Congress is running out of time to fully fund a program that provides food and health support for breastfeeding moms, and kids up to age five.

Greta Allen, policy director with the Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger, said if Congress does not address a $1 billion shortfall for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children - known as WIC - over two million families will lose critical support, including 25,000 new or expecting parents and kids in Colorado.

"WIC serves almost half of all infants born in the United States," said Allen. "The program provides nutritious foods, referrals to health care, information on healthy eating, and really is a lifeline for low-income new families."

Current funding for WIC is set to expire on January 19 unless Congress acts.

House Republicans have proposed cutting WIC benefits in a U.S. Department of Agriculture spending bill to try to reign in what they see as runaway government spending.

The move comes after Congress, under threat of defaulting on the nation's loans, negotiated new work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients - SNAP, the program formerly known as food stamps.

WIC helps families buy infant formula, baby food, fruits, vegetables, and other approved, nutritious foods.

Allen noted that every dollar invested in WIC creates significant savings in healthcare costs by preventing low birth weights and improving child health outcomes.

She added that access to healthy food as an infant improves a child's ability to succeed in school and become a financially independent adult.

"WIC is actually celebrating its 50th anniversary as a program, and this is the first time in its history that we are not seeing bipartisan support," said Allen. "It's just unacceptable that this investment is in question, because we are talking about women, infants and children."

Nearly 92,000 Colorado families participated in WIC last year, and Allen said more than $35 million WIC dollars were reinvested back into Colorado communities.

She added if Congress doesn't fully fund the program, some families will be affected more than others.

"It will have a disproportionate impact on Black and Hispanic families," said Allen. "This is because we know that families of color are more likely to qualify for assistance, due to the ongoing and systemic economic hardships and barriers that they experience."

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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