As U.S. infant mortality remains relatively unchanged and maternal mortality is rising, it is increasingly clear that service providers need to address many of the modifiable risks that determine birth outcomes prior to pregnancy. Health professionals have promoted preconception care for decades as a way to improve women's and infant's health. Yet…

Too often in California, children (especially children of color, foster youth, and those growing up in poverty) lack the components critical for a healthy early life. For example, as few as 3% of families that might benefit from voluntary home visiting have access to home visiting programs, 32% of children entering foster care are under the age of…

School-based mental health practitioners are positioned to address low-income urban African American girls' mental health needs through culturally responsive services. Despite the importance of culturally reflective practice, it is understudied. We asked school-based mental health practitioners (N = 7) to reflect on barriers and facilitators to…

Sexual health service access is fundamental to good sexual health, yet interventions designed to address this have rarely been implemented or evaluated. In this article, pilot evaluation findings for a targeted public health behavior change intervention, delivered via a website and web-app, aiming to increase uptake of sexual health services among…

Background: It is important that collaborative relationships exist in a community to improve access to needed services for children. Such partnerships foster preventive services, such as immunizations, and other services that protect the health and well-being of all children. Methods: A collaborative relationship in Illinois involving an academic…

We summarize our recent findings that White children in the United States are more likely than otherwise similar racial or ethnic minority children to receive special education services, including for emotional and behavioral disorders. We show how the findings are robust. We explain why our findings conflict with prior reports in education that…

The "Keep It Simple" package, which includes a short animated film (available online for streaming or download), a lesson plan, and supporting materials, was designed to be used with adolescents ages 15-19 to empower them to seek sexual and reproductive health care, and emphasize the availability of long-acting reversible contraception…

The Affordable Care Act includes language that requires states to provide Medicaid coverage to youth who were in foster care in their state before aging out of the child welfare system. However, most states have interpreted the law differently for youth who move to their state after aging out, determining that automatic Medicaid coverage is an…

This collection of fact sheets includes: (1) Alcohol and Drug Use among High School Students in West Virginia; (2) Bullying and Suicidal among High School Students in West Virginia; (3) Chronic Disease and Health Care Access among High School Students in West Virginia; (4) Dietary Behaviors among High School Students in West Virginia; (5) Injury…

Post-secondary institutions across North America have noticed a concerning trend in terms of increased student mental health crises on campuses. Consequently, many colleges and universities have been working to develop responsive and comprehensive mental health frameworks. While broad studies have illuminated the high rates of student mental…

Background: Challenging behaviours are frequently shown by children with an intellectual disability. This study documents service use within this population and explores its relationship with challenging behaviours and child and parent characteristics.Method Forty-nine mothers of young children with an intellectual disability or global…

This literature review examines the evidence base of the Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) to better understand its outputs and outcomes, as well as the contextual factors that may support success. The review's findings will be incorporated into the next phase of the "Culture of Continuous Learning (CCL) Project," which includes a…

Kentucky has been focused upon improving outcomes for individuals receiving Supports for Community Living (SCL) Waiver services. SCL is the state's residential Medicaid developmental disabilities waiver; the SCL waiver provides a broad array of services for waiver recipients (residential, supported employment, transportation, community access,…

Education in society especially in Mexico, seems to be a powerful instrument of intergenerational social mobility to produce individuals with "capabilities and functions" allowing them to obtain a greater well-being. "Education as schooling," in the first instance, improves the individuals living conditions, since this is a…

Awareness of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is relatively new in Saudi Arabia and systematic information about existing services is lacking. A convenience sample of 293 parents of children with ASD completed an online survey about their experiences and opinions attaining the ASD diagnosis for their children as well as the use of early intervention…