This week, the Wisconsin legislature launched the Children’s Caucus Steering Committee, a bipartisan and bicameral caucus co-chaired by Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and Representative Joan Ballweg (R-Markesan). The goal of the caucus will be to research and advocate for promising, evidence-based public policy that will improve...
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published a final rule that seeks to strengthen access to mental health and substance abuse benefits for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries. The rule provides states with detailed guidance on how the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) should be...
Each year, the Office of Justice Programs designates National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in April. This year’s theme is “Serving Victims. Building Trust. Restoring Hope” is being celebrated April 10-16. Crime Victims’ Rights Awareness Week stresses the importance of addressing the needs and concerns of victims of crime. However, victims...
About every two weeks in Wisconsin, a child is killed with a gun, adding up to more than 20 children a year. A new report by Wisconsin Council on Children and Families takes a look at the characteristics of those children who were killed and identifies common-sense solutions to help keep children safe. Over the last 15 years, more than...
Every year, children in Wisconsin are killed by guns. They die from their own hands, when they use a gun to commit suicide, or by the hands of other adults and children, who intentionally shoot them.
A new study, It’s time for an ambitious national investment in America’s children, has been released by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). The report finds that investments in early childhood care and education would have enormous benefits for children, families, society, and the economy. The report endorses several recommendations to...
A recent publication by The Pew Charitable Trusts sheds light on the underrepresented disparities facing American Indian women across the United States. American Indians and Alaskan Natives make up just 2 percent of the US population, yet these communities face disproportionate levels of poverty, violence, and school dropouts. Here are...
After the completion of the 2015-17 biennial budget bill, legislators continued to propose a wide variety of changes relating to tax policy.
A new report, Equity Starts Early: How Chiefs Will Build High-Quality Early Education, has just been released by state education leaders promoting the importance of high-quality early education, especially for children from low-income families. Here’s a quote from the report: “High-quality early education programs can improve outcomes,...
Lawmakers passed several minor bills to expand opportunity for college students, but did not address the issue of helping students who graduate with a large amount of student loan debt.
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