On a list of 29 industrialized nations, UNICEF ranks the United States No. 26 in child well-being, so there is definitely room for improvement in the area, according to a recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation blog post.
The authors of the post — RWJF Senior Program Officer Martha Davis and Senior Policy Officer Giridhar Mallya, MD — argue the best way to give kids a healthy start in 2016 is to support parents and families.
"Looking back on our years of experience working with children and families, as a social worker and educator and as a public health physician, we've learned that kids thrive when their caregivers thrive. And they can fall behind when their parents are stretched thin," wrote Ms. Davis and Dr. Mallya.
Highlighted below are three ways communities can help support families trying to give their kids a healthy start, as outlined in the blog post.
1. Prioritize making high-quality childcare and preschool affordable. "It pays to invest in early childhood education because early learning leads to success in elementary school. And success in elementary school predicts whether children will go on to get a high school diploma," wrote the authors. Supporting early childhood education also helps expand access to health screenings for children.
2. Transform local schools into community hubs to support wellness. Students can perform better in school when their families are financially secure. By turning schools into community hubs where parents can get help finding a job, enroll in health insurance plans, schedule physician appointments and more, those parents can then better focus on their children's needs.
3. Encourage healthcare organizations to emphasize well-being as much as health. If healthcare providers focus on more than just physical health, including mental and behavioral health, they can help parents "balance the dizzying demands of parenthood in the 21st century," wrote the authors. "As healthcare continues to evolve, we need to make sure payers and providers find ways to address the physical, mental and social needs of families."
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