BOISE, Idaho -- The latest COVID-19 relief package makes massive investments in child well-being.

The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan makes investments, including $250 million in community-based child abuse prevention programs, with about $1 million coming to Idaho.

Jim McKay, policy director for the Children's Trust Fund Alliance, said the programs provide resources for families, helping to prevent abuse and neglect, and it's been a long time coming.

"We have not seen funding levels that are included in this bill for the community-based child abuse prevention programs in the entire history of that program, which is over 30 years old," McKay observed.

McKay, who is speaking at an Idaho-based conference on child abuse prevention this week, said the bill also invests in other provisions that prevent abuse and neglect, including $24 billion to stabilize the child-care industry and $15 billion in child-care subsidies.

The bill puts money in a broader prevention method with relief from economic stress, through the latest round of stimulus checks and increases to the child tax credit.

McKay contended the funding helps stabilize families.

"Providing that economic security is estimated to lift thousands and thousands of families out of poverty and could cut our child poverty rate in half as a nation," McKay asserted. "So those achievements are just so critical in our fight against child abuse."

Usually held in Boise, the Strengthening Families Training Institute is meeting virtually this year.

Tuesday, McKay will talk about advocating for family-friendly policies.

"How families, individuals, advocates can lift up their voices based on their experiences," McKay explained. "What's happening in their communities, what's happening in their lives, the challenges they're facing and how they can share those ideas and solutions with policymakers, other decision makers."

The conference starts today and runs through Wednesday. This year, the theme is "Becoming Mandated Supporters: Creating a 21st century child well-being system."


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Children in Missouri are facing unprecedented levels of anxiety and depression - that's according to the 2022 Kids Count Data Book, released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The report finds mental health is a concern across the country, as kids felt the pressures from COVID-19. Nationally, nearly 12% of children had anxiety or depression, while in Missouri it was about 11%.

Tracy Greever-Rice is with Missouri Family and Community Trust, part of the Kids Count network. She said it's crucial that kids have access to mental-health care.

"In metropolitan areas we have clusters of mental and behavioral health professionals," said Greever-Rice. "But in more rural areas access becomes more of a challenge and becomes impacted by non-clinical things like transportation."

She added that affordable health-coverage options, either through private insurance or Medicaid, also is key to ensuring access to care. About 6% of Missouri kids lack health insurance, according to the report.

Missouri showed improvement in all of the report's economic indicators, including a lower child poverty rate than the national average.

Leslie Boissiere - vice president for external affairs with the Casey Foundation - said the federal government has offered supports, such as additional food assistance during the pandemic, but notes that help is likely to expire soon.

"It's incredibly important that decisionmakers seize the opportunity and the lessons learned during the COVID-19 period," said Boissiere, "when more resources were provided to families. So that we can make sure that every child has their basic needs met and that the overall well-being of children increases."

Sore spots for Missouri in the Kids Count data include fourth-grade reading proficiency and eighth-grade math proficiency, as well as the percentage of low-birth weight babies, and youths who are overweight or obese.

Greever-Rice said these are areas where good short-term and long-term policies can make a big difference in kids' lives as they mature into adulthood.

"Attentiveness to these issues will make a big difference and prevention is not just good for individuals," said Greever-Rice, "but also more efficient and a less expensive of a way to do public policy. "

Missouri ranks 27th overall for child well-being.

Despite numerous challenges, eastern Kentucky schools and advocacy groups are working to make the upcoming school year as normal as possible and get kids back into the classroom.

Alissa Taylor, Kentucky state director for Save the Children, said school districts in the region have delayed the start of the academic year, and are working to approve a new start date. She explained schools are the focal point of many counties in eastern Kentucky, and with some buildings destroyed, community hubs have disappeared, too.

She pointed out her staff is working to ensure teachers have supplies.

"And not only the structural rebuilds of schools and classrooms," Taylor stressed. "But all of the materials that have accumulated over the years and teachers have poured their hard-earned money into to make a fun and engaging environment for kids."

The flooding has killed at least 37 people. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are expected to visit communities in the region today, along with Gov. Andy Beshear.

Greta Wetzel, team leader of the Eastern Kentucky flood response for Save the Children, noted disasters can erode children's sense of security, and negatively affect their behavioral health and ability to learn.

"We know that this is going to have an emotional impact on children," Wetzel emphasized. "We want to ensure that we are there to help support them. With all of their mental-health needs, as they are rebuilding and returning to learning."

Taylor added given the lack of basic infrastructure in some regions, local school districts will coordinate to place children in nearby schools.

"The water infrastructure and power grid, those are going to take a very long time to repair," Taylor acknowledged. "We're looking at families going months possibly without a water source at their home, roads being rebuilt, it's just going to take a very long time to get these communities back on track. "

Save the Children has set up the Eastern Kentucky Flood Crisis Fund for donations to help deliver water, hygiene kits, diapers and other essential supplies to residents.

Children's advocacy groups are sounding the alarm about the well-being of Ohio's kids.

The 2022 Kids Count Data Book released today highlights some troubling trends in how Ohio children are faring in their lives, including a 45% increase in chronic absenteeism between 2019 and 2021. And nationally, more than one-in-nine children experienced anxiety, depression or both.

Research Manager with the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio Kim Eckhart said absenteeism and mental health challenges are interconnected.

"If a young person is having symptoms of anxiety and depression, it's much more difficult for them to participate in academic activities," said Eckhart. "And other basic needs really have to be met in order for children to succeed. That's very clear when we see chronic absenteeism so high."

The report ranks Ohio 28th for education, with an increase in three- and four-year-old children not in preschool, and nearly one-in-five high schoolers not graduating on time.

However, Ohio showed improvement in all four economic indicators, including a slight drop in the number of kids living in poverty and those whose parents lack secure employment.

Leslie Boissiere - vice president for external affairs with the Casey Foundation - explained that kids who grow up in poverty or without having their basic needs met experience more stress.

"There's a direct correlation between trauma and stress and poverty," said Boissiere. "We know that the financial hardships that families experience - lack of access to basic needs, like nutrition and health care - has a direct impact on the well-being of kids."

Eckhart said the findings underscore the crucial need to expand access to mental health services for children. She explained that Ohio still has nearly $2 billion in unallocated federal COVID relief funds, and the state's revenue surplus is about 11% higher than initial estimates.

"There's money and resources available at the state level to provide things like school-based health centers," said Eckhart, "where you can have the types of student-to-counselor ratios needed so that all children have access to those types of services."

The report ranks Ohio 31st overall among states for child well-being.