January 30, 2012
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 directed the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to release new standards updating and improving the health of foods served in America’s schools. Read More »
January 12, 2012
When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted in March 2010, one of the first benefits put into effect was the requirement that insurance companies cover children with pre-existing health conditions. Before the ACA, insurance companies routinely denied kids coverage when they actually needed it – when they were sick. A new policy by Oklahoma... Read More »
January 3, 2012
As we enter the new year, we have looked back to review the issues or topics that captured our website vistors’ attention throughout the year. Below we have identified the 25 most popular resources on the First Focus website in 2011. Here they are (and note that some resources from 2010 continued to be quite popular in 2011): Top Reports/Fact... Read More »
December 23, 2011
“Dear Obama, This Christmas a lot of things came to mind when I thought about what I wanted as a Christmas present. I thought long and hard but realized that I wanted something bigger than what you can buy at a store. I decided that what I wanted was my dad, even though I have him now. It frightens me to think that in one afternoon while I’m at... Read More »
December 19, 2011
In the face of severe budget cuts to public schools by many state and local governments, our students and teachers deserve greater support. We urge our elected officials to stop the budget cuts to public schools and to reassess their priorities. Nearly 90 percent of American students attend public schools; it is clear that no greater investment... Read More »
December 19, 2011
“If you see something, say something!” Senator Mikulski invoked this call to action several times throughout a hearing convened last week on prevention of child abuse. As illustrated by the tragedies at Penn State and Syracuse universities that recently have dominated national media, all too often adults shirk this essential responsibility and... Read More »
December 2, 2011
A recent study by the Department of Education sheds new light on funding issues with our public schools. Read More »
November 28, 2011
As November comes to a close and we wrap-up National Homelessness Awareness Month, a recent 60 Minutes segment reminds us of the severity of family and child homelessness, and how action is needed beyond this month. The segment highlights the number of families in the U.S. who are forced to live in their cars after finding themselves homeless, and... Read More »
November 17, 2011
Here’s a quick exercise: imagine you need to find an important product or service for your family, but you are unsure of where start your search. Now close your eyes and imagine a “high-quality customer experience”, one that is “streamlined and integrated” and can “accurately and quickly make a decision about [your family’s] eligibility”. Ok,... Read More »
November 16, 2011
Most kids know that when their parents encourage them to eat their vegetables; they are not talking about pizza. But in the National School Lunch Program for years pizza counted as a vegetable due to the small amount of tomato paste used on a slice of pizza. Read More »
