Childhood is often considered a carefree time of learning, exploration, and joy, unencumbered by the stress and demands of adult life. However, research shows that mental health concerns are common in children and, when left unaddressed, can have long-term negative outcomes. Unfortunately, many young people in Wisconsin have extremely...
Childhood is often considered a carefree time of learning, exploration, and joy, unencumbered by the stress and demands of adult life. However, research shows that mental health concerns are common in children and, when left unaddressed, can have long-term negative outcomes
Washington State is demonstrating how to reform child care. In most states, the child care subsidy programs are struggling, and sustaining truly high quality child care is out of reach. But Washington has blazed a trail worth considering. According to Jennifer Jennings-Shaffer, the early learning policy director at Children’s Alliance,...
Research on development of infants and toddlers is the focus of a new message from the Office of Child Care in Washington, D.C. The report highlights research in the key domains that are foundational for later school readiness and success, including: perceptual, motor, and physical development social and emotional development approaches...
Not only is the cost of incarcerating individuals in Wisconsin high (about $1.5 billion annually), but according to a new KIDS COUNT® policy report released today, approximately 88,000 children living in Wisconsin have experienced the separation of a parent who served time in jail or prison, of more than 5 million nationally. The...
Implementing a universal high-quality prekindergarten program has the potential to substantially narrow racial/ethnic disparities in academic readiness at kindergarten entry, according to a recent blog, How much can high-quality Universal Pre-K reduce achievement gaps? by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). The...
A group of juvenile justice advocates met this week in Washington DC for the launch of the Stop Solitary for Kids campaign, a national effort to end solitary confinement and other forms of prolonged isolation for youth in the juvenile and criminal justice systems.
There have been a couple of items of good news this month for Medicaid and BadgerCare: enrollment is up, and projected spending is down. That’s an unusual but very welcome combination of trend lines.
Watch this video illustrating the toll guns are having on our children, communities, and state.
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...
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