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Expanding the Child Tax Credit could lift as many as 16 million kids in the U.S out of poverty, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. But the measure awaiting action in the U.S. Senate does not have broad public support. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, April 15, 2024

Child Tax Credit would benefit 46,000 MT kids

Advocates of the Child Tax Credit are calling on Washington lawmakers to expand it as they return to the Capitol this week. It's estimated an …

Montana's homelessness problem is a combination of unprecedented growth, mental health problems and higher housing costs, according to groups working to shelter more people. (2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report)

MT homeless population increase leads the nation

A new report shows Montana has the nation's most rapidly rising homeless population. Advocates for more affordable housing call the situation …

Consumer Direct Montana is the latest agency in Montana to unionize, and just last month, completed bargaining for its first union contract with in-home caregivers, who are currently voting to ratify the tentative agreement. (Adobe Stock)

MT health care workers vote on large pay increase

A group of health-care workers in Montana will learn tomorrow whether their new union contract has been ratified. The tentative deal, between SEIU 7…

The Helena point-in-time survey is conducted each year to count people either living in shelters or other temporary housing. (Adobe Stock)

Helena ups efforts to track, shelter homeless Montanans

Helena is stepping up efforts to track its homeless population. The number of people living without shelter has risen sharply since the city started …

Heart Butte, Mont., population 600, is on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The suicide rate for Montana's Native American youth is more than five times the statewide rate for the same age group, according to the Montana Budget and Policy Center. (Amanda MorningStar)

MT Tribes grapple with crippling suicide rate

By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for the KFF Health News/Public News …

Montana has consistently had one of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation, according to the Secretary of State's office. The group Western Native Voice is working to increase the number of Indigenous voters this year. (Adobe Stock)

MT Indigenous group creates app to increase voter turnout

A Native American advocacy group is making a big push to get out the Indigenous vote in this year's elections. It is hiring field organizers across …

Researchers at the University of Montana are working on a vaccine for tuberculosis. While considered a serious problem in underdeveloped parts of the world, cases in the United States are up, having jumped to 8,300 in 2022 from 7,874 in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Montana researchers awarded $12.3 million grant for tuberculosis vaccine

Researchers at the University of Montana have been awarded more than more than $12 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue their wo…

Montana fair housing laws prohibit discrimination based on someone's protected class status, including age, race, creed, familial status, national origin, religion, color, sex, marital status or disability. (Adobe Stock)

Fair housing advocates concerned over changes to MT tenant law

A key change to Montana's Landlord Tenant Act is causing concern among people who advocate for affordable housing. The Legislature shortened the …

The rate of children under age 19 without health insurance dropped to 5% in 2021, an estimated 4,165,000 million kids nationwide, down from 6% in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. (Adobe Stock)

Healthy Kids Study Shows Dramatic Lack of Montana Child Care

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book ranks Montana 18th nationally in overall child well-being. The just-released numbers showed …

HUD's Office of Multifamily Housing Programs administers programs providing housing linked with onsite and community-based supports, including for low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and families with children. (Adobe Stock)

Housing Advocates Push Back on GOP Budget Bill

Advocates for Montana's most vulnerable residents are pushing back on a budget plan passed by the U.S. House, saying it would have disastrous …

Montana Legal Services Association provides advice in civil cases across the state's 56 counties. (Bacho Foto/Adobe Stock)

Retired MT Attorneys Provide Pro Bono Legal Advice

For their next act in life, retired attorneys in Montana are providing free legal advice on civil matters over the phone. The Second Act Justice …

The lack of affordable housing has become an issue in states across the country, and it's even more dire if someone has to mention in their rental application that they have a criminal record. (BillionPhotos.com/Adobe Stock)

In Housing Crisis, Montanans with Criminal Records Face Higher Hurdles

It's hard for almost anyone to find housing in Montana right now, but the barriers are even higher for people with criminal records. Low …

Report: MT 20th in Child Well-Being; Mental Health Remains an Issue

Montana ranks in the upper half of states for child wellbeing, according to an annual report. But mental health among young people remains a concern…

Debt cases have steadily grown to dominate state civil courts, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts.(MU Studio/Adobe Stock)

New Tool Offers Legal Resources for Common Issue: Debt Collection

A new website is helping Montanans answer tricky legal questions about debt. The Montana Legal Services Association has launched MontanaDebtOptions.…

With the pandemic inspiring people to move to Montana, the state can't build fast enough to keep up. (Jim/Adobe Stock)

MT Housing Crisis Grows, But Some Protections Available

Montanans across the state are facing a housing crisis. Prices both to rent and buy a place to live have skyrocketed, leaving vacancy rates extremely …

A new policy initiative to help Montana students graduate will provide support through 2024. (Jos/Adobe Stock)

Initiative to Help MT's Underserved Students Complete College

Montana's effort to increase college graduation numbers is getting a boost from a new grant. The nonprofit Complete College America has chosen the …

