Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Children and youth
A Comparative Analysis of Job Satisfaction and Intent to Leave Among Rural and Urban Caseworkers in Pennsylvania's Child Welfare Agencies
Findings from a survey of Pennsylvania child welfare caseworkers, identifying factors influencing job satisfaction, performance, and intent to leave. Recommends changes at the agency level and state-level policy changes related to child welfare caseworker workload, salaries, and funding. Features statistics including staff turnover from 2019-2023 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and reported cases of child abuse in 2023 with breakdowns by county.
Additional links: Legislative Brief
Author(s): Yoon Mi Kim, George Kovarie, Soohyoung Rain Lee
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Findings from a survey of Pennsylvania child welfare caseworkers, identifying factors influencing job satisfaction, performance, and intent to leave. Recommends changes at the agency level and state-level policy changes related to child welfare caseworker workload, salaries, and funding. Features statistics including staff turnover from 2019-2023 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and reported cases of child abuse in 2023 with breakdowns by county.
Additional links: Legislative Brief
Author(s): Yoon Mi Kim, George Kovarie, Soohyoung Rain Lee
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, June 2026
Semi-annual report to Congress from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Covers recommendations related to community engagement (CE) requirements in Medicaid, automation in prior authorization, Medicaid managed care accountability, appropriate access to residential treatment services for Medicaid-enrolled youth, transitions to adult Medicaid coverage for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), and provider enrollment and credentialing in Medicaid. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Semi-annual report to Congress from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Covers recommendations related to community engagement (CE) requirements in Medicaid, automation in prior authorization, Medicaid managed care accountability, appropriate access to residential treatment services for Medicaid-enrolled youth, transitions to adult Medicaid coverage for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN), the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), and provider enrollment and credentialing in Medicaid. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2024 Data: Children
Fact sheet containing information on fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes involving children 14 years of age and younger. Includes statistics on child traffic fatality rates per 100,000 child population and fatality rates by age group from 2015-2024, passenger vehicle occupants by survival status, age group, and restraint use in 2024, driver's blood alcohol level in fatal crashes, and percentages of child pedestrian and child pedalcyclist fatalities with breakdowns by urban and rural location. Features tables with child fatalities by state and age group in 2023.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Fact sheet containing information on fatal and non-fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes involving children 14 years of age and younger. Includes statistics on child traffic fatality rates per 100,000 child population and fatality rates by age group from 2015-2024, passenger vehicle occupants by survival status, age group, and restraint use in 2024, driver's blood alcohol level in fatal crashes, and percentages of child pedestrian and child pedalcyclist fatalities with breakdowns by urban and rural location. Features tables with child fatalities by state and age group in 2023.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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2026 Kids Count Data Book: State Trends in Child Well-Being
Reports on the trends in overall child wellness, economic well-being, education, health, and family and community support for children nationwide. Includes state-by-state comparisons for each category.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
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Reports on the trends in overall child wellness, economic well-being, education, health, and family and community support for children nationwide. Includes state-by-state comparisons for each category.
Date: 06/2026
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
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The 2025 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress
Presents a point-in-time estimate of the number of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in January 2025. Explores national estimates on homeless individuals, families, unaccompanied youth, veterans, and chronically homeless individuals. Provides data on homelessness trends over time, demographics of homeless individuals, sheltered individuals, and differences by geography.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Presents a point-in-time estimate of the number of people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in January 2025. Explores national estimates on homeless individuals, families, unaccompanied youth, veterans, and chronically homeless individuals. Provides data on homelessness trends over time, demographics of homeless individuals, sheltered individuals, and differences by geography.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Victimization At and Away From School Among Students Ages 12 to 18, 2013-2023 - Statistical Tables
Describes theft and nonfatal violent victimization rates among students aged between 12 and 18 both at and away from school between 2013 and 2023. Compares rural, suburban, and urban data in Table 1 and Appendix Tables 7 and 9.
