children's health

The DeSantis administration is getting pushback for its children’s health care policies and its decision to remove tens of thousands of children from a subsidized health insurance program.

More than 42,000 children are waiting for Florida to roll out a health insurance program that was supposed to go into effect two years ago.

A law was passed to give Florida kids more access to healthcare, but 2 years later medically fragile kids are still waiting.

The lawsuit, filed last year, alleges the social media sites are harmful to children and that Meta has violated the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

Johns Hopkins All Children's, Nemours Children's, Nicklaus Children's and Wolfson Children's are each receiving $7.5 million annually over five years as part of a collaborative program funded by the state.

“This conversation brought together leaders who understand that the youth mental health challenge is not something we can fix overnight or with a single solution,” said Carlos Curbelo, a former congressman from Miami and a board member of the national Coalition to Empower our Future, which organized the panel.

Children in the United States are currently required to be vaccinated against a range of infectious diseases, including measles, to attend school and kindergarten. Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis announced recently the state will scrap all vaccine mandates for children attending school, describing them as “slavery”.

Many children in Florida lack access to routine dental care. According to data from the Florida Department of Health, nearly 1 in 3 third graders in the Sunshine State had cavities during the 2021–2022 school year.

Norín Dollard, director of Kids Count and a senior analyst for the Florida Policy Institute, said the rankings are relative, but they do reveal areas that can be improved.

Access is especially tough for kids in rural areas or whose families don't have a lot of money. Some dentists say a new statewide ban on adding fluoride to drinking water affects these communities the most.

The 2025 report by the Florida Policy Institute ranks counties on five factors, with the newest being food security.

The Broward Children's Center unveiled on Thursday a $117,000 playground and basketball court that's intended to better accommodate the children with disabilities receiving services at its Dania Beach location.