To improve the outcomes for underserved youth, children and families through the empowerment of communities by promoting family support and public safety.
CFF provides transitional housing and quality programs empowering court-involved youth, children, veterans and families to move from being victims of circumstance to being victorious over perceived impossibilities. We are committed to the highest level of quality ethical care, built on a well developed network of government agencies, social service providers, community groups and other community stakeholders.
Core values
Leadership
A native Washingtonian. Mrs. Hudson founded CFF in 2007 after serving as a Correctional Officer and Youth Development Specialist with D.C.'s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. She is a graduate of Prince George's Community College and studied Communications and Public Relations at Bowie State University.
She is passionate about providing quality programs and housing opportunities to families, and is committed to operating with integrity and professionalism.
What we do
Seven program areas
Most of the young people we work with need more than one of these. That is the point of running them under one roof.
Our program is designed to help underserved youth develop skills that will assist them in the workplace.
We teach them strategies that will increase their confidence and allow them to compete for high salary employment opportunities in the future. This program also stresses the importance of exhibiting a strong work ethic, and networking.
Give to this programOur student mentoring program provides support for the youth who have been involved with the law, as well as young people who are faced with challenges at home, school, or within the community.
We help them transition from being victims of circumstance to being victorious over perceived impossibilities. We partner with government agencies, social service providers, community groups and other community stakeholders to ensure the youth get the support needed.
Give to this programOur Health and Wellness program educates the youth and families about wellness and healthy living.
We stress the importance of physical fitness, healthy eating and health education. We organize health seminars and health fairs so our community stays engaged with the services available.
Give to this programMore than 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV today, but 1 in 7 of them don't know it. With that being said, our awareness program educates the community about how to get tested and how to prevent HIV and AIDS.
We are also collaborating with local health centers on information about free testing and treatments for those who are living with HIV and/or AIDS.
Give to this programOur Financial Literacy Program is aimed at teaching students and adults alike the importance of managing their money and investing.
We team up with community bankers, financial institutions, schools, libraries and government agencies across the D.C. area for this educational program. The partners provide leadership and financial knowledge to the families we serve.
Give to this programOur substance abuse program is geared towards helping the youth who suffer from substance abuse with methods to heal and recover.
Those methods include health evaluations, individual therapy and assistance with housing and transportation. Our goal is to get them on the road to recovery.
Give to this programOur Life Skills Training Program is designed to promote health and personal development.
This program helps young people and families navigate the challenges they face and prepare them for the independence and responsibilities they will encounter as young adults. The focus areas include personal self-management skills and general social skills.
Give to this programSupport a program
Every gift can be pointed at a single program area, or left where the need is greatest.
Photo gallery
We are passionate about students engaging in community service that builds life skills. It was great collaborating with Friendship Collegiate Academy and the Arlington Food Assistance Center.
The students explored the Hirshhorn National Museum of Modern Art and the Sculpture Garden.
Students visited the National Women's Museum of the Arts, then had dinner at Ocean Prime where they learned about dining etiquette.
Sessions, mentoring and community days across Washington, D.C.
News & events
We at Children's Focus Foundation appreciate courageous and compassionate police officers for demonstrating how positive police and …
Read more →
The Children's Focus Foundation received an award from the D.C. Department of Employment Services for Marion Barry's 40th Anniversar…
Read more →A special thank you to Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Department of Employment Services for the opportunity to provide the Distric…
Read more →Our students visited the National Women's Museum of the Arts. They also had dinner at Ocean Prime, where they learned about dining e…
Read more →Children's Focus Foundation is excited to collaborate with the 6D Precinct, bringing officers and young people together in the same …
Read more →
Open enrollment for volunteers is now available. If you would like to give your time to our programs, get in touch and we will find …
Read more →News & events
23 October 2019
We at Children's Focus Foundation appreciate courageous and compassionate police officers for demonstrating how positive police and youth engagement can increase public safety; reduce crime, recidivism and victimization; and foster trust between young people and law enforcement.
News & events
22 October 2019
The Children's Focus Foundation received an award from the D.C. Department of Employment Services for Marion Barry's 40th Anniversary Summer Youth Employment Program.
News & events
4 April 2019
A special thank you to Mayor Muriel Bowser and the D.C. Department of Employment Services for the opportunity to provide the District's youth with workforce readiness training and job placement through the 2019 Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program.
We look forward to providing exciting summer experiences that prepare the District's youth for meaningful career opportunities and a brighter future.
News & events
2019
Our students visited the National Women's Museum of the Arts. They also had dinner at Ocean Prime, where they learned about dining etiquette.
News & events
28 April 2018
Children's Focus Foundation is excited to collaborate with the 6D Precinct, bringing officers and young people together in the same room, on the same side.
News & events
18 April 2018
Open enrollment for volunteers is now available. If you would like to give your time to our programs, get in touch and we will find the right fit.
Get involved
Ways to give
A recurring gift is the most useful money we receive. It lets us commit to a young person for a full program cycle instead of a single session.
Set up monthly giving →Make a gift in someone's name and we will send an acknowledgement card to the person or family you choose.
Give in someone's name →Employers, congregations and agencies fund cohorts, host sessions and open doors to jobs. Corporate matching welcome.
Start a conversation →Join with us
Volunteers run sessions, mentor one-to-one, and open doors to first jobs. Tell us what you can offer and we will find the right fit.
Open enrollment for volunteers runs through the year.
Sign up now
Careers
We are accepting applications. Send a cover letter and resume to resume@childrensfocusfoundation.org.
Careers
Join the team
Please send your cover letter and resume to resume@childrensfocusfoundation.org, and complete the employment application below.
Application
Get in touch
We would love to hear from you
Send us a note
Spam-protected. Submissions email the office and are logged in the CMS.
Support our work
Questions
Yes. Children's Focus Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 30-0445185. Your emailed receipt is a valid record for your tax return.
Any time. Every receipt includes a cancellation link, or you can call the office on 240-644-0720 and we will handle it the same day.
Yes. Tick the dedication box above and tell us whether it is in honor or in memory of them. If you give us their address we will post an acknowledgement card without mentioning the amount.
Gift received
You have just paid for something real. We will tell you exactly what it turned into.
Your receipt is on its way. It carries our EIN, so keep it for your tax return.
A short note from Keisha telling you which program your gift went to.
One email. Real numbers, real names where we have permission, no filler.
A recurring gift of the same size keeps a young person in a program for a full year instead of a single session.
