Report on the Vice President for Health Policy Position

Organizational Mandate and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

First Focus on Children is a bipartisan advocacy organization committed to prioritizing children and families in federal policy and budgetary decisions. The organization’s strategic approach involves raising awareness, developing policy solutions, building political will, and taking decisive action. This mission directly supports the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including ensuring healthy lives (SDG 3), reducing poverty (SDG 1), and promoting just and inclusive societies (SDG 16).

Position Overview

The organization is seeking a Vice President for Health Policy to co-direct policy and advocacy initiatives. The role is central to advancing the organization’s commitment to the SDGs, with a primary focus on achieving universal health coverage for children. This position will concentrate on federal programs such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which are critical levers for promoting **SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)** and **SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)** among the nation’s youth.

Core Responsibilities and SDG Contributions

1. Develop and advocate for a comprehensive policy agenda to ensure every child has health coverage and access to high-quality care, directly supporting the targets of **SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)**.
2. Engage in inter-sectoral collaboration with partners in immigration, child welfare, nutrition, and education, embodying the principles of **SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)** to address the holistic well-being of children.
3. Participate in coalitions and advocate before Congress and the executive branch to promote child health policies, thereby strengthening institutional frameworks in line with **SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)**.
4. Analyze legislative and regulatory proposals for their impact on maternal and child health, ensuring policy actions contribute positively to **SDG 3** and reduce disparities as outlined in **SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)**.
5. Develop and promote systemic change strategies to create a comprehensive agenda for children and families, contributing to the long-term, sustainable achievement of multiple SDGs.
6. Actively advocate for policies with the executive branch and Congress, leveraging institutional processes to advance the well-being of children as a core component of sustainable development.
7. Represent the organization in external meetings and speaking engagements to build consensus and partnerships for child-centric policies, furthering the aims of **SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)**.
8. Produce reports, briefings, and fact sheets to disseminate evidence-based policy solutions that support the health and well-being of children.
9. Contribute to strategic planning, budgeting, and external relations to ensure the organization’s goals are aligned with broader sustainable development objectives.
10. Utilize standard office technology to efficiently manage and execute advocacy and policy development functions.

Required Qualifications and Competencies for Advancing the SDGs

• An advanced degree (Master’s preferred) with 3-5 years of experience in child health policy, demonstrating a strong foundation for advancing **SDG 3**.
• Expertise in federal child health financing (Medicaid, CHIP, ACA), which is essential for designing policies that reduce poverty (**SDG 1**) and inequality (**SDG 10**).
• A thorough understanding of the federal policy-making process and the ability to build bipartisan support, a key competency for strengthening institutions as per **SDG 16**.
• Proven leadership capacity to convene and mobilize diverse stakeholders, reflecting the collaborative spirit of **SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals)**.
• Advanced communication skills to persuasively advocate for policy changes that align with the SDGs.
• The ability to analyze complex problems, collect data, and propose evidence-based recommendations for child health policy.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team to achieve shared objectives related to child well-being and sustainable development.

SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues Highlighted in the Article

Detailed Explanations

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire job description is centered on improving child health outcomes. The role’s primary goal is “ensuring every child in this country has health coverage, access to care, and high-quality care.” The focus on Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and “maternal and child health” directly supports the aim of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, with a specific focus on children.
• SDG 1: No Poverty: The article connects child health to broader issues of well-being by mentioning collaboration with organizations working on “child poverty.” This acknowledges that poverty is a significant barrier to health and that health coverage programs like Medicaid and CHIP are crucial social protection systems that help alleviate the financial burdens of healthcare for low-income families, thus contributing to poverty reduction.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The organization’s mission to ensure “every child” has health coverage is a direct effort to reduce health-related inequalities. By working with groups focused on “immigration, child welfare, nutrition,” and “child poverty,” the role addresses the needs of vulnerable and marginalized groups of children who often face the greatest barriers to accessing healthcare, thereby promoting social inclusion and equal opportunity for a healthy life.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article details a strategy of advocacy aimed at influencing federal policy. The role involves working with “Congress and the executive branch” to “promote child health and child well-being.” This work, which includes seeking “bipartisan solutions” and promoting “new or revised policies,” contributes to making governmental institutions more effective, accountable, and responsive to the needs of a specific demographic—children.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article emphasizes a collaborative approach. The Vice President is expected to “actively participate in coalitions, and with local, state, and national advocates and policymakers.” This highlights the importance of building multi-stakeholder partnerships between civil society organizations (like First Focus), government bodies, and other advocates to achieve common policy goals, which is the essence of SDG 17.

Specific Targets Under Those SDGs Identified in the Article

Detailed Explanations

1. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all. The article’s central goal of “ensuring every child in this country has health coverage, access to care, and high-quality care” is a direct reflection of this target. The focus on strengthening and advocating for programs like Medicaid, CHIP, and the ACA are specific strategies to achieve universal health coverage for children in the United States.
2. Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all… and achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable. Medicaid and CHIP are described as key policy areas. These government-funded programs are prime examples of social protection systems designed to provide a safety net for vulnerable populations, specifically children in low-income families. The advocacy work described in the article aims to protect and expand these systems.
3. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age… The mission to secure health coverage for “every child” and the collaborative work with organizations focusing on immigration and child welfare directly address this target. It is an effort to ensure that all children, particularly those from marginalized communities, are included in the nation’s healthcare system, which is a fundamental aspect of social inclusion.
4. Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships. The job’s essential functions explicitly require the candidate to “actively participate in coalitions” and work “in collaboration with other organizations… and policymakers.” This describes the formation of civil society and public partnerships to advance the shared goal of child well-being.

Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

Detailed Explanations

• Implied Indicator for Target 3.8 (Indicator 3.8.1): Coverage of essential health services. While the article does not cite specific data, the success of the advocacy work it describes would be measured by the rate of health insurance coverage among children. An increase in the number or percentage of children enrolled in Medicaid, CHIP, and ACA plans would serve as a key performance indicator for the organization’s efforts.
• Implied Indicator for Target 1.3 (Indicator 1.3.1): Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children… The article’s focus on Medicaid and CHIP implies that a key metric for success is the proportion of eligible children covered by these social protection programs. The advocacy work aims to maintain or increase this proportion, ensuring the programs reach the vulnerable children they are designed to serve.
• Implied Indicator for Target 10.2: Reduction in health coverage disparities among different child populations. The article’s emphasis on working with groups focused on immigration and child welfare suggests an aim to close the health coverage gap for these vulnerable children. Progress could be measured by analyzing health insurance data to see if disparities in coverage rates between different demographic and socioeconomic groups of children are decreasing over time.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: firstfocus.org