At least one-third of children in foster care have physical or mental disabilities and are at higher risk for poor educational, employment and well-being outcomes. This report from the National Council on Disability finds that federal investments are undercut by lack of coordination across programs and agencies. It offers recommendations for policymakers.

Drugs4Real is a free Web-based prevention program that teaches early adolescents (ages 11 to 14) about the influence of alcohol and other drugs, and strengthens their commitment to avoid taking these substances. This program has been scientifically tested with kids and was shown to effectively improve knowledge regarding the risks of drug and alcohol abuse.

ParentingTeensOnline is a free monthly e-magazine for parents of teens ages 12-19. It offers practical, expert-guided advice and support on teen health, media and technology, drugs/alcohol, education, volunteering, sports, social issues, babysitting, sexuality ... and more. Parents can learn what's happening before they need to know it's happening. The site has a variety of interactive features, including as Ask An Expert (advisory board members respond to parent questions) and polls.

Young people with emotional or mental illness risk an abrupt interruption in or loss of services when they age out of the child mental health system at age 18 or 21. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Partnerships for Youth Transition Initiative brought together systems and resources in five sites to serve transition-age youth. This brief looks at the results, what’s next for federal and state policy, and what communities can do to support these young people.

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.

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.

The Campus Kitchen Project (CKP) will mark its fifth anniversary with a leadership conference on October 5-7.

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.

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.

CFK Reports From: Senate Subcommittee Hears Testimony About SCHIP Reauthorization
Event: Hearing
Organized By: Senate Finance Subcommittee on Healthcare
When: July 25, 2006

The Senate Finance Subcommittee on Healthcare met to discuss the future reauthorization of the State Child Health Insurance program (SCHIP).