Childcare & Early Education

Washington, Are You Listening? Invest in Education with One Simple Change

Patrick Pylvainen grew up in a small town outside Minneapolis. The Minnesotan college student has seven siblings, so he borrows money for his tuition — Stafford loans from the federal government, plus loans from private banks that require interest payments while he's still in school. Now, those...

Election 2012: What's the budget impact on moms and families?

If there was ever any doubt that the U.S. federal budget would claim center-stage in the 2012 presidential race, it vanished with Mitt Romney's selection of House Budget Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) as the GOP Vice Presidential nominee. Although Mitt Romney has emphasized he will run on a Romney budget,...

It’s National HIV Awareness Month — Have You Talked to Your Kids?

When I was in college during the first years of the AIDS epidemic, I assumed that by the time I had a child, all kids would be taught about HIV in school. In the past 20 years, lots of evidence shows how HIV education helps young people make healthy decisions including delaying sex and using...

Teens Need Guidance on Healthy Relationships

As the mother of a teen, I’ve approached that point in parenting where I’m compelled to spend much of the next several years concerned about the nature of my child’s relationships and when and whether they might involve sex. I know I’m hardly alone in this worry since, as a sex educator, I’ve spent...