Earlier this year, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford took legal action against five of the largest social media platforms, alleging they have no regard for the mental health and well-being of young people.
Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University, reaffirmed Ford’s opinion, saying that today’s children and adolescents who spend hours at a time on social media are having a devastating effect on their mental health and ability to cope with real-life challenges. It was suggested that this could have a negative impact.
“When the simultaneous global collapse of mental health hits demographics as well, it will be much harder to find a theory other than my ‘Great Rewiring’ theory,” Haidt argued.
Haidt said the mental health of teens, especially girls, plummeted in the early 2010s, as what he called a “play-based childhood” was replaced by a “phone-based childhood.” They reported increased rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide. ” Additionally, symptoms of depression and anxiety have doubled during the pandemic, according to the Nevada Department of Public and Behavioral Health. The department has put together a guide to help Nevada families overcome mental health issues.
According to the Pew Research Center, American teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17 are pushing apps like TikTok to the top of their list of available social media platforms. Hite noted that while certain measures are being considered, such as stricter age verification requirements, technology companies argue that they would be too inconvenient for adult users. Hite urged lawmakers to step up.
“What I would like to see is Congress requiring companies to do something,” Hite said. “They have to make a good faith effort to say, ‘We’re not going to hold them 100% accountable,’ but right now it’s 0% and nothing.”
What Hite called “totally frictionless, anonymous virtual worlds” are taking a toll on young children across the country, and if it helps keep children safe, adult users will He added that he supports them even if they experience some inconvenience when signing up for the platform.
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As the declining supply of child care workers continues to impact Kentucky, advocates are working to help more people earn child development worker degrees, especially in rural child care and early learning. It claims to be able to fill an important gap.
Jennifer Roe is the early childhood coordinator for Save the Children Early Steps Program and is currently enrolled in the CDA program at Eastern Kentucky University.
Working full time while in school wasn’t easy, but Save the Children’s Career Pathways program helped with tuition and other funding and kept her on track to graduate next spring. She said she was able to do it.
“When I walk across that stage with that diploma in my hand, it’s going to be one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” Lo said. “And not just for myself, but for the families and communities I serve.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be an average of more than 153,000 childcare worker job openings over the next 10 years, largely due to the need to fill childcare workers who have left the field or retired.
Karen Harrison, managing director of workforce development for Save the Children Careers in Education, said the program aims to reduce barriers to obtaining certifications and higher education degrees. Ta.
“We pay all or part of their tuition,” Harrison said. “We pay for books, supplies and educational materials. We also provide accessibility incentives. We recognize that participants’ own childcare may be an issue. recognizing.”
Lo added that earning a CDA degree opens the door to immediate job opportunities such as working in a daycare center, opening a childcare business, or teaching kindergarten.
“We can’t wait until they get to kindergarten. We hope they understand things like their ABCs,” Ms Lo said. “They need to know when to get there, because otherwise they’re already behind.”
Meanwhile, child care providers in Kentucky say the state’s industry is at risk of collapse when federal pandemic funds expire this fall.
In a recent letter, hundreds of health care providers across the state asked lawmakers to pass additional funding legislation to help keep the centers afloat.
Disclosure: Save the Children donates to funds for reporting on children’s issues, early childhood education, education, and poverty issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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Child tax credit advocates are calling on Washington lawmakers to expand the credit when they return to Capitol Hill this week. This expansion is estimated to save more than 46,000 children in Montana.
HR 7024 (also known as the American Families and Workers Tax Relief Act) increases the child tax credit from $1,600 to $1,800, with an additional $100 increase next year.
Nathan Starley, executive director of the Montana Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, said this will benefit 16,000 children under the age of 6 in Montana and ease the financial burden on families. Ta.
“Across the state, we are seeing families struggling to pay their bills,” Staley said. “You know, you have to make a choice. Do I have to put food on the table there or do I have to pay for the medicine? So when you look at this accomplishment, it’s about bringing people out of society. It will become ‘poverty. “
But the latest polls show that there is little public support for permanently expanding pandemic-era tax credits. The bill awaits action in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Staley said expanding the child tax credit would not only help families pay their bills, but also help families pursue services they often ignore due to cost.
“They could be dealing with everything from medical treatment to other health-related concerns,” Staley said. “Again, when you’re in poverty, there’s a lot of things you can’t buy. And one of the first things that gets cut is health. So we want to make sure they have food on the table.” Stay on top and get the medical care you need. ”
Families who received expanded child tax credits during the pandemic were also able to recover rent, according to figures from Children’s Health Watch.
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A new study highlights the importance of Pennsylvania’s early intervention program and its services for infants and young children at risk for developmental delays.
Kari King, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Partnership for Children, said there are two early intervention programs. She said her group is advocating for one, Part B, aimed at preschoolers between the ages of three and five, and Part C, which her group supports and manages for infants and young children. Through the Department of Human Services.
Dr. King said only 46,000 children would be eligible for Part C.
“The way services are provided is typically in a home setting,” she said. “So we’ll have a trained professional come into the home and meet with the mother or father or other caregivers and address any concerns that exist for the child.”
As next fiscal year’s state budget approaches its June 30 deadline, Dr. King supports Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposal to increase funding for early intervention services in Part C, with the Thriving PAs campaign He said there was. An additional $16.6 million in the governor’s budget would allow an additional 3,000 children to receive assistance.
King added that addressing a child’s developmental delays as early as possible will help put the child on the path to future success.
“There is a lot of research showing that if developmental delays are not addressed early, it will take longer for any intervention to occur,” she says. “That leads to increased costs for special education, for example.”
Dr. King said early intervention services are available to all families with infants and young children, regardless of economic status.
“Early intervention is a little different in that there is no income qualification,” she says. “So, in reality, all infants and toddlers are eligible for early intervention services. And families can self-advise because no diagnosis is required.”
King said Part C services target five areas of early childhood development: social-emotional skills, physical skills, cognitive skills, communication skills and adaptive skills. Services are structured to foster the development of both children and their parents.
Disclosure: Pennsylvania Children’s Partnership/KIDS COUNT contributes to funds for reporting on children’s issues, early childhood education, education, and health issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.
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