Family

National

A Colorado single mom was already struggling — then she was hit by lightning

7:54am October 20, 2023

In 2014, Donna Salemink was solo parenting her two teenagers and often struggled to make ends meet. She came to StoryCorps with her daughter Melissa to remember the moment that changed their lives.

Queue Listen Now

Salamanca, joined by her grandkids at the end of science class, wait their turn to look through a microscope.

How Bogotá cares for its family caregivers: From dance classes to job training

12:37pm October 16, 2023

by Rhitu Chatterjee

More than a million women in Bogotá, Colombia, do unpaid family caregiver work full-time. The country has launched a groundbreaking program called "Care Blocks" to ease their burden.

Grammy award winner Lila Downs is known to sing about love, loss and her tricultural identity. But her latest album, La Sánchez, is her most personal yet.

After her partner's death, Lila Downs records 'La Sánchez,' her most personal album

5:01am October 15, 2023

by Betto Arcos

Downs and saxophonist Paul Cohen had been together for almost 30 years. She says her latest album is therapy for the soul.

Kimberley Seals Allers, was inspired to start Irth because of stories she her from many mothers as well as her own experience of bias in the health care system during the delivery of her first child.

Health & Safety

'Irth' hospital review app aims to take the bias out of giving birth

7:14pm October 13, 2023

by Andrea Muraskin

Founded by a Black mom, the app gathers reviews by and for people of color about their experience with the health care system during pregnancy and delivery.

Students help instructional coach Regina Green caramelize onions for a dish featuring fresh greens from the school garden at Watkins Elementary.

Can cooking and gardening at school inspire better nutrition? Ask these kids

5:06am October 09, 2023

by Allison Aubrey

With diet-related disease on the rise in the U.S., some schools are adding nutrition to the curriculum. Teaching kids to grow and cook fresh produce can influence life-long eating habits.

Lots of factors influence what we eat, everything from taste preferences, to budgets and culture. New research suggests genetics may also play a role.

Vegetarianism may be in the genes, study finds

9:01am October 05, 2023

by Allison Aubrey

Researchers have identified genes linked to vegetarianism. This may help explain why some people who are motivated to give up meat for ethical, environmental or health reasons, don't always adhere.

Queue Listen Now

Student loans for parents can be a debt trap. But there's a loophole

5:00am October 04, 2023

by Cory Turner

Until July 2025, parent PLUS borrowers can paperwork their way into a kinder, gentler repayment plan.

A stoplight is seen in front of the dome of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. The government has begun to inform workers of an impending shutdown that could see millions of federal employees and military personnel sent home or working without pay.

D.C. has a lot of federal workers. A government shutdown would have big impacts

7:00am September 30, 2023

by Margaret Barthel

The Washington, D.C., region is home to about 400,000 federal employees, plus members of the military and government contractors. In a government shutdown, they face no pay and lots of uncertainty.

Funding for infant nutrition program at risk

4:41pm September 29, 2023

by Allison Aubrey

Funding for the WIC program, which serves pregnant mothers and young children, is caught in political crosshairs, as the government shutdown and ongoing budget negotiations threaten full funding.

Child care funding cliff is turning back the clock on gains for workers

6:28pm September 28, 2023

by Andrea Hsu

September 30 marks the end of federal emergency funding for child care facilities. After several years of stability, day care centers now face difficult choices about how to operate with less.

Queue Listen Now