Children's Issues / Public News Service

Ohio school districts that implemented free school meals for all have reported a 20% increase in student participation. (USDA)<br />

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Ohio Education Leaders Support Free School Meals for All

Education officials in Ohio want state leaders to invest in free school meals for all students. Pandemic-era federal waivers enabling schools to …

A University of Massachusetts study showed an uptick in sports betting in recent years is due partly to the increase in states that allow it, from 10 in 2019, to 30 in 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, September 26, 2022

Kids' Exposure to Sports Betting a Risky Gamble in MA

Young people in the Commonwealth were already exposed to sports betting even before it was made legal last month. So, what will Massachusetts do to …

Monday, September 26, 2022

Funding for WV Groups with Creative Ideas to Solve Child Hunger

Kids living in rural regions are more likely to experience food insecurity, and a new initiative has been launched to help West Virginia communities …

In the 2007-2008 school year, New York City was set to implement a plan to limit class sizes to 25 students by the 2011-2012 school year. However, the plan hasn't yet come to fruition. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, September 26, 2022

New Law to Cap Class Sizes in NYC Schools

Class sizes in New York City schools will be limited by 2028 - the result of a new state law. The law will cap Kindergarten through third-grade …

About 18,000 Montana kids will experience the loss of a family member by the time they're 18. (Africa Studio/Adobe Stock)

Monday, September 26, 2022

MT Hosts Conference on Supporting Grieving Children

A touring conference from the National Alliance for Children's Grief comes to Montana this week. The event will be in Whitefish on Tuesday. The …

A number of cities across the country are increasingly using tiny homes as cost-saving alternatives to help shelter people experiencing homelessness. (Sirikornt/Adobe Stock)

Nonprofit Group Builds Tiny Homes to Shelter AZ Youths

By Lourdes Medrano for Yes! Media. Broadcast version by Mark Richardson for Arizona News Connection, reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service …

Elementary school students on a field trip marvel at the size of a redwood tree. (Victoria Reeder)

For Students, A Trip to the Forest is a Game Changer

As California's children settle into the new school year, about 1,500 students will soon take the field trip of a lifetime to see the giant redwoods…

The Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Initiative is partnering with community groups to interrupt cycles of gun violence. (Adobe Stock)<br />

IL Leaders to Issue Call to Action Over Youth Gun Violence, Mental Health

State and local leaders are joining community groups for a call to action this weekend to draw attention to efforts to support at-risk youth in Illino…

Child poverty ebbed and flowed after hitting 17% in 2009. Since 2017, it has been on the decline, falling to 5.2% in 2021, the lowest rate in history. (Adobe Stock)

CT Child Poverty Unchanged, Census Report Says

Connecticut's child poverty statistics have remained the same throughout 2021, according to the latest Census Bureau report. Nationally, child …

Grant Program to Fund Innovative Solutions to Rural Child Hunger

Child hunger is a persistent problem in California and across the U.S., especially in rural areas, and now, a new grant program will promote and fund …

From July 2021 to June 2022 across the nation, there were 2,532 instances of individual books being banned, affecting 1,648 unique book titles, according to Pen America. (prettysleepyart/Pixabay)

TX ACLU Promotes 'Students' Rights Hub' During Banned Books Week

Ahead of Banned Books Week, the ACLU of Texas published what it calls a Students' Rights Hub. Kate Huddleston, attorney for the ACLU of Texas…

Kids have been heavily impacted by the pandemic. Advocates are in Washington, D.C., to bring attention to the issues. (Sergey Novikov/Adobe Stock)

Child Advocates Meet with Leaders in DC, Call for Investments in Kids

Advocates for child well-being are in the nation's capital today, calling on lawmakers to invest in children. The Save the Children advocacy summit …

In Tennessee, more than 800,000 people are facing hunger, and more than 230,000 of them are children. (Africa Studio/AdobeStock)

Advocates Calling on Congress for Better Investment in Kids

Advocates for children's well-being are in Washington, D.C. today, calling on lawmakers to invest in kids. The Save the Children advocacy summit is …

According to a recent survey by the American Library Association, about 71% of voters, across party lines, oppose book bans altogether. Yet, the ALA has found 1,651 different books were the target of book bans since the start of 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Brooklyn Public Library Hosts 'Books UnBanned' Program

Banned Books Week continues through Saturday, and the Brooklyn Public Library has a program for teens facing book bans in their states. The Books …

Arkansas ranks fifth for the per capita number of households with children that reported not having enough food in their homes this past year, according to a U.S. Census Bureau survey. (Oksana Kuzmina/AdobeStock)

