RICHMOND, Va. - As the number of coronavirus deaths surpasses 300,000 in the United States, new research shows families with children are suffering from the unprecedented turmoil and economic crisis set off by the pandemic.

According to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the pandemic has uncovered alarming trends in meeting basic needs.

Lauren Snelling, research director for the group Voices for Virginia's Children, said the report finds Virginia's communities of color are especially struggling with food insecurity, mental health and unemployment.

"For Virginia families, there's about 13% that said they often did not have enough to eat - but for Black families, that rate is nearly double," she said. "When we look at employment losses, 46% of Virginia families have lost some sort of employment income, but the rate is almost 60% for Black families."

The report also found 21% of all Americans reported feeling "down, depressed or hopeless" in recent weeks. In Virginia, that number is 19%, indicating a widespread need for access to mental-health care.

Snelling said 16% of Virginians described themselves as having "little or no confidence" that they can make their next rent or mortgage payment. That's near the national average of 18%. However, she noted that the Commonwealth, especially the Richmond area, is known for its high eviction rates.

"We know that some localities in Virginia have some of the highest eviction rates in the nation," she said, "and this is really due to redlining and other discriminatory practices, and systematic racism that led to a higher concentration of poverty and wealth gaps for many communities of color. So, it's all interconnected."

With Congress still negotiating a stimulus deal, Leslie Boissiere, vice president for external affairs at the Casey Foundation, said policymakers need to prioritize the COVID-19 response to ensure children have what they need to survive and thrive.

"We have to start with those programs that work and that have a proven track record," she said, "and do the things that are required to provide for the basic needs of kids in this crisis."

The report recommended pushing for more federal support for programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

During this week's presidential debate, Vice President Kamala Harris proposed reviving the Child Tax Credit, which was part of the American Rescue Plan Act.

Harris says she'd raise the credit to $6,000 for newborns, renewing focus on its impact for Ohio families. However, the U.S. Senate recently rejected House Resolution 7024, which aimed to expand the Child Tax Credit.

Analysts have said the proposal could have lifted 400,000 children out of poverty, including thousands in Ohio.

Lauren Reliford, public policy director for the Children's Defense Fund, cited a "lack of political will" as the main barrier to expanding the credit.

"But at this point, childhood poverty is a policy choice," she said. "The folks that have the power to do it know and have seen the evidence - and they haven't done it."

A Child Tax Credit expansion initially passed in the House with bipartisan support, including all but one Ohio representative. However, critics of the expansion have voiced concerns about the cost to taxpayers and potential misuse. These factors contributed to its rejection in the Senate, despite widespread support from family advocacy groups.

Reliford also pointed to the broader impacts of poverty on children and the long-term consequences of inaction.

"Poverty is a toxic stress," she said. "Children see their parents being stressed, and they take that on, too. And so, why are we allowing these children to grow up in spaces and places without the necessary resources they need?"

The Child Tax Credit has been credited with significantly reducing childhood poverty during the pandemic, but its future remains uncertain as the debate continues in Washington.

A national program to connect children and families with the outdoors is at risk of ending without help from Congress.

The Every Kid Outdoors program provides fourth graders and their families the opportunity to appreciate nature and wildlife without breaking the bank.

Julia Hurwit, Outdoors Alliance for Kids campaign manager for the Sierra Club, said the program encourages children to seek out an active and healthy outdoor lifestyle, leading to a sustained relationship with the natural world by offering a free, one-year pass.

"This includes things like national parks, national historical sites, national marine sanctuaries," Hurwit outlined. "This pass begins on September first every year for the current class of fourth graders and gives them access to those places."

This month and continuing through Oct. 5, the Outdoor Alliance for Kids is organizing a range of events and actions to spread awareness and advocate for Congress to pass the Every Kid Outdoors Reauthorization Act. It would secure $25 million in permanent funding and extend the program to fifth graders.

The Sierra Club believes the wellness of current and future generations, the economy and the health of communities and the planet depend on people having a personal, direct and lifelong relationship with nature.

Hurwit added it helps if kids are introduced to the great outdoors early in life.

"Every year, it's about 200,000 fourth graders who are able to access this pass," Hurwit pointed out. "You can get a voucher for free online, and then you turn it into a physical parks pass in certain locations across the country, including most national parks and federal lands."

She noted much of the Sierra Club's belief in the importance of the Outdoor Alliance program is based on studies.

"When a kid goes to a national park or goes to public lands for the first time with their own family and with multi generations, it really encourages them to continue going because they're seeing someone they really look up to," Hurwit explained.

Iowa has released an interactive website to help parents find real-time child care options for their kids.

Iowa Child Care Connect, which the state has nicknamed "C3," uses crowdsourcing technology, helping people use up-to-the-minute data to find child care where and when they need it.

Sheila Hansen, senior policy advocate for the nonprofit Common Good Iowa, said C3 is a vast improvement over what the state had before.

"It was kind of clunky and it wasn't really very fast," Hansen recounted. "Hopefully this will be a vast improvement upon that and families will be able to just go in there and immediately find openings in their area."

The site also offers information on subsidies the providers accept along with current real-time openings and quality ratings. Hansen argued the state should focus on improving pay and working conditions for child care workers.

She acknowledged while the technology is a step forward, Common Good Iowa and other advocates said the state does not need more brick-and-mortar child care centers. It needs more staff, which has been the real challenge.

"That's because they're just unable to find the people who want to work in child care because the pay is so low or the benefits aren't there," Hansen explained.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services requires child care providers to complete various training requirements and update their certification every two years.


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