A new report looks at children's well-being in every state and finds in Illinois, the outcomes vary greatly depending on race.

In its Race for Results report, the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzed indicators of child well-being, from early childhood education and reading achievement, to family resources.

One indicator needing attention is fourth-grade reading proficiency. One in three Illinois students is reading at grade level, but only 13% of Black fourth graders.

Katelyn Jones, vice president of policy research and evaluation at YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, explains the need to correct the discrepancy early.

"We know for a fact, based on lots of research, that reading proficiency levels at the fourth grade level are really strong indicators for high school graduation rates, college enrollment, income," Jones outlined. "All of these benchmarks for success later in life."

On the Casey Foundation's scale of 1,000 points, white children got the highest score for well-being in Illinois, at 740 points. Hispanic children saw a score of just over 500 points, and Black children, 341 points. Jones noted parents working long hours and the cost of early childhood education programs are additional factors in the education disparities.

The report suggested expanding the federal Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit could help narrow the gaps for children of color, along with targeted programs and policies. Jones pointed out the need for continued support for early childhood education to help set kids up for success in school. She acknowledged one resource is showing promise to achieve the goal.

"Illinois is doing a pretty good job of that," Jones noted. "The governor's Smart Start Illinois program, as that goes into effect, I'm sure that will work to address many of the challenges."

The Smart Start Illinois program is a multiyear plan to provide every child with access to preschool, increase funding to child care providers and reach more vulnerable families with early support.

CORRECTION: The number of reports to Virginia Child Protective Services that are found to include abuse or neglect is just under 3,000. An earlier version of this story said 'more than 1,000.' (4:17 p.m. MDT, Dec. 30, 2024) )

Virginia's child welfare system grapples with a surge of unfounded reports that critics say stem from overly broad mandatory reporting laws, disrupting families and straining resources.

Just under 3,000 of more than 90,000 annual reports to Child Protective Services are 'founded,' meaning abuse or neglect was determined to have occurred after an investigation, said Valerie L'Herrou, deputy director of the Virginia Poverty Law Center's Center for Family Advocacy.

L'Herrou explained that some parents are forced into impossible choices because of poverty, and can face neglect accusations even though their actions stem from economic necessity, not intentional disregard for their children's well-being.

"And that's when the nosy neighbor picks up the phone and calls CPS," she said, "and so these are the kinds of things: a family's water gets turned off because they can't afford to pay their water bill and so kids show up to school unbathed, and the teacher calls CPS."

L'Herrou said agencies such as the Virginia Department of Social Services are now classifying some situations as "Poverty Adjacent Neglect," acknowledging that families often lack the resources they need. She advocated for solutions that address these root causes, including raising the minimum wage, strengthening programs such as SNAP and TANF, and expanding access to affordable child care.

Mandatory reporting laws have also created a dilemma for teachers, doctors and other professionals. Anna Daniszewski, a staff attorney for family defense at the VPLC, emphasized that people often fail to recognize the enduring and traumatic consequences of a false report to Child Protective Services.

"There's still harm in a call that leads to an assessment or inquiry or investigation that turns out to be unfounded," she said. "Depending on if the report is about a bruise on an arm, a child might be strip-searched, and that's obviously traumatic, or even just the experience of having CPS knock on your door."

Advocates have said one solution would be using family resource centers to allow parents to ask for help without the fear of involving CPS. They also want better training for mandatory reporters.

Teachers are the top reporters of neglect and abuse, and groups such as the American Federation of Teachers now support an approach known as "mandated support," giving them a broader range of options beyond mandatory reporting.

A Missouri-based therapy dog has an inspiring journey that began as a homeless stray on the streets of Los Angeles.

Olive, a ten-pound poodle mix, is now the lead character in a new children's book titled, "Olive, She's All Love." She was rescued by Brandon McMillan, host of CBS's "Lucky Dog," where she received specialized training and became a certified therapy dog.

Lisa Groves-Bax, a children's advocate and owner of Therapy Paws, became Olive's owner in 2016, where the dog has been used to comfort Missouri children in the court system and inspired Groves-Bax to share her story. She said their mission to support kids who are hurting extends beyond the courtroom.

"There's schools, there's foster homes, there's libraries, all these places who are wanting a therapy dog just to help with kiddos," Groves-Bax outlined. "We have 23 certified handlers along with their certified therapy dogs, and three currently in training."

Olive is scheduled to visit Glasgow's Lewis Library and grade school Jan. 8 for an event for kindergartners through grade five.

Deborah Zemke, illustrator of the book, will also be there to share more about Olive's work. She said working on this book brought about a unique experience in her career.

"I've done a lot of books. This is the first time that I've, like, met my hero character in person before I started," Zemke recounted. "That was kind of unusual and kind of fun."

"Olive, She's all Love" can be found online and at local bookstores.


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Child tax credits offer a financial lifeline to parents and can lift children out of poverty, according to a report from New Mexico's Voices for Children.

Jacob Vigil, deputy policy director for the nonprofit, noted in addition to federal child tax credits, New Mexico is one of 16 states with its own child tax credit. He said the credits, including refundable credits, are among the most effective ways to fight poverty because they return money directly to families who know best how to address their specific needs.

"These tax credits play a really important non-stigmatizing role in providing assistance to families in most need of support," Vigil explained.

In New Mexico, Vigil pointed out the state returned $132 million to almost 240,000 households this year through the state's child tax credit program. The credit varies by income level, with the largest credits available to low-income families. Because it is refundable, families can receive the full amount for which they are eligible regardless of their tax liability.

Studies show generous tax credits can lead to long-term improvements in health and higher earnings in adulthood, and also improve school performance, which increases college attendance rates. According to Vigil, extra federal child tax credits provided to families during the pandemic had a huge effect on the state's children.

"With the expansion of the federal CTC and it being refundable temporarily in 2021, that was 450,000 kids -- and that's 95% of the child population -- 32,000 children lifted out of poverty," Vigil reported.

Post pandemic, the federal child tax credit is no longer fully refundable, which means 36% of New Mexico families earning the lowest incomes are unable to access the full federal credit, while at the same time, a married couple making up to $400,000 receives the full amount of the tax credit.