Children's Issues / Public News Service

Health experts say child neglect can result in developmental delays, along with behavioral and emotional issues. (Adobe Stock)

Thursday, October 6, 2022

Researchers Link Medicaid Expansion with Child-Neglect Reduction

As South Dakota voters prepare to consider a proposed Medicaid expansion, emerging research suggests giving these programs a bigger reach can lead to …

Almost one in four children and youth in placement experienced a re-entry into care, according to the recent State of Child Welfare report by the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. (Africa Studio/AdobeStock)

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

PA Pandemic Toll on Children Shows Progress, Racial Disparity and Recommendations

The 13th annual Pennsylvania State of Child Welfare report is out. Children advocates said the 2021 pandemic numbers showed some progress and …

The U-S. Department of Justice is calling on Nevada to ensure children have access to therapy,<br />behavior supports, crisis services and care coordination in their communities. (Berit Kessler/Adobestock)

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Feds Find NV Failing Children With Behavioral-Health Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Justice said the State of Nevada unnecessarily institutionalizes children with behavioral-health disabilities, and the problem …

Rates of child abuse and neglect are five times higher for children in families with low socioeconomic status, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Trust Your Gut, Know the Signs to Spot, Prevent Child Abuse

Child abuse cases in the state dropped between 2019 and 2020, but Kentucky still ranks fifth among states for incidents of child maltreatment…

Texas families can keep up with vaccine records at ImmTrac2, the Texas Immunization Registry. (OmarMedina/Pixabay)

Winter is Coming: Is Your Child's Health Protected?

COVID upended many routines, including Texas parents getting kids in for regularly scheduled childhood vaccines. Data from the Texas Department of …

According to the Kentucky Youth Risk Behavior Survey, one in seven Kentucky high school students reported having seriously considered suicide within a 12-month period. (Adobe Stock)

Some KY Schools Offering Mental-Health Services Amid Youth Crisis

A pilot program launched by the Todd County School District and the county's local health department offers free mental-health case-management service…

Ohio school districts that implemented free school meals for all have reported a 20% increase in student participation. (USDA)<br />

Ohio Education Leaders Support Free School Meals for All

Education officials in Ohio want state leaders to invest in free school meals for all students. Pandemic-era federal waivers enabling schools to …

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 …

In the 2007-2008 school year, New York City was set to implement a plan to limit class sizes to 25 students by the 2011-2012 school year. However, the plan hasn't yet come to fruition. (Adobe Stock)

New Law to Cap Class Sizes in NYC Schools

Class sizes in New York City schools will be limited by 2028 - the result of a new state law. The law will cap Kindergarten through third-grade …

About 18,000 Montana kids will experience the loss of a family member by the time they're 18. (Africa Studio/Adobe Stock)

MT Hosts Conference on Supporting Grieving Children

A touring conference from the National Alliance for Children's Grief comes to Montana this week. The event will be in Whitefish on Tuesday. The …

A University of Massachusetts study showed an uptick in sports betting in recent years is due partly to the increase in states that allow it, from 10 in 2019, to 30 in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Kids' Exposure to Sports Betting a Risky Gamble in MA

Young people in the Commonwealth were already exposed to sports betting even before it was made legal last month. So, what will Massachusetts do to …

A number of cities across the country are increasingly using tiny homes as cost-saving alternatives to help shelter people experiencing homelessness. (Sirikornt/Adobe Stock)

Nonprofit Group Builds Tiny Homes to Shelter AZ Youths

By Lourdes Medrano for Yes! Media. Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Arizona News Connection, reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service …

Elementary school students on a field trip marvel at the size of a redwood tree. (Victoria Reeder)

For Students, A Trip to the Forest is a Game Changer

As California's children settle into the new school year, about 1,500 students will soon take the field trip of a lifetime to see the giant redwoods…

The Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Initiative is partnering with community groups to interrupt cycles of gun violence. (Adobe Stock)<br />

IL Leaders to Issue Call to Action Over Youth Gun Violence, Mental Health

State and local leaders are joining community groups for a call to action this weekend to draw attention to efforts to support at-risk youth in Illino…

Child poverty ebbed and flowed after hitting 17% in 2009. Since 2017, it has been on the decline, falling to 5.2% in 2021, the lowest rate in history. (Adobe Stock)

CT Child Poverty Unchanged, Census Report Says

Connecticut's child poverty statistics have remained the same throughout 2021, according to the latest Census Bureau report. Nationally, child …

Grant Program to Fund Innovative Solutions to Rural Child Hunger

Child hunger is a persistent problem in California and across the U.S., especially in rural areas, and now, a new grant program will promote and fund …

According to a recent survey by the American Library Association, about 71% of voters, across party lines, oppose book bans altogether. Yet, the ALA has found 1,651 different books were the target of book bans since the start of 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Brooklyn Public Library Hosts 'Books UnBanned' Program

