La lista de verificación para el regreso a clases de los padres en Arizona podría incluir una doble comprobación para asegurar que sus hijos siguen teniendo seguro médico.

Arizona fue uno de los primeros estados en empezar a comprobar el estado de elegibilidad de todas las personas que recibían cobertura de Medicaid cuando terminó la emergencia de salud pública de la pandemia.

El Director de Políticas de Salud de Children's Action Alliance, Matt Jewett, afirma que desde abril la inscripción en Medicaid en Arizona ya ha disminuido en varios cientos de miles, lo que califica de "preocupante".

Jewett dice que los niños están entre los que están siendo dados de baja de la cobertura, muchos por razones tan simples como errores de archivo, o porque las familias no actualizaron su información de contacto, y conseguir un nuevo seguro puede ser un desafío.

"Gran parte de la población que estamos viendo son esos niños que están superando la edad de KidsCare," señala Jewett, "también estamos viendo personas en zonas rurales que pueden no tener tantas organizaciones que presten ayuda. También estamos viendo que en las zonas tribales, hay mucha gente en situación de riesgo."

Jewett añade que el programa estatal de Medicaid para niños, llamado KidsCare, aumentará la elegibilidad de ingresos de 200% del Nivel Federal de Pobreza, a 225% este otoño. Eso debería significar que un adicional de 12,000 niños podrían inscribirse para la cobertura.

Joan Alker, del Centro para Niños y Familias de la Universidad de Georgetown, dice que es preocupante que muchas de las pérdidas de Medicaid no se deban a que un estado determine que alguien no es elegible, sino a que muchos no han pasado por el proceso de renovación.

Ella dice que si su hijo ha perdido la cobertura de Medicaid, hay una buena probabilidad de que siga siendo elegible.

"Nos encontramos en una situación histórica sin precedentes, en la que los estados, que por lo general carecen de personal suficiente, tienen que procesar las comprobaciones de elegibilidad de todos los que participan en el programa," asegura Alker. "Y eso incluye a la mitad de los niños del país, así que es una tarea enorme."

Alker afirma que las brechas en la cobertura son un problema, sin importar cuánto duren. Añade que, aunque la cobertura de los niños no es cara, son lo que ella denomina "usuarios regulares de atención", y no quiere que las familias se presenten en una farmacia o consultorio médico y sean rechazadas.

Virginia is making a financial investment to help tackle the state's childcare shortage.

This year's budget allocates more than $1 billion to expand childcare capacity in 2025 and 2026. Legislation is also streamlining part of the process for people to become childcare providers.

The Center for American Progress finds 47% of Virginians live in areas considered "childcare deserts."

Allison Gibreath, senior director of policy and programs at Voices for Virginia's Children, said the state must also develop its childcare workforce.

"What I'm hearing from providers is they might have a classroom that's completely empty that could fill 15 slots in their community," said Gibreath, "but they cannot open that classroom because they cannot find the workforce to support that classroom."

A Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission study finds 74% of Virginia's childcare centers are short-staffed, preventing many parents from entering the workforce.

It says a major factor is low pay for early childhood educators, ranging from $29,000 to $33,000 a year.

Gilbreath said the new investments should trickle down, enabling centers to hire more people and increase pay.

Gilbreath said the additional investment and legislation should strengthen the childcare system, but more can be done to alleviate the large-scale challenges a lack of providers creates.

"When a huge employer is looking for a place to either build a new facility or build a new office anywhere in the country," said Gibreath, "when they come to Virginia, they're starting to ask the question, 'If bring my workforce here, will there be enough childcare options for the workforce?'"

Some bills that didn't pass this year could come up again next session.

One would create an Employee Child Care Assistance Pilot Program for small businesses to help cover childcare costs for their workforce.

Another would expand Headstart's availability for parents attending community colleges.




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A Georgia company is showcasing the benefits of supporting workers who want to adopt children.

The Atlanta-based kids' clothing brand Carter's is gaining recognition for its efforts in helping employees expand their families.

Hannah Aarsvold, senior director of site merchandising for Carter's, is one employee who has benefited from the company's adoption support. She shared her own story of fostering and adopting her son Hayden with Carter's assistance.

"My colleagues threw the coolest adoption shower when Hayden was adopted," Aarsvold recounted. "I obviously know Carter's as my place of employment and the largest children's apparel brand in North America, but Hayden knows Carter's as the place of this awesome adoption party."

She pointed out the practical help she received, like time off to handle the logistics of becoming a parent with 24 hours' notice, and the emotional support, made a difference. Carter's was recently recognized as a top retailer for adoption support by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

Katie Maclaga, senior director of benefits for Carter's, emphasized the importance of providing a supportive culture and reducing employee stress during the adoption and foster care process. She said the company can help with financial support, among other benefits.

"We also have an innovative benefit around providing 10 days of foster care leave when someone becomes a foster parent," Maclaga stressed. "We think that's really important too, because there's not a ton of awareness around that. But when you become a foster parent, you've got to figure out a lot of things very quickly."

Rita Soronen, president and CEO of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, explained adoption benefits ensure employees are not penalized at work for pursuing a different path to building their families. She said the benefits help the employers as well as their workers.

"It creates a competitive edge for employers among businesses with whom they're trying to attract employees," Soronen noted. "It becomes very much of an equity conversation; that we believe that, no matter how a family is formed, we're going to support the needs of our employees."

She added the Foundation provides resources for employers looking to support families, noting even modest benefits can make a big impact.

After the tragic death of Kyneddi Miller, a 14-year-old West Virginia girl found dead in her home, some state lawmakers are calling on the governor to pass a bill known as "Raylee's Law" during a special session expected in August.

Named after Raylee Browning, an 8-year-old girl who was removed from public school and home-schooled after teachers reported abuse to child protective services, versions of the law have stalled in the Legislature the past few years.

Del. Joey Garcia, D-Fairmont, said the law would ban county school boards from authorizing home-school instruction if there's a pending child abuse or neglect investigation against a parent or guardian.

"I think what we're looking at is there has to be some level of accountability," Garcia contended. "Just like there is in the public school system, that children are being taught, that they're not being abused."

A 2023 analysis by the Washington Post estimated there are 1 million to nearly 3 million home-schooled children in the United States. In West Virginia, the number is around 13,000, according to the West Virginia Home Educators Association, which said it opposes any oversight of home schooling.

Garcia emphasized the law is designed to help improve one aspect of the state's failing child welfare system. In 2019, current and former foster care children filed a class-action lawsuit arguing the state repeatedly failed to protect children in its care. He added West Virginia has work to do when it comes to child safety.

"Across the aisle, Democrats, Republicans, people of all different beliefs with respect to education, to try to provide for a reasonable and narrowly tailored law that protects children," Garcia explained.

Lawmakers also are in discussion with local school boards about enforcing assessment completion for home-schooled kids. State law requires assessments at certain grade levels and local public school officials have few options to check on children when a parent or guardian fails to submit them. Data show just 37% of home-school households submit assessments.


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