Nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures since the start of 2023. 78 bills have passed into law during the 2023 Legislative Session, including 32 in the South.

Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children in the U.S. Gun deaths among children have increased by 50%, reaching a high of 2,590 deaths in 2021.

While reports of worsening mental health and suicidality were higher among all teens, female and LGBQ+ students fared worst according to Fall 2021 data. Nearly 1 in 2 LGBQ+ students and 1 in 3 female students in U.S. high schools reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide.

As feared, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test results from early 2022 reveal that both math and reading scores declined for 4th and 8th graders, compared to before the pandemic in 2019.

After the CTC expiration in December 2021, child poverty spiked to 17%.

From 2011–2021, the share of high school students that experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, seriously considered suicide, or attempted suicide increased by 50%, 38%, and 25%, respectively.

28% of Mississippi children and 27% of Louisiana children live below the poverty level — the highest rates of child poverty in the nation. Mississippi and Louisiana are among the 20 states that do not have a statewide minimum wage that is higher than the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour.

From July through December 2021, the American Rescue Plan provided low and middle-income families with monthly Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments. But after the CTC expiration in December 2021, child poverty spiked to 17% in January 2022, where, according to the most recent monthly estimates, it remains (after a dip in March/April when families received tax refunds).

As employment rates near pre-pandemic numbers, many families have struggled to keep up with fluctuating child care availability. Nearly 1 in 5 adults experienced a child care disruption at some point during the 4 weeks ending August 8, 2022.

Though child care disruptions have declined, families with children under 5 still face difficult child care decisions. 1 in 5 adults experienced a child care disruption at some point during the 4 weeks ending June 13, 2022.

The American Rescue Plan provided monthly Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments from July through December 2021, raising children out of poverty such that the child poverty rate fell to about 12% each month. The loss of these CTC payments put children back into poverty.

Between 2009 and 2019, the share of high school students experiencing feelings of sadness or hopelessness, seriously considering suicide, and creating a suicide plan increased by 40%, 36%, and 44%, respectively. Experts warn that the pandemic has caused these rates to spike again.

Pediatricians are an important source of behavioral and mental health care for children and recent polls reveal they are parents’ most trusted source of information on the Covid vaccine for children. The majority of rural counties in the U.S., however, have no pediatricians at all.

Pediatricians are an important source of behavioral and mental health care for children and recent polls reveal they are parents’ most trusted source of information on the Covid vaccine for children.

Though child care disruptions have declined, families with children under 5 still face difficult child care decisions. Nearly 3 in 10 adults experienced a child care disruption at some point during the 4 weeks ending March 14, 2022.

Several studies of the impact of the Child Tax Credit since its inception in 1998 have found that this financial support for children helped increase student test scores, reduce teen birth rates, and yield higher earnings in adulthood.

Poverty in childhood, and food and housing insecurity which often comes along with it, create a prolonged activation of the stress response system that disrupts the development of children’s brains. This chronic, toxic stress can lead to lifelong learning difficulties and behavioral health challenges.

Pediatricians are an important source of behavioral and mental health care for children and recent polls reveal they are parents’ most trusted source of information on the Covid vaccine for children.

Of third graders who did take reading assessments, learning loss is evident. Third-grade reading scores in fall 2021 were lower than in fall 2019 by 7 percentile points on average.

As parents pivot back into the workforce, families with children under 5 still face difficult child care decisions. Affordable, quality options continue to dwindle – leaving families in the lurch. 3 in 10 adults experienced a child care disruption in the 4 weeks ending December 13, 2021.