Here’s the new edition of The Weekly Connect. Check it out and sign up to have it delivered to your inbox!
A Girl Scouts survey found many girls ages 5–13 spend time online daily, with some reporting strong reluctance to disconnect.
New SNAP work requirements are expected to reduce benefits for millions of recipients, including families with teenagers.
Census data show income-based gaps in kindergarten readiness, while some cities are expanding preschool access to address disparities.
Research and Practice
Brookings: What Happens When Families Cannot Access Child Care Subsidies?
A new report conducted by Brookings assessed the impact of the federal freeze on Child Care and Development Fund dollars on Virginia families. This financial assistance program subsidized child care for low-income families, and was put on pause while federal officials investigated fraud allegations. 6,548 families participated in the survey, accounting for 35% of those on the waitlist. Nearly half of respondents reported that the frozen funds caused at least one adult in their household to leave a job due to child care constraints. Families who received a subsidy during the survey period fared better economically and had lower rates of food insecurity. Additionally, a high percentage of families were concerned about the impact of insufficient funds on their children’s development and access to safe child care. The results reveal the impact of child care subsidies on family outcomes and their economic impact on the community.
EdSurge News: Digital Girlhood: Study Explores Why Girls as Young as 5 Feel the Need to Be Online
The Girl Scouts of the USA commissioned a survey to better understand how Black and Hispanic girls feel about and use digital platforms. Researchers surveyed 1,000 children, ages five to thirteen. Girls of all ages reported spending time online, with sixty percent of girls ages five to seven logging online daily. To understand respondents’ attachment to their devices, they asked how the girls would feel going on vacation to a place with no internet. Forty percent reported that they would rather skip vacation than not be able to go online. Children have also observed technology’s impact on adults in their household; half of the respondents reported that adults are also distracted by their own phones. While research has not found a unique link between screen time alone and mental health effects, the survey recommends that adults work to influence how their daughters build their relationship with digital platforms.
See also: New AAP ‘Screen Time’ Recommendations Focus Less on Screens, More on Family Time
Policy
The 74: Families Brace for Tighter SNAP Work Requirements
Families with children ages 14 and 17 who work or volunteer fewer than 20 hours a week will no longer be eligible to receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Passed through H.R.1 by the Trump Administration, these changes impact any recipients who fail to meet these requirements for any three months in a three-year period. According to the Congressional Budget Office, around 2.4 million Americans will lose SNAP assistance over the next few years. Research has shown that workers participating in SNAP are most likely to have low wages and that their jobs often have irregular hours. Parents also have to juggle child care needs, which may lead to working fewer hours. Recipients who are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits are taking on second jobs and relying on community support for emergency and food assistance.
The Hechinger Report: Advocates Worry Funding Cuts and Shifts in Aid Could Put College Further out of Reach for Lower-Income Families
Due to policy shifts and funding cuts, low-income families are increasingly concerned about paying for college. Funding for the program TRIO, which supports federally funded higher education support programs including Upward Bound, has been cancelled at a few participating colleges, with proposals to cut the program entirely. The nearly $1.6 billion a year in funding for TRIO and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) was reduced by the Trump Administration due to concerns that the programs are part of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Research has shown that TRIO participants are more likely to attend and graduate from college. While low-income student enrollment is on the decline, more students have filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) compared to last year. Other funding cuts, such as changes to Medicaid and SNAP, are expected to reduce money available for higher education.
See also: College Admissions Offices Take on a New Role: Coaxing Accepted Students to Show Up
Around the Nation
AP News: Kindergarten Readiness Varies Widely By Income, New Data Shows. Cities Are Stepping in to Help
The first five years of a child’s life are the most important for their development. A survey from the U.S. Census Bureau found that while two-thirds of children are reported on track for kindergarten, there is a 20% difference in school readiness when comparing low- and high-income families. A program in San Antonio, Texas, shows the impact of expanding preschool opportunities for children from low-income families. Pre-K 4 SA offers 80% of its 2,000 preschool seats free for low-income families. The program offers a mixture of services through a whole-child approach, with a focus on social-emotional and motor skill development and outdoor play. Services are provided to parents to promote family stability, such as healthy cooking classes, job application support, and vaccination clinics. These efforts improve children’s academic skills; students who completed the program score higher than the state average on third-grade math and reading assessments.
