The Weekly Connect 01/12/2026

Cornell University and Harvard University: The Benefits When Resources Meet Relationships for Children in High-Poverty Communities 
Researchers from Cornell University and Harvard University examined the impacts of Communities In Schools (CIS), a national program that connects students in high-poverty schools with resources. The research focused on children who were classified as “struggling” in high-poverty schools. The study utilized administrative data from CIS, as well as state-level data and census records. Students who received personalized student supports had an increased likelihood of graduating from high school by 3.4%, and their likelihood of attending a two-year college increased by 3%. The program also contributes to higher salaries in adulthood; students who experienced three years of CIS earned an extra $75,000 in lifetime earnings ($36,000 in present-day value), and they make, on average, $1,140 more each year. High-risk students also had higher math scores by 0.18 percentage points. The study’s results highlight the importance of investment in personalized supports for students to improve their academic and later life outcomes. 

Frontiers in Psychology: From Stress to Screen: Family Factors on the Path to Problematic Media Use in Children Aged 4–11 
Children’s problematic media usage—excessive and uncontrolled technology use—is linked to attention, social, and emotional behavior difficulties. Prior research shows that approximately 10-20% of young children have symptoms of problematic media use. These behaviors can increase parental stress, decrease family connections, and weaken parents’ ability to limit their children’s technology usage. Five hundred and two parents of children aged 4-11 years old were recruited for this study. Parents measured their children’s digital awareness, problematic media use, family harmony, and stress levels. The research indicated that high parental stress was associated with child problematic media use. This relationship is fully mediated by digital parental awareness and family harmony, suggesting that prioritizing technological knowledge and family relationships can be successful in reducing stress and improving online behaviors. Researchers note that clinicians, educators, and policymakers can use these findings to develop strategies to minimize the negative effects of problematic media usage in children. 

CNN: Trump Administration Freezes Billions in Social Services Funding to Five Democratic States
The Trump administration has frozen $10 billion in funding for social services programs due to allegations of fraud. The freeze impacts funding from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, the Child Care and Development Fund, and the Social Services Block grant in five states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York. To receive funding again, the states are required to submit justifications and documentation detailing their spending. The Administration for Children and Families will also examine whether benefits were distributed to ineligible immigrants. These recent investigations began in Minnesota, where federal officials accused child care centers of taking money that was meant for low-income families. Last month, a federal prosecutor also asserted that half or more of the $18 billion in Medicaid funds in Minnesota may have been stolen due to fraud. At this time, there is no publicly available evidence to suggest that the other four states have widespread fraud in their social services programs. 

NBC4 Washington: New Virginia Law to Limit Social Media Screen Time for Kids
On January 1, Virginia lawmakers enacted a new law to limit children’s time on social media. Youth under the age of 16 are only permitted to go onto social media apps for one hour each day. Parents can extend their children’s time beyond the one-hour time limit. Social media companies are required to verify the age of account holders to enforce the law. More states have enacted social media laws in response to increasing concern about the negative impacts of social media on children. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory that teenagers who spent more than three hours per day on social media had increased symptoms of depression and anxiety. A lobby group on behalf of social media companies has tried to stop the law, as they assert that it’s a violation of First Amendment rights, and that the claim does not specify how social media harms children. 

The New York Times: They Thought They Had ‘Made It.’ Now They Can’t Afford Food.
The number of people in “the missing middle,” those who make too much for public assistance but do not have enough to make ends meet, has been increasing. More than one in three New Yorkers reported needing more money for food, compared to a quarter before the pandemic. Forty-two percent of families with children are also struggling to afford food. Food costs in the city have increased by 30% between 2013 and 2023. The number is now estimated to be much higher, due to new tariffs, increased rents, and changes in SNAP eligibility in New York State. Many of these families make too much money to be eligible for SNAP, and some food pantries require proof of income. The Chief Executive of Hunger Free America pointed to the deep concerns of families struggling to find food regardless of income: “If people can’t afford the basic costs of living in what were previously middle-class jobs, society is failing in fundamental ways.” 

Stateline: Homeless Youth Say They Need More from Schools, Social Services
Research has indicated that youth become homeless for different reasons than adults do; however, many intervention efforts for children are focused on resources when they are homeless, rather than prevention strategies. A recent survey found that the majority of youth experience homelessness for the first time after being kicked out of their family home, running away, or leaving an unsafe living situation. Some states have shifted their focus to prevention efforts for children who are at-risk of homelessness, through family interventions, guaranteed income pilot programs, and campus housing protections. Schools are also a key place for interventions, as they have reported increasingly more homeless students since the COVID-19 pandemic, and can identify specific needs for each child. Students recommend offering mentorship opportunities to develop strong relationships with adults, as well as creating youth-specific housing options, providing direct cash assistance, and offering conflict resolution support for families. 

The Washington Post: Meet the ‘Grannies’ and Other Retirees Who Adopted an Elementary School
Last year, Fields Road Elementary School and a retirement community in Gaithersburg, Maryland, formed a partnership, where a dozen seniors volunteer at the elementary school each week. The opportunity was started by a senior living community resident who wanted to be involved in the neighborhood. The volunteers are matched with students one-on-one or in small groups based on their interests and area of expertise. The majority of residents support third-grade students in reading, an age that is crucial for further skill development. Students, teachers, and volunteers have all reported benefits of the program. Students are happy to have “people help” when they have difficulty with reading comprehension, and volunteers enjoy being able to “contribute something to the community.” One first-grade teacher shared that she now has extra time to tailor lesson plans to support her students’ needs with the volunteers’ support, and that “it’s nice because the kids don’t get just extra hands, but extra perspective.”