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The nation's child poverty rate increased 1.3 percentage points to 13.7 percent in 2023, according to newly released Census data. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, September 16, 2024

WV poverty rate for children among highest in nation

The number of West Virginia children living in poverty remains among the highest in the nation, and more children are living in households struggling …

More than 200 child care centers in West Virginia closed between 2018 and 2019, according to ChildCare Aware. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Child care, tax cuts expected focus of upcoming WV special session

West Virginia lawmakers will convene for a Special Session on Sept. 30, with the state's child care crisis, proposed income tax cuts and supplemental …

According to federal data, law enforcement accounted for 82% of all delinquency cases referred to juvenile court in 2019. (Adobe Stock)<br />

WV NAACP lawsuit says state agencies failed to collect juvenile justice data

West Virginia state agencies have failed to collect data on incarcerated youth, according to a new lawsuit filed by the West Virginia NAACP in the …

Mental health tops the lists of concerns of parents with kids younger than 18, according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey. (Adobe Stock)<br />

A holistic approach to get WV kids on right back-to-school track

More than 263,000 West Virginia kids will soon return to school, and experts said it is crucial for parents to stay up-to-date with doctors' visits …

The number of home-schooling families in the state is about 13,000 and continues to grow, according to the West Virginia Home Educators Association. (Adobe Stock)

WV lawmakers urge passage of Raylee’s Law during special session

After the tragic death of Kyneddi Miller, a 14-year-old West Virginia girl found dead in her home, some state lawmakers are calling on the governor …

Chronic absence from school may be driving learning loss. Thirty percent of all students, or about 14.7 million, were chronically absent in 2021-2022, nearly double pre-pandemic rates, according to new data from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Report: WV kids face sliding reading, math scores

Math and reading proficiency among West Virginia kids has worsened over the past five years, according to new data. The latest Kids Count Data Book …

Children need regular well-child and dental visits to track their development and find health problems early, when they are usually easier to treat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Procedural reasons driving WV kids' loss in health coverage

More than 62,000 West Virginia kids have been dis-enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program or CHIP and most were removed for p…

In 2023, more than 3 million children nationwide lost their Medicaid health coverage, according to data from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. (Adobe Stock)

Concern grows over WV kids losing Medicaid coverage

The federal government has warned nine states about an alarming number of children losing Medicaid health coverage, and West Virginia officials say …

Exposure to videos and photos on social media can lead to eating disorders among teen and adolescent girls, as well as serious mental health issues, including suicidal behavior, according to researchers at Havard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (Adobe Stock)

Federal legislation aims to protect kids from social media harms

Pressure is mounting on lawmakers to hold social media companies accountable for algorithms and other practices linked to eating disorders, …

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, approximately one in five youths held in juvenile facilities are awaiting trial and have not been found guilty or delinquent. (Adobe Stock)

Fewer juveniles locked up in WV; recommendations to continue the trend

The number of children behind bars in West Virginia has declined significantly in recent years, but their advocates said more work could be done to …

The national average cost for child care was nearly $11,000 in 2022, according to a study by Child Care Aware of America. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: More WV Parents Would Work Full-Time with Affordable Child Care

Half of West Virginia voters who are parents working part-time or less say they'd go back to full-time work if they had access to quality child care a…

In 2021, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.6 times the rate for non-Hispanic white women, according to the CDC. (Adobe Stock)<br /><br />

WV Sees 'Alarming' Black Infant, Maternal Mortality Rates

In West Virginia, babies of Black mothers are dying at higher rates in childbirth compared to white infants - and experts say the lack of access to …

In 2021, some 53% of working adults ages 25 to 54 were parents, and more than a third of those parents had young children, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe stock)<br />

Report: More West Virginia Parents Not Working due to Childcare Issues

Thirteen percent of young children in West Virginia lived in families in which someone quit their job or refused a job because of responsibilities wit…

In 2020, 1,750 children died of abuse and neglect in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Rising Inflation, Poverty, Puts WV Kids at Higher Risk of Abuse

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and experts say ongoing inflation, economic challenges and poverty can place stress on families and increase …

Research shows having access to health care can influence children's physical and emotional health, growth, development and their capacity to reach their full potential as adults. (Adobe Stock)

Eligible WV Kids Could Slip Through Cracks When Coverage Protection Ends

A pandemic-era law that helped keep children and families continuously covered is set to expire this spring, and advocates are worried the state's …

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around 8.5% of funding for K-12 public schools, according to the Congressional Budget Office. (Adobe Stock)">

Survey Reveals Sinking Confidence in Public Schools Among Voters

Five in 10 voters say their confidence in the public school system has decreased since the start of the Covid crisis and over the past year, …

