Children’s Defense Fund Ohio
“God doesn’t want people to be hungry;” advocates ask Ohio Senate for more funding for foodbanks
Advocates focused on ending hunger in Ohio gathered at the Statehouse Thursday for the Praying for our Daily Bread Faith Leaders luncheon to discuss solutions in the state’s proposed operating budget. The Ohio Association of Foodbanks would be funded $39,550,000 a year, as distributed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services under the House’s […]
Parents: Education should include mental health, trust in teachers
A new study shows Ohio parents want to see students receive support inside and outside of the classroom, and they trust teachers to know how to lead their children. In a study conducted over six months by the Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio in partnership with Baldwin Wallace University’s Community Research Institute, more than 1,000 k-12 parents […]
Child educational, health issues persist in Ohio
Gov. Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine spent Tuesday afternoon celebrating Ohio’s use of the free children’s book service Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which is nearing 50% participation by kids from infants up to age five. But the shadow of grim child health and school absenteeism still hangs over the state, according to a […]
Ohio is lagging badly in some foster-care measures. Reforms suggested
Ohio kids who were in foster care in their late teens have had some of the worst outcomes in the United States by the time they reach 21, according to a federal survey conducted in 2018. In a report released Wednesday, Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio suggested some reforms aimed at improving those disquieting statistics. Among them […]
Study: Child poverty, family stability see major impacts during pandemic
A new study shows the coronavirus pandemic erased gains against child poverty and family stability, among other indicators of child wellbeing in the state. Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio’s annual “kids count” profile used 16 wellbeing categories in the areas of health care, safety, homes and communities, finance and education, which leaders of CDF say show areas […]
Survey: Ohio middle-of-the-road on education, child health and economic well-being
In a national survey on child well-being, Ohio was middle of the pack when it came to growth indicators. The data, collected through the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranked Ohio 31st nationally in overall child well-being, calculated using indicators of economic well-being, education, health, and family and community context. Compared to 2019 numbers, Ohio was […]
Subject of ’91 education funding lawsuit sees hope in new formula in state budget
In 1991, Sheridan High School freshman Nathan DeRolph thought Ohio’s education funding formula would change before he entered college. He and his parents had filed a lawsuit against the state that would eventually make it to the Ohio Supreme Court, fighting against the overreliance on property taxes built into public school funding. “I kind of […]
Pandemic disparities mirrored pre-existing conditions for low-income families, minorities, report shows
An annual report analyzing how children faired in the nation in the last year showed harrowing effects from COVID-19, but mainly found the same disparities that existed before the pandemic. The study conducted by the advocacy group Children’s Defense Fund, which has a chapter in Ohio, used federal and state data, along with statistics from […]
Report: Rate of uninsured children rises significantly
After hitting a historically low rate in 2016, the number of uninsured children has gradually grown to eliminate progress made in the country. Ohio, alone, had a double-digit jump in the three-year study. Nationally, the rate of children not covered by medical insurance was down to 4.7% in 2016, but started to increase again the […]
Child health in Ohio impacted by food insecurity, racial disparities, broadband access. Pandemic impact still unknown.
Infant mortality, broadband connectivity, and racial disparities have been named as major impacts on child health and success, especially as the pandemic continues to create uncertainty educationally and economically throughout the state. A state child advocacy group released its analysis of child welfare before the pandemic, and said the data should be a guide for […]