Group Develops Ways to Combat Rural Child Hunger

Save the Children's Rural Child Hunger Research and Innovation Lab aims to help communities design and test new, creative ways to reduce rural child …

This year, more than 70% of attempts to restrict library resources targeted multiple titles. (Adobe Stock)

Maryland Libraries Call Attention to Censorship During Banned Books Week

Controversial books are nothing new, but the incidence of book challenges and bans has increased substantially in recent years. This week marks the …

According to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap report, nine out of 10 counties with the highest food insecurity rates are rural. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Innovation Lab Aims to Spur Creative Solutions to End Child Hunger

A new initiative is providing funding to individuals and grassroots groups across the Commonwealth with creative solutions to reduce hunger among rura…

Advocates for the poor say the Covid pandemic revealed effective tools to reduce poverty in America. (Adobe Stock)

We Know What Works: How Covid Showed Ways to End Poverty

Childhood poverty was cut nearly in half during the Covid pandemic due to expanded federal programs like the child tax credit, and stimulus payments…

Analysts say had the federal government not temporarily expanded the Child Tax Credit, child poverty would have fallen to 8.1% last year, rather than 5.2%. (Adobe Stock)

Policy Expert: Good News on Poverty Should Be the Norm

On the heels of a promising poverty report, there are renewed calls to make permanent certain pandemic policies that helped struggling families in …

Children of color are more likely than white kids to experience the death of a parent, as are children living in rural areas. (Adobe Stock)

Conference on Grieving in Lincoln to Focus on Supporting Kids

Nebraska is one of six states participating in "No Child Grieves Alone," a series of regional conferences aiming to help communities recover after the…

Children ages 5 to 17 miss nearly two million school days in a single year due to dental-health problems, according to the Healthy Schools Campaign. (teeth.org.au)

Health Screenings Seen as Important Factor for Student Success

School students across Wisconsin are still getting settled as the new academic year unfolds. And experts say it's important to get them in for a …

Supporters of boosting wages for childcare workers in North Dakota say low pay is fueling the lack of available care. They say some families report traveling 80 miles roundtrip to bring their children to a provider. (Adobe Stock)

Guarded Optimism Surrounds ND Child Care Plan

Advocates for expanding child care in North Dakota are responding to the governor's proposal to improve access across the state. They said it is a …

Health experts say making sure children are current with all their check-ups is important to their health and academic success. (Pixabay)

Experts Urge Checkups for Florida Kids, Including Mental Health

Experts are reminding parents to schedule time to get health screenings for kids - and to also think beyond the basic back-to-school physical…

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment launched its School-based Health Center initiative in 1987. (Adobe Stock)

CO Students Can Access Mental, Medical, Dental Care at School

With school now back in session, many Colorado kids are accessing medical, behavioral and dental care through School-based Health Centers, fully …

Research suggests that with intensive support, parents can overcome addiction and be reunited with their children as part of their recovery. (Adobe Stock)

Recovery Month: Ohio START Shows Success in Reuniting Families

September is National Recovery Month, and a program in Ohio is showing success in healing families who have struggled with addiction. Ohio START (…

Doctors say sickle cell disease patients rely on a diverse and available blood supply to treat the effects of the disease. (belyjmishka/Adobe Stock)

Sickle Cell Awareness Month Aims to Inform, Educate about Genetic Disease

September is Sickle Cell Awareness Month, a time when doctors and patient advocates hope to spread awareness of a complex and often misunderstood …

According to the 2022 Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy Data Book, the use of health-care services among children covered by Medicaid and CHIP declined during the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Healthy Habits Important as Kids Return to School

As kids return to school, New York parents are encouraged to ensure their kids are getting yearly checkups. According to the U.S. Health Resources …

Increased awareness of the dangers of unlocked medication has led to a 33% drop in emergency-room visits for suspected accidental poisonings in children younger than age 6 between 2012 and 2020 worldwide, according to research by Safe Kids Worldwide.(Adobe Stock)

Medicine Storage Campaign Aims to Reduce Accidental Poisonings Among Kids

Small children are landing in the hospital because of accidental poisoning from ingesting medication meant for adults. Experts are working to give …

According to a New York State Comptroller audit, out of 563 schools previously cited for not having one of the Department of Education's six mental health programs, 30% did not have a social worker. (Valerii Honcharuk/Adobe Stock)

NY Experiencing Shortage of School Social Workers

School districts across the state of New York are facing a shortage of social workers. According to an audit by the state comptroller's office…

