Nonpartisan  ·  Evidence-based  ·  Built on family voice

A federal policy agenda
for every child.

We all live under the same sky — and we want the same things for our kids. Same Sky translates what parents across America say their children need into a clear, accountable federal policy agenda.

Learn how it works Read the research
Now in the Field

Our national survey of parents is underway.

Same Sky is now in the field asking parents across America what they worry about most for their children. Built on years of polling expertise within our group and conducted in partnership with Ipsos, the survey is designed to ensure that parent voices — not assumptions — drive what comes next. Results are expected in late summer.

Across America, parents share the same hopes: healthy, safe children with a fair shot at a good life.

Our systems rarely ask them what that takes. Same Sky does.

Rooted at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, we listen to parents, find the common ground that cuts across politics, and build the evidence that holds America accountable for children.

How it works

From family voice to federal policy

Through deep listening and polling, we're defining the top common issues all American parents care about and developing a nonpartisan agenda for those issues to share with elected officials — ensuring government is meeting the needs of American children.

01

Listen

We survey thousands of parents and hold community listening sessions to understand what parents actually need — in their own words.

02

Find common ground

Across political, geographic, and demographic lines, we identify the priorities that unite parents regardless of how they vote or where they live.

03

Measure

We track whether America is actually delivering on what parents say matters — with evidence, transparency, and independent accountability.

04

Act

We translate findings into concrete policy priorities — grounded in what parents asked for, connected to interventions that work.

What the evidence shows

Voters agree.
Political leaders haven't caught up.

All 11 child health policies we tested received majority support among registered voters — across gender, party, and parental status.

In a 2024 nationally representative survey of 2,014 registered voters, we found that support for policies protecting children's health is broad, durable, and largely nonpartisan — even when the political discourse suggests otherwise.

Patrick SW et al. JAMA Health Forum. 2024
Explore the data
Extreme risk protection orders (gun safety)
79.5%
School threat assessment programs
73.1%
Expanded affordable childcare
69.6%
Refundable child tax credit
66.6%
Paid parental leave
65.5%
Free school meals for all children
65.6%

Percentage of registered voters who would vote for a candidate strongly supporting each policy. All 11 tested policies received majority support. N=2,014; March–April 2024.

What makes Same Sky different

Built on four commitments

01

Nonpartisan by design

Children's wellbeing is not a left or right issue. Same Sky is built to work regardless of who holds power, and we hold everyone accountable equally.

02

Evidence-informed

Every priority we advance is grounded in what parents told us, validated by research, and connected to interventions with demonstrated impact.

03

Community-first

Policy comes last — after listening, finding common ground, and building shared understanding from the ground up. We start with parents, not frameworks.

04

Publicly accountable

Our work is open. Methods are published, findings are shared freely, and the goal is always to give parents — not institutions — more power over decisions that affect their children.

Where we are headed

A clear path to action.

Same Sky moves in a deliberate sequence — listening first, then focusing, then acting. Here is what that looks like.

2026

Listen & learn

We are gathering evidence now — through community listening sessions, in-depth interviews, and our national survey currently in the field — building a clear picture of what parents worry about most for their children.

2027

Focus & test

We identify 3 to 5 issues that parents value most and map each to one specific federal legislative action and one regulatory action. We then test these targeted policies among parents and registered voters.

2028

A federal agenda for children

We publish a focused, consensus-driven, nonpartisan federal policy agenda for children — grounded in what parents asked for and ready to bring to the people who make policy.

Where we work

A national mission. A personal connection.

Same Sky is a national initiative — our goal is a nonpartisan federal policy agenda built on what parents across America say their children need. Georgia and Appalachia are part of that national picture, but they are also something more personal. Many of us on this team are from here: from the coalfields of West Virginia and eastern Kentucky, from communities across Georgia. We know these places not as data points, but as home.

These regional efforts make sure the voices of parents in Appalachia and Georgia are heard in Washington — and they help us build the partnerships and trust that make the national work stronger. Reports from both publish in 2026. Same Sky Georgia →Same Sky Appalachia →

Get involved

This work belongs to all of us.

Whether you're a parent, researcher, policymaker, or community partner — there's a place for you in this effort.

Or email us directly at info@samesky.org

Thank you — we'll be in touch soon.