Health on the Margins

Daycares are a lifeline for families: they provide parents and children structure, help build kids’ social skills, and offer weekly support for working families. But Sullivan County’s childcare assistance program has been on pause since July 2025. The program currently serves about 650 children. Radio Catskill's Kimberly Izar reports on the future of rural childcare.

In Episode 4 of Radio Catskill’s Health on the Margins, Patricio Robayo looks at what “aging in place” really takes—and why winter can turn small warning signs into emergencies. Winter in the Catskills can be cold—and it can be hard. Long distances, icy roads, and limited services can make everyday tasks more difficult, especially for older adults. Getting to the grocery store, the doctor, or even...

In 2020, Sullivan County lost its only Planned Parenthood clinic. The next nearest Planned Parenthood clinic in Goshen closed four years later, along with three other upstate locations. Now, under President Trump’s changes to Medicaid eligibility, healthcare providers worry access to women’s health services will grow even farther from home.

New York has secured over $2.5 billion in opioid settlement funds that it says will be distributed over the next 18 years. But how much of those dollars has actually improved rural communities most affected by the opioid overdose crisis? That remains relatively unknown.

Opioid overdose deaths are down in New York state. But for many families still grieving or struggling, the fight is far from over. As the state enters a new phase in its fight against substance use, the question remains: what will it take to move people from surviving an overdose to living a dignified life? A listener's note: this episode discusses substance use and addiction and may be difficult...