Banned Books Week continues through Saturday, and the Brooklyn Public Library has a program for teens facing book bans in their states. The Books …

Arkansas ranks fifth for the per capita number of households with children that reported not having enough food in their homes this past year, according to a U.S. Census Bureau survey. (Oksana Kuzmina/AdobeStock)

Group Develops Ways to Combat Rural Child Hunger

Save the Children's Rural Child Hunger Research and Innovation Lab aims to help communities design and test new, creative ways to reduce rural child …

This year, more than 70% of attempts to restrict library resources targeted multiple titles. (Adobe Stock)

Maryland Libraries Call Attention to Censorship During Banned Books Week

Controversial books are nothing new, but the incidence of book challenges and bans has increased substantially in recent years. This week marks the …

From July 2021 to June 2022 across the nation, there were 2,532 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,648 unique book titles, according to Pen America. (prettysleepyart/Pixabay)

TX ACLU Promotes 'Students' Rights Hub' During Banned Books Week

Ahead of Banned Books Week, the ACLU of Texas published what it calls a Students' Rights Hub. Kate Huddleston, attorney for the ACLU of Texas…

Kids have been heavily impacted by the pandemic. Advocates are in Washington, D.C., to bring attention to the issues. (Sergey Novikov/Adobe Stock)

Child Advocates Meet with Leaders in DC, Call for Investments in Kids

Advocates for child well-being are in the nation's capital today, calling on lawmakers to invest in children. The Save the Children advocacy summit …

In Tennessee, more than 800,000 people are facing hunger, and more than 230,000 of them are children. (Africa Studio/AdobeStock)

Advocates Calling on Congress for Better Investment in Kids

Advocates for children's well-being are in Washington, D.C. today, calling on lawmakers to invest in kids. The Save the Children advocacy summit is …

Advocates for the poor say the Covid pandemic revealed effective tools to reduce poverty in America. (Adobe Stock)

We Know What Works: How Covid Showed Ways to End Poverty

Childhood poverty was cut nearly in half during the Covid pandemic due to expanded federal programs like the child tax credit, and stimulus payments…

Analysts say had the federal government not temporarily expanded the Child Tax Credit, child poverty would have fallen to 8.1% last year, rather than 5.2%. (Adobe Stock)

Policy Expert: Good News on Poverty Should Be the Norm

On the heels of a promising poverty report, there are renewed calls to make permanent certain pandemic policies that helped struggling families in …

Children of color are more likely than white kids to experience the death of a parent, as are children living in rural areas. (Adobe Stock)

Conference on Grieving in Lincoln to Focus on Supporting Kids

Nebraska is one of six states participating in "No Child Grieves Alone," a series of regional conferences aiming to help communities recover after the…

According to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap report, nine out of 10 counties with the highest food insecurity rates are rural. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Innovation Lab Aims to Spur Creative Solutions to End Child Hunger

A new initiative is providing funding to individuals and grassroots groups across the Commonwealth with creative solutions to reduce hunger among rura…

Children ages 5 to 17 miss nearly two million school days in a single year due to dental-health problems, according to the Healthy Schools Campaign. (teeth.org.au)

Health Screenings Seen as Important Factor for Student Success

School students across Wisconsin are still getting settled as the new academic year unfolds. And experts say it's important to get them in for a …

Supporters of boosting wages for childcare workers in North Dakota say low pay is fueling the lack of available care. They say some families report traveling 80 miles roundtrip to bring their children to a provider. (Adobe Stock)

Guarded Optimism Surrounds ND Child Care Plan

Advocates for expanding child care in North Dakota are responding to the governor's proposal to improve access across the state. They said it is a …

Research suggests that with intensive support, parents can overcome addiction and be reunited with their children as part of their recovery. (Adobe Stock)

Recovery Month: Ohio START Shows Success in Reuniting Families

September is National Recovery Month, and a program in Ohio is showing success in healing families who have struggled with addiction. Ohio START (…

Health experts say making sure children are current with all their check-ups is important to their health and academic success. (Pixabay)

Experts Urge Checkups for Florida Kids, Including Mental Health

Experts are reminding parents to schedule time to get health screenings for kids - and to also think beyond the basic back-to-school physical…

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment launched its School-based Health Center initiative in 1987. (Adobe Stock)

CO Students Can Access Mental, Medical, Dental Care at School

With school now back in session, many Colorado kids are accessing medical, behavioral and dental care through School-based Health Centers, fully …

Doctors say sickle cell disease patients rely on a diverse and available blood supply to treat the effects of the disease. (belyjmishka/Adobe Stock)

Sickle Cell Awareness Month Aims to Inform, Educate about Genetic Disease

September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, a time when doctors and patient advocates hope to spread awareness of a complex and often misunderstood …

According to the 2022 Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy Data Book, the use of health-care services among children covered by Medicaid and CHIP declined during the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Healthy Habits Important as Kids Return to School

