National News
SNAP cuts could lead to kids losing free school breakfast and lunch
Since 5.6 million people lost SNAP nationally, schools with mixed income levels risk losing federal funding formulas tied to enrollment, even in universal meal states.
Poverty
National News
More rural hospital closures would mean long drives for pregnant women seeking obstetric care
KFF researchers say Trump's tax law could push more thin-margin rural hospitals to close obstetric units, with Ohio currently among states with the shortest drive times.
Local
Jon Husted voted to cut food aid for hungry families. Ohio now has 50,000 fewer children on SNAP
More than 107,000 fewer Ohioans receive food assistance, including 50,477 fewer children, as new restrictions Husted backed take effect.
Local
Ohio bill would create a limit on reimbursement rates for foster care placements
Officials say providers charge counties unlimited daily rates for hard-to-place children, with one Scioto County case nearing $1 million a year.
National News
Despite record low in veteran homelessness, half the states saw increases
Oregon saw the biggest jump at 16% and Mississippi rose 88%, while California cut its homeless veteran population by 624 to lead national declines.
Local
Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans have lost Medicaid coverage, and that could double
‘Healthcare should be a right, not a privilege,’ says Ohio state Rep. Anita Somani.
Local
Head Start changes could eliminate important child health and safety standards in Ohio, nationally
The rule would let Ohio set its own teacher-to-child ratios, potentially raising classroom sizes from 1-to-4 infants to as many as 1-to-14 preschoolers.
National News
Trump administration threatens to gut Head Start rules
Advocates warn losing disability screening and staffing standards could weaken outcomes for the roughly 70,000 California children Head Start currently serves.
National News
States sue Trump administration over plan to share antipoverty program data
24 states and D.C. sue to block an Aug. 11 rule forcing them to hand over TANF recipients' Social Security numbers and immigration status.
Local
More than 1 million Ohioans aren’t getting essential safety-net benefits, analysis shows
Just 1 in 5 eligible Ohio households got energy assistance in 2023, and federal SNAP cuts of $186 billion could push participation even lower.
Local
Ohio will soon get new Medicaid work requirements. Here’s what we know and don’t know
The One Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law last year, will require many Ohio residents with Medicaid to prove that they work or volunteer. But advocates still have a lot of questions about how it will work.
Local
As federal teen pregnancy prevention grants get cut, efforts in Ohio try to keep helping
HHS canceled 53 of 67 grants worth $68 million as Democracy Forward sues, while Ohio nonprofits and DeWine's faith-based office weigh how to fill the gap.
