Children’s Issues

Lawmakers added $100 million to a child care scholarship program but failed to expand access to free preschool for children with disabilities. By Jess Huff June 23, 20255 AM Central LUFKIN — Texas lawmakers this year added $100 million to a scholarship fund to help families across the state pay for early child care, an extraordinary investment that…

Cuts to Medicaid and the Department of Education could have detrimental impacts on keeping kids with complex medical needs healthy — and ensuring those same children have equitable access to education. By: Barbara Rodriguez, The 19th and Nadra Nittle, The 19th – May 8, 2025 2:28 pm Jolene Baxter’s daughter, Marlee, has overcome immense challenges in her first eight years…

Experts say gender-affirming care is safe and improves youth mental health. By Mary Kekatos May 2, 2025, 5:07 AM The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released what it called a “comprehensive review” of transgender care for children and teens on Thursday, calling for broader use of psychotherapy for young people with gender dysphoria rather…

By Kalyn Belsha and Erica Meltzer | March 21, 2025, 8:27pm CDT President Donald Trump made a brief announcement Friday morning of a policy that could upend how the nation serves its 7.5 million students with disabilities. Offering virtually no details, Trump said he’d decided that the Department of Health and Human Services would handle students’ “special needs”…

The conservative-led court is taking up the case amid actions by President Donald Trump targeting transgender people, including a ban on military service and an end to federal funding for gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Updated 11:13 AM MDT on Mar 17, 2025 By Mark Sherman WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Monday in a case from Colorado to decide whether…

The order says the U.S. will not “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support” transition-related care for minors, which it defines as those under age 19. Jan. 28, 2025, 6:13 PM CST By Jo Yurcaba President Donald Trump signed a broad executive order targeting transition-related medical care for minors Tuesday.  The order, titled “Protecting Children From Chemical…

13 alleged victims claim sexual assault or abuse by staff at Mingus Mountain Academy By: Jennifer Kovaleski Posted 11:31 PM, Feb 07, 2025 To watch video report, Click Here. PRESCOTT VALLEY, AZ — Her name is Melissa Catalano, or officially “M.C.” in a recently filed lawsuit. “It has taken a lot of time for me to understand…

Jan 6, 2025 4:05 PM EST By Carla K. Johnson As U.S. lawmakers debate issues around health care for transgender youth, it’s been difficult to determine the number of young people receiving gender-affirming medications, leaving room for exaggerated and false claims. Now, a medical journal has published the most reliable estimate yet and the numbers…

Medicaid paperwork issues caused by the unwinding process have left families scrambling for months to get coverage for their young children with chronic conditions. Dec. 31, 2024, 2:37 PM CST By Jesse Kirsch, Jason Kane and Michelle Cho AURORA, Colo. — Isabella Quintana’s first birthday came with an unwelcome gift this summer: She abruptly lost her health insurance weeks…

By Dave Pehling Updated on: January 2, 2025 / 1:37 PM PST Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday morning announced an increase to paid family leave and disability benefits for California residents on claims filed in the new year. The benefit increase that goes into effect with the full implementation of the 2022 law SB 951 “will…