Between 2003 and 2017, the suicide rate among Black girls increased an average of 6.6% each year, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which reports nearly 40% were ages 12 to 14. (kassoum_kone/Pixabay)

Parents, Teachers Advised to Stay Alert for Mental-Health Issues

For some Texas kids, heading back to school creates a lot of anxiety, and experts urge early intervention to solve a youth mental-health crisis …

New Mexico ranks second in the nation for childhood hunger, according to Feeding America, with one in five children, or about 20.5% of children in the state, at risk of hunger. (nokidhungry.org)

Your Chance to Help Alleviate Hunger in New Mexico

A silver lining of the pandemic was more money available to address hunger, but those funds are drying up, and many in New Mexico will struggle this …

More than 60,000 kids in Colorado can't afford school meals, but don't qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, and two out of every five Colorado families struggle to put food on the table for their children. (Adobe Stock)

Ending School Lunchline Shaming on Colorado’s November Ballot

In November, Colorado voters will have an opportunity to end a practice known as "lunch-line shaming," which drew national attention after a Colorado …

Health Screenings: Getting NM Kids Back to School on the Right Foot

As children head back to school in New Mexico, experts say it is important to get them in for a physical and get their hearing, vision, and teeth …

Juvenile detentions dropped dramatically nationwide during the early part of the pandemic, but numbers have bounced back up, especially for African American youth. (Sakhorn38/Adobe Stock)

IL Juvenile Justice Groups Press to Raise Age for Pre-trial Detention

Currently, children as young as 10 are held behind bars while awaiting trial in Illinois, and now, juvenile justice reform groups are calling for the …

Food banks help the one in five New Mexico children estimated to be at risk for hunger, and one in eight overall, according to Roadrunner Food Bank. (dosomething.org)

Making 'HELP' Available to New Mexico's Hungry, Food Insecure

Inflation has caused some New Mexico families, who were breaking even six months ago, to once again struggle, and groups working to alleviate hunger …

Vaccine-preventable diseases, such as chicken pox, meningitis, measles and whooping cough are still seen across the commonwealth, according to the Pennsylvania Dept. of Health. (InsideCreativeHouse/Adobe Stock)

Health Professionals Urge Back-to-School Checkups for PA Kids

As a new school year starts, experts are reminding Pennsylvania parents not to overlook some important health screenings for kids. The required …

Some educators say kids continue to struggle with social skills and mental health challenges in the aftermath of the pandemic. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio Schools Seek to Adapt to Mental Health Crisis

By Andrew Kuder / Broadcast version by Mary Schuermann reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration. Over the past few years…

Elementary schoolers should get at least nine hours of sleep per night, according to pediatricians at the Cleveland Clinic. (Adobe Stock)

Healthy Habits for NC Kids Can Start with Back-to-School

Experts say there are a few steps North Carolina families can take to help young children feel prepared and ready to begin the new school year…

Eye exams before kids enter school will determine if they need glasses or have other vision issues. (NDABCREATIVITY/Adobe Stock)

Health Pros: Add Check-ups to Back-to-School Checklist

Kids are heading back to school and health professionals say this is a good time for them to get a full health check-up. Before families' schedules …

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report more than half of children ages 6 to 8 have had a cavity in at least one of their baby teeth. (Phoenix021/Adobe Stock)

Your Back to School To-Do List: Medical, Dental, Hearing and Vision Tests

As children head back to school in California, experts urged parents to bring them in for a physical and get their hearing, vision, and teeth checked …

According to recent USDA 'Farm to School' Census data, Minnesota schools that responded reported spending 13% of their budgets on local products. (Adobe Stock)

Disadvantaged MN Farmers to See New Business with School Meals

Farmers of color in Minnesota are expected to see new opportunities to get their products into school lunch programs. Their advocates said a major …

A 2021 study by the nonprofit Mental Health America found only 60% of youths experiencing depression received any type of mental health treatment. (Adobe Stock)

VA Kids' Mental Health Still Strained from Pandemic

With a new school year beginning, Virginia parents are being urged to keep an eye on their children's mental health. According to Mental Health …

Some 18,000 children on average experience homelessness each year in Colorado, according to most recent Colorado Department of Education data. (Adobe Stock)

Solving Homelessness Key to Success in Multiple National Priorities

"Opportunity Starts at Home," a short documentary film released this week by the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, exposes how housing …

An estimated one in five families skipped preventive checkups during the pandemic, so health experts encourage families to get back on track. (Adobe Stock)

