El Congreso se está quedando sin tiempo para financiar completamente un programa que proporciona apoyo alimentario y de salud a madres lactantes y a niños de hasta cinco años.

Greta Allen de Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger dice que si el Congreso no se ocupa de un déficit de un $1 billón de dólares para el Programa Especial de Nutrición Suplementaria para Mujeres, Bebés y Niños, conocido como WIC, más de 2 millones de familias perderán un apoyo crítico, incluyendo 25 mil futuros padres y niños en Colorado.

"WIC atiende a casi la mitad de los bebes nacidos en Estados Unidos," dice Allen. "El programa proporciona alimentos nutritivos, derivándolos a centros de salud, ofrece información sobre alimentación sana y es realmente un salvavidas para las nuevas familias de bajos ingresos."

La financiación actual de WIC expirará el 19 de enero a menos que el Congreso actúe.

Los republicanos de la Cámara de Representantes han propuesto recortar las prestaciones del WIC en un proyecto de ley del USDA para intentar frenar lo que consideran una fuga del gasto público.

La medida se produce después de que el Congreso, bajo amenaza de incumplir los pagos de los préstamos de la nación, negociara nuevos requisitos laborales para los beneficiarios del SNAP, el programa antes conocido como food stamps.


WIC ayuda a las familias a comprar fórmula infantil, alimentos para bebés, frutas, verduras y otros alimentos nutritivos aprobados.

Allen señala que cada dólar invertido en el programa WIC supone un importante ahorro en costos médicos, ya que previene el bajo peso al nacer y mejora la salud infantil.

Añade que el acceso a alimentos sanos desde la infancia mejora la capacidad del niño para tener éxito en la escuela y convertirse en un adulto económicamente independiente.

"El programa WIC celebra su 50 aniversario y es la primera vez en su historia que no cuenta con apoyo bipartidista," agrega Allen. "Es inaceptable que se cuestione esta inversión, porque estamos hablando de mujeres, bebes y niños."

Cerca de 92,000 familias de Colorado participaron en WIC el año pasado, y Allen dice que más de $35 millones de dólares de WIC se reinvirtieron en las comunidades de Colorado.

Añade que, si el Congreso no financia totalmente el programa, algunas familias se verán más afectadas que otras.

"Esto tendrá un impacto desproporcionado en las familias negras e hispanas," asegura Allen. "Y se debe a que sabemos que las familias de color tienen más probabilidades de calificar para recibir asistencia, debido a las dificultades y barreras económicas sistémicas que experimentan."

CLARIFICATION: We updated language to clarify the timing for when the study's authors began tracking certain outcome measures for children within the foster care system. (9:30 a.m. CST, Nov. 22, 2024)

This Saturday is National Adoption Day and the latest findings showed Minnesota has made progress in helping kids in the foster care system secure a better future.

Aaron Sojourner, labor economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, helped lead a study of reforms Minnesota approved in 2015. He said states often provide financial support to children in foster care but support ends when a child is adopted or placed in a kin guardianship.

Minnesota decided to continue payments to households who take a child in permanently. Sojourner pointed out three years after foster cases started, positive outcomes became clear.

"The kids were scoring much higher on standardized achievement tests," Sojourner reported. "They were experiencing less turnover in schools and school instability."

He noted the incentives also boosted the chances of kids age 6 and older exiting the foster care system and moving into permanent home settings by 29%. Sojourner added while the results are encouraging, it is just one aspect of the child welfare landscape. Other research has shown racial disparities in Minnesota's foster care system, especially when looking at reducing entry rates.

Sojourner stressed if state lawmakers revisit the extended monthly payments in budget talks, they will need to realize the long-term payoff from these investments.

"The state is paying more money now but they're going to reap the benefits down the road," Sojourner contended. "In terms of increased earnings and employment."

His team's study said prolonged exposure to foster care is tied to poor transitions into adulthood, including homelessness.


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Nearly one in four Kentucky kids has experienced at least two Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, including abuse, neglect or household dysfunction, according to the latest Kids Count County Data Book.

Experts said the findings should prompt policymakers to better measure risk and pave the way for prevention.

Terry Brooks, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, said the impact of ACEs on children can leave a lifetime imprint.

"When we think about Kentucky in 20 years, data around ACEs today is going to be a leveraged factor that we're going to be seeing the results of," Brooks projected.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ACEs trigger a toxic stress response in the body, which can change brain development and can lead to chronic health problems, mental illness and substance use disorders in adulthood.

Mentorship, guidance and support from adults and community members can help foster positive childhood experiences and buffer the impact of ACEs.

Aleah Stigall, a student at Boyle County High School, said a network of mentors participating in pageantry has helped her cope with loneliness.

"I was able to gain a lot of mentors," Stigall explained. "Some I like to even call my sisters, because of how they've impacted me and really show me what a true titleholder looks like and how you can make a strong impact on your community."

The findings also show more families are transient and struggling to stay housed. Brooks explained the state has seen significant increases in rental cost burdens.

"That eight-year-old little girl going to school has inevitably heard her mom and dad worrying about, are they going to get evicted, and are the lights going to stay on?" Brooks observed. "I don't think any of us can fully measure the impact it has on that little kid."

According to the research, Kentucky is short around 200,000 housing units. And between 2018 and 2022, 44% of Kentucky households spent 30% or more of their income on rent and utilities. In 20 counties, residents' rental cost-burden rates have reached 50%.

A new annual report shows New York City has more than 146,000 homeless students.

The Advocates for Children of New York report finds this is an increase from last year when more than 119,000 students were homeless. It also finds more than half of students were temporarily sharing housing with others, while 41% lived in shelters.

Jennifer Pringle, director of Project LIT with Advocates for Children of New York, says the city can help these students by addressing transportation delays.

"Roughly 40% of students in shelters are placed in a different borough from where they go to school, which means that students in temporary housing often face long commutes and are disproportionately impacted by busing delays," she said.

Other recommendations include eliminating the 60-day shelter limits and addressing shortages in staff supporting students in temporary housing. But, Pringle notes there's work the state can do too. More than 115 groups want the state to add a weight for students in temporary housing as part of the school funding formula re-evaluation.

The biggest challenge to implement these recommendations is political will, although they have broad support. But, student homelessness has been a long-standing issue for the city. This is the ninth year in a row New York City's homeless student population has included more than 100,000 students. There are many reasons students become homeless.

"Certainly we know there's a growing housing-affordability crisis," she continued. "Families indicate that domestic violence is one leading driver of family homelessness. And then also we have immigrant families, newcomers to the city as well, who are in temporary housing."

Living in temporary housing significantly impacts students' education. The report finds most students in either temporary housing or a shelter were chronically absent. It also notes their English Language Arts proficiency was 20% lower than students in permanent housing.


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