Children's Health

In Pandemic, Many Students Lose Critical Access To Meals

5:56pm September 27, 2020

by Cory Turner

Months into the pandemic, school nutrition directors say fewer and fewer children who are eligible for free or low-cost school meals are not picking them up due, in part, to transportation challenges.

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How A Chicago Dad Developed A Coronavirus Testing Program For His Son's School

7:47am September 26, 2020

Ed Campbell, a suburban Chicago dad and immunologist, adopted a COVID-19 screening program for his local school district. NPR's Scott Simon asks him about it.

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Chart showing safety practices by type of school.

New Dashboard Tracks Coronavirus Cases In Schools Across 47 States

9:09am September 23, 2020

The effort, still in its early stages, hopes to track infections and determine the effectiveness of safety measures.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines for a safe Halloween during the COVID-19 pandemic include new methods of doing classic spooky activities.

CDC's Halloween Guidelines Warn Against Typical Trick-Or-Treating

3:23pm September 22, 2020

by Laurel Wamsley

Door-to-door trick-or-treating and crowded costume parties are out, and haunted forests and outdoor movie nights are in. "If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised," the CDC says.

Vaccines for measles-rubella and cervical cancer are administered at a school in Jimbaran, Indonesia. Vaccination rates have dropped during the pandemic.

Health & Safety

How Bad Has The Pandemic Been For Childhood Vaccinations?

3:15pm September 21, 2020

The betterment of childhood vaccination rates has been a global success story. A new report on the impact of the pandemic offers reason for concern — and optimism.

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New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, shown here last month in Brooklyn, says that he and employees in his office will take furloughs to reduce costs.

New York City Delays School Reopening; Campus Lockdowns Grow

6:00am September 19, 2020

Our roundup of education stories looks at the turmoil following Mayor Bill de Blasio's latest delay announcement; and the continuing struggles on campus to control COVID outbreaks.

Stamper with her husband, Pete, and two sons at their home in Washington, D.C.

'I'm Only 1 Person': Teachers Feel Torn Between Their Students And Their Own Kids

7:33am September 17, 2020

by Anya Kamenetz

Educators around the U.S. told us they're facing heartbreaking choices between the needs of their students and the needs of their own children.

A child washes her hands at a day care center in Connecticut last month. A detailed look at COVID-19 deaths in U.S. kids and young adults by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the great majority are children of color.

The Majority Of Children Who Die From COVID-19 Are Children Of Color

11:02am September 16, 2020

According to data reported to the CDC, 121 children died from COVID-19 between February and July of this year. And 78% of the children who died were Hispanic, Black or Native American.

There are divides when it comes to who is doing well financially and who is struggling during this pandemic, a new poll finds.

Pandemic Financially Imperils Nearly Half Of American Households, Poll Finds

1:03pm September 10, 2020

by Yuki Noguchi

There are dividing lines when it comes to how families are weathering the pandemic: Those living in big cities, those making less than $100,000 a year, and Latino and Black families are faring worst.

Chart: In Chicago, 50% of households reported having serious financial problems during the pandemic, compared with 46% of households nationally.

NPR Poll: Financial Pain From Coronavirus Pandemic 'Much, Much Worse' Than Expected

5:00am September 09, 2020

by Joe Neel

In the largest U.S. cities, at least half of all households have seen a serious financial loss such as lost job, wages or savings. Many problems are concentrated in Black and Latino households.