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More than 200 child care centers in West Virginia closed between 2018 and 2019, according to ChildCare Aware. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Child care, tax cuts expected focus of upcoming WV special session

West Virginia lawmakers will convene for a Special Session on Sept. 30, with the state's child care crisis, proposed income tax cuts and supplemental …

The national average cost for child care was nearly $11,000 in 2022, according to a study by Child Care Aware of America. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: More WV Parents Would Work Full-Time with Affordable Child Care

Half of West Virginia voters who are parents working part-time or less say they'd go back to full-time work if they had access to quality child care a…

In 2021, some 53% of working adults ages 25 to 54 were parents, and more than a third of those parents had young children, according to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe stock)<br />

Report: More West Virginia Parents Not Working due to Childcare Issues

Thirteen percent of young children in West Virginia lived in families in which someone quit their job or refused a job because of responsibilities wit…

The nonprofit Save the Children says the digital divide is one reason children lagged behind in schoolwork during the pandemic. Four in 10 West Virginia families don't have reliable internet service. (Adobe Stock)

Post-Pandemic, WV Kids Still Catching Up at School

During the COVID pandemic, West Virginia's elementary school enrollment dropped and saw rankings near the bottom among states for some education …

The newest edition of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book explores how America's child population fared during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Poverty Continues to Stall Progress on WV Kids' Well-Being

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- New survey data offer a clear picture of how West Virginia kids and families are faring. The Mountain State ranks 44th in the …

West Virginia spends about 20 percent less on school workers as a proportion of the state's Gross Domestic Product than it did eight years ago. (W. Va. Center on Budget and Policy)

What Would a Real PEIA Fix Look Like?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Striking teachers are angry about rising health care premiums and eroding benefits from West Virginia's Public Employee …

Report: "Pervasive" Threats of Lead in School Drinking Water

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- In the wake of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, a new report says lead in schools' drinking water is a pervasive problem…

Health officials want parents to try behavior therapy for young children with ADHD, instead of giving them medications. (Lorie Gelwick Tuter)

Report Touts Alternatives to Medications for Children with ADHD

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging parents of preschoolers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder…

New numbers from the CDC show autism affects about 1 in 68 U.S. children, and that rate is steady. But doctors say more testing is needed. (Wikipedia)

Rate of Autism Holds Steady, But Testing Needed

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - April is National Autism Awareness Month and the numbers are holding steady in the U.S., according to the latest snapshot of …

School lunches could change if a bipartisan bill expected to come up for a vote in the U.S. Senate becomes law. (keyseeker/morguefile.com)

Possible School Lunch Improvements

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Members of the U.S. Senate are working on a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize child nutrition programs, including the …

Only about 13% of U.S. mothers are guaranteed paid leave after childbirth, according to a report. Credit: SolStock.

Magazine Finds U.S. Failing in Paid Time Off for Moms

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - The U.S. is dramatically behind the rest of the world in providing adequate support for mothers to spend time with their newborn …

Medicaid is fifty years old, and research shows its positive effects on West Virginia children. Photo courtesy National Institutes of Health.

Medicaid at 50: New Research Shows Long-Term Benefits for West Virginia Kids

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Medicaid is 50 years old this week, and the impact it's had on the lives of children is being praised, both by advocates …

More than one in four West Virginia children lives in poverty, and a new Kids Count survey says their families have been passed up by the economic recovery. Photo courtesy Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children.

West Virigina Slipping in Terms of Poverty, Kids' Well-Being

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia's children are faring worse, and the state's ranking on key measures of caring for them has fallen, according …

PHOTO: The state Legislature looks likely to restore threatened funding for children and family support programs, and maybe this time putting it in a more stable part of the budget. Photo of the state Capitol rotunda courtesy of the West Virginia Legislature.

West Virginia Kids and Family Funding Looking More Stable

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Funding for state programs supporting children and families may be restored, and this time it may be permanent. While Governor …

PHOTO: An updated poverty calculator from the U.S. Census Bureau shows significant gains have been made in West Virginia in reducing child poverty. Photo credit: Esther Merbt/Pixabay.

Safety Net Reduces Child Poverty in West Virginia by More Than Half

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - An updated poverty calculator from the U.S. Census Bureau shows significant gains have been made in reducing child poverty in the …

PHOTO: As a hunger-fighting strategy, the number of children getting breakfast in school is rising. West Virginia now is tied for best in the nation for its ratio of kids eating breakfast at school, according to a new report. Photo courtesy Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger.

