Every state has been screening newborns for several decades, usually performing a heel-prick blood test, a hearing test and a heart check.

Several disorders diagnosed through newborn screenings can be treated and their effects significantly reduced when caught early.

Sen. Ben Hansen, R-Blair, said Nebraska is one of only three states without a provision for parents to "opt out" of newborn screening for religious or other reasons. His bill, Legislative Bill 1060, would change that.

Hansen noted constituents brought this issue to his attention, pointing out refusing the screenings can result in a lawsuit, lack of a birth certificate and even the possibility of the state taking a child away.

"That kind of philosophically goes against my idea of a parent's liberty to either object or accept doing a test such as this," Hansen explained.

In 2008, Nebraska's Department of Health and Human Services temporarily removed a child from parents who refused the newborn screening based on their religious beliefs. The case reached the Nebraska Supreme Court, which determined the state's mandated screenings do not violate the free exercise of religion provisions in the Nebraska Constitution. The court noted the screenings test for conditions which, untreated, "can lead to mental disabilities, loss of hearing, loss of vision, irreversible brain damage, or death."

Hansen stressed his bill only leads to a change in the state's newborn screening protocol if the parents or guardians specifically request it.

"Only if the parent actually engages with the hospital or the doctor and says, 'Hey, look, I do not want this test on my child,'" Hansen emphasized. "It's not like when you go to the hospital to have a baby, the doctor says, 'OK, so do you want to have this test done?' They don't even ask that question; it's just done."

Julie Luedtke managed Nebraska's Newborn Screening Program for 24 years before retiring. She is concerned about treatable disorders being missed if parents opt out of newborn screenings.

"Every year, just in Nebraska, somewhere between 50 and 60 babies with one of these clinically significant diseases gets identified, and gets into treatment, and has these terrible things prevented," Luedtke stressed.

When she managed the screening program, Luedtke surveyed her peers in states with an "opt out" provision, asking whether any babies whose parents opted out of the screenings were later found to have disorders. She noted there were a number of them, including a baby who died at eight days of age from galactosemia, the inability to process the sugar galactose present in breast milk, cow's milk and other dairy products.

"She's feeding her baby, not knowing that's basically killing the baby," Luedtke recounted. "If they'd done the screen and gotten the results back, they'd know to get that baby changed right away and onto a soy formula, and the baby would have been fine. Sadly, that baby died."

The measure had its first hearing on Jan. 31 in the Health and Human Services Committee. As yet, no further action has been taken.


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With state lawmakers back in Boise, changes could be coming to Medicaid.

Voters approved Medicaid expansion in 2018, but Republican legislators have consistently said the program is too costly for Idaho. Some are considering repealing the expanded program. However, such radical changes could hurt families the most.

Randi LaSalle, a single mom with four kids on Medicaid, said at one point, she was working two jobs and paying $800 per month for private health insurance, which was more than her rent.

"I stopped working two jobs because it just wasn't feasible with trying to take care of a bunch of kids and bouncing between counties to kind of keep up two jobs," LaSalle explained. "Things are a little tighter, but at least now I don't have to pay for insurance anymore."

Expansion helped cover people who made too much to qualify for Medicaid and fell into a coverage gap. The program covers about one in six adults and three in eight children in Idaho. LaSalle hopes legislators make the program more accessible for families this session.

Randy Johnson, Idaho government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said health coverage is important for preventive care and cancer treatment, and repealing or placing barriers to Medicaid access won't stop people from getting sick.

"People still are going to go to the hospital, and taxpayers are still going to end up covering those costs," Johnson pointed out. "It's just not up-front, and instead of going to their doctor, they're going to have to go to the ER, which is way more expensive."

Johnson argued changes would mean fewer people are covered in Idaho, which would hurt families.

"It creates that coverage for people who are working, who are doing the right thing, who want to make sure that their families are protected," Johnson stressed. "This helps them do that."

Supporters of the health program are holding Idaho Supports Medicaid Day at the Capitol on Jan. 28 in Boise.


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Advocates for working families in New York say they want less talk and more action to improve child care in the state.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed a child-care construction fund and a task force to address the issue - which advocates say will make a dent in the child-care shortage, but doesn't do enough.

Estimates show New Yorkers spend a grand total of $14 billion a year on child care, or about $22,000 per year, per child. High child-care costs also are cited as a major reason young families leave the state.

Rebecca Bailin, executive director of New Yorkers United for Childcare, said universal child care is possible if the state will fund plans to implement it.

"That child care would be free, easy to apply, nearby and accessible to all families," she said. "There's no reason, with a budget of $237 billion, she cannot start to implement universal public child care now."

Bailin said a lack of political will has been the biggest hurdle for universal public child care, since 74% of New Yorkers say they want it. Feedback from some state lawmakers is positive, although enacting a universal plan could cost $12 billion a year - 6% of the state's current budget.

A Cornell University poll found high child-care costs are one reason some people can't join the workforce, while other reasons are lack of accessible child care that keeps people from working.

Bailin said a universal public system could counteract these economic harms.

"It's a $10 to $13 return on investment for every dollar spent," she said. "Making New York an affordable place for families will help to stop the exodus of families, make it possible for us to grow our workforce and our tax base."

Although New York offers child-care programs, some families earn too much to qualify for them, or have issues with immigration status that keep parents from reaching out. Bailin said expanding New York's Child Tax Credit and Working Families Tax Credit could help the system, as well as investing in the child-care workforce.


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January is National Mentoring Month and in Minnesota, program leaders report waiting lists for kids to be matched up with an adult willing to spend some valuable time with them.

Calls are being renewed for volunteers. Community-based mentoring programs connect youths who do not have many role models in their lives with adults for a range of activities. It could include attending sporting events, museums, or doing arts and crafts together.

Jill Hinners, executive director of Mentor North in Duluth, said it is all about helping children develop new skills and confidence.

"We definitely see kids that are introverts, shy, anxious," Hinners explained. "Where maybe they just have a little bit of difficulty putting themselves out there to form a large network of friends."

She suggested a mentor might put them more at ease in making connections as they grow. Her group pointed to research showing mentored kids are 22% more likely to have felt a strong sense of belonging. Hinners noted even though Minnesota has a good track record for volunteer work, her office reports a waitlist of between 50 and 60 kids.

Other data show kids who have a mentor are 55% more likely to enroll in college and are 78% more likely to volunteer regularly. Hinners stressed the outcomes can be traced back to a sense of belonging.

"We want youths to feel that they are developing their voice," Hinners emphasized. "To be able to make themselves heard in their community and courageous enough to take leadership positions in their community."

Hinners pointed out even though they have a backlog, volunteer levels have rebounded from a pandemic dip. She added they are trying to be more accommodating in certain ways, including making sure kids with disabilities have a good experience.

Adults who want to become mentors are put through a screening process before they are matched with a youth who has similar interests.


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