Author(s): Erin Tinney
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Justice
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Describes theft and nonfatal violent victimization rates among students aged between 12 and 18 both at and away from school between 2013 and 2023. Compares rural, suburban, and urban data in Table 1 and Appendix Tables 7 and 9.
Author(s): Erin Tinney
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Justice
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Access to and Provision of Child and Youth Behavioral Health Services in the Rural and Urban U.S.
Compiles findings from 9 reports on youth behavioral health in the rural U.S. Describes prevalence of behavioral health conditions, the youth behavioral health workforce, behavioral health licensure and reimbursement policy, and provision of youth behavioral health services. Features statistics with breakdowns by 7 levels of population density.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Lisa A. Garberson, Sara C. Woolcock, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Compiles findings from 9 reports on youth behavioral health in the rural U.S. Describes prevalence of behavioral health conditions, the youth behavioral health workforce, behavioral health licensure and reimbursement policy, and provision of youth behavioral health services. Features statistics with breakdowns by 7 levels of population density.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Lisa A. Garberson, Sara C. Woolcock, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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A Look at New or Expanded Medicaid and Public Health Partnerships from 2025: Findings from A Survey of State Medicaid Programs
Identifies themes from a survey of state Medicaid directors regarding new or expanded public health initiatives that were implemented in fiscal year (FY) 2025 or planned for FY 2026. Summarizes initiatives related to maternal and child health, child and youth mental health, opioid use disorder (OUD), lead screening, infectious disease, and workforce. Describes rural-related initiatives and examples throughout.
Author(s): Alisha Rao, Anna Mudumala, Elizabeth Hinton, Cory Caldwell
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Identifies themes from a survey of state Medicaid directors regarding new or expanded public health initiatives that were implemented in fiscal year (FY) 2025 or planned for FY 2026. Summarizes initiatives related to maternal and child health, child and youth mental health, opioid use disorder (OUD), lead screening, infectious disease, and workforce. Describes rural-related initiatives and examples throughout.
Author(s): Alisha Rao, Anna Mudumala, Elizabeth Hinton, Cory Caldwell
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Economic Stability of Children, a Key Social Determinant of Health, in the United States: Differences by Rurality
Presents a study exploring economic security as a social determinant of health for rural children. Compares rates of economic security for rural and urban children by three different measures: housing instability, food insecurity, and income inadequacy.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Emma Boswell, Cassie Odahowski, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70164
Date: 05/2026
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Presents a study exploring economic security as a social determinant of health for rural children. Compares rates of economic security for rural and urban children by three different measures: housing instability, food insecurity, and income inadequacy.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Emma Boswell, Cassie Odahowski, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70164
Date: 05/2026
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Challenges Associated With Rural-Urban Stratification for Generalizing Birth Outcomes: Insights From the ECHO Cohort
Analyzes the validity of preterm birth (PTB) prevalence and generalizability related to rural versus urban stratification within the Environmental influences on Child health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort. Examines PTB prevalence during the 2017-2019 and 2020-2022 ECHO cohorts as compared to county-level PTB prevalence from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), further broken down by rural versus urban location and demographic variables. Discusses similarities and differences in PTB prevalence proportions using ECHO versus NCHS and the importance of further context when defining rural places.
Author(s): Daniel Beene, Debra A. MacKenzie, Carlos A. Camargo Jr., et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70163
Date: 05/2026
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Analyzes the validity of preterm birth (PTB) prevalence and generalizability related to rural versus urban stratification within the Environmental influences on Child health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort. Examines PTB prevalence during the 2017-2019 and 2020-2022 ECHO cohorts as compared to county-level PTB prevalence from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), further broken down by rural versus urban location and demographic variables. Discusses similarities and differences in PTB prevalence proportions using ECHO versus NCHS and the importance of further context when defining rural places.
Author(s): Daniel Beene, Debra A. MacKenzie, Carlos A. Camargo Jr., et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(2), e70163
Date: 05/2026
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