| "Kids
Today"
(August) |
| Will explore
the state of kids' lives today… are they healthier than a generation
ago? What are the new challenges facing children ages 0-6? What are
the ethnic, racial, socio-economic variants in child wel-lbeing? How
are their interests represented in local, state and national politics? |
| "Early
Brain Development"
(September) |
| What does the
research say about early brain development? We'll explore politically-popular
policies like requiring day care facilities to play classical music,
as well as whether child development experts and child toy developers
are on the same page. |
| "2,
4, 6, 8 … Everybody Vaccinate!"
(October) |
| We'll explore
the current public debate over vaccination including particulars on
some of the new vaccines and parental concerns about some of the existing
ones (i.e. recall of rotashield, concerns about link between autism
and MMR). |
| “Access
is Everything”
(November) |
| Florida is a
leader in offering health care to at-risk children, but many eligible
children remain un-enrolled in government sponsored program. Why?
Is a safety net really a safety net if people won’t jump into it? |
| “Inside
the 24-hour Clock”
(December) |
| The economy is
charging along, but increasingly parents of young children find themselves
in jobs that do not compliment standard childcare arrangements. We’ll
explore the various options available to parents who have to work
non-standard hours. We’ll also examine a growing trend in two parent
families where the parents work opposite shifts in order to avoid
expensive child care – what’s the effect on marriage and family cohesion?
|
| “The
ABC’s of Quality Child Care”
(January) |
| How can a parent
tell if a facility offers quality childcare? What are the pros and
cons of the various options? How much does the average family spend,
where does it go and why is childcare cheaper in other cities? Also
– who’s teaching Johnny? How qualified are local childcare providers?
|
| “Welfare-to-Work”
(February) |
| How has welfare
reform affected children’s lives in terms of access to quality health
care and childcare? While many children remain on waiting lists for
subsidized care, parents are formed to quilt together a patchwork
of care options (family, drop-in child care where available, kids
left in cars, etc). Should families with young children be exempted
from welfare time limits and if so, what would be the economic impact
of those exemptions? |
| “Drugging
America’s Preschoolers”
(March) |
| We’ll examine
various issues related to the mental health of the 0-6 age group including
the growing reliance on mood altering drugs for youngsters. What does
the research say about it? Why has it increased so dramatically in
recent years? What are the alternatives to drugs? |
|
“The Special Child” (April) |
| Parenting is
tough enough, but the day-to-day uncertainties of raising a disabled
child are immense. What options are available to such families and
what choices must they make (i.e. spending down to poverty to get
assistance)? What does the current research say about educational
mainstreaming of disabled children and is that advice reflected in
local care options? |
| “Child
Abuse and Neglect”
(May) |
| Caseworkers continue
to be overworked and policy debate is heating up over family preservation,
funding for foster homes and even a return to orphanages. We’ll examine
all these options/controversies. |
| “Fat
Kids!” (June)
|
| We’ll explore
that changing attitudes about physical activity and how they’re reinforced
by governmental policy and socialization. |
|
“Environmental Health” (July) |
|
There
are countless invisible threats to our children’s health (i.e. lead
poisoning, poor water and air quality) and they’re reflected in
staggering rates of asthma and other diseases. How can you lessen
the danger? Tune in to find out.
|
