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Joan Alker

is the Executive Director of the Center for Children and Families and a Research Professor at the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy.

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Joan Alker is the Executive Director and a Co-Founder of the Center for Children and Families (CCF), and a Research Professor at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy. Her work focuses on health coverage for low-income children and families, with an emphasis on Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She is the lead author of a widely cited annual report on the status of children’s coverage. Alker has authored numerous studies and blogs on a range of issues including children’s health, Medicaid waivers, premium assistance, and published in journals such as Health Affairs, NEJM, BJM, and JAMA.

A frequent speaker and commentator, Alker is routinely quoted in major media outlets such as the Washington Post, New York Times, NPR, Wall St Journal, KFF Health News, and Politico.. She holds a Master of Philosophy in politics from St. Antony’s College, Oxford University and a Bachelor of Arts with honors in political science from Bryn Mawr College.

Please contact Cathy Hope (catherine.hope@georgetown.edu) with media queries or to set up an interview with Joan.

Latest

  • Critical Threats to Child and Family Health Intensify in 2026: Here is What We are Watching at CCF

    The policy landscape for child and family health has undergone a dramatic transformation following the passage of H.R. 1, the budget reconciliation bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and related policy changes enacted during the first year of the Trump administration. As we enter the second year of this administration, the Georgetown…

  • CCF Welcomes Longtime Collaborator Steven Lopez to our Team

    We are all looking for some good news in 2026 and we have some to share with you. Steven Lopez, MPP/MPH joined Georgetown University Center for Children and Families as a McCourt School of Public Policy Research Fellow. Steven has been a long-time friend and collaborator of CCF’s from one of his prior gigs at…

  • Proposed Public Charge Rule Could Increase the Number of Uninsured Children by More than 25 Percent

    Georgetown CCF just submitted our comments on the Trump Administration’s proposed rule to lift current rules used to determine whether an immigrant is likely to become a “public charge”. The proposed rule would replace carefully crafted existing regulations with almost unlimited discretion for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers to “use their judgment” to determine…

  • CMS Guidance on Medicaid Work Requirements Leaves States Hanging

    CMS released preliminary guidance on H.R. 1’s mandatory Medicaid work requirements on December 8.  The much-anticipated guidance fell far short of answering all the questions states need answered, but it did acknowledge that implementing the Medicaid work reporting requirements mandated by the One Big Beautiful Bill (H.R. 1) will be a “serious undertaking for states…

  • Florida Leaders Have Failed to Implement Bipartisan Plan Approved Over 2 Years Ago to Help Families Afford Health Insurance for Their Children

    Florida’s children are more likely to go without health insurance than children in most other states. In a rare display of bipartisan unity, the Florida Legislature recognized the need to address the high cost of health insurance for families with children and took action by unanimously approving a bill to expand the state’s Healthy Kids…