It's been about a year since Virginia families last received funds from the U.S. Child Tax Credit, and they want it to be reinstated.
According to a study from Columbia University, the Child Tax Credit kept more than 3.7 million children out of poverty in December 2021. The study also found that in January of this year, the child poverty rate could increase from 12.1% to about 17.1%.
Virginia kindergarten teacher and member of the Fairfax County Federation of Teachers Melissa Keebaugh said she has felt the effects first hand, and seen them at her school. She said reinstating the Child Tax Credit would have numerous benefits for kids and families.
"I think that we would see a lot more of our children without having food instability," said Keebaugh. "That would give them access to better housing, to safer housing. I'm sure that there would be a benefit then to the schools because they would be able to put more money into that."
Keebaugh's personal benefit from the Child Tax Credit was being able to afford after-school care for her daughter.
Initially, when the Child Tax Credit first came about, she said she was uncertain about it, but said she sees its importance for families trying to make ends meet.
According to the Coalition on Human Needs, there was a 31% increase from 2021 to 2022 in the number of households with children reporting they didn't always have enough to eat.
In her work as a Kindergarten teacher, Keebaugh said she finds that families are struggling with food insecurity.
Herndon Elementary School, where she works, has a program that provides families with bags of easy-to-prepare food over the weekend. Since the Child Tax Credit ended, she noted that the program's needs have increased.
"Since the child tax credit has basically disappeared, our numbers for requests have doubled," said Keebaugh. "And, actually, right now, we have a waiting list for our students needing those food resources."
With rising inflation and high prices, Keebaugh said things have only gotten harder. She said she finds being able to do things with her family is not as affordable as it used to be.
get more stories like this via email
Legislation in Olympia would make school meals free for every student.
Senate Bill 5352 would ensure every student has access to free breakfast and lunch starting in the 2026 school year. Washington state has already made strides in this effort, with 70% of students having access to free meals.
Sen. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, said 70% is a "C-minus" grade and he wants schools to be an "A-plus" on the issue.
"We know they'll learn and they can grow and play, and they'll do it in a healthy way," Riccelli explained. "And, by the way, there will be less disruptions in the classroom. We don't have lunch shaming that goes on, and also there's a significant reduction in administrative burden when every kid has access to universal meals."
Riccelli pointed out school meals for all is essentially a tax cut for working families, noting the student of a single mother making $19 an hour currently does not qualify for free school meals. Organizations such as the American Heart Association are supporting the measure. Critics said the program is too costly, especially while the state faces a budget crunch.
Hannah LaMont, a fifth grade teacher in the Edmonds School District, said students cannot focus when they're hungry. LaMont noted this is the first year all students in her class have received free meals.
"This is also the first year that I haven't heard a student say, 'No, I'm not going to eat lunch today because I don't have money in my account and my parents can't afford to,'" LaMont recounted. "This is the first year that I haven't given a student my own lunch to make sure that they have eaten, or had to keep snacks in my classroom to make sure that my students are fed."
Riccelli argued while the state is dealing with a tight budget, it still needs to make investments in schools. He stressed he is tired of hearing about test scores and graduation rates while kids are hungry at school.
"It's just not attainable for a lot of kids," Riccelli contended. "They're going to be sicker, they're going to be distracted if they don't have appropriate nutrition, and that seems like a basic need and we need to be about first meeting the basic needs of our kids in school."
get more stories like this via email
The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services are working together to find homes for foster-care children who are at risk of aging out of the system.
The collaboration recently facilitated its 500th adoption. Megan Ranson, interim CEO of the TACFS, said the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program focuses on helping children who have been waiting the longest.
"We help identify community-based organizations throughout the state of Texas that then hire Wendy's Wonderful Kids recruiters," said Ranson. "And the model itself focuses on older children, teens, sibling groups, and children with special needs."
Recruiters are working in seven of Texas' 11 regions that manage its foster-care adoption process.
Adrian and Shane Potter adopted their three children through the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program. Adrian Potter said the recruiters played a huge role in making the process run smoothly.
"Checking in on them constantly," said Potter. "Our kiddos knew them by their first name. They knew their interests they helped us get them in contact with therapists. Just lots of different people - just to kind of keep the kids happy and successful."
Ransom said having a family or support system is crucial for the success of all children when they enter adulthood.
"Anyone who has children knows that your child is not fully grown, and isn't going to just fly the coop and never come back once they're 18," said Ranson. "So, there's a whole host of issues they may encounter, aging out and not having a supportive or loving home to come back to."
get more stories like this via email
As Alabama's legislative session kicks off, one advocacy group is calling for urgent action to protect children's health and safety.
VOICES for Alabama's Children has outlined 10 key policy priorities for 2025, with a focus on reducing preventable deaths and expanding access to health care. The group's data show more children are losing their lives to car accidents and firearms.
Apreill Hartsfield, policy and data analyst and director of Alabama Kids Count for Voices for Alabama Children, said lawmakers could strengthen child passenger safety laws and implement firearm safety measures to help save lives.
"Hopefully, a child does not come across a firearm but if they do, that there are devices on those firearms that will keep them from being accidentally discharged," Hartsfield urged. "Because this is a reason why children in our state are dying."
Lawmakers have already prefiled about a dozen firearm-related bills. Among them is House Bill 26, which would ban pistols modified to function as machine guns, and House Bill 103, which would require secure firearm storage, making it a crime if a minor gains access due to negligence, with some exceptions.
Hartsfield thinks expanding health care access should also be at the top of lawmakers' agenda. While most Alabama children are covered by Medicaid or ALL Kids, nearly 200,000 working adults remain uninsured, creating challenges for families trying to stay healthy. She stressed when parents have health coverage, their children also reap the benefits.
"The children are more likely to be covered by insurance and are more likely to get regular medical care, to do those 'well baby checks' and just to try to stay ahead of any kind of illness, or any kind of developmental delay," Hartsfield explained.
She added other priorities include expanding mental health services, strengthening tobacco and vaping laws to reduce underage use, and increasing funding for nutrition programs like Summer EBT. The group also wants to see stronger data-driven juvenile justice reforms and updates to the state's public school funding formula to better meet students' needs.
get more stories like this via email