It's estimated nearly 7 million children are at risk for a period of uninsurance starting next year, according to the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Continuous Eligibility for Medicaid, CHIP Benefits WV Kids

Despite economic uncertainty of the pandemic, the number of West Virginia kids with health coverage remained roughly the same between 2019 and 2021…

The expanded Child Tax Credit offered families between $300 and $360 per month per child, which helped lift an estimated 3.7 million children out of poverty, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

As Prices Climb, WV Families Face Hardship without Child Tax Credit

Some parents said they have struggled to make ends meet after federal monthly Child Tax Credit payments of between $300 and $360 a month per child sto…

Funding for WV Groups with Creative Ideas to Solve Child Hunger

Kids living in rural regions are more likely to experience food insecurity, and a new initiative has been launched to help West Virginia communities …

A child's chances of thriving depend not only on individual, family and community characteristics but also on the state in which she or he is born and raised, according to research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (praba_tuty/Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Report: WV Sees Uptick in Kids Diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression

More West Virginia kids are struggling with their mental health, according to the latest Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation…

It's estimated that more than 4 million children younger than age 19 lacked health insurance coverage in 2020, according to U.S. Census data. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Marking 25th Anniversary, CHIP Advocates Call for Permanent Funding

The federal health-insurance program for children helps keep more than 200,000 West Virginia children insured. Advocates said the Children's Health …

The continuous enrollment requirement for Medicaid, enacted during the pandemic, helped millions of children keep their health-insurance coverage. But it expires in about two weeks. (Adobe Stock)

Public Health Emergency Set to Expire, More WV Kids Could Lose Coverage

In a letter sent to the Department of Health and Human Services this week, the American Hospital Association and other health-care groups asked the …

Research shows Latino and Black children experienced the largest percentage-point increases in poverty since the federal expanded Child Tax Credit expired at the end of 2021. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Without Child Tax Credit, More WV Kids Were Pushed Back into Poverty

It is estimated 50,000 West Virginia children are once again living below the poverty line, since families received their final expanded Child Tax …

More than 300,000 West Virginia kids live in a county officially served by a Child Advocacy Center. (Adobe Stock)

Report: WV Saw Increase in Child-Abuse Cases Last Year

More than 600 child abuse charges were filed in West Virginia last year, and 94% of alleged offenders were someone the child knew. That's according …

West Virginia ranked 44th in the nation for child well-being, according to the group West Virginia Kids Count. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Stalled BBBA Could Boost WV Kids' Access to Preventive Care

Health advocates say the continuous-coverage provision in the Build Back Better Act - which has hit a dead end in Congress - would benefit West Virgin…

West Virginia has been among the leading states nationwide for the number of children in the foster-care system per capita for the past several years, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. (Adobe Stock)

CPS Shortages, Lack of Data, Plague System as Demand for Foster Parents Rises

Children's advocates said they are hoping for major changes to the state's foster-care and child-protective services systems in the new year…

Research from the Urban Institute has found expanding the federal Child Tax Credit would decrease child poverty by 40% nationwide. (Adobe Stock)

End of Child Tax Credit Payments a Worry for WV Families

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The final round of the federal government's Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments ends today, unless Congress votes to extend them …

A mobile billboard is crisscrossing West Virginia to encourage Sen. Joe Manchin's support of President Joe Biden's

'Build Back Better' Plan Gets Mobile Billboard in WV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - You may spot a mobile billboard on your travels in West Virginia, and its creators hope the signage reminds people of how they …

The American Psychological Association reports 81% of Gen Z teens (ages 13-17) have experienced more intense stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.(Adobe Stock)

ARP Funds Could Help WV Schools Address Mental-Health Needs

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Degrading mental health among the nation's K-12 students over the past year and a half has alarmed health professionals. Experts …

Nearly 40% of West Virginia students in grades 3 through 8 did not meet grade-level standards in math. (Kostiantyn/Adobe Stock)

Nonprofit Aims to Help Kids Get Caught Up After COVID Year

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - American kids are returning to school an average of four to five months behind in their learning, according to a new study…

Tens of millions of families have been sent the first payment of the expanded child tax credit. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Child Tax Credit Helping WV Families Pay for Transportation, Food

WHEELING, W.Va. -- An estimated 346,000 West Virginia children, 93% of all kids in the state, live in households that likely received their first …

The newest edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book explores how America's child population fared during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Poverty Continues to Stall Progress on WV Kids' Well-Being

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- New survey data offer a clear picture of how West Virginia kids and families are faring. The Mountain State ranks 44th in the …

The child-welfare system in West Virginia would face more than $23 million in budget cuts if West Virginia lawmakers get rid of the state's personal income tax. (Adobe stock)