WV Best in U.S. for Kids Getting Breakfast in School

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Hard work invested in getting school breakfasts to more West Virginia kids is paying off. A new survey has found the state has …

PHOTO: Shyne Brown of Doddridge County says both of his daughters have used services provided by the state Family Resource Network. He says West Virginia should provide a steady funding stream for the programs. Photo by Dan Heyman.

West Virginia Children's Welfare Group Promoting Prevention Policies

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The agenda for the Our Children Our Future initiative in the upcoming West Virginia legislative session is heavy on prevention…

PHOTO: According to a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, helping children in poverty works best when the entire family is helped at once. Photo credit: C.C. Mackay.

West Virginia Children Succeed When Parents and Families Succeed

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A new strategy to help kids by helping their families is offering hope in West Virginia's poverty-fighting efforts. A new report …

PHOTO: The Our Children, Our Future campaign says there has been mushrooming enthusiasm building towards next week's events aimed at easing West Virginia child poverty. Photo courtesy of the Our Children, Our Future campaign.

Our Children, Our Future Building on Grassroots Success

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Organizers stress next week's Our Children, Our Future campaign events at the state capitol will be much larger than last …

PHOTO: Nutritionists recommend including some combination of two fruits and two vegetables in a child's lunchbox, and having them help with the selection and lunch-packing process. Photo courtesy of HealthyChild.org.

Parents: What's In Your Kid's Lunchbox?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The start of the school year is just weeks away - and while there's no shortage of the latest backpacks and school-supply …

PHOTO: Inside the Supreme Court building, the justices are looking at a case union officials say could be of vital importance to vulnerable women workers. Photo by Franz Jantzen, courtesy Supreme Court of the United States

SCOTUS Decision Could Affect Women's Workplace Rights

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A soon-to-be-decided Supreme Court case could set back some of the country's most vulnerable workers, union officials say…

PHOTO: Sen. Bill Laird of Fayette County, a former county sheriff, says cutting programs that help West Virginia families in crisis will cost the state more money in the long run. Photo credit: Dan Heyman.

Criminal Justice Officials Favor Restoring Child, Family Funding

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Criminal justice officials are joining those who say West Virginia should restore $750,000 in cuts from programs for …

Lawmakers from both parties are joining efforts to get Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to reconsider cuts to family and children programs. PHOTO of the Capitol rotunda copyrighted by the state Legislature.

Lawmakers on Both Sides Favor Restoring Kids' & Families' Cuts

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – State lawmakers from both parties are asking Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin to let them consider restoring money cut from programs …

PHOTO: Advocates for early childhood and family support programs say WV state budget cuts could reduce their ability to bring in millions of dollars in matching money that is critical to their operations. They presented lawmakers with a symbolic check for the $13 million they leverage annually. Photo credit: Dan Heyman.

State Budget Cuts Put $13 Million in Child, Family Money "At Risk"

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Advocates for early-childhood and family-support programs have delivered a symbolic $13 million check to West Virginia lawmakers …

‘Voice’ for Children of WV Working Poor Makes Proposals to Lawmakers

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The "Our Children, Our Future" campaign hopes to continue what has often been bipartisan success in the West Virginia Legislature…

PHOTO: New research found childhood poverty impacted how much the two regions of the prefrontal cortex (as shown in orange circles) were engaged during emotion regulation. Photo: brain. Courtesy UIC.

Research Finds Growing Up Poor can Impact Adult Brain Function

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - New research has found that the stress of growing up poor can have a lasting impact that foretells a greater risk of both …

After the federal money for its budget was cut, Kanawha County's Head Start director retired to help the program keep going without turning away students. PHOTO courtesy of the Appalachian Council.

Kanawha Director Retired To Save Head Start Budget

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – This week we learned that federal budget sequestration resulted in Tucker County ending its Head Start program. Now the …

PHOTO: Expert says roughhousing can be good for kids. CREDIT: Sharon Mollerus

Kids Playing Rough May Be a Good Thing

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - It is an order that has passed through the lips of many a parent: "Quit that horsin' around!" However, a better option may be to …

PHOTO: After months of work, individuals and advocacy groups have presented a bundle of ideas to lawmakers on how to deal with child poverty in West Virginia. Photo credit: Dan Heyman.

WV Shows Momentum on Turning Child Poverty Proposals into Reality

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Legislative leaders say proposals for fighting child poverty presented to lawmakers this week have a real chance of making a …

West Virginia officials are concerned that automatic cuts to federal Head Start could erode the state's early-education efforts.

Federal Head Start Cuts Could Threaten WV Early Ed

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Cuts to federal Head Start may hurt West Virginia's highly praised state early-education efforts. Since West Virginia has …

Head Start parent Bill Johnson is worried that cuts to the program might mean his autistic daughter could lose therapy she badly needs. PHOTO by Dan Heyman.

