The risk of real-life harm is prompting states to find ways to mitigate the impact social media can have on kids, from California’s Age Appropriate Design Code Act—which seeks to help protect children’s data online—to...

As the federal school meal program gets back on track after the pandemic, states and the federal government are proposing significant new policies that will shape the program’s future.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, paid leave emerged as a critical policy issue in state legislatures all over the country. Now, with the pandemic retreating in the rearview mirror, the paid leave landscape is changing, but the issue remains just as...

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act, or ICWA, in a case addressing sovereignty in adoption proceedings involving Native American children.

With jails and prisons often housing more people with behavioral health needs than state-run psychiatric facilities, lawmakers and other stakeholders across the country are exploring ways to connect those who need treatment with community-based...

Ahead of their 2023 legislative sessions, lawmakers expect to address the need for affordable housing, a strong child care workforce and adoption regulations.