Annie E. Casey Foundation
@annieecaseyfdn.bsky.social
Building a brighter future for children, families and communities. https://www.aecf.org/
“The reality is that because this country hasn't invested in a childcare infrastructure that is flexible and affordable and reliable, grandparents are filling in the gaps that the service system leaves behind.”
U.S. childcare costs are astronomical. More families are turning to grandparents
Grandparents taking care of their grandkids is nothing new. But the surging cost of childcare in the U.S. has made familial support even more critical for some parents who struggle to afford it.
npr.org
The vast majority of afterschool programs in the U.S. now include STEM enrichment activities that can help students build their academic confidence in math and science, but low-income families and families living in rural areas are the least likely to have access to this programming.
Most Afterschool Programs Offer STEM Learning, But Rural Students Lack Access
A national survey found 92% of parents reported their child's afterschool program had a STEM component last year, up from 73% in 2020.
the74million.org
VIDA Collaborative CEO Kassi Longoria was a member of the Foundation’s Children and Family Fellowship® Class of 2022, and she credits the experience with helping her “[grow] into creating [her] own vision of leadership rather than performing within someone else’s.”
Casey Fellow Applies Results Count to Leadership and Employee Well-Being
Kassi Longoria tells how Casey's Children and Family Fellowship has shaped her leadership and approach to employee well-being.
aecf.org
Since July 2025, over 1.2 million children across the country have lost access to SNAP benefits. Experts are worried about the implications of this drop, as it’s unlikely that the number of families who are in need of food assistance in the U.S. has decreased.
More than 1.2 million children have lost SNAP benefits since last July. Experts explain why
Experts say that the drop is a cause for worry, and that it’s unlikely that the need for food assistance has dropped.
pbs.org
“Educators can give kids all the academic skills in the world, but if they don’t have that social stability and that emotional stability, then they won’t have a place to land. Recess provides an amazing opportunity for these things to come together.”
Skimping on Recess Won't Fix Test Scores, Experts Say
Parent advocates are spreading the research-backed message: Kids need to move during the school day.
edweek.org
Amongst youth experiencing homelessness, youth with a foster care background become homeless earlier, more often, and for longer time periods than their peers who have never been in foster care.
MN Homeless Youth With Foster Care Background ‘Faring Worse’
Four out of 10 homeless youth in Minnesota were once in foster care, according to a new study released by Wilder Research.
imprintnews.org
“Mixing health and education is [so] important… if a kid’s not ready for kindergarten, then they are more likely to fail that third-grade reading test, then they're less likely to graduate and their adult health outcomes are [probably more] affected by that than anything I’m treating in the clinic.”
An Ohio Hospital Is Screening Young Kids for Reading and School Readiness
In Columbus, clinics are testing 3-to-5 year olds for foundational reading skills — allowing for intervention well before a child enters school.
the74million.org
Since 2022, the share of children in foster care being placed in group homes or institutions has grown from 9% to 12%. This trend worries policymakers and researchers, as data shows children in foster care are more likely to thrive long-term when living with families rather than in group settings.
Declining Share of Children in Foster Care Are Placed With Families
The KIDS COUNT Data Center has updated more than 35 indicators on America's kids and youth in the foster care and child welfare systems. Explore the data.
aecf.org
Extended foster care allows young people to access some foster care services even after turning 18. About three-quarters of youth who participated in extended foster care said that having access to financial resources, housing assistance and academic support helped prepare them for adulthood.
Survey: Extended Foster Care Helps, But Too Few Know About It
A new survey of more than 400 young people provides insight into the results of the government's investment in extended foster care.
imprintnews.org
Since the 2020-21 school year, schools in all but two U.S. states have faced closures as a result of extreme weather. For students, weather-related school closures represent missed time in the classroom, which can compound children’s learning loss at an alarming rate.
Heat, Fires, Hurricanes, Floods: How Climate Change Is Keeping Kids From School
From California to Maine, extreme weather is disrupting student attendance and, ultimately, their achievement.
the74million.org
It’s only been a few years since California passed legislation requiring middle and high schools to adopt later start times, but the shift is already having a positive impact on the sleep schedules, mental health and academic performance of children across the state.
Do Later School Start Times Help California Students? Here’s What New Study Says
Many schools still struggle with the transition to later school start times, advocates say.
the74million.org
The Foundation is proud to support the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law in developing the ‘Youth Engagement in Court’ Took Kit. These resources aim to help youth understand their legal rights and options, making them better equipped to participate in the court process.
New Tool Kit Helps Youth in Foster Care Prepare for Family Court Hearings
Explore a new tool kit aimed at meaningfully engaging young people in foster care.
aecf.org
As colleges and universities face declining enrollment, many have begun to cut programs and staff — leaving students facing higher costs for meal plans and housing, less access to professor support and more limited academic resources.
More than half of colleges show signs of money problems. Students will suffer the consequences
Many schools will resort to laying off faculty, cutting services and increasing prices
hechingerreport.org
“With intensive wraparound services, this young person was able to meet all of her goals, including increased behavioral health stability, increasing and sustaining regular contact with two older and supportive siblings... and growing stronger attachments with her foster parents.”
CA Bets on ‘Wraparound’ Care to Keep Kids Out of Foster Care
California is investing in wraparound services for families to try to keep parents from relinquishing kids to foster care.
imprintnews.org
Whether or not a family can access affordable, high-quality child care varies dramatically based on how much their home state is willing to invest in their child care system. The scale of these investments varies dramatically across states, from less than $500 to over $9,900 per child.
