Kidlaw

Surprise medical bills blindsided millions of Americans, until the No Surprises Act changed everything. Here's what you need to know. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What the No Surprises Act is and when it took effect - How the ban on balance billing protects patients - Which services and situations the law covers - What good faith estimates mean for uninsured patients - How the Ind...

Biden signed SACFA in 2024, the biggest child welfare law in years. Here's what it means for families, courts, and kids. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What SACFA is and why it matters for child welfare - How $75M in new funding reaches states and tribes - Why poverty alone can no longer justify removing a child - What changes for courts, caseworkers, and kinship families - How scho...

Does your school receive federal funding? Then the SDFSCA governs it, and most people have never heard of it. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act requires - How DAAPP compliance works for students and employees - Why cannabis stays banned on campus even in legal states - How zero tolerance policies feed the school-to-prison pipeline - Wh...

NJ CCAP is paused, here's what families, providers, and advocates must know right now about New Jersey's child care assistance crisis. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What NJ CCAP covers and who qualifies for assistance - Why new applications were frozen as of August 1, 2025 - How the funding crisis affects families, especially women of color - What the 2026 partial reopening me...

When parents can't care for their child and adoption isn't the answer, Kinship Legal Guardianship (KLG) steps in. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What KLG is and how it differs from adoption - Why parental rights are preserved under KLG - What legal authority guardians hold over the child - How the court process and petition filing works - What financial support and subsidies ar...

Your child has a legal right to stay in their current special ed placement while disputes are resolved, and most parents don't know it exists. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What "Stay-Put" rights are and how IDEA protects your child - Exactly when Stay-Put is triggered and the 15-day filing window - What "then-current placement" means and what it fully covers -...

SNAP explained: how it works, who qualifies, what's changing in 2025-26, and why it matters for families, schools, and justice. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What SNAP is and how EBT benefits work - Who qualifies and how income limits are calculated - How SNAP affects schools, children, and communities - SNAP's role in reducing recidivism and reentry barriers - What the 2025 l...

TANF explained: who qualifies, what you get, and why it matters for families, schools & justice. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO - What TANF is and how its $16.6B block grant system works - The four official goals driving TANF policy nationwide - Work requirements, time limits, and the 60-month federal cap - How TANF intersects with criminal justice and reentry - What TANF means for child...

The federal law reshaping how America protects child abuse victims in court—and holding institutions accountable. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What VOCAA is and how it differs from state child abuse laws - How Children's Advocacy Centers protect kids during investigations - Courtroom protections that shield children from direct confrontation - How VOCAA expands liability for schoo...

Can a principal legally censor your school newspaper? The Supreme Court said yes, changing student press forever. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - Why three student journalists sued their Missouri school district in 1983 - How the Supreme Court ruled 5–3 in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier - What the Public Forum Doctrine means for school-sponsored media - How Hazelwood differs from...

Are Common Core Standards helping or hurting kids? What every parent, teacher & advocate needs to know. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What Common Core Standards are and why they were created - How CCSS impacts math, ELA, and cross-subject literacy skills - The truth about teaching-to-the-test and its consequences - How high-stakes testing connects to the school-to-prison pipeline -...

Every child learns better when they're not hungry. CEP guarantees free meals for every student, no paperwork, no shame, no barriers. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is and how it works - Why the ISP threshold was lowered from 40% to 25% in 2023 - How CEP eliminates lunch shaming and unpaid meal debt - The impact of universal free meals o...

Millions of families struggle to afford child care, but federal help exists. Here's everything you need to know about CCDF. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST 1. What CCDF is and who administers it at the federal and state level 2. Which families and children qualify for CCDF assistance 3. How states set their own rules, rates, and priority systems 4. What types of child care providers ar...

What happens when a parent permanently loses all rights to their child, and why does it matter for justice, schools, and families? WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) actually means legally - The grounds courts use to permanently sever parental bonds - How TPR affects school records, enrollment, and administration - Why racial and social disparities i...

The Supreme Court just changed public education forever, here's what every parent needs to know. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What the Supreme Court ruled in Mahmoud v. Taylor - How Wisconsin v. Yoder was expanded to classroom materials - Why strict scrutiny now applies to religious opt-out cases - What this means for LGBTQ+ students and inclusive education - How school administra...

Every school day, 30 million U.S. children eat a meal they might not otherwise have. Here's how it works. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What the National School Lunch Program is and how it started - Who qualifies and how eligibility is determined by income - What every reimbursable meal must include under federal rules - How the program is funded, administered, and legally enforced...

The law that changed how America treats kids in trouble — and why it still matters today. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What the JJDPA is and why it was enacted in 1974 - The four core requirements states must meet for federal funding - How the 2018 reauthorization strengthened youth protections - Why racial and ethnic disparities are central to the law - How the JJDPA reshaped schools...

WIC feeds millions of at-risk mothers, infants & children, here's how this powerful program works. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - Who qualifies for WIC and how to apply - What food benefits and EBT cards WIC provides - How WIC impacts infant mortality and child health - WIC's role in preventing long-term justice involvement - How schools and advocacy groups support WIC fami...

Is your school legally compliant? The Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act carries real consequences, know what's required. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - What the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (DFSCA) requires - Who must comply: colleges, universities, and K-12 schools - Annual notification obligations for students and employees - Required content of drug and alcohol preve...

Student loan payments don't have to break you. Income-Driven Repayment is changing fast, and deadlines are already here. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO - What Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) is and who qualifies - How the new Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) calculates payments - Which IDR plans are being eliminated and when - What Parent PLUS borrowers must do before deadlines close - How...

Thousands of children age out of foster care every year, ASFA was meant to change that. Here's what you need to know. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO: • What ASFA is and why Congress passed it in 1997 • How ASFA shifted focus from reunification to child safety • The 15-of-22-month rule and what it means for families • Grounds for terminating parental rights under ASFA • Criticisms and un...

In 2010, the Supreme Court changed juvenile justice forever. Can a child be locked away for life? Graham v. Florida said no. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAS - The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling in Graham v. Florida (2010) - Why LWOP for juvenile non-homicide offenses is unconstitutional - How the Eighth Amendment protects young offenders from life sentences - The "meaningful opportunit...

Can a school permanently remove a disabled student for disruptive behavior? The Supreme Court said NO, here's why it matters. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO - Why the Supreme Court ruled against schools in Honig v. Doe (1988) - What the "stay-put" provision means and how it protects students - How the 10-day suspension limit works under federal law - What a Manifestation Deter...

The Supreme Court ruling that changed juvenile justice forever,  Miller v. Alabama explained. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS VIDEO - Why the Supreme Court banned mandatory juvenile life-without-parole - How Miller v. Alabama built on Roper and Graham decisions - What "Miller factors" courts must weigh before sentencing youth - How Montgomery v. Louisiana made Miller apply retroactively -...

Can the government force your children to attend school against your faith? The Supreme Court said no. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS PODCAST - How three Amish parents took on Wisconsin's compulsory education law - Why the Supreme Court ruled 6–1 in favor of religious exemption - What the "hybrid right" doctrine means for your freedoms - How Justice Douglas's dissent challenges...