invisible in the law. This brief outlines some suggestions for ways to change that....

To prepare children for success in school, policies must provide support for all the contexts that influence child development starting from birth, and must seek to optimize children's functioning across all domains of development. This paper...

Millions of American workers who qualify for family or medical leave don't take it because they cannot afford to go without pay. Family and work patterns have shifted dramatically in recent decades, yet workplace policies have not kept pace...

This policy brief examines the problems related to over-consumption, excess, and obesity in Missouri. The topic is analyzed, and policy recommendations are explained....

By 2020, the segment of the population 65 and older will have increased by 42% to reach over one million persons and those 85 and older will number roughly 129,000. These trends indicate an increase in the demands for ...

This study indicates several teacher characteristics and other aspects of early childhood programs are directly related to overall program quality. A total of 14 “assets” were identified as being critical factors contributing ...

During 1997 and 1998, a large study called Project REACH (Rural EArly CHildhood Professional Development Initiative), was conducted in a series of interventions over a 16 month period in rural Missouri. The training and ...

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 represents a fundamental change in our country's approach to supporting families in economic need. Since the enactment of PRWORA, researchers have been studying...

A total of 24 focus groups/interviews, including 128 center and home-based directors, teachers, and parents, were conducted as part of the Midwest Child Care Research Consortium (IA, KS, MO, NE). Included are the 21 themes that emerged from...

The United States is one of only three industrialized nations that still permit the use of corporal punishment in its public schools. Schools are the only American institution where this practice is allowed. It has been ...

Payday lending is commonly considered to be predatory lending. Practices typically involve high interest rates, excessive fees, deceptive and aggressive marketing, and a general lack of concern for a borrower's ability to ...

Findings from the Midwest Child Care Research Consortium indicate early childhood education settings are of low quality in three areas that are key to early learning: Learning Activities, Language and Reasoning and Social Interactions...

Children without health insurance are more likely to go without necessary medical care and attention, putting their development and health at risk. MC+ for Kids has positively impacted many of Missouri's children.

We know that children need proper nutrition, safe homes, access to health care, and good parenting in order to thrive. With recent technological advances, we are also beginning to understand more about how a child's brain ...

Youth violence is currently viewed as one of the most serious public health problems in the United States. What is of even more concern among parents and educators is a more common and pervasive form of violence- bullying. ...

Over one-third of all births are to unwed parents. Adoption proceedings for these children can be delayed, contested, and disrupted when paternity is in question. Highly publicized court cases, suchas Baby Jessica's in ...

Although there are many types of prepared childbirth classes that teach the skills of birth utilizing many different techniques and philosophies, the goals of these classes are essentially the same--to have a happy, healthy, ...

that 20-25% of families that receive welfare assistance have a child or adult in the household with a developmental disability. Studies have shown potentially bidirectional connections between poverty and developmental disabilities....

Each year the United Health Foundation, a private, non-profit foundation dedicated to improving health outcomes and promoting healthier communities, releases “America's Health Rankings.” Each state is evaluated on ...

22% of Missouri's young children live under the poverty level. Research shows that a child's development is affected negatively by circumstances of poverty. Children raised in poverty are more likely to have poorer physical health and growth, poorer...