Blog

By Katie Orr, KQED, June 25, 2019. There’s an overwhelming demand for child care in California but not enough people who provide it. The industry is notorious for offering low pay and long hours. Several bills pending in the Legislature seek to address these problems, including one that would let in-home providers unionize. It's a measure that longtime in-home provider Pat Alexander is passionate about. Alexander runs Alexander Preschool and Child Care out of her home in Elk Grove...

by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 2019. Why Housing? Millions of families in America are struggling to keep a roof over their heads—and it’s taking a toll on their health. In a Culture of Health, everyone has an opportunity to reside in an affordable, safe, stable home and a neighborhood that fosters well-being. That’s why, in this Annual Message, RWJF is highlighting housing as one key factor of thriving communities. The data and stories below are just a few examples of how housing is...

By David Murphey and Vanessa Sacks, American Federation of Teachers, Summer 2019. Adverse childhood experiences (typically referred to as ACEs) are potentially traumatic experiences and events, ranging from abuse and neglect to parental incarceration. A growing body of research has made it increasingly apparent that ACEs are a critical public health issue that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being in childhood or later in life. However, more important than exposure to...

By Sarah Sparks, Education Week, June 24, 2019. Adolescents can be challenging for educators to keep engaged—but putting in the effort to make them feel connected to school can pay off well into adulthood. In a study published this morning in the journal Pediatrics, researchers at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked more than 14,000 middle and high school students over 20 years. They found that students who felt connected to their school and family as adolescents...

“I believe that everyone, especially a child, deserves to know how their brains are shaped by environment, to then understand their capacity for building proactive protective factors. We all deserve to be super heroes as we do the best we can to consciously live life well. ” - Teri Barila The superheroes we learn about in comics, movies, and TV shows swoop in to save the world with their incredible powers, to shield people from harm. But in our world, no matter how much we wish to protect...

By James Ives, News-Medical, June 24, 2019. Intimate partner violence (IPV) – commonly known as domestic violence, and long associated with drinking – is a significant public health problem. Examination of patients treated at urban Emergency Departments(EDs) shows that choice of drinking venues, such as bars or restaurants, and amount consumed there, appear to have little influence on IPV risk. These results and others were shared at the 42 nd annual scientific meeting of the Research...

By Nicollette Louissaint, The Hill, June 25, 2019. As climate change causes increasingly frequent and disastrous events, we must be more prepared than ever to face a crisis. A recent poll found that most of us are taking note, with 54 percent of Americans thinking a major disaster could impact them or their families in the next five years. This increased awareness is a good thing. However, more than half of Americans do not have an emergency plan in place — emphasizing the gap between our...

A serious but fun game about consent recognized for its social impact.

By Zaidee Stavely, EdSource, June 25, 2019. Has your child ever lived with a parent or caregiver who had mental health issues, such as depression? Witnessed a parent or caregiver being screamed at, insulted or humiliated by another adult? Been separated from their parent or caregiver due to foster care or immigration? Those are some of the questions on a survey that California pediatricians will use to screen millions of children for traumatic experiences beginning Jan. 1, 2020. Many more of...

By Maya Lau, Los Angeles Times, June 25, 2019. When Los Angeles County leaders voted unanimously in February to ban the use of pepper spray in its juvenile detention facilities, officials were tasked with phasing out the chemical agent by the end of the year. But on Tuesday, the head of the county’s Probation Department — which runs juvenile detention facilities — told the Board of Supervisors that her agency will need more time. Chief Probation Officer Terri McDonald projected that it will...

By Center for American Indian Health - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, June 4, 2019. Nationally, teen pregnancy rates have declined by 67% since peaking in 1991. Yet significant disparities remain. Native American teens have the highest teen birth rate of any U.S. group and 4 in 10 Native American women begin childbearing in adolescence. Working closely with tribal partners, the Center for American Indian Health (Center) developed Respecting the Circle of Life, a...

Disability Rights California released this report based on 150 interviews with children detained at the border, illustrating the trauma that many of them have experienced.