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Nearly seven in ten suicides in Wyoming were carried out with firearms between 2018 and 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Suicide rate prompts WY lawmakers to invest in mental-health services

Wyoming's suicide rate ranks first in the nation, according to the most recent data, and state lawmakers are taking steps to improve access to mental …

One in four Wyoming kids lives in single-parent families, according to Wyoming Community Foundation data. Such children are more likely to live in poverty compared with their peers in married-parent families. (Adobe Stock)

Training, mental health recovery called key for single moms to escape poverty

A Wyoming nonprofit is helping single mothers climb out of poverty by connecting them with the training and support they need to step into and succeed…

Eighty-six percent of rural parents cited lack of child care as the main reason they or their partner were not able to work. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Lack of child care in Wyoming threatens viability of rural communities

Child care is an essential component of strong communities throughout the U.S. - but finding a provider is significantly more difficult in rural …

Many of the companies lobbying for tax breaks have paid very little in taxes. Netflix, for example, has paid federal corporate income taxes equal to less than 1% of its reported profits over four years. (Adobe Stock)

Congress urged to consider business tax cuts, child tax credit

Lawmakers in Congress are facing mounting pressure from corporate lobbyists to pass business tax breaks before the end of the year but new analysis su…

Wyoming has gained some ground in food-insecurity rates over the past decade. In 2012, nearly 14% of families were food insecure, compared with 11.4% in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

One in three single-parent households experienced hunger last year

The number of families in Wyoming and across the nation struggling to put food on the table rose dramatically last year, according to a new report …

Wyoming ranks in the bottom five states alongside South Carolina, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, in children's health. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Wyoming Children Near Bottom Nationally for Health

Wyoming dropped from 14th to 27th nationally in this year's Kids Count Data Book published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which ranks states for …

A new Annie E. Casey Foundation report found a 35% increase in the number of kids in Wyoming entering foster care due to abuse. (Adobe Stock)

Helping Wyoming Foster Youths Succeed as Adults

The number of Wyoming children in foster care between the ages of 14 and 21 has dropped by 54% over the past two decades, according to a new Annie E…

Nearly one in five new mothers participating in Wyoming's Medicaid Pregnant Women Program lose their health insurance 60 days after giving birth. (Adobe Stock)

WY Lawmakers Consider Extended Health Coverage for New Moms

New mothers in Wyoming enrolled in the Medicaid Pregnant Women Program lose their health insurance 60 days after giving birth, but a new bill making …

One in eight individuals in Wyoming, and one in six children, do not know where their next meal will come from. (Adobe Stock)

Food Bank Ramps Up Thanksgiving Food Assistance

Turkeys and other holiday standards are still available for struggling families through food pantries, senior centers, school districts and other …

Education data showed 63% of Wyoming eighth graders scored below proficient in math, and 59% of fourth graders were below proficient in reading. Both figures are better than the national averages of 67% and 66%, respectively. (Adobe Stock)

New Annie E. Casey Publication Ranks Wyoming 14th for Child Well-Being

Wyoming ranks 14th in the nation for promoting children's overall well-being, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's latest report on child …

Children who are incarcerated are less likely to graduate from high school and find employment later in life. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Incarcerated Children Severely Undercounted

Nearly a quarter-million children were incarcerated in the U.S. in 2019, about five times more than annual point-in-time counts, according to a new …

Even though Wyoming officials have tried to prioritize mental-health care for youths, many facilities are having difficulties keeping their doors open due to budget cuts. (Adobe Stock)

Holiday Poses Challenges for Foster Youths Aging Out of System

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Young people in Wyoming who have not been adopted officially age out of the foster-care system when they turn 18, joining 24,000 …

Wyoming consistently has ranked among states with the highest youth confinement rates in the nation. (Adobe Stock)

Report: COVID Funds Could Help Close School-to-Prison Pipeline

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Federal school funding in response to the global pandemic, totaling nearly $190 billion, could help districts in Wyoming and across …

Nearly one in three Wyoming adults with children reported feeling down, depressed or hopeless in March. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Wyoming Still Far Behind on Children's Health Care

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Wyoming ranks 45th nationally for child health, and an estimated 15,000 Wyoming kids do not have health insurance, according to The …

Children in states that expanded their Medicaid programs are almost twice as likely to have health coverage than children in the 12 non-expansion states, including Wyoming. (Depositphotos)

WY Medicaid Expansion Could Advance in Joint Revenue Committee

RIVERTON, Wyo. -- Wyoming lawmakers are giving Medicaid expansion a second look at today's Joint Revenue Committee meeting in Riverton, after …

A majority of women are breadwinners in their families. (Pixabay)

Survey: Moms Want More Than Breakfast in Bed This Mother’s Day

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Mother's Day draws near, a new survey conducted by the Institute for Women's Policy Research offers a clearer picture of what …

