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Meat-processing facilities have become a flashpoint in the debate over rolling back child labor laws in various states. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Even with WI veto, some fear further weakening of child labor laws

Despite a recent policy victory, Wisconsin labor leaders still express concern about the current environment for shielding young teens from unsafe …

According to services company Custody X Change, most Midwestern states don't provide judges with a clear formula for helping establish alimony payments. (Adobe Stock)

Report calls for more consistency in alimony laws

Wisconsin is among the states without a defined formula for deciding alimony payments through divorce court proceedings. A new report says without …

According to AARP, the U.S. is seeing more older adults nationwide receiving long-term care at home, rather than in nursing homes and other institutions. (Adobe Stock)

WI fares well in long-term care rankings, but issues remain

A new report ranks Wisconsin 15th in the nation for long-term care services but advocates for the people who need care say more could be done…

In key categories measuring child well-being, Wisconsin consistently ranks among the top 20 states in an annual report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

Despite High Ranking, Child Well-Being Concerns Persist in WI

An annual report measuring child well-being in the U.S. said several benchmarks have worsened overall. States like Wisconsin fared better in the …

Animal protection groups say warning signs of pet maltreatment can include dogs or cats left in yards chained up, looking dirty and in need of food and water. (Adobe Stock)

Animal Cruelty Awareness Month: Family Violence Warning Signs

April is Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, and Wisconsinites are urged to be aware of how family violence can affect pets - as well as the need …

Senior advocates point out that family caregivers perform a range of tasks such as shopping, transportation, meal preparation, medication management, wound care and home updates, ultimately saving the state money. (Adobe Stock)

WI Sees Renewed Calls for Caregiver Tax Credit

Wisconsin lawmakers are back in session and have a large budget surplus to work with. Advocates for the state's older residents hope any spending …

Tamara Loertscher holds her son, Harmonious Ellner, weeks after his birth in 2015. Loertscher was detained and incarcerated in Taylor County, Wis., during her pregnancy after health officials alleged she was using drugs while pregnant, an allegation she denies. (Photo courtesy of Loertscher.)

Policing Pregnancy: WI ‘Fetal Protection’ Law Forces Treatment or Jail

By Phoebe Petrovic for Wisconsin Watch.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Wisconsin News Connection reporting for Wisconsin Watch-Public News Service …

A proposal by Milwaukee City Alder Marina Dimitrijevic would provide 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents, regardless of their gender. (Adobe Stock)

Milwaukee Alder Floats Proposal to Expand Paid Parental Leave

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Like most of the nation, Wisconsin does not have a statewide paid parental leave policy, but in Milwaukee, a three-month paid …

Human service providers say even after a foster contract has been fulfilled, maintaining connections with kids who have aged out of the system can provide much-needed stability as they move into adulthood. (Adobe Stock)

Making the Holiday Season Brighter for Foster Kids Entering Adulthood

MILWAUKEE - With the holidays here, Wisconsin foster families and other mentors are encouraged to maintain close connections with older teens no …

As Wisconsin's population ages, a task force and several pieces of legislation have been filed to help caregivers. (Pixabay)

WI Bills Target Care for Family Caregivers

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Tony Evers's Caregiver task force explores ways to provide better wages and benefits to the state's caregivers. And two …

Creating more livable communities means ensuring public spaces are accessible and inclusive for people of all ages. (Maria Sbytova/Adobe Stock)

New Wisconsin Livability Projects Swinging Into Action

MADISON, Wis. — Several projects that will help create more welcoming communities for Wisconsinites of all ages are swinging into action…

States across the country are driving the trend of placing a higher percentage of children in foster care with families. (jess2284/Flickr)

Wisconsin Sees Rise in Finding Families for Foster Kids

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin is making a big effort to keep foster kids in family settings, with a 5% improvement over a 10-year period, according …

More than textbooks and apples come to mind as the Wisconsin school year begins. Local law enforcement is researching ways to beef up school security. (Pixabay)

