Latest News On Children’s Health

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Got Milk in School? Farmers Fight Health Advocates Over the Creamy ‘Whole’ Variety

KFF Health News Original

It has been over a decade since whole milk was served in schools through the National School Lunch Program, after U.S. government dietary guidance effectively banned it. But dairy farmers, some health experts, and members of Congress say it’s time to bring it back.

Montana Adds Protections for Kids in Private Residential Treatment Programs

KFF Health News Original

Programs in the so-called troubled teen industry will be required to provide a 24-hour hotline and unmonitored video calls with family and be subject to more inspections under a new Montana law.

CDC to Reduce Funding for States’ Child Vaccination Programs

KFF Health News Original

Citing the recent debt ceiling deal, the CDC is trimming its funding to child vaccination programs that focus on communities vulnerable to disease outbreaks. The cuts come despite data showing the percentage of children getting vaccinated has dropped in recent years.

A New Law Is Supposed to Protect Pregnant Workers — But What If We Don’t Know How?

KFF Health News Original

During pregnancy, workers often face hazardous circumstances, including breathing toxic chemicals. On June 27, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act began requiring employers to provide “reasonable accommodations.” But the new law has a big hole: Not nearly enough is known about which chemical exposures are dangerous for pregnant workers.

California Schools Start Hatching Heat Plans as the Planet Warms

KFF Health News Original

State researchers offer recommendations on how schools can become more heat-resilient in the face of global warming. Proposed changes to state law could make it easier to build shade structures.

Foster Kids in Casino Hotels? It Happened in Rural Nevada Amid Widespread Foster Home Shortages

KFF Health News Original

A nationwide decline in foster home spots has led to dire situations in some rural areas, including northeastern Nevada, where a state social worker has been pleading with community leaders to help address a shortage that left officials housing children in casino hotels.

Escasez crónica de salvavidas resalta desigualdades raciales

KFF Health News Original

Cuando las autoridades locales toman decisiones sobre el cierre de piscinas o la reducción de horarios, lo hacen sabiendo que la natación tiene un tenso historial de desigualdades raciales.

Domestic Violence Shelters Move Out of Hiding

KFF Health News Original

A new domestic violence shelter in Bozeman, Montana, reflects efforts nationwide to rethink the model that keeps survivors of abuse in hiding. But there are no guidelines for bringing shelters out into the open, leaving each to make it up as they go.

A Striking Gap Between Deaths of Black and White Babies Plagues the South

KFF Health News Original

Infant mortality rates across the South are by far the worst in the U.S. A look at South Carolina — where multimillion-dollar programs aimed at improving rates over the past 10 years have failed to move the needle — drives home the challenge of finding solutions, especially in rural communities.