Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - CFK Articles, Health

College Mental Health: A Different Diagnosis

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:12:13 -0500

Students' struggles with college mental health services are leading to some important changes, as WireTap's Annie Robinson reports.

For Young Americans, Health Care Reform is Our Fight

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:59:26 -0500

CNN’s poll released [in August] shows a striking generational divide over support of Obama’s health care plan, with the reform being significantly more popular among young people than among adults over the age of 50. Nevertheless, every day I try new responses to those that ignorantly assume I don’t care about health care reform because I’m under 30 and supposedly invincible.

On the Hill: “Hunger after the School Bell” as Advocates Gear Up for the Child Nutrition Act Reauthorization

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:45:12 -0500

A July 8 Congressional briefing hosted by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and the Afterschool Alliance laid out some surprising facts and inspiring optimism about this fall’s opportunity to build a better food program for the nation’s vulnerable children. CFK has this field report.

Health Care Reform: What’s in it for Kids & Families Fact Sheet

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 15:38:54 -0500

A CFK summary and list of some key issues in health care reform. This is constantly evolving, so check back often.

On Capitol Hill, Witnessing the Way Policy Meets Real Families’ Lives

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:52:13 -0500

The Witness to Hunger program armed 40 mothers with video cameras and set them out to document their lives and what it takes to feed a family in tight times. “These women are the experts on what it’s like to deal with the consequences of what our lawmakers decide,” says the program’s creator Marianna Chilton. On June 2, 2009, these experts took on Capitol Hill.

Helping Families Save their Homes Act (and HEARTH): What it Means for Kids

Thu, 21 May 2009 09:44:35 -0500

Congress passed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which includes the HEARTH Act reauthorizing the HUD McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act programs. Is it good for children and youth? Yes—but there's a major missed opportunity, according to an analysis from the nonpartisan advocacy group First Focus.

The Flu Shines a Spotlight on Public Health

Wed, 06 May 2009 12:18:23 -0500

Context and resources to help you cut through the hype.

KIDS COUNT 2008: A CFK Overview

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:47:35 -0500

To make positive change for kids, you need to know where things stand, what’s working and what needs to be improved. The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book offers both data and context for 10 indicators of child well-being—and drills down to a state and local level. This year’s essay offers a “roadmap for reform” in juvenile justice. CFK summer intern Maria Allen attended the June 2008 launch event in DC and has this overview.

“Stop the Silence” to End Child Sexual Abuse: a Small Nonprofit takes on a Big Issue

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:45:21 -0500

Seven years ago, a piece of paper on a desk started Pamela Pine on a quest to understand and spread the word about child sexual abuse. In this column, Pine shares how she turned her concern into a vibrant, dynamic nonprofit organization—with an annual international awareness-raising foot race in Washington, DC, every April.

Youth Movement: The Extreme Version

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 09:49:14 -0500

There aren’t many physical challenges that measure up to running a marathon. In Los Angeles, volunteers have helped thousands of low-income middle and high school students train for and complete the L.A. marathon each March, changing some lives along the way. Holly St. Lifer reports.

Engaging Youth on the Environment

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:06:05 -0500

Located just a few blocks away from the U.S. Capitol, the Earth Conservation Corps is far removed from the world of legislators, lobbyists and policymakers. ECC provides a striking example of a program that engages young people in protecting the environment while learning valuable lessons about life in the process. CFK intern Kate Carta profiled the organization.

A Fine Line: How to Teach Kids About Sexual Assault

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:26:15 -0500

There's good news on the rates of rape and sexual assault in the U.S.—a big decline in the rates of these crimes since the 1970s. Still, parents and other adults who care about children have a responsibility to educate kids about the dangers—and many of us feel inadequate to the task. Tamekia Reece took a look at some of the more effective programs in use to raise awareness appropriately and in ways that kids can understand.

Hockey Scores with Special-Needs Kids

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:26:28 -0500

Ice hockey fans are devoted to their sport, unfazed by the game's physical demands, cumbersome equipment, and the red-hot competition for ice time. Massachusetts is one of the centers of hockey fever in the U.S. So it's only fitting that the gradually growing list of hockey clubs for children with special needs now includes The Boston Bear Cubs, which hit the ice in February. Lisa M. Cataldo explains how the Cubs got their start, and what the club means to its players and their parents.

Using the Arts to Tame Katrina's Emotional Force

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:18:10 -0500

Building kites, drawing, creating an on-line community—these are some of the ways that young survivors of Hurricane Katrina are expressing themselves as part of their healing process. Martha Pitts reports on art therapy programs that are helping kids rebound.

The Downside of Girl Power?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:10:22 -0500

By many measures, girls are on a roll. In terms of academic achievement, college attendance and completion, and the opportunities that are open to them, girls are poised for success. But some experts see worrying signs that girls are also facing new pressures—and responding with violent behavior usually associated with boys. Andrea Grazzini Walstrom takes a look at the issue.