As kids return to school, New York parents are encouraged to ensure their kids are getting yearly checkups. According to the U.S. Health Resources …

Increased awareness of the dangers of unlocked medication has led to a 33% drop in emergency-room visits for suspected accidental poisonings in children younger than age 6 between 2012 and 2020 worldwide, according to research by Safe Kids Worldwide.(Adobe Stock)

Medicine Storage Campaign Aims to Reduce Accidental Poisonings Among Kids

Small children are landing in the hospital because of accidental poisoning from ingesting medication meant for adults. Experts are working to give …

According to a New York State Comptroller audit, out of 563 schools previously cited for not having one of the Department of Education's six mental health programs, 30% did not have a social worker. (Valerii Honcharuk/Adobe Stock)

NY Experiencing Shortage of School Social Workers

School districts across the state of New York are facing a shortage of social workers. According to an audit by the state comptroller's office…

New Mexico ranks second in the nation for childhood hunger, according to Feeding America, with one in five children, or about 20.5% of children in the state, at risk of hunger. (nokidhungry.org)

Your Chance to Help Alleviate Hunger in New Mexico

A silver lining of the pandemic was more money available to address hunger, but those funds are drying up, and many in New Mexico will struggle this …

Between 2003 and 2017, the suicide rate among Black girls increased an average of 6.6% each year, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which reports nearly 40% were ages 12 to 14. (kassoum_kone/Pixabay)

Parents, Teachers Advised to Stay Alert for Mental-Health Issues

For some Texas kids, heading back to school creates a lot of anxiety, and experts urge early intervention to solve a youth mental-health crisis …

More than 60,000 kids in Colorado can't afford school meals, but don't qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, and two out of every five Colorado families struggle to put food on the table for their children. (Adobe Stock)

Ending School Lunchline Shaming on Colorado’s November Ballot

In November, Colorado voters will have an opportunity to end a practice known as "lunch-line shaming," which drew national attention after a Colorado …

Health Screenings: Getting NM Kids Back to School on the Right Foot

As children head back to school in New Mexico, experts say it is important to get them in for a physical and get their hearing, vision, and teeth …

Juvenile detentions dropped dramatically nationwide during the early part of the pandemic, but numbers have bounced back up, especially for African American youth. (Sakhorn38/Adobe Stock)

IL Juvenile Justice Groups Press to Raise Age for Pre-trial Detention

Currently, children as young as 10 are held behind bars while awaiting trial in Illinois, and now, juvenile justice reform groups are calling for the …

Food banks help the one in five New Mexico children estimated to be at risk for hunger, and one in eight overall, according to Roadrunner Food Bank. (dosomething.org)

Making 'HELP' Available to New Mexico's Hungry, Food Insecure

Inflation has caused some New Mexico families, who were breaking even six months ago, to once again struggle, and groups working to alleviate hunger …

Some educators say kids continue to struggle with social skills and mental health challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio Schools Seek to Adapt to Mental Health Crisis

By Andrew Kuder / Broadcast version by Mary Schuermann reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. Over the past few years…

Elementary schoolers should get at least nine hours of sleep per night, according to pediatricians at the Cleveland Clinic. (Adobe Stock)

Healthy Habits for NC Kids Can Start with Back-to-School

Experts say there are a few steps North Carolina families can take to help young children feel prepared and ready to begin the new school year…

Eye exams before kids enter school will determine if they need glasses or have other vision issues. (NDABCREATIVITY/Adobe Stock)

Health Pros: Add Check-ups to Back-to-School Checklist

Kids are heading back to school and health professionals say this is a good time for them to get a full health check-up. Before families' schedules …

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report more than half of children ages 6 to 8 have had a cavity in at least one of their baby teeth. (Phoenix021/Adobe Stock)

Your Back to School To-Do List: Medical, Dental, Hearing and Vision Tests

As children head back to school in California, experts urged parents to bring them in for a physical and get their hearing, vision, and teeth checked …

Vaccine-preventable diseases, such as chicken pox, meningitis, measles and whooping cough are still seen across the commonwealth, according to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health. (InsideCreativeHouse/Adobe Stock)

Health Professionals Urge Back-to-School Checkups for PA Kids

As a new school year starts, experts are reminding Pennsylvania parents not to overlook some important health screenings for kids. The required …

According to recent USDA 'Farm to School' Census data, Minnesota schools that responded reported spending 13% of their budgets on local products. (Adobe Stock)

Disadvantaged MN Farmers to See New Business with School Meals

Farmers of color in Minnesota are expected to see new opportunities to get their products into school lunch programs. Their advocates said a major …

A 2021 study by the nonprofit Mental Health America found only 60% of youths experiencing depression received any type of mental health treatment. (Adobe Stock)

VA Kids' Mental Health Still Strained from Pandemic

With a new school year beginning, Virginia parents are being urged to keep an eye on their children's mental health. According to Mental Health …

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