This Child Trends brief distills lessons from roundtable discussions for improving the reach and effectiveness of New Mexico's school-based services like after-school programs and health services.

Increasingly, K-12 students can access mental health help in the place where they spend a lot of their time: school. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, one-fifth of U.S. students received some type of school-supported mental health services during the 2002-2003 school year. One-third of districts said that since 2000, they had experienced federal, state, and local funding declines for these services, even as the need for these services increased.

The Institute of Medicine Committee on Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools hosts an open session in Washington, D.C.

This National Assembly on School-Based Health Care paper reviews a recent discussion among educators, school-based health center providers, and evaluators about the link between school-based health care and academic success. In addition to research and recommendations, the paper offers guidance on strategies to enhance the collaboration between School-Based Health Clinics and educators to improve student success and sustain the viability of the health programs.

What's happening in schools -- and in statehouses -- to keep students healthy and ready to learn? A January 12, 2005 stakeholders briefing on school wellness policies, held in Washington, DC, brought a broad range of organizations together to discuss local school policies, federal legislation and programs, and other tools to address obesity and change school environments to promote healthy eating and physical activity. The Food Research & Action Center Web site offers a summary of speakers' remarks, information on legislation (including the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition program), and resources like a Local School Wellness Policies Index from the School Nutrition Association, and a School Foods Toolkit.

When two community organizations in Detroit -- one geared towards Latino families on the southwest side of town, and another centered on the needs of African American families on the east side -- took on a joint public health project, the results reached beyond the realm of health. Cecilia Garcia explains.

In national measures of public health, Arkansas consistently ranks near the bottom, with high rates of heart disease and obesity. But a broad new effort aims to change that, starting with kids. Rob Capriccioso reports.

More students are taking medication during the school day -- which means many school secretaries or teachers are responsible for administering proper doses at proper times. The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools reviews methods to reduce risk of error and liability for schools, including properly storing students' meds and keeping carefully written policies, instructions and records.

When a mother and nutritionist looked inside the lunchroom at her children's school, she didn't like what she saw and decided to take action. Douglas J. Buege reports on Sara Tedeschi's struggle to put real food on the table in Madison, Wisconsin.

In California's Contra Costa County, an environmentally-savvy mom is helping preschool administrators recognize and eliminate toxic hazards in their classrooms. This article originally appeared in the January-February 2004 issue of the Children's Advocate, published by Action Alliance for Children.