Children’s early years are a vital period of development. Access to health care in early childhood is especially important given the critical need for vaccinations and developmental screenings during this period. Health care coverage is closely tied to health care access. Yet, children…

PolicyLab responded to a request for comment from the Pennsylvania Bureau of WIC on the 2026 WIC State Plan of Program Operation and Administration.In their response, PolicyLab experts offered recommendations to help increase uptake rates in Pennsylvania’s WIC program and to lower…

Adolescence, marked by rapid growth and development, is a critically important life stage for health and well-being. The health and well-being youth experience during this period have a lasting impact, shaping an individual’s overall health into adulthood. Members of our …

Background: Postpartum parents of hospitalized infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have higher rates of chronic disease and pregnancy complications than parents of well newborns. NICU parents may prioritize remaining at their infants' bedsides over their own…

Background and objectives: New regulations require hospitals to screen patients for health-related social needs (HRSNs). Neighborhood indices, like the Child Opportunity Index (COI), may help identify families at risk of experiencing HRSNs and inform targeting of health system…

Many families in the Commonwealth struggle to afford the food they need to stay healthy. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) play a vital role in promoting child health and development…

At PolicyLab, we recognize that individuals impacted by substance use who are also caregivers of children need unique supports that are responsive to family context and experience.PolicyLab researchers are looking into programs and policies aimed at supporting families with a caregiver…

We examined changes in infant and neonatal mortality that occurred after extension in the minimum number of days of paid maternity leave and after the implementation of paid paternity leave in 148 cities using longitudinal city-level data (2000-2015) from Chile, Colombia, and Mexico,…

As abortion care restrictions increase, a growing population is continuing pregnancies complicated by life-limiting fetal conditions, making it more critical than ever to evaluate the state of the evidence in perinatal palliative care (PPC). Perinatal palliative care provides…

Objective: To examine the degree to which a broadband behavioral health screener administered in preadolescence in primary care (PC) could serve as an early risk indicator for depression and suicide risk in adolescence.Methods: Participants included 9329 patients who attended…