Children's HealthWatch

Children’s HealthWatch strongly opposes the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's repeated attempt to deny housing assistance to families with mixed immigration status. Read our full statement: childrenshealthwatch.org/statement-on...

Fact Over Fiction: Medicaid, Immigration, and Health Care Access False claims about Medicaid eligibility for immigrants have been used to justify policy changes proposed in the OBBBA. Here are the facts.

False claims about Medicaid eligibility for immigrants have been used to justify policy changes. Here are the facts in a new article for @busph.bsky.social Public Health Post by Kevin Nguyen, PhD and our Executive Director Stephanie Ettinger de Cuba, PhD, MPH.

Who Can Afford Child Care? A National and State Analysis of Affordability for Working Parents

A new brief by diversitydatakids.org finds that full-time work does not equal child care affordability. 68% of parents working full time, year round face unaffordable center-based child care, and 63% face unaffordable home-based care. Read the full brief:

As Congress’s deadline approaches to fund DHS, growing numbers of children and families continue to suffer in immigrant family detention. Read this statement from the Children Thrive Action Network (CTAN) on the situation and what Congress should do next: childrenthriveaction.org/2026/02/chil...

Our Executive Director @stephanieedc.bsky.social speaks to @busph.bsky.social Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Yvette Cozier about inequitable policy and its effects on child and family health.

Judge block ICE, DHS from using taxpayer data for immigration enforcement A federal judge in Massachusetts has ordered federal immigration authorities to stop using taxpayer information for immigration enforcement purposes.

We celebrate Greater Boston Legal Services’ win for immigrant taxpayers from a federal court in Massachusetts that just blocked ICE from being able to use taxpayer data, including the records it got last summer—an important victory for millions of families this tax season.

A new commentary co-authored by our Executive Director @stephanieedc.bsky.social makes the case SNAP isn’t just nutrition assistance—it’s a critical public health intervention that reduces food insecurity, improves health outcomes, and supports economic well-being.

Our Minneapolis Principal Investigator and Hennepin Healthcare pediatrician Michael Arenson, MD, talked about the effects of food insecurity on young children and their families with @wcconews.bsky.social's @jasonderusha.com during the End Hunger Together Radiothon to benefit @2harvest.bsky.social.

YouTube video by Strategies for Children Información sobre el Crédito por Ingreso del Trabajo (HFTCC) y el Consejo Asesor Familiar (EEC)

A Spanish version of the presentation by our friends at Greater Boston Legal Services is here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQoy...

YouTube video by Strategies for Children Charlotte Bruce and Carley Ruemmele, Healthy Families Tax Credits Coalition

Tax season is here! Many MA families could be eligible for cash that could help cover rent, groceries, and other essentials—even if they had low or no income in 2025. Watch our presentation with @sfc-ma.bsky.social on tax credits and FindYourFunds in English here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iM5...

...though caution that it would best paired with the Hunger Vital Sign to capture a wider net of those in need of food assistance. Read the article here: childrenshealthwatch.org/development-...

They found the screen was both highly accurate and valid, and recommend it for use by states and clinics that must adopt more stringent food security screening protocols...

New article in Health Affairs Scholar by our Research Scientist Ana Poblacion, PhD; Dir. of System Implementation Strategies Richard Sheward, MPP; and Executive Dir. @stephanieedc.bsky.social, PhD, MPH, explains the development and validation of a 1-item screener for very low food security.

Tax season has officially begun! Before filing your taxes this year, make sure you check www.findyourfunds.org for resources on available tax credits and ways to file your taxes for free, even if you don’t have a tax filing obligation. #TaxSeasonKickoffWeek

findyourfunds.org

MA RESIDENTS: Get help filing your taxes on www.findyourfunds.org! With resources on available tax credits, filing online for free, and getting in person help through VITA, #FindYourFunds is a comprehensive guide for Massachusetts tax filers.

Join the MIRA Coalition for their upcoming 'Know Your Rights' training for Early Childhood Providers.

Registration
📆 Wednesday, February 4th @ 9:30am-11:0am EST ➡️ us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
📆 Thursday, February 5th @ 4:30pm-6:00pm EST ➡️ us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

ICE detains 5-year-old Minnesota boy; school leader says agents used him as ‘bait’ The Columbia Heights school district says federal agents have detained four children in their district. School officials say agents used 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos as “bait” to try and draw family m...

Liam Ramos and his family are just one of many who have suffered severe trauma at the hands of ICE in recent months. This is a health crisis for young children and their families—one with consequences that will reverberate for years to come.

Today's blog:

Check out these resources on how families can save on taxes!

In oral and written testimony, Children’s HealthWatch offers strong support of H.1952/S.968, An Act promoting access to counsel and housing stability in Massachusetts. Read our testimony here: childrenshealthwatch.org/testimony-in...

In defense of our nation’s children, members of @letkidsthrive.bsky.social are calling on Congress to reject budget proposals that include additional funding for ICE to harm families, detain parents, and traumatize children. Read CTAN's full statement here: childrenthriveaction.org/2026/01/chil...

Join the Healthy Families Tax Credits Coalition for a timely briefing to kickoff tax season and learn about money available to your constituents this tax season. RSVP here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

We are alarmed by persistently high rates of food insecurity among U.S. households with children. The USDA's 2024 FI report, released Dec. 30, found that 18.4% of households with children experienced food insecurity at some point in 2024. Our statement: childrenshealthwatch.org/statement-on...

Read our full statement by AAP President Dr. Andrew Racine on today’s HHS announcement about the childhood immunization schedule: www.aap.org/en/news-room...

Nearly 200 Children’s Advocacy Organizations Oppose Proposed Rule That Will Bring Harm to Children and Immigrant Families - Children Thrive Action Network FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACTS:  Melissa Stek, Communications Consultant, melissa@mountgem.com  Tom Salyers, Director of Communications, tsalyers@clasp.org  Washington, DC, December 19, 2025—Tod...

[1] Today, children’s advocacy organizations submitted a public comment to the federal government opposing their proposed “Public Charge” rule, which would bring significant harm to children in immigrant families.
childrenthriveaction.org/2025/12/near...

In a new op-ed for @minnpost.bsky.social, Children's HealthWatch principal investigator and Hennepin Healthcare pediatrician Michael Arenson, MD, applauds Minnesota's new paid family and medical leave policy. Read more: www.minnpost.com/community-vo...

A new case study co-authored by our Director of System Implementation Strategies Richard Sheward, MPP, looks closely at a Boston Medical Center program to find a replicable framework for health systems aiming to sustain and scale food-based interventions.

There are still a few days left to provide comments on this proposed rule change, which will be harmful to many of our patients and their families. Comments close 12/19 www.regulations.gov/document/USC....
#medsky #fmsky

In our latest blog, Executive Director @stephanieedc.bsky.social explains why expanding the "public charge" rule "should alarm anyone who cares about children’s health and our nation’s future." Read the blog: childrenshealthwatch.org/expanding-th...

Earlier this year, we worked with the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) on "Changing Diapers, Changing Lives," a report demonstrating the health and economic impacts of diaper benefits. Learn more: childrenshealthwatch.org/diaperpilot/

As Medicaid cuts loom and Congress struggles to put together a viable health care plan, the well-being of children and their families hangs in the balance. Earlier this year, @stephanieedc.bsky.social talked to @triplepundit.bsky.social about those cuts—and their consequences.