MCALLEN, Texas - The seemingly sudden, mass migration of thousands of Central American women and children who set off alone, risking their lives to migrate to the United States, has raised innumerable questions.
One woman who made the journey wants to shed some light on the issue. Kenia Calderon was just 11 years old when her family fled El Salvador nine years ago, after their neighborhood was overrun by gangs, crime and a general feeling of despair.
"The violence was horrible, you just didn't feel safe," she says. "Gang members would kidnap girls and force them into their gangs and make them sex slaves."
Calderon says the economic and political conditions in many Central American countries and Mexico have deteriorated because of the failure of those economies to produce jobs, which in turn fueled hopelessness and violence.
In El Salvador, police report this year's murder rate of children 17 and under is up 77 percent from the same period a year ago, while the United Nations says a city in northwestern Honduras has the world's highest homicide rate.
Calderon rejects the notion these children are being sent to the U.S. by their parents because they believe some sort of window has opened in border enforcement or because of lax oversight. She says children subjected to rampant, daily violence and horrific conditions have been forced to grow up quickly and make tough decisions.
"They're the ones making the decision, and sometimes they just tell their family, 'I'm coming, be ready for me,'" says Calderon, "because they cannot wait for a change. They know nothing's going to change to better their lives."
Calderon says the record-high number of deportations under the Obama administration is well-known in Central America, but desperate youths still feel migration is their best hope. She says children have actually been fleeing countries in Central America and Mexico for several years, a fact that has been well-documented by groups such as the Pew Hispanic Trust.
"A lot of Americans feel like the situation is being exaggerated, and I feel like it's because we lack a sense of curiosity," she says. "I think we need to be a lot more aware of what's going on around the world, not just in the countries that benefit us."
Calderon hopes more Americans will take the time to research what is happening and why, and instead of using the situation for political gain, look for ways to help families reunite, treat immigrants with respect, and take a long look at the policies of the U.S. in the region.
"I feel like we all should be looking for another solution that will help these kids, because this is a cry for help," says Calderon. "Something must be done, not because they want to win the next election - but because we are humans."
This story was made possible in part by the Voqal Fund.
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The deadline is approaching for families to apply for food benefits in Washington state.
The national program known as SUN Bucks is the U-S Department of Agriculture's summer EBT program, which was created during the pandemic and made permanent this year. Most families were automatically eligible for the program, which provides a one-time payment of $120 per child in a household. Families who did not receive the benefit and believe they are eligible can apply through Saturday.
Norah West, assistant director of the Office of Communications and Government Affairs for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services, said many students get meals through school.
"Having kids be out of school during the summer months makes it a little harder to get access to that nutritious food, and the price of groceries are not going down," West pointed out. "We're pleased to be able to offer even a small amount of assistance to folks."
Kids were automatically enrolled in the program if they are at a school in the National School Lunch Program and qualified with a meal application or Family Income Survey, or they're between age eight and 18 and in a house qualifying for benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Families meeting the National School Lunch Program's income eligibility guidelines for free or reduced-price meals can apply for SUN Bucks. In Washington state, more than 580,000 kids have received benefits this summer, totaling nearly $69 million. West noted the USDA has other summer meal programs as well.
"The federal government also offers two other programs called Sun Meals and Sun Meals to Go through school districts, and those are on site meal programs or in some rural areas," West outlined. "People may have the option to go to a site and pick up food and take it with them."
This summer, 37 states chose to participate in the SUN Bucks program.
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As Pennsylvania children return to school, health advocates stress the importance of keeping them insured.
The 2023 State of Children's Health in Pennsylvania report found more than 145,000 children are without health insurance.
Becky Ludwick, vice president of public policy at the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said the back-to-school season is an ideal time to raise awareness among parents in Pennsylvania about free and low-cost public health insurance options. She added many children lost Medicaid coverage during unwinding but some have transitioned to the Children's Health Insurance Program.
"There's an increasing number of kids going without health insurance or have lost health insurance over the past year," Ludwick reported. "We just really want to take this time as kids are gearing up to get back into school again, to remind parents on what they can do to get their kids insured. So we're looking really at Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program."
According to Children's Health Insurance Program guidelines, a family of three earning $60,000 annually can enroll in the program for an average monthly premium of $58 per child, with additional copays as needed. No family earns too much to apply.
Ludwick pointed out the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes the importance of back-to-school checkups, including routine vaccinations. She stressed enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP is open year-round and recommended parents contact the programs to ensure their children have comprehensive coverage for their health needs.
"We would encourage the families to reach out as quickly as possible on getting their child enrolled through Medicaid or CHIP," Ludwick stated. "In order to get that coverage, to make sure that they are then covered for their yearly physicals, immunization. That also covers mental health services and dental."
Ludwick pointed out recent measles outbreaks have highlighted declining vaccination rates, particularly for the MMR vaccine, which is putting communities at risk. Vaccination coverage among kindergartners in Pennsylvania has declined gradually, with the latest data showing a drop below 95% for the first time in six years.
Disclosure: Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, Early Childhood Education, Education, and Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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Oregon aims to make social and emotional health care for young children more available with a new metric.
The Oregon Health Authority has adopted the Child-Level Social Emotional Health Metric, which will improve and incentivize care for kids from birth to age 5 who are on the state's Medicaid program. Oregon is the first state in the country to adopt such a measure.
Andi Walsh, senior health policy adviser for the Children's Institute in Oregon, said social-emotional health is the foundation for everyone's mental health.
"Building the ability to develop relationships, to experience and express emotions, to explore," Walsh outlined. "All of those are components of social-emotional health and all of those are the building blocks for positive mental and physical health later in childhood and adulthood."
Walsh pointed out the country's youth are experiencing a mental health crisis and Oregon is falling behind. A recent ranking from Mental Health America on access to care for youth placed Oregon third to last.
Karra Crane served on the parent advisory group for the Oregon Pediatric Improvement Partnership, which developed this metric. She has experience with a child who needs social-emotional health treatments. Crane shared her experience living in a small town, Roseburg, where waitlists for services can be years long.
"If you've never experienced it you can't imagine what it's like," Crane asserted. "Talking to people that are living it currently is a really good way to help make sure that you're not missing anything that you wouldn't know to look for because you aren't in that fight, essentially."
Walsh stressed the new metric will be especially impactful as the state bans suspension and expulsion from early care and education programs starting in July 2026. She added the goal of the metric is to get involved sooner with kids at risk of developing social-emotional challenges, which are often seen in child care settings and preschool.
"This metric is really meant to try and reach those kids much sooner in a preventative way," Walsh explained. "To start providing them with the services that we know will strengthen those skills and hopefully, theoretically, will prevent those kinds of issues moving forward."
Disclosure: The Children's Institute contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, Early Childhood Education, Education, and Health Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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