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

Engaging Hard-to-Reach Youth through New Technologies

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:15:34 -0600

SparkAction's Shane Gooding gives us her take-aways from a 2010 Society for International Development workshop on high-tech ways to engage hard-to-reach teens.

Behind the Headlines: Abstinence, Sex Ed & Teen Pregnancy

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:22:40 -0600

What's the take-away from the research on abstinence-only education, rising teen pregnancy rates and Child Trend's educational attainment findings? Our blog puts it together for you.

Hunger in an Obese Nation?

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:58:24 -0600

In the “land of plenty,” 17 million children don’t get enough to eat. A December 8, 2009 Coalition on Human Needs’ webinar addressed the surprising connections between hunger and obesity, and how economic hardships impact American diets, and young people’s physical and mental health and learning.

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.