Poverty and Class

Watch highlights from Spotlight PA’s April 10 forum on the opioid crisis in Reading, Pa.

From 2011–2021, 300,000+ kids lost a parent to overdoses. Despite billions in opioid settlements, grandparents caring for them receive little support.

The severity of youth mental health needs intensified after the COVID-19 pandemic, with more children exhibiting extreme behaviors.

Heather Preston, an Iowa mom of five adopted sons with behavioral health needs, struggles to find care due to waitlists, low Medicaid funding, and a lack of therapists across the state.

Immigrant day laborers in Oakland face food insecurity, low pay, and deportation fears, while vital aid from Street Level Health Project is threatened by major funding cuts and political pressure.

A cash-assistance program for expectant moms and babies, which first began in Flint more than a year ago, is growing its reach to hundreds more families across Michigan.

Small communities have the same addiction problems as big ones but they often have far fewer resources, with people spread out over large areas.

"So much of what ails my children that I care for, so much of what makes people sick at a population level, the root cause is poverty," says Dr. Mona Hanna, the pediatrician who helped expose the Flint water crisis.mo

A reporter's look at food insecurity in Oakland reveals deep health impacts, community-led solutions and cuts to key programs.

Rx Kids gives cash aid to pregnant women and new moms in Michigan to fight poverty, ease stress and help with essentials like housing, food, and baby care.