Rural Health & Human Services News by Topic: Children and youth - Rural Health Information Hub

CMS: Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Generic Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is seeking comments on the following information collections: 1) CHIPRA Connecting Kids to Coverage Outreach and Enrollment; and 2) Behavioral Health Clinic Quality Data Reporting. Comments are due June 3, 2026.

ACF: Restoring Flexibility To Support Head Start Program Access

Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) proposing to remove requirements from the Head Start Program Performance Standards to restore local flexibility to Head Start programs and improve access to quality services. Specifically, this NPRM proposes to remove requirements related to wages and benefits that the Administration believes are not in line with the plain language of the Head Start Act. Comments are due by June 11, 2026.

Rural–Urban Divide: Neighborhood Conditions Shape Teen Smoking

Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 -0500

A University of Michigan study reports that the link between neighborhood disadvantage and cigarette use appears only in rural areas. Researchers said the pattern suggests weaker tobacco control policies and more permissive smoking norms in rural communities.

Dolly Parton Children's Hospital Plans to Help More Kids in Rural Areas

Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The Dolly Parton Children's Hospital, formerly known as East Tennessee Children's Hospital, is expanding pediatric care, particularly in rural communities. The hospital serves about 20 counties in the region, and its new pediatric residency program will begin in summer 2027.

Advancing Surgical Care in Underserved and Rural Communities

Wed, 06 May 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The American College of Surgeons has created or participated in programs and courses to help surgical teams eliminate disparities in care for underserved and rural communities. These include the Rural Trauma Team Development Course, the Prehospital Blood Transfusion Coalition, and the Emergency Medical Services for Children program.

FDA: Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; National Youth Tobacco Survey

Mon, 04 May 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is seeking comments on a proposed information collection project titled "National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) 2027-2029." Information collected through the NYTS is used to identify trends in youth tobacco use over time, and to inform the development of public education campaigns, policies and rules, and compliance and enforcement programs for tobacco products. Comments are due by July 6, 2026.

FNS: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): 2026/2027 Income Eligibility Guidelines

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announcing the adjusted income eligibility guidelines for States to use to determine the income eligibility of applicants to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). These guidelines are applicable July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

How Gunnison Valley Leaders Are Battling High Rural Suicide Rates

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes rural disparities in suicide rates and work one rural Utah community is doing to connect residents and students in crisis with mental health care and resources.

FNS: Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children Program; 2026 Benefit Levels

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announcing the adjusted levels of monthly benefits in the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (Summer EBT) Program. These benefit levels are applicable January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.

Rural Alaska Students Can Now Apply for Weekly Summer Meal Boxes

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes the role a summer meal program plays in ensuring food access for rural Alaskan children in communities with no dedicated food banks. Notes that applications for eligible children is now open.

ACF: Tribal Consultation Meeting

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Notice from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announcing a Tribal Consultation session between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ACF Office of Head Start (OHS) and the leadership of tribal governments operating Head Start and Early Head Start programs. The purpose of this consultation session is to discuss ways to better meet the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) children and their families, taking into consideration funding allocations, distribution formulas, and other issues affecting the delivery of Head Start services in their geographic locations. The meeting will be held on June 18, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Pacific in Costa Mesa, California.

$2.1M Initiative Expands Early Learning Opportunities for Young Children in Rural Utah

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services is investing $2.1 million in a one-year project to support preschool through early elementary school in rural Utah communities. The initiative emphasizes improving preschool classrooms, expanding summer STEM camps, and encouraging family engagement to address student attendance.

FNS: Child Nutrition Programs: Income Eligibility Guidelines

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announcing the adjusted income eligibility guidelines for free and reduced-price meals and free milk through the National School Lunch Program (and Commodity School Program), School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program for Children, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Summer Food Service Program, and Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) for Children Program. These guidelines are applicable from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

These Kansas Elementary Students Dissect Frogs — And It Could Help Fight a Doctor Shortage

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Describes a spring break camp for Kansas elementary students aiming to reduce rural healthcare workforce shortages by introducing rural students to healthcare careers.

Youth Drug Use Is Down, but Overdoses Have Risen. One Town's Schools Have a Possible Solution

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Profiles a recovery high school in rural Maine in response to substance use among youth. The high school will have a boarding component to better reach the dispersed rural population. Discusses the lack of youth addiction services in the area, maintaining educational achievement while using substances, stigma, and funding.

CDC: Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; National Survey of Children's Health

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0500

Notice from the U.S. Census Bureau allowing an additional 30 days for comments on the December 5, 2025, notice regarding revisions to the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). NSCH is designed to collect data on the physical and emotional health of children age 18 and younger, including information related to access to healthcare, family interactions, and school and afterschool experiences, among other things. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice.