# Digital Childhood Alliance — Team, Formation & Organizational Analysis

**Research Date:** 2026-03-12
**Data Sources:** DCA website (via Wayback), Idealist, Institute for Family Studies, American Fork Citizen, Deseret News, Substack investigative reporting, DOJ.gov

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## Executive Summary

DCA was publicly announced in **February 2025** as a coalition of "50+ conservative child advocacy groups" promoting the App Store Accountability Act. Its domain was registered on **December 18, 2024** — two months before the public launch. The organization is a 501(c)(4) based in Washington, DC, led by individuals from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), the DOJ Antitrust Division, and a Utah parent activist. **Meta's funding was confirmed by Bloomberg and partially admitted by DCA's Executive Director under legislative questioning.** The organization has never filed a Form 990 (first filing expected ~May 2026).

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## 1. Organizational Details

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **Legal Name** | Digital Childhood Alliance (Inc.?) |
| **Tax Status** | 501(c)(4) — contributions not tax-deductible |
| **Location** | Washington, DC, USA |
| **Email** | info@digitalchildhoodalliance.org |
| **Website** | digitalchildhoodalliance.org |
| **Domain Registered** | 2024-12-18 (GoDaddy, privacy-protected) |
| **First Web Archive** | 2024-12-19 |
| **Public Launch** | ~February 28, 2025 (IFS article) |
| **EIN** | Not yet publicly available |
| **Form 990** | None filed — first due ~May 2026 |
| **Idealist Profile** | Active, Washington DC |

### Incorporation Status — UNRESOLVED
Per prior research (dca_corporate_registry_findings.md), DCA has **no incorporation record found** in Colorado, DC, or other searched states. The organization may:
- Operate as a **fiscal sponsorship** under another 501(c)(4)
- Be incorporated in an unsearched state (Delaware, Wyoming, Virginia)
- Have incorporated too recently to appear in databases

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## 2. Leadership & Staff

### Casey Stefanski — Executive Director
| Field | Detail |
|-------|--------|
| Prior Role | Senior Director of Global Partnerships and Events, **NCOSE** |
| Tenure at NCOSE | ~10 years |
| Key Achievement | Built coalition of 600+ organizations at NCOSE |
| Notable Incident | LA Senate Finance Committee testimony — refused to name tech company funders, eventually admitted receiving tech company funding |

### Dawn Hawkins — Chair
| Field | Detail |
|-------|--------|
| Current Role | CEO, **National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)** |
| Description | "Nationally recognized leader in child protection and digital safety" |
| Connection | Dual role — leads NCOSE while serving as DCA Chair |

### Melissa McKay — Chair / Board President
| Field | Detail |
|-------|--------|
| Role | President and Chair of the Board, DCI (Digital Childhood Institute) |
| Background | American Fork, Utah mother of five |
| Origin Story | Became concerned in 2017 when a young relative was exposed to harmful content at school |
| Timeline | 2018: pushed tech education bills; 2019: #FixAppRatings; 2021: #Default2Safety |
| 2023 | Co-authored ASAA policy paper with Institute for Family Studies and Ethics & Public Policy Center |
| Key Partners | Dawn Hawkins (NCOSE), Chris McKenna (Protect Young Eyes) |

### John Read — Senior Policy Advisor
| Field | Detail |
|-------|--------|
| Prior Role | **U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division** — 30 years |
| Specialty | Investigated app stores and Big Tech |
| Current Role | Leads DCA's legal strategy and policy development |
| DOJ Record | Declaration of John R. Read found in DOJ antitrust case documents |
| LinkedIn | linkedin.com/in/john-read-69518a6 |

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## 3. Formation Timeline

| Date | Event |
|------|-------|
| 2017 | Melissa McKay begins advocacy after child exposed to harmful content |
| 2018 | McKay pushes tech education bills in Utah |
| 2019 | #FixAppRatings movement launched |
| 2021 | #Default2Safety movement launched |
| 2023 | ASAA policy paper written with IFS and EPPC |
| **2024-12-18** | **digitalchildhoodalliance.org domain registered** |
| **2024-12-19** | **First Wayback Machine snapshot — site fully operational** |
| **~Feb 28, 2025** | **Public announcement: "50+ conservative groups form Digital Childhood Alliance"** |
| **Mar 5, 2025** | Utah SB-142 (ASAA) signed by Gov. Cox — first state to pass |
| Apr 2025 | LA HB-570 Senate Finance Committee hearing — Stefanski questioned about funding |
| May 2025 | Federal ASAA bill introduced by Sen. Mike Lee |
| Jun 30, 2025 | Louisiana HB-570 signed by Gov. Landry |
| Jul 2025 | Texas ASAA signed, Bloomberg exposes Meta funding |
| Dec 7, 2025 | Deseret News op-ed by Brian Lenney exposes Meta manipulation |