Wyoming ranks second nationally behind Texas for its rate of uninsured children at 10.6%. (World Bank/Flickr)

Report: Lower Rates of Uninsured Kids Linked to Medicaid Expansion

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Wyoming lawmakers consider a proposal to expand Medicaid coverage, a new Georgetown University Center for Children and Families …

Wyoming's $1.2 billion budget shortfall has triggered cuts to programs critical for children and families in the state. (Pixabay)

Report: WY Families Struggle with Food Insecurity, Mental Health

LARAMIE, Wyo. - Families in Wyoming are coping somewhat better than in other states when it comes to putting food on the table and keeping a roof …

'Putting the U in Hunt' Helps Kids with Life-Threatening Illness

GREEN RIVER, Wyo. -- Last month, Emma Decker, a 16-year-old high school junior in Mountain View, was able to do something she thought she may not …

Children see approximately 78,069 examples of

Helping Wyoming Kids Be Critical Media Consumers During Pandemic

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Kids in Wyoming and across the nation are facing more social isolation during the coronavirus pandemic, which means they're …

Some 32,000 Wyoming kids live in homes where parents lack secure employment, and 10,000 don't have health insurance coverage. (USAF)

Wyoming Struggles to Catch Up in Children's Health

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- A new report ranks Wyoming 16th among states for the overall well-being of its children, down from last year when the Cowboy State …

Wyoming residents are helping neighbors most at risk for COVID-10 by delivering groceries and shoveling springtime snow. (Oddharmonic/Flickr)

Wyoming Communities Step Up Support Efforts in Pandemic

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Wyoming residents are responding to life under the COVID-19 pandemic by stepping up to help neighbors, small businesses and …

School food service staff members in Wyoming are shifting gears as classrooms close, and finding creative ways to make sure children don't go hungry during the COVID-19 crisis. (Wyoming Department of Education)

WY School Districts Offer Healthy Meals for Kids at Home

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- As Wyoming joins the national effort to protect public health in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis by closing classrooms, school …

A recent study by the Food and Drug Administration found that a quarter of all high school students used e-cigarettes in 2019, up five percentage points from last year. (Ethan Parsa/Pixabay)

New Research Shows E-Cigarettes Not Healthy Alternative

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – In the wake of recent reports of fatal lung illness connected with the use of e-cigarettes new research seems to confirm …

On Friday, students across the globe plan to walk out of classes in an effort to convince governments and other leaders to take action on climate change. (Maxpixel)

Wyoming Students Hesitant About Another Climate Strike

CASPER, Wyo. – The call for a global student climate strike has mostly fallen on deaf ears in Wyoming, and after receiving hate messages on …

Currently, only 8% of Wyoming families can afford infant care, according to federal affordability standards. (Pixnio)

Infant Care Not Affordable for Vast Majority of Wyoming Families

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – A new Economic Policy Institute report shows how hard it is for Wyoming families to pay for early child care and education for …

If a federal court repeals the Affordable Care Act, veterans would lose coverage in part because Veterans Administration hospitals couldn't meet demand. (Pixabay)

Veterans to Lose Health Coverage if ACA Repealed by Court

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – If federal judges overturn the Affordable Care Act, more military veterans would lose their health insurance than the total …

Residents in a Casper neighborhood make a race out of mowing each other's lawns in the summer, and removing snow in winter. (Pixabay)

Casper Neighborhood a Finalist for Kindest Place in U.S.

CASPER, Wyo. – The Big Tree neighborhood on South Chestnut Street in Casper is one of 50 finalists in a national crowdsourced search for the …

Just 663 Wyoming children live in high-poverty areas, and teen births have dropped by 55% since 1990. (Pixabay)

Wyoming Ranks Near Last in Children's Health

LARAMIE, Wyo. — Wyoming ranks 49th nationally for child health, and an estimated 14,000 Wyoming kids do not have health insurance. That's …

In 2016, an estimated 4,429 grandparents in Wyoming had the primary responsibility for raising their grandchildren. (Matti/Wikimedia Commons)

Wyoming Foster Care System Makes Progress

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Foster care is improving in Wyoming and across the nation, according to a new Annie E. Casey Foundation report. More kids …

Just 29 percent of parents in Wyoming read to their babies every day, compared with the national average of 38.2 percent. (Pixabay)

Wyoming Ranks Low Nationally on Support for Babies, Toddlers

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming ranks toward the bottom nationally for early-childhood health and development, according to a new report measuring 60 …

A $1-per-pack cigarette tax increase is projected to generate over $20 million in new state revenue, and save Wyoming nearly $100 million in health-care costs. (Lindsay Fox/Flickr)

Wyo. Lawmakers Consider $1 Cigarette Tax Hike

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – State lawmakers are set to meet this week to review a proposal to raise tobacco taxes, including a $1-per-pack hike for …

Researchers cite congressional attacks on affordable health coverage in 2017 as one possible reason for an increase in uninsured children. (ShanePeter/Wikimedia Commons)