Access to Early Care and Education Depends on Where You Live
A recent report found wide disparities in state funding for childcare and preschool, raising concerns about access, affordability and quality.
the74million.org
Oklahoma is just the latest state to implement extended foster care — a system that allows youth to stay in foster care through the age of 21 so they have uninterrupted access to services such as healthcare, housing assistance and caseworker support as they transition to adulthood.
Beyond Age 18: Oklahoma's New Extended Foster Care Law
Oklahoma’s new extended foster care law gives young people more time, support and resources to successfully transition to adulthood. Learn more.
aecf.org
“Breakfast is an important opportunity to give children foods that can help them feel satisfied and ready to start their day, but families are often trying to make that happen [quickly]. Small, realistic changes that add protein, fiber or fruit to foods children already enjoy can make a difference."
michiganmedicine.org
The growing gap in maternal healthcare access between urban and rural areas in Texas has left more than half the counties in the state with no birthing locations and no clinicians who deliver babies, forcing expectant parents to travel long distances to access prenatal care or to go without.
Maternal healthcare gap has widened between urban and rural Texas
Between 2022 and 2024, the number of Texas “maternal care desert” counties grew to 129, meaning more than half of the state's counties had no birthing locations and no clinicians who deliver...
dallasnews.com
"Childcare programs struggle with the same kinds of costs that families do. They're providing food to children in their care. They need supplies in order to make their programs function. They're grappling with rent or mortgages… that could have an increase in their fixed costs."
From Oklahoma to Washington, daycare costs are soaring. Everyone's feeling the pinch
Families and providers are all struggling to meet the higher cost of childcare. Meanwhile, states are experimenting with their own fixes.
npr.org
“Something that we are keenly aware of here is that not every family can afford to go out and make sure that their child has a new backpack full of all the [school supplies] they are supposed to have or need to have when they walk in the [classroom] door.”
As Back-to-School Prices Rise, Donations Fill the Gap for Teachers, Families
School supplies are up an average of 7.7% from last year, outpacing inflation.
the74million.org
Many families with young kids are forced to rely on a patchwork of informal and formal care to meet their child care needs. Parents often rely heavily on relatives for child care support, with more than two-thirds of kids under the age of 5 receiving care from a relative.
Many Families Rely on a Patchwork of Childcare
A recent analysis of Census Bureau data from economist Sarah Jane Glynn reveals how families piece together childcare arrangements in the U.S.
the74million.org
“Kids make up about 25% of our population, but 100% of our future.” – Trevor Storrs, president and CEO of our KIDS COUNT partner Alaska Children’s Trust
Alaska drops to 47th in the nation in overall child well-being, new report says | Alaska Beacon
Alaska dropped seven places to rank 47th in the nation in overall child well-being, according to a nationally recognized survey by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
alaskabeacon.com
Juvenile justice leaders in Santa Cruz County successfully helped improve the academic performance of youth on probation through utilizing the Plan-Do-Study-Act method — a critical part of the Foundation’s Results Count™ leadership curriculum.
Plan-Do-Study-Act Charts a Course for Boosting Graduation Rates Among Youth on Probation
Santa Cruz used the Plan-Do-Study-Act method to help youth on probation improve school credit and graduation rates. Learn more.
aecf.org
“Many suburban schools might be fooling themselves by thinking, ‘Oh, the phones aren’t really much of a problem.’ But I think there’s a perception in urban school districts where there might be more chaos and more distraction that there’s something attractive about these more restrictive policies.”
With a State Cellphone Ban in Place, Michigan Schools Choose a Range of Options
Half the districts surveyed ban phones from 'bell to bell,' and half allow students to use them at designated times, like lunch or between classes.
the74million.org
Despite a recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that all young children get screened regularly for developmental delays or disabilities, just over 36% of parents with young children across the U.S. report filling out a developmental screener for their kid within the past year.
Most kids miss recommended screening for autism, speech delays
New community efforts across the country are helping to connect more kids to essential therapies
hechingerreport.org
“[Schoolyards are] one of the few spaces we have — quite literally the only open spaces we have — where our children can play, and our community can come together. It’s not that park space and green space is a luxury or privilege for some. It’s a right for all of us.”
The movement to remake school playgrounds as urban climate oases
Momentum grows to turn schoolyards into green spaces that can withstand climate change and where communities can gather
hechingerreport.org
The Foundation is proud to be one of the funders of Atlanta’s ‘Community Wealth Building Accelerator’ initiative, an effort that aims to support small business owners in the city’s Southside communities by providing access to resources such as affordable real estate and technical assistance.
Business Owners of Color in Atlanta Learn New Skills Through Accelerator Program
Invest Atlanta has announced the graduation of 21 business owners of color from an accelerator program that has helped position them for future success.
aecf.org
“Young people want to open up to someone who’s their peer, communicating in language they understand… When they see someone from the same culture and background advocating for [mental health], it makes a big difference.”
Colorado’s Youth Mental Health Corps improves student attendance and behavior
Data collected after the first full year shows that the effort is simultaneously improving student attendance and behavioral health while helping to grow the overstrained mental health field.
denverpost.com
A new Minnesota law requires K–12 school districts to give foster youth priority enrollment in before- and after-school programs, with the hope that improving access to these forms of child care will help both youth in foster care and their caregivers feel more supported.
Minnesota Prioritizes Foster Youth in Extracurricular Programming | The Imprint
A new Minnesota law requires K-12 school districts to ensure that priority enrollment is given to foster youth applying for before- and after-school programs.
imprintnews.org
“The take-home point is that kids who went to public school pre-K do better in 3rd grade compared to those who went to center-based care, who did better than those who went to family childcare.”
Does Pre-K Give Kids a Lasting Edge? Here's What the Latest Study Says
Several researchers have studied the effects of pre-K on future academic success, with mixed results.
edweek.org