New Mapping Technology Could Make WI Schools Safer

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Emergency-response timing is key in 'active shooter' situations, and Wisconsin is examining new technology to get emergency …

Poverty affects an estimated 200,000 children in Wisconsin. (StockSnap)

Census Count: Report Warns WI Kids Could be Missed

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin is doing well by its kids, ranked 12th overall in the new 2018 KIDS COUNT Data Book released today. The Annie E…

Candy is nice at Valentine's Day, but a UW-Madison consumer science professor says there are other steps couples can take to solidify their relationship. (Wikimedia Commons)

Valentine’s Day: Talk Money with Your Honey

MADISON, Wis. - There'll be plenty of flowers and candy given out today, but to make love grow, you need to have a talk with your honey about money…

A new Annie E. Casey Foundation report suggests ways states like Wisconsin can improve conditions for children of color and immigrant families. (AECF)

Report: Wisconsin Is Failing Its Children of Color

MADISON, Wis. – A just-released report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation shows the gap between the well-being of Wisconsin's white and African …

With back-to-school time just around the corner for Wisconsin kids, an expert on child behavior says some anxiety is normal. (Mario Villafuente/Getty Images)

Helping Your Child Beat Back-To-School Anxiety

MADISON, Wis. - The start of another school year, just a couple weeks away, can trigger some anxiety among younger students, but there are things you …

Reading is one way to help your child stay ready for learning during summer vacation. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Help Your School-Age Kids Beat "The Summer Slide"

MADISON, Wis. – Ask any teacher what the "summer slide" is, and they'll explain it's the three months when school is out, a time during which …

The head of a Wisconsin children's advocacy group says President Donald Trump's budget proposal runs counter to the state's motto. (WI Dept. of Administration)

Children's Groups: Trump Budget Would Push WI Backward

MADISON, Wis. – Groups that advocate for children are voicing concerns that President Donald Trump's budget proposal slashes funding for …

A new study confirms that sending parents to prison can't help but have profound effects on their children. (eskaylim/iStockphoto)

Locking Up Parents Hits African-American Families Hard

MADISON, Wis. -- A report from the Economic Policy Institute says 1 in 4 African American students has a parent who is or has been incarcerated - and …

Bringing back hemp as a fully lawful and viable crop for Wisconsin farmers is one of the projects supported by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. (MFAI)

Hemp: Wisconsin Once Was a National Leader

EAST TROY, Wis. - Many years ago, Wisconsin was a national leader in the production of industrial hemp, but since the 1950s hemp has been banned by …

A new law in Wisconsin mandates teaching of CPR in high schools. Many people die of sudden cardiac arrest because witnesses don't know what to do. (AHA)

New Wisconsin Law Will Save Lives

MADISON, Wis. - June 1 - June 7 is CPR and AED week, to remind everyone Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation and Automatic Electric Defibrillators can save …

Wisconsin is getting hit with a rash of calls from scammers posing as IRS agents, demanding payment for nonexistent back taxes. (Highwaystarz Photography/iStockphoto)<br />

Scammers Get More Aggressive in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. - Even though officials at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection keep expecting the so-called "IRS …

A driver's license is one form of acceptable voter photo ID in Wisconsin, but other documents also will suffice. Money has been requested by a state agency to educate voters about acceptable ID. (Wisconsin DOT)

Money Sought for Wisconsin Voter Photo ID Education

MADISON, Wis. - Long lines and lengthy wait times were evident in Wisconsin's presidential primary election in early April, and now the Wisconsin …

Preservation of Wisconsin's natural resources was just one of the many reasons that led Gaylord Nelson to found Earth Day 43 years ago. (Clean Wisconsin)

Wisconsin Environmentalist: Earth Day is Still Relevant

MADISON, Wis. - Nearly every Wisconsinite knows Earth Day, which will be observed this year on Friday, April 22, was founded by former Wisconsin …

What factors may have influenced Wisconsin's primary election? A political scientist has some thoughts. (CharlieAJA/iStockPhoto.com)

Money, Photo ID, Negativity: Factors in the WI Primary?

