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.

How does our social, economic and physical environment affect our health? And how close are our kids to reaching "optimal health"? A new Robert Wood Johnson Foundation chartbook looks at children from different socioeconomic backgrounds in every state to document how healthy our nation's children are now and how healthy they could be -- if we as a nation were realizing our full health potential. Where the biggest gaps are may surprise you.

A new report from Global Issues Resource Center documents the status of youth and teen courts, a juvenile justice prevention and intervention program that uses volunteer youth to help sentence their peers. In 1993, fewer than 75 local youth and teen courts existed in a dozen states -- in 2008, more than 1,000 communities operate these local juvenile justice programs.

This Public/Private Ventures guide draws upon lessons learned from seven years of experience in Philadelphia to describe how cities and other jurisdictions can plan and carry out an initiative like the Youth Violence Reduction Partnership. The program focuses on youth ages 14 to 24 who are at greatest risk of killing or being killed, and melds supervision and supports to steer them away from violence and toward productive
lives.

CLIMB is a program founded by the Children's TreeHouse Foundation to aid in facilitating communication between parent and child when the parent has cancer. It is also created to help children realize their emotions and feelings are okay and normalize those feelings through activites and group discussions. Dr. Elbow, DSW,LCSW, facilitates the group.

PROJECT ROCKIT is an interactive anti-bullying and youth leadership program that is run by young people for young people. They strive to achieve positive, lasting change by empowering young people to tackle the issues that are important to them. PROJECT ROCKIT sessions are designed to reflect a 'show me don't tell me' approach to learning. Through an array of dramatic role plays, group activities, student performances, creative writing, and real-life stories, P-ROCK sessions embody key messages and strategies that are relevant for young people.

The nonpartisan Every Child Matters Education Fund surveyed 800 registered voters and
found that regardless of party, strong majorities are concerned about a recent UNICEF
report ranking U.S. child well-being near the bottom of the industrialized world. The
majority of those surveyed agree that "we need bold leadership to address poverty,
child abuse, health, and education." A quarter of registered voters could not give any
response when asked about the two candidates' strengths on children's issues.

This site offers educational and advocacy information and support to those impacted by obesity.