Blog by Miao Gong, Intern at Children’s HealthWatch
I’m 7 years old, walking hand-in-hand with my grandpa going to buy groceries for the week. It’s a hot summer day in Chicago and I know it’s going to rain later because the humidity was making grandpa’s joints ache and my stray hairs fly up. We walk into the store, which is tucked into the […]
The Fire This Time
An accompaniment to our statement of solidarity. By Cerlyn Cantave, Engagement, Equity & Inclusion Associate of Children’s HealthWatch Written in 1963 at the height of segregation and the Civil Rights Movement, James Baldwin’s seminal work, The Fire Next Time, delves into both the mistreatment of Black men (with a call to channel their anger into activism), […]
It’s Time To Prioritize The Health And Well-Being Of Black Families And Children
Dear Friends, Partners and Supporters, As health professionals, we condemn, in the strongest possible language, structural racism in all its forms. We all are witnessing the consequences of unchecked, normalized, and institutionalized racism and discrimination in our country. Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Nina Pop, and George Floyd are names in an endless list […]
A Message From Children’s HealthWatch on COVID-19 and Our Upcoming Events
During this time of national crisis, Children’s HealthWatch remains committed to ensuring all families have the resources they need to thrive. We recognize that the dramatic changes due public health concerns about the rapid transmission of COVID-19 and impending economic downturn will have a disproportionate impact on families of young children, families with low incomes, […]
Health Starts at Home
As the Care Coordinator for Housing Prescriptions as Health Care, I see firsthand the resilience of families and the importance of housing stability on a daily basis. A partnership between Children’s HealthWatch, Project Hope, MLPB (formerly Medical-Legal Partnership Boston), the Boston Housing Authority, and Nuestra Comunidad, Housing Prescriptions offers support and resources with housing matters, […]
Healthy children and families require strong roots to grow
A home where children are able to grow, learn, and play is at the root of health for young children. Like a tree seedling, a child’s health needs a stable location, supportive environment, and access to vital resources to thrive. This means having a stable home in a neighborhood connected to opportunity where parents can […]
Home Is Where Health Is: A Stable, Affordable Home Is a Prescription for Good Health
As Children’s HealthWatch regularly demonstrates to policymakers, opinion leaders, and the public: a stable, affordable home is a prescription for good health. Unfortunately, that prescription is out of reach for tens of millions of people. At the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), we work to ensure that the lowest income people in the United […]
Household food insecurity is associated with increased hospitalizations and health care expenditures among infants
In recent years, household food insecurity (HFI) has been shown to predict increased health care utilization (including hospitalizations) and costs among Canadian working-age adults.[i] Additionally, a 2018 study has shown food insecure US adults had significantly greater estimated mean annualized health care expenditures ($6,072 vs. $4,208), an extra $1,863 in health care expenditure per year, […]
The Hidden Health Crisis of Eviction
Originally posted at BU.edu/SPH. Housing is a prescription for good health. Yet, as housing prices rise while wages remain stagnant, we know that millions of families and individuals are unable to afford a stable home. Across the country, public health initiatives to address homelessness through affordable housing combined with supportive services are being implemented. These […]