After failing to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act in 2017, the Trump administration is employing a back-door strategy to undermine Medicaid — and take away health coverage from kids and families. Kelly Whitener with Georgetown Center for Children and Families in Washington, D.C., talks with Anne about the administration's wonky and largely unsuccessful attacks on Medicaid.

Many Iowa families struggle to afford fresh, local food. But some cool organizations and initiatives are trying to help folks stretch their SNAP benefits and maximize the fresh fruits and veggies they can buy. Anne talks with Aryn McLaren, the Double Up Food Bucks Coordinator for the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative, and Andrea Vaage, economic development supervisor, Refugee Community Services for Lutheran Services of Iowa, about how they partner with local farmers, community gardens and farmers markets to make fresh produce more affordable.

SHOW NOTES

LSI Global Greens: https://lsiowa.org/refugee/global-greens/

Double Up Food Bucks: http://www.iowahealthieststate.com/resources/communities/double-up-food-bucks/

How much do Iowa families have to earn to make ends meet? And how many actually do? This week on the podcast, Natalie Veldhouse from Iowa Policy Project unpacks a new cost of living report that shows just what Iowans — urban and rural alike — are up against to survive financially.

SHOW NOTES:

Iowa Policy Project report: http://bit.ly/2oCtBp4

Head Start, a widely popular and equally effective federal program, was born out of President Johnson's "War on Poverty" in the 1960s. Decades later, Head Start continues to provide comprehensive early childhood education, nutrition, health and parenting support services for low-income families. Anne Discher talks with Tom Rendon and Carrie Sodders about the ins and outs of Head Start in Iowa.

SHOW NOTES

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Standing in for Anne on the podcast this week, Stephen Dykstra talks all-things back to school with a very special guest, his mom. Anna Dykstra is an educator in central Iowa with more than 15 years of full time teaching experience. Here's their discussion as Anna prepares to teach another year of second grade, with the first day of school right around the corner.

Managed care has been a high-profile topic in Iowa since the state’s Medicaid program made the transition from fee-for-service in 2016. With the addition of Iowa Total Care to the MCO lineup early last month, it’s a good time to revisit managed care by talking to people and organizations working on the front line of Medicaid in Iowa. In this episode, Anne sits down with Cyndy Miller, legal director at Disability Rights Iowa, to unpack their work of ensuring disabled Iowans get the health care they need — and are entitled to under the law.

SHOW NOTES

Disability Rights Iowa: https://disabilityrightsiowa.org/

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Redlining, an unjust city planning practice used for decades in the U.S., has a dark history of systemically segregating communities by color and economic status. Its repercussions are still felt today, often by vulnerable children and their families. In this episode, Eric Burmeister with Polk County Housing Trust Fund breaks down redlining: its history, its consequences for today and possible solutions moving forward.

SHOW NOTES

Waterloo map: https://twitter.com/nhannahjones/status/1034834576638730240

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It's no secret parenting can be overwhelming, especially for under-served families lacking support. Home visiting, a decades-long practice still used today, is designed to meet that need. This voluntary program pairs parents with a family support worker who helps them navigate the demands and unknowns of parenting. In this episode, Janet Horras (IA Dept. of Public Health) and Rachel Bardwell (Partners in Family Development) unpack home visiting and how it supports children and families in Iowa.

SHOW NOTES

Iowa Family Support Network: iafamilysupportnetwork.org/

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Sam Gabriel is the co-founder of the Genesis Youth Foundation, a Des Moines-based nonprofit investing in refugee and immigrant youth and families. Sam and his wife Tricia draw from their own experiences as Liberian refugees to connect with kids through soccer, the arts and education. In this episode, learn how Sam's past has shaped his vision for Genesis — and discover ways you can help immigrants and refugees living in Iowa.

SHOW NOTES

Genesis website: http://bit.ly/2xWjRaE

Sam and Tricia Gabriel in Des Moines Register: http://bit.ly/2SnfX3W

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2019 national KIDS COUNT® Data Book is out, with Iowa placing third overall in child well-being. At first glance, our state's high ranking suggests most kids in Iowa are faring well — but a deeper dive into the issue clearly shows there remains much work before all kids and families are able to thrive. Join the Center's Anne Discher, Sheila Hansen and Mike Crawford as they unpack the report findings.

Show notes:

KIDS COUNT links: www.cfpciowa.org/en/data/kids_count/ and www.aecf.org/resources/2019-kids-count-data-book/