INDIANAPOLIS — While summer is a time for enjoying family and friends or taking road trips, hunger doesn't take a vacation in Indiana. A new report by the Food Research and Action Center says millions of children who rely on free and reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches lose access to those meals when schools aren't in session.
In July of 2016, more than 3 million children were served through summer nutrition programs. But that number was a drop of more than 4 percent from 2015.
Mychaela Brandle, coordinator of the No Kid Hungry Summer Campaign with the group Feeding Indiana's Hungry, said many kids can't get to places where food is being served, especially in rural communities.
"It's difficult to get out to those areas where kids' town is 15 miles away, or the nearest school could be miles away and it's not accessible by their bike [or] to walk, and they have to be dependent on someone to get them there,” Brandle explained.
The report said in July 2015, 79,000 children took part in summer meal programs in Indiana - but that number dropped to 68,000 in July 2016. One factor is that many parents don't know about the programs or where to find them.
The Indiana Department of Education has an interactive map of summer meal sites on its website, doe.in.gov.
Indiana ranked 23rd out of all the states for its percentage of low-income children who participate in summer nutrition programs. Brandle said she wants to focus on making sure no child goes hungry, and she knows there's a lot more that could be done.
"Maybe looking at states that are doing it well, and trying to implement some of their strategies where we can take something that's already a well oiled machine, implement it here and kind of cover and patch those holes,” she said.
Summer meals are served at schools, recreation centers, YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, churches and parks - with many offering educational activities for the kids. Crystal Fitzsimon, director of School and Out of School Time Programs at FRAC, said that combination works the best.
"The activities and the enrichment keep kids safe and learning, and out of trouble while their parents are working,” Fitzsimon said; "and then, the food helps to ensure that they're healthy and not hungry, and able to fully benefit from the program."
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An evidenced-based social work model to help parents struggling with substance use stay connected to their children is offering hope to Ohio counties ravaged by the opioid epidemic.
A new survey of parents in predominantly Appalachian Ohio counties finds most had positive experiences with Ohio Sobriety Treatment and Reducing Trauma or "START."
Erin Mills, Ohio START family peer mentor for Summit County Children's Services, said the program uses a trauma-informed approach to help parents forge healthy relationships with their children, while voluntarily agreeing to enter a recovery program.
"It's an amazing tool within the community as we are facing this opioid epidemic," Mills asserted. "We have tons of children who are being displaced due to addiction issues."
According to the survey, many parents gave credit to Ohio START for helping them keep custody of or reunite with their children, and say their experiences led to a more positive perception of child protective services. According to 2022 state data, more than 5,000 residents died from drug overdoses and the majority of the deaths involved opioids.
Jen McClellan, Ohio START regional manager for the Public Children Services Association of Ohio, explained substance abuse in the home increases the odds of child abuse and neglect but pointed to research which shows removing children from their home and placing them in foster care can cause mental distress and in some cases, lead to worse outcomes.
She believes the program's success is driven by its use of peer mentors and wraparound services aimed at keeping parents and kids together safely.
"We use more intense practices, the family peer mentor is paired with a caseworker who serves the families together," McClellan explained. "And they see their families much more frequently than in a traditional Children's Services case."
Jessica Okolish, Ohio START family peer mentor for Summit County Children's Services, said the intensity and speed of recovery services to participating families can help set in motion positive changes, noting without the START network, parents could wait months for a bed in a recovery program.
"Another big thing is recovery coaches having a seat at the table to show the positive impact of peer support and that it works. I think Summit County has proven that." Okolish reported.
Most survey participants said the shared lived experience between family peer mentors and parents helped established trust and made a difference overcoming resistance in working with child protective services.
Disclosure: The Public Children Services Association of Ohio contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, Family/Father Issues, Livable Wages/Working Families, and Mental Health. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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Advocates for accessible child care saw wins during Washington state's legislative session this year but still see room for improvement.
Lawmakers invested in a number of programs to increase funding for child care providers.
Genevieve Stokes, director of government relations for Child Care Aware of Washington, said the state is building a foundation for universal access for families.
"The investments this year were modest but still really tackled some of the crucial things that we were hoping they would look at," Stokes acknowledged.
Some of the investments include $1.75 million for free infant and early childhood mental health consultations, more than $8 million for the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, and nearly $7 million in additional grant money for capital improvements for early learning facilities.
However, Stokes emphasized gaps remain.
"The funding this year and the funding so far doesn't address the child care crisis for middle-income families," Stokes noted. "And it doesn't solve the issue of child care providers not being able to make a living wage."
Stokes added not finding care puts parents in a bind and impacts the economy.
"When parents can't find child care or can't afford child care, they can't work and then they're faced with impossible choices with few good outcomes," Stokes stressed.
Disclosure: Child Care Aware of Washington contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Children's Issues, Early Childhood Education, and Mental Health. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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This month is National Disability Awareness Month, and in Ohio, parents who've adopted kids with special needs say living with a disability isn't always a barrier to independence and thriving.
Aaryn McGregor, a nurse in Richland County, said her husband adopted 15-year-old Samantha from foster care nearly four years ago. Samantha was born without some of her organs and was placed in foster care as a toddler because of medical neglect.
With both physical and cognitive disabilities, Samantha has high needs for day-to-day care, but McGregor said she's made progress in her new home and is learning independent-living skills.
"We realize they have a disability, but we also want to see past that a little, just so that they can reach their full potential, it's not just the label, because people of all ages with disabilities, they can achieve a lot in their life. We think that's important," McGregor said.
Research shows children with disabilities have significantly more disruptions and longer stays in foster care. Of the more than 680,000 children in the U.S. foster care system in 2017, 22% had a medical or disability diagnosis requiring additional or specialized care.
Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, said no matter what race, age or background, children with any type of disability or special needs are more likely to linger in foster care or age into institutional care. She said it's important for families interested in adoption to build a network of support, and points to the Wendy's Wonderful Kids Program as a model for pre-adoption relationship-building.
"Making those connections -- access to medical or psychological resources that they'll need before that adoption is finalized -- is critical, so that families feel that they will be supported, that they will have access, and that they can successfully raise a child in their home," she explained.
According to the Dave Thomas Foundation, its Wendy's Wonderful Kids Program is responsible for more than 14,000 successful adoptions across the United States and Canada.
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