Health Advocates Call for Back-to-School Checkups for Kids

As summer draws to a close, experts are reminding parents not to overlook health screenings for kids. Back-to-school time brings a lot of additions …

A new report shows the meal gap in New Mexico is 43.6 million meals, according Feeding America's

Federal Pandemic Funds Reduced NM Hunger; Longterm Worries Remain

Food insecurity in New Mexico dropped during COVID, but groups working to fight hunger worry the temporary reprieve will reverse itself now that …

A child's chances of thriving depend not only on individual, family and community characteristics but also on the state in which she or he is born and raised, according to research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (praba_tuty/Public Domain Mark 1.0)

Report: WV Sees Uptick in Kids Diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression

More West Virginia kids are struggling with their mental health, according to the latest Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation…

Adding fruits to water is a natural way to add flavor without adding gobs of sugar to the drink. (Adobe Stock)

Health Experts: Avoid Packing Sugary Drinks in School Lunches

It's back-to-school time for kids around Iowa, and some might gravitate toward soda and other drinks with lots of sugar. As parents start lunch …

A new Indigenous academy in South Dakota, geared for younger students, says it wants the kids to have a deep sense of belonging, higher engagement and motivation. (Adobe Stock)

New SD Tribal Academy Readies for Fall Start

Organizers behind a new Indigenous school in western South Dakota hope they can give young Native American students a more optimal learning environmen…

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Children's

Ohio Education Leaders Support Free School Meals for All

Kids' Exposure to Sports Betting a Risky Gamble in MA

Funding for WV Groups with Creative Ideas to Solve Child Hunger

New Law to Cap Class Sizes in NYC Schools

MT Hosts Conference on Supporting Grieving Children

Nonprofit Group Builds Tiny Homes to Shelter AZ Youths

For Students, A Trip to the Forest is a Game Changer

IL Leaders to Issue Call to Action Over Youth Gun Violence, Mental Health

CT Child Poverty Unchanged, Census Report Says

Grant Program to Fund Innovative Solutions to Rural Child Hunger

TX ACLU Promotes 'Students' Rights Hub' During Banned Books Week

Child Advocates Meet with Leaders in DC, Call for Investments in Kids

Advocates Calling on Congress for Better Investment in Kids

Brooklyn Public Library Hosts 'Books UnBanned' Program

Group Develops Ways to Combat Rural Child Hunger

Maryland Libraries Call Attention to Censorship During Banned Books Week

Innovation Lab Aims to Spur Creative Solutions to End Child Hunger

We Know What Works: How Covid Showed Ways to End Poverty

Policy Expert: Good News on Poverty Should Be the Norm

Conference on Grieving in Lincoln to Focus on Supporting Kids

Health Screenings Seen as Important Factor for Student Success

Guarded Optimism Surrounds ND Child Care Plan

Experts Urge Checkups for Florida Kids, Including Mental Health

CO Students Can Access Mental, Medical, Dental Care at School

Recovery Month: Ohio START Shows Success in Reuniting Families

Sickle Cell Awareness Month Aims to Inform, Educate about Genetic Disease

Healthy Habits Important as Kids Return to School

Medicine Storage Campaign Aims to Reduce Accidental Poisonings Among Kids

NY Experiencing Shortage of School Social Workers

Parents, Teachers Advised to Stay Alert for Mental-Health Issues

Your Chance to Help Alleviate Hunger in New Mexico

Ending School Lunchline Shaming on Colorado’s November Ballot

Health Screenings: Getting NM Kids Back to School on the Right Foot

IL Juvenile Justice Groups Press to Raise Age for Pre-trial Detention

Making 'HELP' Available to New Mexico's Hungry, Food Insecure

Health Professionals Urge Back-to-School Checkups for PA Kids

Ohio Schools Seek to Adapt to Mental Health Crisis

Healthy Habits for NC Kids Can Start with Back-to-School

Health Pros: Add Check-ups to Back-to-School Checklist

Your Back to School To-Do List: Medical, Dental, Hearing and Vision Tests

Disadvantaged MN Farmers to See New Business with School Meals

VA Kids' Mental Health Still Strained from Pandemic

Solving Homelessness Key to Success in Multiple National Priorities

Health Advocates Call for Back-to-School Checkups for Kids

Federal Pandemic Funds Reduced NM Hunger; Longterm Worries Remain

Report: WV Sees Uptick in Kids Diagnosed with Anxiety, Depression

Health Experts: Avoid Packing Sugary Drinks in School Lunches

New SD Tribal Academy Readies for Fall Start