children’s & family health

the problem

We know from decades of research on children’s health that when kids experience abuse, neglect and other forms of trauma, they are more likely to experience a range of negative mental and physical health consequences later in life. We also know that when children are healthy, they are more likely to thrive as adults and, ultimately, everyone benefits. Families are happier; businesses are more productive; communities are stronger. Our society can help parents raise healthy kids by passing policies to protect them from violence and trauma, provide access to healthy food and safe places to play, ensure support for breastfeeding and paid sick leave, and more.

Yet, in many ways, our current social safety net doesn’t reflect these priorities. And although news coverage of some issues like childhood trauma is growing, children’s health receives little attention compared to other public health problems. Additionally, legislation that does support children’s health is frequently bogged down with dense language that obscures the policy’s underlying values such as compassion and fairness. This decreases the chances that reporters will pick up the story and that the public will embrace it.

the path to success

Ensuring children’s and family health starts with healthy public policy. That includes policies in areas like education, which has strong connections to health even though the links may not be immediately obvious. To be healthy, children and families need a range of resources, such as safe parks nearby, affordable fresh produce, schools with high-quality curricula, affordable medical care, and the ability to take time off work when a child or other family member gets sick.

BMSG’s connection

At BMSG, we conduct news analyses to reveal how issues related to children’s health appear in the news. We then use insights from that research to help advocates articulate the values behind their legislative goals, giving children’s health policy the visibility it needs to be both understood by and persuasive to the public and to policymakers. We help advocates talk and write about the structural policy changes needed to support children’s and family health without drowning in a mire of technical detail. Once advocates have communicated the values guiding their efforts, they are in a better position to explain why the policy matters and what its implications are for real people.