---

## 4. Coalition Members

Per IFS article and DCA press releases, the coalition includes "50+ child advocacy groups":

**Confirmed member organizations:**
- National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
- The Heritage Foundation
- Institute for Family Studies
- Ethics and Public Policy Center
- Protect Young Eyes
- Moms for Liberty
- 45+ additional organizations (not individually listed in sources)

**DCA's Idealist profile focus areas:** Children & Youth, Consumer Protection, Family, Policy, Science & Technology

---

## 5. Funding — What Is Known

### Confirmed
- **Meta funds DCA** — confirmed by Bloomberg reporters, admitted under oath by Casey Stefanski (partially)
- Meta spent **$24 million on lobbying in 2024** (OpenSecrets)
- Meta deployed **12 lobbyists in Louisiana** for HB-570 alone
- Meta has hired lobbying firms in **45 of 50 states**
- Meta spent **$26.29 million lobbying in 2025** — all-time record
- DCA operates as 501(c)(4) — **no legal obligation to disclose donors**

### DCA's Stated Position (per FAQ — Cloudflare-blocked but referenced in reporting)
DCA reportedly acknowledges receiving tech company funding on its FAQ page but does not name which companies.

### Funding Exposure Timeline
1. **Apr 2025**: Sen. Jay Morris (R-LA) directly questioned Stefanski about tech funding at Senate Finance Committee hearing
2. **Apr 2025**: Stefanski "squirmed, deflected and claimed she 'didn't feel comfortable' answering" (Deseret News)
3. **Apr 2025**: When pressed for yes/no, Stefanski admitted receiving tech company funding but refused to name companies
4. **Jul 2025**: Bloomberg reporters exposed Meta as DCA funder
5. **Dec 2025**: Brian Lenney op-ed in Deseret News detailed the Meta connection

### Additional Coordination Mentioned
Per Substack reporting, DCA engagement involved coordination with:
- **DCI Group** — lobbying/PR firm
- **Hilltop Public Strategies** — messaging coordination

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## 6. NCOSE — DCA's Institutional Backbone

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation provides DCA's institutional DNA:
- **CEO Dawn Hawkins** chairs DCA
- **Casey Stefanski** spent 10 years at NCOSE before becoming DCA Executive Director
- NCOSE's **Eleanor Gaetan, Ph.D.** (VP Public Policy) appears as a DCA testimonial on the website

This suggests NCOSE is the primary organizational parent of DCA, with Meta funding enabling the creation of a new 501(c)(4) entity specifically for the App Store Accountability Act campaign.

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## 7. Strategic Analysis

### Meta's Incentive Structure
The ASAA framework shifts age verification responsibility from **social media platforms** (Meta's products) to **app stores** (Apple and Google's products). If ASAA becomes federal law:
- Apple and Google must implement age verification before app downloads
- Meta's apps (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads) are exempted from direct compliance
- Parents blame app stores, not Meta, for children's access to harmful content

### Conservative Coalition Strategy
By partnering with conservative organizations (Heritage Foundation, Moms for Liberty, NCOSE), Meta:
- Gains bipartisan credibility on child safety
- Leverages organizations whose members would typically oppose Big Tech
- Creates a "grassroots" appearance through parent activism (McKay)
- Uses the 501(c)(4) structure to hide its financial role

### DCA's DOJ Antitrust Connection
John Read's 30 years at DOJ Antitrust Division investigating app stores provides DCA with:
- Insider knowledge of antitrust arguments against Apple/Google
- Credibility with legislators and regulators
- Understanding of legal vulnerabilities in Apple/Google's app store practices

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## Sources

- Deseret News Op-Ed: https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2025/12/07/child-safety-bill-backed-by-meta/
- IFS Article: https://ifstudies.org/in-the-news/over-50-conservative-groups-form-digital-childhood-alliance-to-push-for-child-safety-online
- American Fork Citizen: https://afcitizen.com/2025/04/10/local-mother-leads-legislation-to-protect-children-online/
- DCA on Idealist: https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit/5310a13d20e94a97b722d21365e497ce-digital-childhood-alliance-washington
- DOJ Antitrust (John Read): https://www.justice.gov/atr/case-document/declaration-john-r-read
- Jessica Reed Kraus Substack: https://jessicareedkraus.substack.com/p/how-meta-funded-mom-groups-teach
- DCA Website: https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/
- DCA Stefanski Profile: https://www.digitalchildhoodalliance.org/meet-digital-childhood-alliance-executive-director-casey-stefanski/