Reports, Research & Policy

By Michelle Singletary, The Washington Post, July 13, 2021 If all goes well, the IRS will start depositing monthly payments this week into the bank accounts of millions of American families, many of whom are struggling to put food on the table. Look for these child tax credit payments to show up on July 15. This money couldn’t come at a more opportune time, given the news that the consumer price index rose 5.4 percent in June compared to the same period a year ago. The last time families saw...

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN, June 28, 2021 Physical punishment does not appear to improve a child's positive behavior or social competence over time, according to a review of 69 studies from the US, Canada, China, Colombia, Greece, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The review, published Monday in the journal Lancet , found physical punishment such as spanking is "harmful to children's development and well-being," said senior author Elizabeth Gershoff, a professor in human...

From Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, June 2020 How is ongoing, severe stress and adversity in early childhood connected to chronic disease in adults? And, what can we do about it? In this animated video, narrated by Center on the Developing Child Director Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D., learn what the latest science tells us about how early experiences affect not only early learning and school readiness, but also lifelong health. Understand the effects of adversities such as...

This resource o ffers strategies to help parents/caregivers cope with collective traumas. This fact sheet also provides guidance on what parents/caregivers can do to care for their children as they cope. To access this resource, click here.

Great essay by Monica Hesse in the Washington Post. Here are the first few paragraphs: To read the rest of this essay in the Washington Post by Monica Hesse , go here.

By Nirmita Panchal, Rabah Kamal, Cynthia Cox, et al., Kaiser Family Foundation, May 26, 2021 Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, children have experienced major disruptions as a result of public health safety measures, including school closures, social isolation, financial hardships, and gaps in health care access. Many parents have reported poor mental health outcomes in their children throughout the pandemic – in May 2020, shortly after the pandemic began, 29% said their child’s...

A study released last year from researchers at the University of Chicago found that a parent’s ability to nurture and care for their children is not severely impacted during stresses including job loss as long as they have a means of supporting their families, such as through unemployment insurance. RAPID-EC found that stimulus payments and unemployment relief provided during the pandemic were critical for families with young children more than 61 percent of households surveyed used stimulus...

The Essentials for Childhood Initiative would like to share a new resources titled, “Creating Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments for Children.” This new resource is intended to elevate primary prevention strategies that support creating Safe, Stable, Nurturing Relationships and Environments (SSNR&Es) for children and highlight 2019 data from the Awareness, Commitment, and Norms Survey provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This document was...

By Jackie Mader, The Hechinger Report, May 13, 2021 W hat if one of the answers to reducing inequality and addressing mental health concerns among young children is as simple as providing more opportunities to play? A growing body of research and several experts are making the case for play to boost the well-being of young children as the pandemic drags on—even as concerns over lost learning time and the pressure to catch kids up grow stronger. Play is so powerful, according to a recent...

By Good New Network, May 14, 2021 Literacy skills have actually improved in the pandemic, with children reportedly picking up more challenging books and getting lost in fiction to combat isolation, a study from the UK has shown. With schools often closed, many more pupils began to enjoy reading again—with 56 percent of young people saying they enjoyed reading either very much (24 percent) or quite a lot (32 percent). During the first British lockdown, One of Us is Lying by Karen M McManus...

Action Is Needed Now! To help families cover their children’s basic needs, Congress expanded the Child Tax Credit for 2021 as part of the new America Rescue Plan. The IRS will be sending out monthly checks to families with children, starting in July. Families can receive up to $300 a month for every child ages 0-5 and $250 a month for every child ages 6-17 living in their household. Families do not need any earnings to qualify. Families should file taxes by May 17 so they can get the Child...

From Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, May 2021 Please join us for an in-depth discussion of the findings, and their implications for the country as we move from recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession toward a future in which all children and families are thriving. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently completed an 18-month study with parents and caregivers in the United States, examining what it is like to raise children in America today. [Please click here for more...