ST. PAUL, Minn. – There's good news and bad in newly released data about the supply of good quality child care.

The bad news is 26 percent of Minnesotans live in so-called child care deserts, without sufficient care for the families who need it.

The good news is that Minnesota ranks better than most states.

Study co-author Rasheed Malik, an analyst with the Center for American Progress, says the data show slightly more than half of Americans don't have access to high quality, affordable child care where they live.

"Latino and Native American populations are much more likely to live in child care deserts,” he states. “And if you look at the lower income parts of rural America, those are actually the places that are most likely to show up as child care deserts."

The study says access to child care is much like infrastructure – essential to the economy, and worth more federal investment.

A similar study last year showed 75 percent of Minnesotans lived in a child care desert. But this year's study included licensed family providers, of which there are 10,000 in Minnesota.

The State Legislature has funded pilot programs that attempt to address the problem, especially in rural Minnesota.

Cisa Keller, senior vice president for early childhood quality development at nonprofit group Think Small, says foundations, businesses and academics are trying different strategies, including forgivable loans and leaning on employers.

"We don't have a one size fits all model, and shouldn't, that doesn't work well in Minnesota,” she states. “But you really need to get in at the local level, figure out what the needs are and what the opportunities are, and that everyone has a place in which to support that."

Keller says child care deserts are real, and gathering more data about them is helpful.

She agrees that child care ought to be affordable, accessible and devoted to preparing young children for success in school and life.

"Pretty much everybody is touched in some way, shape or form by child care,” Keller states. “We know that child care is an essential part of Minnesota's economy. And so, with the prevalence of child care deserts, we have parts of Minnesota that are not able to reach their full economic potential because of the lack of child care.”

The study found that in child care deserts, families are likely to face waiting lists, make unlicensed child care arrangements or decide not to have a parent work full-time.



Reach Malik at 202-481-8118; Keller at 651-641-0305. Report: https://childcaredeserts.org/.




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Everybody loves to get something free and right now, kids aged 12-17 can get a fishing and hunting license at no cost from the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

The license is good for one year and normally sells for $15.

Bobby Jones, outdoor connection coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, said the free licenses are funded by donations to the Nevada Youth License Fund.

"This is actually the third year that the program's been active," Jones explained. "We keep it open as much as possible. We're just limited by the amount of donations that we have. Right now, we have almost 2,000 available and they go fast."

Youth can get a free license on the Nevada Department of Wildlife website or wherever the licenses are sold. Children under age 12 do not need a fishing license. The state said almost two-thirds of the kids who have taken advantage of the program in the past have never had a hunting or fishing license before.

Jones emphasized the program is designed to tempt kids to leave the digital world behind for a short time and enjoy some time outdoors. It could lead them to even consider a nature-based career like wildlife biology, forest management or outdoor education.

"Essentially what we're up against is a lot of kids are engaged in their phones and social media, TV," Jones pointed out. "They're constantly bombarded with things. We're trying to make it a little bit easier for them to enjoy the outdoors."

Some of the most popular fishing spots include Lahontan in the Fallon area, Wild Horse and South Fork in Eastern Nevada, and Lake Mead down south.


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The University of Nebraska is addressing a shortage of lawyers who represent the state's most vulnerable children, especially in rural areas.

The attorneys are being equipped to work with kids who have suffered through physical, emotional, or financial trauma - and are often living in poverty.

Of Nebraska's 5,500 licensed attorneys, only 7% of them practice in rural areas.

Michelle Paxton, director of the Nebraska Children's Justice and Legal Advocacy Center, said two thirds of child neglect and abuse cases originate outside the Lincoln and Omaha metro areas, in what she calls "rural legal deserts."

"We have twelve counties in Nebraska with zero attorneys living in those counties," said Paxton. "We have 22 with less than three."

Paxton said that there are too few qualified rural child justice attorneys, which means lawyers may drive hundreds of miles for juvenile cases, creating delays and court backlogs.

The University of Nebraska program will add lawyers trained to handle issues unique to children in low-income families.

Attorneys who work on juvenile court cases are getting the tailored knowledge they need, but Paxton added that the program is also creating an opportunity for those attorneys to network and get support from other lawyers in the field - who are often isolated.

"And so they don't often have another attorney doing this type of work that they can rely on for support and mentorship," said Paxton, "and our program provides that support and mentorship so that they are not only willing to continue working in juvenile court, increase their hours in juvenile court and increase their commitment. "

The advocacy center will also develop a case-tracking tool, enabling people to find an attorney online.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.



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Statistics show one in five children in Texas struggles with hunger.

Approximately 10,000 students a day are getting a nutritious meal through the Summer Food Service Program offered by the Houston Food Bank. The meals are distributed across the food bank's 18-county region.

Jourdan Stansberry, senior manager of education programs for Houston Food Bank, said they partner with summer camps, churches and other nonprofit organizations to serve the students. She added anyone who is not near a meal site can take advantage of their non-congregate option.

"Sites that are considered rural by the Texas Department of Agriculture," Stansberry explained. "It's a grab-and-go model where families can pick up the meals, It's like a five-day bundle of frozen meals, breakfast and snacks, so 10 meals all together. They're able to pick it up and take it home."

Locations of the meal sites in the Houston area and across Texas are available at the Department of Agriculture's Summer Meal Site Map. The meals are available to anyone 18 years old or younger or students with a disability, up to 21 years old.

The meals are distributed at more than 250 sites around the Houston area. Students do not have to register to take advantage of the meals. Stansbury emphasized it is a great way to ensure kids have access to fresh fruits and vegetables during the summer. She added the menus consist of more than just a sandwich and chips.

"One thing that I know has been pretty popular is our orange chicken with rice, and we also have broccoli, vegetable-medley side that goes along with that. We saw also chicken tikka masala," Stansbury outlined. "We try to expose them to different meals, not only healthwise but also culturally."

The Houston Food Bank expects to distribute around 800,000 meals this summer. The meal program runs through Aug. 8.


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