Children & Families

This story was produced as part of a larger project led by Monica Vaughan, a participant in the 2019 California Fellowship.
Other stories in this series include:
Live on or near the Nipomo Mesa? We’re investigating air quality and need your help

Dena Kapsalis, director of student services at Paradise Unified School District, was surprised at first by how many students chose to return after the Camp Fire destroyed the town.

“I never imagined that in one day, my whole caseload would have such severe trauma due to a natural disaster,” a school clinical social worker said.

Abandoning your home while fleeing a wildfire can be a traumatic experience. It’s even scarier if you don’t understand the language of the evacuation alerts chiming into your phone.

“I have kids telling me still, oh Ms. Henry I lost my stuffed animals that were in the garage and I know that they burned in there and it makes me very sad,” she said. “You know, those little things were people to them.”

This story was produced as part of a larger project led by Courtney Teague, a participant in the 2019 California Fellowship.
Other stories in this series include:
Pricey housing in Napa County can cost more than your paycheck. It can affect your health
Napa Valley strangers talk housing struggles ov

Journalists should find out whether schools near them are making even a meaningful effort to encourage better eating among their students. Here are some ideas to get started.

When Kendy Mendoza of East Palo Alto and his wife experienced health scares over the last few years, they took action to turn their lives around. Eight years ago, when his wife was diagnosed with diabetes, she cut out bread and tortillas from her diet.

The rise in teen suicide is affecting communities across Colorado, but it’s been an issue for some time, with suicide now the leading cause of death for teens and children in this state.

Prevention is always king, but what does the evidence say about the best way to treat kids who have already suffered abuse?