Number of Uninsured Kids On the Rise in WY

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – For the first time in a decade, the number of uninsured children in the United States has gone up. According to a new …

Compared with their peers, youths in foster care are more likely to experience early pregnancy, homelessness and incarceration. (Beth Rankin/Wikimedia Commons)

Wyoming Foster Youths Face Challenges in Transitioning to Adulthood

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Young people in foster care are falling behind their peers and are on track to face higher levels of joblessness and …

Medicaid expansion has created more stable economies for health centers in rural areas, including a drop in the number of cases where patients don't have insurance or funds to pay out-of-pocket. (Pixabay)

Wyo. Uninsured Rates High Compared to Medicaid Expansion States

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – States that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act saw uninsured rates for low-income adults drop over three times …

Casper's Tuesday summer market includes a two-bites club for children. If they take two bites of that week's fruit or vegetable, they earn money to spend with local vendors. (Pixabay)

Casper Market Doubles Food Bucks for SNAP Recipients

CASPER, Wyo. – The Food For Thought Summer Market at David Street Station in downtown Casper is starting to swell as the season's peak harvest …

Just 5 percent of Wyoming children live in families where the household lacks a high school diploma, and 1 percent of children live in high-poverty areas. (National Park Service)

Thousands of Wyoming Kids May Go Uncounted by Census

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming ranks 18th in child well being, according to The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2018 KIDS COUNT Data Book that ranks all …

A study of 100 preschoolers found self-control can be cultivated and is not always an inborn trait. (Pixabay)

Report: Social Factors Influence Self-Control in Kids

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Self-control is critical to developing healthy adult behaviors, and researchers studying willpower in children say how kids …

Despite cuts to public education, recent scores rank Wyoming's fourth graders best in the nation for math, and all students above the national average in other areas. (Getty Images)

Wyoming Education Cuts Unlikely to Produce Strikes

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Public education supporters in Wyoming are keeping a close eye on the latest teachers' action, this time a "walk-in" yesterday …

According to analysis from the Trump administration, the Clean Power Plan could prevent as many as 4,500 premature deaths each year by 2030. (Pixabay)

EPA Chief Pruitt Skips Public Hearing on Clean Power Plan Repeal

GILLETTE, Wyo. – EPA chief Scott Pruitt is in coal country today to meet with industry leaders, but he opted not to attend the final listening …

More than 17 million people live within a mile of an active oil or gas well, including more than 2 million children and elderly people - groups especially vulnerable to air pollution and contaminated water. (Joshua Doubek/Wikimedia Commons)

Physician Groups Publish "One-Stop Shop" for Fracking Science

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Physicians' groups are sounding the alarm on the health risks posed by hydraulic fracturing, and have published a compendium …

Wyoming law prohibits selling tobacco products to minors, but there are no federal rules limiting access to electronic cigarettes. (Info-Electronic-Cigarette.com/Wikimedia Commons)

E-Cigarettes Produce Toxic Chemicals, Study Says

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – An increasing number of teens in Wyoming and across the United States are drawn to electronic cigarettes, with such flavors as …

Each year, studies show, 300 kids in Wyoming start smoking. At current rates, 12,000 kids in the state alive today are expected to die prematurely from a tobacco-related illness. (Vborodinova/Pixabay)

Groups Push Tobacco Tax for Wyoming Health and Revenue

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Volunteers with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network gathered at the state Capitol on Tuesday to urge lawmakers to pass …

Kids spend an average of nine hours a day in front of a digital or media device. (Kevin Jarrett/Flickr)

Groups Offer Road Map to Protect Children from Tech Risks

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Children's advocates and technology insiders are teaming up in a new campaign to protect kids' brains from the potentially …

SNAP benefits, sometimes called food stamps, help millions of low-income Americans put food on the table each month. (David Shankbone/Wikimedia Commons)

Farm Bill Debate in Congress Could Put Food Stamps at Risk

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Congress is expected to begin work soon on the $140 billion farm bill, but there are concerns that some conservatives are …

Natural gas wells are known to be sources of problematic air pollution, and may be causing issues in developing fetuses. (Pixabay)

Study: Pregnant Women Face Risks Living Near Fracking Sites

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Pregnant women living next to fracked gas wells are more likely to have a low birth-weight baby - that's the finding in a new study …

According to one study, mobile media device use has tripled among young children aged 5 to 16 in the past six years. (Pixabay)

Screens Hurting Kids' Sleep Quality

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – If your children are falling asleep watching TV or with a cell phone tucked under the covers, they're probably going to bed …

Out of a possible 1,000 points, the index for well-being for Wyoming's American Indian children was 380, lower than the national average in the AECF report. (Pixabay)

Wyoming Kids of Color Still Lack Access to Opportunity

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wyoming's children of color and those living in immigrant families face persistent challenges that make their road to success …

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