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

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

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:51:46 -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.

Scouting Out School Wellness

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:35:28 -0500

Thanks to new legislation, schools across the country have to roll out comprehensive new wellness policies before the start of the next school year. It's an issue that the Girl Scouts of America has been focusing on, so Connect for Kids decided to find out what Girl Scouts across the country have to say about staying healthy and how schools can help. Sisters Lauren and Megan from Columbia, S.C. kick off a series of interviews prepared by Emerson Hunger Fellow Roshin Mathew.

Schools Face New Mandate on "Wellness"

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:54:46 -0500

While the federal government has played a role in regulating school feeding programs for low-income children for about 40 years now, school districts are now working to comply with a new, much broader federal requirement calling for the development of local "wellness policies" that address issues of all the foods and drinks made available to all students during the school day, along with nutrition education, physical education, and the encouragement of healthy habits. Roshin Mathew explains.

Online Safety, Updated

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:47:40 -0500

Last month Connect for Kids reported on Teenangels, young volunteers who help their peers understand the importance of Internet safety. What other efforts are underway to help protect children and youth from being exploited through social networking online? Cecilia Garcia reports.

The Trevor Project: Help for Suicidal Gay Teens

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:08:11 -0500

State and national surveys indicate that gay and lesbian teens are at a significantly higher risk of attempting suicide than their heterosexual peers. But there is help available, geared especially towards the needs of this group: The Trevor Project. Letitia L. Star reports.

Stepping Up to the Plate: Helping Kids with Severe Food Allergies

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:20:58 -0500

With a sharp increase in the number of kids with severe, even life-threatening, food allergies, schools and other facilities are trying to develop workable policies to keep children safe. Carole Moore reports on the problem, and on proposed federal legislation that could help.

Grassroots How-To: S.F. Parents Win Cleaner School Buses

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:59:00 -0500

Asthma is a large and growing health problem for kids. So San Francisco parents are breathing easier now that city school buses are using new air filters to reduce asthma-inducing pollutants. This article by Elisa Gahng from the January-February 2006 issue of the Children's Advocate explains how parents pushed for the change.

Teens Learn To Fight for Good Food

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:41:06 -0500

Alarming statistics on the growing numbers of overweight and obese children and teens are getting the attention of school boards, parents, and public health officials. This story, reprinted from Youth Communication's New Youth Connections magazine, is by teen writer Natelege Whaley, who looks at programs aimed at helping teens stay healthy.