Health Care and Access
A child’s health and development is only as good as their access to health care. But major roadblocks persist for children and their families: financial barriers, language barriers and geographic barriers to quality health care. (Photo: The Washington Post)
Latest in Health Care and Access
The Nation’s Children 2010
A compilation of the latest statistics on the health and welfare of U.S. children, including individual fact sheets on each state.
Persistent Fear and Anxiety Can Affect Young Children’s Learning and Development
The report summarizes the effects of and misconceptions about fear-eliciting experiences that occur early in life.
The Cost of Delay: State Dental Policies Fail One in Five Children
The report describes the costs of poor dental health, grades the states on dental policies and suggests approaches to ensure dental health and access to care for disadvantaged children.
Improving Access to Public Benefits: Helping Eligible Individuals and Families Get the Income Supports They Need
At least $65 billion in vital government services and support remain unclaimed. The authors highlight methods to extend outreach efforts to ensure that low-income families receive the benefits they critically need.
Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) One Year Later: Connecting Kids to Coverage
This federal study finds that Medicaid and CHIP enrolled 2.6 million more children in the past year, yet 5 million eligible children remain uninsured.
“There’s No Place Like Home: Home Visiting Programs Can Support Pregnant Women and New Parents”
The brief reviews the effectiveness of existing home visiting programs for vulnerable families.
“Overlooked and Undercounted 2009: Struggling to Make Ends Meet in California”
The analysis finds that 3 in 10 California households lack adequate income, opposed to the 1 in 10 households reported by the federal poverty measure.
“Why Are Young Children Missed So Often in the Census?”
The study explores why more than 1 million children under age 10 and more than three-quarters of a million children under age 5 were missed in the 2000 Decennial Census.
“Financial Burden of Raising Children With Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN): Association with state policy choices”
The study suggests that financial burdens are deepening for families with disabled children, with Medicaid and SCHIP expenses varying widely by state.
“Rural and Urban Children Have Lower Rates of Health Insurance Coverage and are More Often Covered by Public Plans”
The research brief finds that 1 in 10 American children has no health insurance coverage, and insurance rates vary considerably by geographic area.
"Household Food Security in the United States, 2008"
The USDA's latest survey of U.S. households finds that the prevalence rates of food insecurity and very low food security were the highest recorded since 1995, when the first national food security survey was conducted.
“Stress in America 2009”
The nationwide survey suggests that stress and worry are having more of an impact on young people than parents believe.
“A Look at Community Schools”
An overview of community schools in the United States and how such programs can decrease poverty’s detrimental effect on students.
"The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything"
A comprehensive analysis of women's changing economic status.
"Support for Abortion Slips"
The Pew Research Center finds fewer Americans expressing support for abortion than in previous years.