WV Bid to Abolish Income Tax Called “Devastating” to Children

CHARLESTON, WV - Some of West Virginia's lawmakers are proposing abolishing the state's personal income tax during this year's legislative session…

A quarter of West Virginia's families with children are experiencing mental-health issues during the pandemic, according to a new report. (Adobe stock)

Report: West Virginia Families Need Congress to Pass Stimulus

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The new coronavirus stimulus bill will bring some food assistance to hungry Americans, and it couldn't come soon enough for West …

West Virginia aims to reduce the number of foster children with mental-health disabilities in residential treatment to about 700 by 2024. (Adobe stock)<br /><br />

WV Looks to Meet DOJ Goals for Foster Kids' Community Care

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia is on track to meet requirements handed down by the Department of Justice last year to move more foster children …

An estimated 13,000 kids in West Virginia didn't have health insurance in 2019, a number that likely has increased since the pandemic, a new report finds. (Adobe Stock)

WV’s Opioid Crisis Impacts Surge of Kids without Health Coverage

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Even before the pandemic recession, West Virginia had seen a serious increase in the number of children without health insurance…

About 13,000 West Virginia children were uninsured in 2018, according to the latest report. (Adobe Stock)

West Virginians Hit by Coronavirus Job Loss Could Gain Medicaid

CHARLESTON, W. Va. -- Some West Virginians may not be aware that if they've lost their jobs and employer-provided health insurance due to COVID-19…

In a new survey, about 40% of young adults who've aged out of the foster care system said they don't have anywhere to live during the COVID-19 crisis. (Adobe Stock)

After Foster Care, Young Adults Struggle During Pandemic

CHARLESTON, W. Va. -- Young adults aging out of foster care in the U.S. have been thrown into crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new …

Some West Virginia foster parents are troubled by a bill in the Legislature that would reduce licensing requirements for state caseworkers. (Adobe Stock)

New Bills Aim to Relieve WV Foster-Care Crisis

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Demands on West Virginia's foster-care system have exploded due to the opioid epidemic, and state lawmakers are proposing ways to …

The opioid crisis has led West Virginia to have the highest number per capita of children in state custody in the nation, a new report finds. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Opioid Crisis Hit 54 of every 1,000 Kids in WV

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia has the nation's largest share of children who face devastating consequences linked to the opioid crisis…

The same health insurer that has served West Virginia's Medicaid program since 1996 has also been tapped to cover children in the state's foster-care system. (Adobe Stock)

Foster Groups Alarmed by WV Switch to Private Health Care

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Foster parents and child-welfare groups are worried about the switch from state-managed health care to private care for …

A new report finds that the majority of children without health insurance in the United States live in the South. (Adobe stock)

Report: Sharp Decline in Insured WV Children

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia ranked fourth best in the nation in 2016 for providing health care insurance to its children. But in 2018…

Julia Hamilton and her partner, Zack Cruze, hope to get more support for their foster children, who were both born to drug-addicted parents. (Julia Hamilton)

Swamped by Opioid Crisis, Foster Network Seeks Input to Support Caregivers

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – With the opioid crisis pushing more children into foster care in West Virginia, supporting foster parents is more crucial …

The West Virginia public school system has been searching for ways to fund more counseling and support services for students. (Pixabay)

Federal Changes to Medicaid Could Fund Behavioral Health in WV Schools

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – Federal funds could help pay for badly needed behavioral-health support services in public schools, advocates say…

The American Heart Association and others are confirming that, yes, people learn better and think more clearly after a good night's sleep. (engin akyurt/Pixabay)

Mom is Right: ‘Get to Bed, It's a School Night’

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With school back in session, doctors are saying, “your mom is right - time to turn the phone off and get to bed…

In most states, school districts where families are primarily poor or minority populations tend to have less money to spend on infrastructure. (Giovannacco/Pixabay)

UCLA Study: Climate Change Overheats Classrooms, Slowing Learning

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – Climate change is overheating classrooms and in the process, hurting education, especially for poor and minority students…

A congressional investigation has found that nine migrant children younger than a year old and 18 younger than two have been forcibly separated from their families and held in detention. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection/Wikipedia)

Social Workers: Migrant Family Separation Is Child Abuse

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Social workers and mental health professionals are trying to have the detention of migrant children away from their …

The day after Fathers' Day, Kids Count is releasing its 30th annual Data Book. (Pezibear/Pixabay)

Kids Count: WV Better in Areas, But U.S. Improves More

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — The 30th annual Kids Count Data Book shows West Virginia making strong gains in some areas, but overall just treading …

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