A study co-written by a UW Law professor about child health during hard economic times has attracted attention on cable - and in Congress.

Professor Kathleen Noonan is a senior co-author of the study, which found that the recent recession has had a dramatic impact on a variety of child health measures.

The study, commissioned by First Focus and written by the Policy Lab at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, found that even short-term poverty can have lifelong health implications for children - an especially troubling finding given the rise in child poverty that accompanied the recent recession. The study also that a growing number of families are struggling to pay for food and housing.

Researchers observed a growing number of children covered by public Child Health Insurance Programs. Professor Noonan said those programs have provided one critical "safety net," but that many programs intended to help families with other needs tend are only temporary and often fall short.

Professor Noonan was a featured speaker when the study's authors briefed Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) on the report.

CNN's writeup on the blog Paging Dr. Gupta is available here. The Milwaukee News Buzz story is here. Additional details are available in a news release from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The full report is available here.

Submitted by UW Law School News on November 19, 2010

This article appears in the categories: In the Media