Idaho Reports is moving to Thursday nights at 8:30 pm. We’re still bringing you updates and analysis from the legislature, plus interviews and in-depth discussions with policymakers on how decisions they make in Boise affect you. Watch Idaho Reports starting January 8th at our new time, Thursday nights at 8:30pm on Idaho Public Television, or stream it online at idahoreports.org or in the PBS app.

Nearly all of us will need help at some point in our lives with daily tasks, like bathing or housekeeping, whether it’s because of aging or an injury. Some of us will be able to rely on family members for help, but not everyone has that luxury. That’s where in-home caregivers come into play, but for years, Idaho has struggled to find enough workers to provide these essential in-home care services.

For years, the Idaho Reports team has brought you coverage on how public policy issues in the Gem State affect caregivers and the people who depend on them. This month, we bring you the latest, including recent legislative proposals on state and federal levels.

Idaho is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, but what does that mean exactly? Associate producer Logan Finney sits down with economist Liz Bageant to discuss a new report on state population change from the University of Idaho's McClure Center for Public Policy Research.

VIEW THE REPORT: https://blog.idahoreports.idahoptv.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/MCCLURE0010-IAAG-PopChange2025-DIGITAL.pdf

How we care for vulnerable people changed a lot during the pandemic, and with the federal government reexamining how we pay for entitlement programs, more changes are on the way. This week, Idaho Capital Sun reporter Kyle Pfannenstiel discusses the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s early end for the family personal care program, and we sit down with one Idaho family to talk about losing that lifeline.

Summer is back in Idaho, which means scammers posing as door-to-door sales representatives are back in our neighborhoods too. Associate producer Logan Finney sits down this week with Dan Estes, Director of the Consumer Protection Division in the Idaho Attorney General's Office, to talk about the warning signs Idahoans need to watch out for.

Local elections have the lowest voter turnouts, but some of the biggest impacts on your property taxes and the services your community receives. This week, Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News and Drs. Stephanie Witt and Jaclyn Kettler of Boise State University’s School of Public Service join the show to discuss Tuesday’s local elections. Plus, progress on the Trump administration’s budget bill.

Voters in Idaho County have officially approved the deconsolidation of the Mountain View School District into two smaller districts, Grangeville and Clearwater Valley. Interim superintendent Alica Holthaus spoke with associate producer Logan Finney about placing the question on the ballot and what comes next for them.

Administrator Laura Denner from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Division of Family and Community Partnerships and director Christine Tiddens of Idaho Voices for Children discuss recent efforts by the state to address issues in the foster care system. Then, former congressman Larry LaRocco shares what he and Richard Stallings heard from Idahoans after eleven town halls across the state.

The cost and availability of housing is a constant concern in Idaho. State lawmakers have assembled an interim committee to study the issue over the summer, with their first meeting this week discussing inventory shortages and the compounding effects of missing affordability.