Unequal beginnings: about this Guardian series | US news

This series is supported, in part, through philanthropic funding to theguardian.org, a US-based foundation that partners with the Guardian on independent editorial projects. Support for this project comes from the Foundation for Child Development.

All of the journalism is editorially independent, commissioned and produced by our Guardian journalists. You can read more about content funding on the Guardian here. A full list of philanthropically supported editorial projects can be found here.

All our journalism follows GNM’s published editorial code. The Guardian is committed to open journalism, recognising that the best understanding of the world is achieved when we collaborate, share knowledge, encourage debate, welcome challenges, and harness the expertise of specialists and their communities.

The only restriction to the Guardian’s coverage is where charitable foundations are prohibited under US law from directly funding or earmarking funds to: (a) conduct lobbying or otherwise attempt to influence legislation; (b) influence the outcome of any specific public election or carry on any voter registration drive; or (c) to undertake activity for any purpose other than charitable, scientific, or educational, within the meaning of Internal Revenue code section 170(c)(2)(B).

This means any communications to the public in which a view is expressed about a specific legislative proposal, and the recipients of the communications are urged through a “call to action” to contact government officials, must provide a reasoned, objective consideration of facts and issues in a full and fair manner that enables third parties to develop their own positions on any legislation that may be discussed.

Unless otherwise stated, all statements and materials, including any statements regarding specific legislation, reflect the views of the individual contributors and not those of the Foundation for Child Development, theguardian.org, or the Guardian.