By Marianne Dhenin for Yes! Magazine.Broadcast version by Shanteya Hudson for Georgia News Connection reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service Collaboration When then-Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced in April 2021 that a new law enforcement training complex would be built in the Weelaunee Forest, or South River Forest, in Dekalb County, near Atlanta, Georgia, a diverse coalition of organizers, activists, and other community members formed to oppose the project under the “Stop Cop City” banner. .
April is Autism Acceptance Month and as rates grow, support organizations in South Dakota hope more children on the spectrum get the tools they need to succeed in school. Researchers with the Annie E Casey Foundation say nearly 9% of South Dakota students receive special education services due to an autism diagnosis, which is four percentage points higher than a decade ago. Carla Miller, executive director of South Dakota Parent Connection, which works with families of children with disabilities, encouraged parents of children with autism to be proactive with school officials and follow up as needed. .
This month is National Disability Awareness Month, and in Ohio, parents who ve adopted kids with special needs say living with a disability isn t always a barrier to independence and thriving. Aaryn McGregor, a nurse in Richland County, said her husband adopted 15-year-old Samantha from foster care nearly four years ago. Samantha was born without some of her organs and was placed in foster care as a toddler because of medical neglect. .
Medical researchers are out with new findings, which underscore how some communities saw more devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new study focuses on pediatric trauma cases, and a Minnesota doctor said it mirrors what he is seeing. The data, posted by the American College of Surgeons, showed childhood trauma rates increased during the pandemic and were disproportionately higher for kids in disadvantaged areas. .
Ohio parents say they re concerned about the childcare crisis, mental health and gun violence, among other issues that have prompted some to join a new initiative to help them build advocacy skills. Ugochi Akoi is a member of the Parent Advisory Board, formed by the Children s Defense Fund - Ohio and the Central Ohio Parent Leadership Training Institute. Akoi said she s had many conversations with moms who ve had to leave jobs due to lack of affordable childcare, and said the state needs better to policies in place to support families. .