01 · Children First
End corruption in the family court system
Protect kids. Open the dockets. Hold courts accountable.
Watch — Children First
The argument
Children are too often caught in a system that protects insiders instead of kids. Matt will champion the CHILD Protection Act — Corruption Hiding Inside Legal Dockets — and push federal oversight that ties Title IV-D grant money to states that keep their family courts clean.
The data
Fewer children in MO-02 every year
Children under 15 are declining across MO-02
Children under 15 fell across MO-02's core counties from 2020 to 2025: St. Louis County −5.9% and Jefferson County −5.6%. These are the two MO-02 counties in the St. Louis MSA dataset; the district's three rural counties (Washington, Crawford, Gasconade) are outside this dataset, and MO-02 includes only the western/central part of St. Louis County.
Show data table
| County | 2020 | 2025 | Change | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis County | 182,884 | 172,144 | -10,740 | -5.9% |
| Jefferson County | 43,151 | 40,755 | -2,396 | -5.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2025 Vintage · analysis J.S. Sándoval, SLU
Signature legislation
The CHILD Protection Act of 2027
CHILD stands for Corruption Hiding Inside Legal Dockets. The proposal calls for federal oversight that ties Title IV-D federal grant money to state family-court compliance — using the federal grant program as the lever for accountability. Clean, accountable courts keep the federal check; corrupt ones don't.
Read the one-page brief (PDF) ↓In the news
Coverage of a pending federal lawsuit — allegations, not findings of fact.
Ways to help right now
Your Children First checklist
Lawful, everyday ways to move this fight forward. Check them off as you go — your progress is saved on this device.
Want a step-by-step plan for your area? Make your plan below.
For education and civic engagement only — not legal advice. Paid for by Matt Grant for Congress.
How this lands where you live
See your area’s data on children first
Enter your ZIP to see verified public data for your area, alongside Matt’s documented commitment on this issue. Every figure is sourced; nothing about your local officials or institutions is invented.
Your plan for this issue
Turn Children First into action where you live
Tell us your area and we’ll build a short, practical plan you can act on now — grounded in Matt’s platform, with no fabricated local details.
Take it with you
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Related resources
Nonpartisan help for Missouri — District 2 families connected to this issue.