This paper provides a background and discussion regarding tobacco-free schools. The paper is intended to enhance discussion about the health benefits to children who attend schools that have a comprehensive tobacco-free school policy. The benefits to the personal health of students are both direct and environmental. Direct health benefits from a…

Twelve percent of all children enrolled in commercial plans have special health care needs. Almost 40 percent of them have an emotional or behavioral disorder. These conditions are in many ways more limiting than chronic physical conditions, more difficult to diagnose and treat, and can more severely compromise a child's quality of life. For many…

This document reports on physical activity and nutrition curriculum choices for afterschool programs, linking with the National Afterschool Association Program Standards. This project was stimulated by the national concern for child and youth obesity and the valuable role out-of-school time programs can fulfill in helping to address the crisis.…

This book examines the health and safety implications of September 11, 2001, for seven public schools that were in the World Trade Center impact zone. From accounts of students, parents, teachers, and administrators, the report describes: (1) evacuation procedures of these schools on September 11; (2) communication flow between the New York City…

This idea book offers practical strategies for assessing and responding to the effects of HIV on each of the Peace Corps' project areas, including agriculture and environment, small enterprise development, health, youth, and education. It also offers examples of creative and effective strategies used by Peace Corps volunteers to integrate the…

This report presents a case study of the renovation of Charles Young Elementary School in Washington, DC, focusing on how an improved school environment contributed to higher levels of educational performance. The school was chosen as a school revitalization demonstration project for the Urban Schools Initiative. The objective of the project was…

As part of its work in improving the lives and life changes of children in the Philadelphia region, the Philadelphia Citizens for Children and Youth examined the problem of local childhood lead paint poisoning. This report describes their efforts, beginning with a description of the impact of lead poisoning on children's health and a discussion of…

This document comprises four issues of a quarterly newsletter about the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and efforts to enroll eligible children in the program. Each issue provides information on related national news events, future events and publications of the Children's Defense Fund, and outreach initiatives in various states. Some…

Save the Children, founded in the United States in 1932, is an international nonprofit child-assistance organization designed to help children and their families improve their health, education, and economic opportunities, make the most of their out-of-school time, and help families recover from the effects of natural and man-made disasters. This…

There has been little change in newborn mortality in the past 20 years, even through proven, cost-effective solutions exist to save many of these young lives. This report reviews the most recent data on the newborn, revealing the alarming poor health and quality of health care for mothers and newborns in virtually all impoverished countries. The…

There is growing acknowledgement that optimal early childhood development is crucial not only for health, well-being, and competence but also for society at large. This second paper in a series focuses on the period from birth to age 6 and draws on research from Canada and other countries to address several questions of children's development,…

This article asserts that a significant number of schoolchildren and teachers in the United States are exposed on an almost daily basis to environmental hazards including volatile organic chemicals, airborne lead and asbestos, and noise pollution while they are at school. Some school hazards are linked to the aging of many of the nation's schools,…

The association of family income with child health is well-known. Compared to children from affluent families, low-income children are more likely to suffer from various chronic and sub-acute health problems including dental decay, asthma, earaches, vision deficiencies, and spotty immunizations. These problems interfere with healthy development.…

Healthy brain development relies on the quality of early relationships. Supportive relationships and parent-child conversations buffer stress; they contribute to the cognitive and emotional stimulation that developing brains need; and the quality of parent-child conversation is important even before young children are good conversational partners.…

"First Connections with Families" is a statewide initiative developed by the Nebraska Department of Education, in cooperation with the Health & Human Services System, to meet the requirements of LB 326, the Nebraska Read, Education and Develop Youth Act. This booklet contains information about child development (birth to 18 months;…