As summer comes to a close, educators and health experts in New Jersey are encouraging parents to have their students undergo annual health screenings.

In addition to health checks and sports physicals, vision and hearing tests should also be performed during annual checkups, as undiagnosed problems in these areas can significantly affect a child’s ability to learn.

Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer and executive vice president of UnitedHealthcare Employer and Individual, said with more than a million children in New Jersey preparing to return to school, health experts are considering more than just physical well-being.

“When you send your child to your pediatrician or primary care physician for a check-up, they’re not just looking at physical health,” Randall explains. “They’re also assessing emotional and behavioral health needs and setting your child up for success for the rest of the school year.”

The check-ups also allow students to ensure that they comply with state vaccination requirements.

Like other states, New Jersey has seen a rise in chronic absenteeism in the wake of COVID. The state saw a chronic absenteeism rate of 17% last year, which is well below the national average but higher than the state’s 11% rate in 2019.

Studies show there is a link between sleep habits and absenteeism, so Randall recommends parents encourage good habits during the transition back to school.

“Set a good sleep schedule,” Randall advises. “When is lights out? So you reduce light exposure from screen time and get a good night’s sleep. All of these things around consistency will help your child feel more confident, secure and stable, and will also promote their health.”

She also encouraged parents to prioritize regular family dinners.

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Results from a Save the Children Action Network poll show that voters of all backgrounds are struggling with the cost of living and want the government to do more to meet these needs.

Iowa mirrored the national numbers, with the poll showing that large, bipartisan majorities of voters want help paying for food and grocery stores, as well as child care costs.

Tiffany Welch, volunteer director of the Iowa aid organization Save the Children, said the problems are particularly severe in rural areas of the state, and overall, Iowa’s food banks and assistance programs are seeing record numbers of people in need.

“That means that right now, one in six children in Iowa are food insecure, or over 110,000 children,” Welch said. “We’re getting ready for back-to-school, but food insecurity is especially problematic during the summer.”

Governor Kim Reynolds has opted not to participate in a state food subsidy program for children this summer, instead using local food distribution sites. Child advocates have started a petition to encourage the state to participate in the SUN Bucks program next summer.

Christy Gleason, executive director of the Save the Children Action Network, said the group is urging lawmakers to expand SNAP benefits and other measures that affect children in the farm bill. She noted that the poll showed that voters are making decisions based on those issues, even at a time of intense polarization.

“Americans from across the political spectrum, from all walks of life, and from all communities want lawmakers to prioritize policies that help families afford quality child care and nutritious food,” Gleason said.

The latest farm bill, which has already been extended for a year, remains stuck in Congress.

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It’s time for families to prepare their children for the school year. Wyoming experts say sleep and social media hygiene are particularly important.

Child health experts said regular physical exams, comprehensive eye exams and dental appointments can help keep children healthy throughout the school year and prevent them from missing classes because of unexpected appointments.

Dr. Michael Sanderson, a pediatrician and president of the Wyoming Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said one of the more difficult tasks is getting children back on a regular sleep schedule during the school year.

“Parents tend to neglect their children’s sleep habits and their screen time limits during the summer,” Sanderson noted. “Five or six hours or more a day, which is definitely not their usual routine while school is in session.”

Sanderson added that children who spend their screen time on social media are likely feeling the stress of larger issues. He pointed out that with a major election looming, children of certain age groups are “very in tune” with politics that are becoming more extreme. He reminded parents to monitor their children’s social media use and to be mindful of what kind of materials children are seeing.

After a 2023 Wyoming House of Representatives bill to provide grants to help public schools from preschool through high school provide mental health services failed in committee, attention to children’s mental health at home remains critical.

Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer and executive vice president of UnitedHealthcare Employer and Individual, said there are other ways to establish good routines, including scheduled family meals when possible.

“You know, I know you can’t do this every night,” Randall acknowledged. “Everyone is busy and running in different directions sometimes, but doing this as often as possible really creates a routine that is predictable and healthy for the child.”

The home routines Randall added can also help children feel more confident and stable at school.

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A new initiative will provide foster families with free access to Idaho’s state parks.

The Idaho State Park Foster Family Passport program provides families with annual passes to the state’s 30 parks. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare and the Department of Parks and Recreation partner on the program, which is funded by Regence BlueShield of Idaho and Idaho Business for the Outdoors.

Laura Denner, division director of family and community partnerships at the Idaho Department of Health and Human Services, explained the motivation behind the program.

“We know that families and children are better off when they get some extra activity, and Idahoans love the outdoors,” Denner said. “We thought this would be a great opportunity to help these families get out and experience the Idaho wilderness together.”

Denner noted that there are about 1,400 foster children in Idaho but only about 1,100 foster families, about half the number the state needs. Denner hopes additional services like the passport program will help attract more families to foster care.

Denner said that in addition to the passes, the Parks and Recreation Department also offers courses across the state so foster children and their families can learn outdoor skills.

“It could be cooking over a campfire, building a campfire, setting up a tent and camping,” Denner explained. “It could be things like paddleboarding.”

Denner added that the state is also looking at other ways to retain and attract foster families. Starting in October, state employees who become foster parents will be entitled to eight weeks of parental leave when they take in a child.

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