Head Start Cuts – ‘Budget Mess Means Wealthy Get Tax Breaks While WV Kids Suffer’

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Critics of Head Start cuts say partisan battles over the budget mean the U.S continues to waste money on tax breaks for the …

According to the WV's largest Head Start provider, more than four hundred kids have lost their spots in the state's programs due to budget cuts. Photo courtesy of the Appalachian Council.

Budget Fights in Congress Costs WV Kids Their Head Start

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Even though the federal deficit is half what it was, hundreds of West Virginia children are losing spots in Head Start due to the …

GRAPHIC: Children � and adults � are urged to resist the tantalizing images on entertainment screens for one week, starting April 29. Courtesy CCFC.

Fewer Screens, More “Free-Range Children”

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - It's Screen-Free Week, an annual effort by children's advocates to get kids free from the grip of electronic devices - if only …

PHOTO: Rachael McCarty got help from CASEWV when struggling with her dilapidated house while also working her way through college and caring for two children. Photo courtesy of CASEWV.

Housing Program Helps People Build A Better Foundation

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Advocates and clients say the community action agency for the southeast part of the state has housing programs that work …

The national rate of youth incarceration is at a thirty-five year low, after having fallen by forty percent in the last decade and a half. Chart from the Annie E Casey Foundation report Reducing Youth Incarceration.

WV Jailing More Juveniles, but Lawmakers Working to Change That

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - While the national rates of youth incarceration have fallen for years, West Virginia's has actually risen. The good news is…

GRAPHIC: A new report says WV child poverty is a growing problem, but doesn't have to be. Courtesy of W.Va. Healthy Kids & Families Coalition and WV CoB&P.

Will Success Reducing Senior Poverty Work for WV Kids?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - West Virginia - and the United States as a whole - have dramatically reduced poverty among seniors, and a growing movement says …

GRAPHIC: The website www.firstthousanddayswv.com is intended to inform policymakers and the public about the importance of the first years of life. Courtesy Early Childhood Advisory Council of West Virginia.

Focusing on the Need to Help WV Babies Learn Early

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - West Virginia doctors are stressing to parents the importance of interacting with children - from the moment of birth - to help …

Coping with CT Shootings: Experts Say Routine is Powerful Medicine

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - It's an all-too-familiar situation for West Virginia parents - helping children cope after a school shooting. And while kids may …

Push for Children in Poverty Puts WV Kids above Politics

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - By now, a lot of people are probably sick of politics. But a new, nonpartisan drive aims to put democracy into action for West …

PHOTO The case for publicly funded care leave is made in a new book,

Champions of Paid Care Leave: More Baby Talk Needed in Prez Debates

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Abortion, contraception and equal pay for women have come up so far in the debates between President Obama and challenger Mitt …

Downward Slide: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2012. Report by the National Women's Law Center.

Report: WV Among States Undermining Support For Childcare

CHARLESTON, W. Va. – West Virginia is among the states where working families' ability to get child care assistance is getting worse, according …

PHOTO: picture of Charles Brunner. Courtesy of the Child & Family Policy Center.

Election 2012: What About West Virginia's Children?

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - So far, the 2012 presidential race has focused variously on unemployment, job creation, tax cuts, the candidates' tax returns…

PHOTO: Rocco Fucillo. Photo provided by the Governor's office.

DHHR Head Wants To Shift To Prevention

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The acting head of West Virginia's Department of Health and Human Resources says he wants to move the agency more towards …

Report: Foreclosure Increases Linked to Child Abuse

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Troubles in the housing market are linked to increases in child abuse, according to a new study looking at child abuse-related …

As Protests Grow Against Childcare Cuts, Gov Lifts Freeze

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - With increasing protests against reductions in state-supported child care, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has stopped one portion of the …

PHOTO: Physical punishment of children increases the chances of mood, anxiety and personality disorders, and alcohol and drug abuse in adulthood, says a study in the latest Journal of Pediatrics.

New Study: Spanked Kids = Messed-Up Grownups

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Physical punishment of children increases their chances of mood, anxiety and personality disorders, and alcohol and drug abuse in …

Nationally Renowned Pediatrician: Don’t Cut WV Support For Child Care

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The state of West Virginia is cutting support for child care, meaning hundreds of working families will face thousands of dollars …

Working Families Say Childcare Cuts Would Mean Devastating Setbacks

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Starting next week, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources will begin phasing in cuts to state-supported …

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WV: Early Childhood Education