“A perilous world for the nation’s children”

In an op-ed in the New York Times, Charles M. Blow sums up many indicators of child well-being, and finds the news is not good. Teen pregnancy, child poverty, food insecurity and many more factors point to “a perilous world…

“What Makes Some Preschools Better Than Others?”

Experts agree that high quality preschool can make a huge difference in children’s lives, and it’s small wonder. The stimulation and social skills built at preschool give students an advantage, especially in communication. A great piece in this week’s Time…

Warren Buffet: “Stop Coddling the Super-Rich”

Investor Warren Buffet, currently the third richest man in the world, thinks Congress is a little too kind to the “mega-rich.” Reporting that his taxes were only 17.4 percent of his taxable income, Buffet argues that very wealthy Americans…

“Could you tell us what real diversity looks like?”

That was the question posed to Rinku Sen by someone at our annual conference this June. Sen covers these issues everyday as president and executive director of the Applied Research Center and publisher of Colorlines.com. Her answer? “Real diversity looks…

Utah Medicaid changes could put kids at risk

Today we have more health news from Utah. The state has requested permission from the federal government to change how it delivers Medicaid, which helps around 161,000 Utah children get health care. But the way Utah proposes to save money…

New food marketing principles to fight child obesity

It’s hard enough teaching your children to eat right without junk food marketers following them everywhere they go. As PreventObesity.net points out, PepsiCo spent $1.3 billion in marketing in 2008 alone. Fortunately, they have a new way for you…

California: “Slashing away its future and bickering away its present”

Ezra Klein today critiques California’s budget process, and finds a disaster that could spread to the federal budget. California requires a two-thirds majority in order to raise taxes, which means lawmakers essentially can’t change tax policy. So even though loopholes…

Tell the White House to protect children and families

President Obama this week officially entered the negotiations on the federal budget, and the stakes for children and families are high. Many in Congress are insisting on huge budget cuts that will hit needy children and families the hardest.

Congress…

Congress considers Medicaid cuts for the needy

Congress is looking for ways to address the national debt, and as usual children and the poor are the easiest targets. The Wall Street Journal reports recently that negotiators have set their sights on Medicaid, which helps more than 28…

State governors seek permission to shrink Medicaid

Facing budget shortfalls, many state governors want to restrict eligibility for their Medicaid programs, which could leave many children without health coverage. Even though the federal government provides the bulk of the funding for state Medicaid programs, these governors…