U.S. Housing and Urban Development doled out $75 million in grants in its initial efforts to tackle youth homelessness. (anetlanda/Adobe Stock)

Legal Aid Among Services to Take On Youth Homelessness in MT

A federal grant is helping Montana tackle homelessness among the state's young people. The Treasure State was chosen as a rural recipient of a $3.4 …

About 7,000 people live on the Crow Nation reservation in southern Montana. (Montanabw/Adobe Stock)

Project to Train People to Represent Montanans in Tribal Courts

A program is looking for Montanans to represent people in courts on tribal reservations, who often lack access to legal assistance when they need it…

Among extremely low income households in Montana, about nine in 10 spend more than 30% of their income on housing. (BillionPhotos.com/Adobe Stock)

Build Back Better Act Could Help Address MT Housing Crisis, Advocates Say

Like many states across the country, Montana is facing a housing crisis. One organization says policies in the Build Back Better Act, still in …

The Rural Incubator Project for Lawyers is a 24-month fellowship program that places attorneys in rural areas to help low-income clients. (snowing12/Adobe Stock)

Rural MT Legal Aid Program Ranks Among Most Innovative Nationwide

HELENA, MT -- A legal services program in Montana has been selected as one of the most innovative justice programs in the country. The Rural Justice …

Rachel Winn, right, says her new van should be handicap accessible for her son by November. (Rural Dynamics)

Program Helps Montanans with Disabilities Afford Assistive Tech

HELENA, Mont. - It can be hard for people with disabilities to afford the assistive technology they need to perform daily activities. A program in …

Families with children under age 6 could get up to $3,600 through the federal Child Tax Credit this year. (tomertu/Adobe Stock)

Child Tax Credit Lifts MT Families Out of Poverty, Backers Say

MISSOULA, Mont. - More than 200,000 Montana families are seeing extra money in their bank accounts because of the extended federal Child Tax Credit…

The Court Help Connect program in 11 locations across Montana helps folks fill out legal documents. (BillionPhotos.com/Adobe Stock)

Program Brings Civil Legal Help to Rural Montanans

HELENA, Mont. -- Legal documents can be hard to parse, and for rural Montanans, and it also can be hard to find help filling out those documents…

Virtual aids like Zoom have become more common tools for attorneys, allowing them to meet remotely with clients during the COVID-19 pandemic. (NicoElNino/Adobe Stock)

Project Gets Affordable Legal Aid to Rural Montanans

HELENA, Mont. - A Montana program is reaching rural residents who struggle to afford legal representation when they need it. The Rural Incubator …

One in 10 Montana families doesn't have health insurance. (Maygutyak/Adobe Stock)

MT Families Face 'Impossible Decisions' During Pandemic

HELENA, Mont. -- Montana families are struggling during the pandemic, putting the well-being of children in the state at risk. A new report from the …

American Prairie Reserve's donation of bison meat to the Montana Food Bank Network is coming at time when some meat processors are closed due to COVID-19 (Mike Quist Kautz/APR)

American Prairie Reserve Donates Bison Meat to MT Food Bank Network

HELENA, Mont. -- The American Prairie Reserve (APR) is donating about 4,000 pounds of harvested bison meat to the Montana Food Bank Network. The …

Montana received nearly $3 billion dollars from programs that use census data in fiscal year 2016. (gustavofrazao/Adobe Stock)

Study: Census Data Crucial to Many Montanans' Incomes

HELENA, Mont. -- An accurate census count is most important to rural states, such as Montana, and poorer states, according to a new study. States …

About 15,000 children in Montana didn't have health coverage in 2018, according to a new report. (Rido/Adobe Stock)

Report: Number MT Kids without Health Coverage Spikes

BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana saw a sharp rise in the number of children without health care insurance between 2016 and 2018, according to a new …

From 2015-17, 58% of 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds in Montana were not in school. (New Africa/Adobe Stock)

MT Kids Start School Year With Fewer Preschool Options

HELENA, Mont. – School is back in session, but not for many of Montana's preschool-age children this year. After the state Legislature funded …

Medicaid expansion currently covers about 96,000 Montanans. (zimmytws/Adobe Stock)

Public Comment Open on MT Medicaid Expansion Work Requirements

HELENA, Mont. – The public has an opportunity to comment on changes to Medicaid expansion that allow Montana to implement work requirements for …

An Annie E. Casey Foundation report finds more children in Montana graduated high school on time in 2017 compared to 2010. (U.S. Forest Service/Flickr)

Analysis: MT Makes Small Gains in Child Well-Being

HELENA, Mont. – Montana saw modest progress in a number of markers for child well-being, according to a new report. The Annie E. Casey …

A bill on Colstrip is being considered by the Montana House. (Tracy/Flickr)