OSHKOSH, Wis. - Wisconsin's primary election brought well over 2 million voters to the polls, representing a turnout of more than 47 percent…

Dancer Joe Syrette of the Ojibwe tribe from Batchewana, Ontario, holds an eagle head staff during the Spring Powwow held on the UW-Madison campus last year. (Jeff Miller/UW-Madison Communications)

Annual Spring Powwow Coming This Weekend

MADISON, Wis. - "A Native American cultural experience that highlights the lifestyle of Wisconsin's 11 tribal nations," is how Emily Nelis describes …

Very recent changes to Wisconsin's Voter ID Law will affect what veterans and people who live in residential care facilities can use to lawfully identify themselves at the polls on April 5. (Kras1/iStockPhoto.com)

Important Changes To Wisconsin’s Voter ID Law

MADISON, Wis. - For the first time, Wisconsin veterans will be able to use a photo ID card issued by the Veterans Health Administration when they go …

Young people who focus on excelling at a single sport are more likely to have knee and hip injuries than those who participate in multiple sports, says a new WISL study. (SerrNovik/iStockPhoto)

Study: Kids Who Play Only One Sport More Prone to Injury

MADISON, Wis. - Sport specialization is a hot topic in sports medicine right now, says David Bell, director of the Wisconsin Injury in Sport …

Rita Argus, a UW-Madison graduate and Peace Corps volunteer, is using her degree in biological systems engineering to improve sustainable agriculture in Senegal. (William Graf, UW-Madison)

UW-Madison is Second-Largest Producer of Peace Corps Volunteers

MADISON, Wis. - Throughout the history of the Peace Corps, started in 1961 by President Kennedy, UW-Madison has been one of the nation's leading …

The Democratic leadership of the Wisconsin State Assembly believes the state's Family Medical Leave law is stuck in the 1950s and needs a 21st Century update to reflect the changing family dynamic. (KatarzynaBailasiewicz/iStockPhoto.com)

Updating Wisconsin's Family Medical Leave Law

MADISON, Wis. - Families in Wisconsin are working harder than ever but our laws simply haven't kept pace with the modern workplace, says state …

Young people who might never touch a cigarette are now experimenting with e-cigarettes, mistakenly believing they are safer, according to the American Lung Association. (FDA.gov)

Mixed Grades for Wisconsin in Tobacco Report

BROOKFIELD, Wis. - In the American Lung Association's just-released "State Of Tobacco Control" report, Wisconsin gets an "A" for smoke-free air…

Wisconsin is third in the nation in student loan debt, and an advocate says Gov. Scott Walker's ideas on relieving the burden don't go far enough. (mj0007/iStockPhoto.com)

Wisconsin Advocate: Minnesota Took Our Idea On Student Loans

MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin ranks third in the nation in student loan debt, and Gov. Scott Walker has been talking about some ideas he says will help …

New bipartisan legislation recently introduced in Wisconsin will be very beneficial to the state's caregivers and their families, says AARP. (AlexRaths/iStockPhoto.com

AARP: Wisconsin Cares Legislation Helps Caregivers

MADISON, Wis. – About 578,000 family caregivers in Wisconsin help family members or loved ones deal with the activities of daily living…

The American Heart Association and other organizations are trying to pass legislation in Wisconsin to ensure all students learn compression-only CPR. (heart.org)

Wisconsin First Responder: Learn CPR, Save Lives

OAK CREEK, Wis. - Lieutenant Scott Kasten of the Oak Creek Fire Department is a paramedic who says he's seen many times first-hand how important it …

Having a cushion of savings can help families avoid making bad financial decisions (rkankaro/iStockPhoto.com)

Savings Accounts are Critical for Wisconsin Families

MADISON, Wis. - As in many other states, there is a wide gap in savings between white families in Wisconsin and families of color. The Annie E…

Wisconsin has some work to do in catching up to its neighbors in making sure children are covered by health insurance. (petrograd99/iStockPhoto.com)

