Rural Health
News by Topic: Families

Child Care Workers Caught in Middle of Michigan's Broken Child Care System

May 8, 2024 - Provides overview of childcare shortages across Michigan and highlights the experiences of rural child care providers. Notes that the most severe shortages are concentrated in rural northern Michigan. Examines challenges related to the current public subsidy system and ongoing workforce shortages.

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FNS: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages Federal Register

Apr 18, 2024 - Notice of final rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) revising regulations governing the WIC food packages. The revisions align the WIC food package regulations with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and reflect recommendations made by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) in its 2017 report, "Review of WIC Food Packages: Improving Balance and Choice" while promoting nutrition security and equity. Among other things, this rule intends to provide WIC participants with a wider variety of foods that align with the latest nutritional science; provide WIC State agencies with greater flexibility to prescribe and tailor food packages that accommodate participants' special dietary needs and personal and cultural food preferences; provide foods in amounts that are more consistent with the supplemental nature of the Program; and strengthen support for individual breastfeeding goals to help establish successful long-term breastfeeding. This rule is effective June 17, 2024.

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ACF: Request for Information: Office of Head Start Tribal Programs Federal Register

Mar 18, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is seeking comments on rules, regulations, and available training and technical assistance (TTA) supports impacting the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) Head Start community. ACF seeks input on the following topics to improve the quality of Head Start services in areas of great need: eligibility; program options; quality environments; child health and safety; tribal language preservation, maintenance, revitalization, and restoration; family and community engagement; workforce; training and technical assistance; partnerships with state systems; facilities; fiscal operations; early childhood systems; and more. Comments are due by September 16, 2024.

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