One in nine children in America is uninsured, according to a new Families USA's report. The vast majority of uninsured children -- 88.2 percent -- come from families where at least one parent works and five states (Texas, California, Florida, New York and Georgia) account for nearly half of all uninsured children in the country.

A new report from the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine finds that physical activity among adolescents has decreased in the past 10 years and rates of chronic diseases, such as asthma and diabetes, have increased. The report also found that, although 10-20 percent of adolescents annually experience a mental health disorder such as anxiety or depression, their access to specialized mental health care has decreased.

The National Center for Children in Poverty finds some improvements in states since its original report, but there is a long way to go.

New data finds widespread increases in teen birth rates in 2006 in all ethnic groups and many states; states with the lowest teen birth rates showed the least change. Kristen Moore of Child Trends says the new state-by-state data suggest that the downturn in birth rates is over.

Project Play is an initiative to inspire families and neighborhoods to play traditional backyard games like "Follow the Leader," "Treasure Hunt," or "Kick the Can"-games that demand imagination and foster creativity. Through a series of lively hardcover children's books featuring a group of active neighborhood kids, Project Play provides guidance to parents and children for getting back to basics and enjoying the joy and freedom of playtime. In addition, Project Play encourages parents to make play a priority-for as founder and author Marlene Byrne believes-it is as equally important to be creative and imaginative as it is to be smart.

With at least 43 states facing budget shortfalls and many seeing increased enrollment in state programs, the Kasier Network reports that 49 governors met with President-elect Obama "to discuss an economic stimulus package that could include additional federal Medicaid funds for states."

Higher-income fifth grade students in suburban school districts are no more likely to have access to healthy or unhealthy foods than are their lower-income, urban peers, according to a new Child Trends study. However, schools attended by higher-income students offer their students a greater selection of both healthy and unhealthy food choices -- and more than half of elementary schools offer access to food that doesn't have to meet federal nutrition standards.

New research by the National Center for Children in Poverty reveals that state-by-state policies continue to hinder children's mental health delivery, 25 years after the release of research and recommendations for a federal plan. We'll have info on the updated findings after the November 20-21,2008 release at The Carter Center's symposium.

The federal school nutrition programs are the second largest federal funding source for public schools (after Title I), but that doesn't stop schools from losing money on nutrition programs. Many districts are considering tough choices, even as more families rely on the programs. The New America Foundation's Federal Education Budget Project has the only searchable and downloadable source of district-level federal school nutrition data around. (Click on a state to find the information.)

The average family meal lasts barely 20 minutes -- and that's a major missed opportunity, according to a new brief from the Society for Research in Child Development. Sharing a meal regularly can boost children's health and well-being, reducing the likelihood that they'll become obese or use drugs and increase the odds that they'll do well in school.