{"id":5061868,"date":"2024-12-16T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rilatinonews.com\/?p=5061868"},"modified":"2024-12-16T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T12:00:00","slug":"ri-kids-count-event-highlights-collaboration-in-childhood-advocacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/2024\/12\/16\/ri-kids-count-event-highlights-collaboration-in-childhood-advocacy\/","title":{"rendered":"RI Kids Count Event Highlights Collaboration in Childhood Advocacy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PROVIDENCE\u2014Childhood advocates and leaders across the state gathered at the Rhode Island Kids Count 24th Annual Celebration of Children\u2019s Health and Well-Being to highlight recent data findings, emphasize ongoing disparities among underserved children populations, and announce the nonprofit\u2019s 2025 legislative priorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization\u2019s 2025 legislative and budgetary priorities<\/a> include supporting a wide range of policies within child welfare and youth justice, early learning and development, children\u2019s economic well-being, K-12 education, and families\u2019 health coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data presented at the event on December 2, 2024, shows ongoing racial and ethnic disparities relating to childhood overweight and obesity and high schoolers\u2019 mental health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a Rhode Island Youth Risk Behavior Survey, feelings of sadness or hopelessness among Rhode Island high schoolers steadily rose by 10 percent between 2015 and 2023. High school Hispanic\/Latino students consistently reported feelings of sadness or hopelessness at higher rates than their peers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 2023, Hispanic\/Latino high schoolers were more likely to attempt suicide among other ethnic and racial groups. Over the past eight years, Black and Hispanic\/Latino students have been more likely to attempt suicide than white students. Overall, suicide attempts among Rhode Island high schoolers declined from 2015 to 2023\u2014despite a significant spike in suicide attempts in 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At the event, presenters emphasized the complex impact that gun violence has on children and youth\u2019s developmental growth and emotional well-being, aside from their physical health. The increase in shootings\u2014intentional and accidental\u2014in recent years is a serious concern among child and youth advocates and guardians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is unacceptable that we have gun violence as the number one killer of our children,\u201d stated Representative Justine Caldwell. \u201cIt was unacceptable when it was cancer\u2014and we did something about it. It was unacceptable when it was motor-vehicle accidents\u2014and we did something about it. It\u2019s critical that we do everything we can to prevent gun violence for everyone but particularly our children.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among children and youth, there were 147 emergency department visits, 17 hospitalizations, and 11 deaths relating to firearms between 2018 and 2022. In the U.S., Firearm-related injuries are the leading cause of death among children and youth, exceeding motor vehicle-related deaths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Safe Storage for Firearms Act<\/a>, which sets specific mandates on storing firearms, was passed in June 2024. The Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, Rep. Caldwell, and Senator Pamela Lauria received a RI Kids Count Children\u2019s Champion Award for their work in passing the act.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery child deserves to be safe and free from exposure to gun violence no matter their zip code,\u201d said RICAGV Executive Director Melissa Carden. \u201cGun violence is preventable, and requiring people to safely store their firearms keeps everyone safer from gun suicide, gun homicide, unintentional shootings, and mass shootings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The award also honors Dillon Viens, who was killed at 16 years old in February 2022 with an unsecured gun. His mother, Rhonda Brewster, was in attendance to accept the award. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cListening to some of the demographics and data, I thought about how myself, as a single mother, have overcome so many hurdles and journeys to not be part of a statistic,\u201d shared Brewster. \u201cSomewhat feeling a little bit like I fell short on protecting my son from being harmed in the most horrible way\u2026I continue my journey in life and seek advocacy and justice for Dillon.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RI Kids Count emphasized their continued support for common sense gun safety laws in the coming year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRaising our children is a collective effort and work. We are all responsible for all our children. So, we have failed you,\u201d RI Kids Count Executive Director Paige Parks said to Brewster. \u201cOur systems have failed you and we will not stop until they are fixed and there are no more kids who are suffering as Dillon did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony also celebrated Parents Leading for Educational Equity, Senator Bridget Valverde, and Representative Megan Cotter with a Children\u2019s Champion Award for their work in increasing Medicaid rates for Early Intervention. Awardees emphasized the importance of community and governmental collaboration and accessible, in-depth research in their efforts to serve children and youth across the state equitably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe data is so powerful. It\u2019s such a valuable tool\u2014for myself, for my colleagues, for the House, and for the Senate,\u201d said Rep. Cotter. \u201cI have to say that the folks at Kids Count are absolute warriors\u2026they make sure that the voices of our most vulnerable are heard.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Rhode Island Kids Count 24th Annual Celebration of Children\u2019s Health and Well-Being event highlighted recent data findings, emphasized ongoing disparities among vulnerable populations, and announced the nonprofit\u2019s 2025 legislative priorities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5061869,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,230],"tags":[1558,4534,4929,4931,4966,4968,4974,4975,4980,4984,4990,4993,4995,5001,5162,5170,5469,5470],"ppma_author":[6008],"class_list":["post-5061868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-health-care","tag-dillon-viens","tag-parents-leading-for-educational-equity","tag-representative-justine-caldwell","tag-representative-megan-cotter","tag-rhode-island-childrens-well-being","tag-rhode-island-data","tag-rhode-island-gun-violence-prevention","tag-rhode-island-hispanic-students","tag-rhode-island-kids-count","tag-rhode-island-latino-students","tag-rhode-island-students-mental-health","tag-rhode-island-youth-risk-behavior-survey","tag-rhonda-brewster","tag-ri-kids-count","tag-senator-bridget-valverde","tag-senator-pamela-lauria","tag-the-rhode-island-coalition-against-gun-violence","tag-the-safe-storage-for-firearms-act"],"acf":[],"mb":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/\u00a1Presente-Maria-S.-Featured-2.png",1170,719,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/\u00a1Presente-Maria-S.-Featured-2-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/\u00a1Presente-Maria-S.-Featured-2-300x184.png",300,184,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/\u00a1Presente-Maria-S.-Featured-2-768x472.png",768,472,true],"large":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/\u00a1Presente-Maria-S.-Featured-2-1024x629.png",1024,629,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/\u00a1Presente-Maria-S.-Featured-2.png",1170,719,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2024\/12\/\u00a1Presente-Maria-S.-Featured-2.png",1170,719,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Rhode Island Kids Count 24th Annual Celebration of Children\u2019s Health and Well-Being event highlighted recent data findings, emphasized ongoing disparities among vulnerable populations, and announced the nonprofit\u2019s 2025 legislative priorities.","authors":[{"term_id":6008,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"belen-dumont","display_name":"Bel\u00e9n Dumont","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/04\/BDHeadshot.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/04\/BDHeadshot.jpg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"mfb_rest_fields":["title","uagb_featured_image_src","uagb_author_info","uagb_comment_info","uagb_excerpt","authors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5061868","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5061868"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5061868\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5061869"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5061868"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5061868"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5061868"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5061868"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}