Opposition Grows to Allowing MT Utility to Sidestep Oversight

HELENA, Mont. — Opposition is growing to a bill that would allow Northwestern Energy to buy a unit at Colstrip without oversight from the …

Montana youths who have been in the foster care system can struggle to find a place to live, with only 48 percent reporting stable housing by age 21. (Andres Rodriguez/Flickr)

Report: Instability Hurts Trajectories of MT Foster Children

HELENA, Mont. – New research highlights the instability young people in foster care face in Montana, and the barriers this can create as they …

The number of single-parent Montana families has dropped since 2010, meaning more kids have two breadwinners in the family. (USFWS/Flickr)

Report: Montana Kids Doing Better, Experts Look to 2020 Census

HELENA, Mont. – Montana kids are faring better in an annual report on child well-being released today. The 2018 KIDS COUNT Data Book from the …

There are more than 90 summer meal sites throughout Montana. (Missoula Food Bank)

MT Summer Meal Programs Fight Childhood Hunger

HELENA, Mont. — Summer can be a difficult time for hungry children. In Montana, about one-in-six children lives in a food insecure household …

In Montana, women make 70 percent of what their male counterparts make. That's one of the largest wage gaps in the country. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Montana Women Face Third-Largest Pay Gap in U.S.

HELENA, Mont. – It takes women more than 15 months to earn what men earn in 12 – but pay inequality is not the only discrepancy Montana …

In Montana, 70 percent of funding for community health centers is at risk if Congress doesn't reauthorize it. (estableman/Pixabay)

After Months on Edge, Community Health Centers Poised for Refunding

HELENA, Mont. – After more than three months on the precipice, funding for community health centers looks poised for reauthorization. Budget …

Some Native Americans are turning to traditional healing methods and culture to address health disparities for their communities. (Kate Brady/Flickr)

Native American Health Inequities Often Fly Under the Radar

MISSOULA, Mont. – It was when Annie Belcourt was having her own children that she realized some of the insidious ways health disparities for …

Universal policies like tax credits and health care can help children of all races, advocates for child well-being say. (U.S. Forest Service/Flickr)

Report: Native American Children in MT Far Behind Other Children

HELENA, Mont. – A new report reveals the persistent disparities for children of color and in immigrant families, in Montana and across the …

Montana's Steve Bullock was among a group of bipartisan governors calling for a more open process in negotiations over the American Health Care Act. (Matt Ludin/YPF)

Analysis: GOP Health Bill Means Fewer Covered, Tax Breaks for Rich

HELENA, Mont. - Montana's millionaires could see an average tax cut of close to $40,000 a year if the American Health Care Act becomes law, according …

The Montana Food Bank Network works with 140 partners across the state to provide meals to kids over the summer. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Summer Meals Helping Combat Academic Slide for MT Children

MISSOULA, Mont. – During the summer months, children need food assistance more than ever. One in five children in Montana lives in a food …

Montana ranks 26th overall for child well-being, according to a new report. (photogramma1/Flickr)

Report: MT Needs to Improve Health for Children

HELENA, Mont. – Montana is in the middle of the pack when it comes to the well-being of children, but lags far behind in health outcomes…

The number of uninsured children dropped by 7 percent between 2009 and 2015 in Montana. (Marc Rusines/Flickr)

Report: Medicaid Cuts Would Hurt Montana's Kids

MISSOULA, Mont. – Medicaid is critical for providing health care to rural communities in Montana and nationwide – especially for children…

The BackPack assistance program is designed to help the nearly 48,000 children who are food insecure in Montana.(and the rest/flickr)

Children's Need for Food High Over Holidays

MISSOULA, Mont. – Thanksgiving is a time when families get together and eat wonderful food. But some Montanans are less fortunate during the …

Sending young people to prison doesn't work, according to research that suggests an entirely new system is needed. (Michael Coghlan/Flickr)

Youth Prisons Don't Work, Report Says

HELENA, Mont. – A new report from The Annie E. Casey Foundation pulls together evidence of the ineffectiveness of youth correctional facilities…

More U.S. troops from low-income communities who were deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have limited access to healthcare services, according to a new study. (Skeeze/Pixabay)

'Unequal Burden' of War for U.S. Troops from Low-Income Areas

HELENA, Mont. – The scars of war might be deeper for soldiers who come from poorer areas of the country, according to a new study. Francis …

Native Americans make up about 6.5 percent of Montana's population. (EWULibraries/flickr)

Group Looks to Get Out Native American Vote in Montana

BILLINGS, Mont. – With two months left before Election Day, one group is encouraging Montana's Native American population to register to vote…

Cash Advance ranked in the top 10 for complaints on payday lending made to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. (Frankieleon/Flickr)

Report: Consumers Falling into Payday Lending 'Debt Trap'

HELENA, Mont. - Opponents of payday and car-title lending say they lead to financial abuse of consumers, and a new report supports new federal rules …

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MT: Poverty Issues