Access to Health Care Critical for Wisconsin Kids

MADISON, Wis. - A new report from the Georgetown Center for Children and Families and the National Council of La Raza shows the Affordable Care Act …

Wisconsin Women In Government will hold a high-speed mentoring event later this month to help women overcome obstacles in pursuing a career in government or public service. (AILAImages/IStockPhoto.com)

Wisconsin Women in Government: Speed Mentoring

MADISON, Wis. - It's called speed mentoring and it gives participants a chance to spend five quality minutes with 10 female leaders in Wisconsin …

A newly developed partnership with tribal leaders in Wisconsin is helping the Native American Center for Health Professions attract new students and faculty. (UW Health/NACHP)

Helping Attract Wisconsin's Native American Students to Health Professions

MADISON, Wis. - Working in a newly developed relationship with tribal leaders from across Wisconsin, the Native American Center for Health …

A bipartisan agreement in Congress to save the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit will mean money in the pockets of more than 150,000 Wisconsin families. (monkeybusinessimages/iStockPhoto)

Big Tax Win for Working Wisconsin Families

MADISON, Wis. - More than 150,000 working families in Wisconsin and their 300,000 children got a nice Christmas present from Congress, according to …

2015 was a year of highs and lows in the state Legislature, according to the executive director of the nonpartisan Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. (legislature.wi.gov)

2015 in Wisconsin a Year of Highs and Lows

MADISON, Wis. - The executive director of the nonpartisan Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Matt Rothschild, thinks people will remember 2015 as a year …

Classroom education in every public school in Wisconsin will benefit from greater local control with passage of new national legislation, according to the state's largest teacher's union, the Wisconsin Education Association Council. (U.S. Navy)

Wisconsin Educators Applaud Passage of New National Plan

MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin educators are pleased with the passage of an act that dramatically rolls back federal control of education. President …

Prisons, such as the Racine Correctional Institute, have been a growth industry in Wisconsin, which now spends more tax dollars on correction than on education. Credit: Wisconsin Dept. of Corrections

Analyst: Wisconsin Spends More on Corrections Than Education

MADISON, Wis. - A new analysis from the Wisconsin Budget Project suggests the state is spending too much on corrections, which is a drag on the …

There is bipartisan support for legislation in Wisconsin to return to treating 17-year-old non-violent, first-time offenders in Juvenile Court. Credit: Arva Csaba/iStockphoto

Giving 17-Year-Old Wisconsin Kids a Second Chance

MADISON, Wis. - Seventeen-year-olds in Wisconsin may be getting second chances. In early December, there will be another hearing in the state Senate …

Analiese Eicher of One Wisconsin Now says student loan debt is dragging down the state's economy and it's time for the Legislature to do something about it. Courtesy: One Wisconsin Now

Student Loan Debt: Wisconsin 3rd in Nation

MADISON, Wis. - The percentage of Wisconsinites with student loan debt continues to rise at a rate much faster than most of the rest of the nation…

Democrat Chris Taylor of Madison says the move to privatize public education in Wisconsin is not coming from the people of the state, but from the American Legislative Exchange Council. Courtesy: Rep. Chris Taylor

ALEC's Next Wisconsin Target: Public Education

MADISON, Wis. - After targeting three of Wisconsin's long-standing laws regarding clean government, which are currently in play at the state capitol…

Eau Claire Democrat Dana Wachs is working on legislation to replace the Federal Perkins Loan Program, which was killed by the U.S. Senate last week. Credit: Wisconsin State Legislature

Wisconsin Legislator Wants Action On Student Loans

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - Legislation which would have extended the Federal Perkins Loan Program, which provided financial assistance to more than half a …

Millions of Transition Incentives Program dollars are available to connect retiring farmers with beginners who need land to produce crops. Courtesy Michael Fields Agricultural Institute.

Program Connects Retiring Farmers with New Farmers

EAST TROY, Wis. – Millions of dollars are being made available through the Transition Incentive Program (TIP) to connect retiring farmers with …

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WI: Family/Father Issues