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<keyword id="20114810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal-chief-minister" source="keywords">West Bengal Chief Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19909056" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mamata-Banerjee" source="keywords">Mamata Banerjee</keyword> has written another letter to <keyword id="19898052" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister-Narendra-Modi" source="keywords">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>, expressing concern over the lack of response to her previous communication regarding the rape and murder of a PG <keyword id="22760814" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trainee-doctor" source="keywords">trainee doctor</keyword>. In her letter, dated August 30, Banerjee emphasised the gravity of the situation and urged for prompt central intervention, highlighting the inadequacy of the reply received from the Union Minister of <keyword id="20086338" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Women-and-Child-Development" source="keywords">Women and Child Development</keyword>. The letter reads, "No reply was received from your end on such a sensitive issue. However, a reply has been received from the Minister of Women and Child Development, Government of India (vide their No. 1/RESC/HMWCD/2024 dated 25th August 2024), which barely addresses the gravity of the issue raised in my letter. I am of the view that the seriousness of the subject and its relevance to society have not been adequately appreciated in this generic reply." The letter was posted on her social media handle, X. In response to Union Minister Annapurna Devi's allegations regarding the state government's failure to implement essential safety measures for women and children, including Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), CM Mamata stated that the state government has approved 10 exclusive POCSO FTSCs, while 88 FTSCs and 62 POCSO-designated Courts are functioning with complete state funding. The letter mentioned, "Moreover, I would also refer to some of the initiatives in this area that our State has already undertaken, which appear to have been overlooked in the reply. Regarding Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs), 10 exclusive POCSO Courts have been approved by the State Government. In addition to this, 88 FTSCs and 62 POCSO-designated Courts are functioning throughout the State with complete State funding. Monitoring and disposal of cases are entirely in the hands of the Courts." Highlighting the issue of appointing Presiding Officers in FTSCs, she further stated that this process requires examination and action from the Government of India, which, according to her, needs PM Modi's intervention. "As per Central Government guidelines, only retired Judicial Officers can be posted as Presiding Officers in FTSCs, but the Hon'ble High Court has observed that, in view of the severity of the cases, permanent Judicial Officers need to be appointed. This requires examination at the level of the Government of India and appropriate action thereafter, for which your intervention would be necessary. Moreover, Helpline Nos. 112 and 1098 are functioning satisfactorily in the State. Additionally, Dial 100 is also extensively used in emergency situations," the letter added. Urging for central <keyword id="20082569" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="legislation" source="keywords">legislation</keyword> and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes, the West Bengal CM expressed hope for very considered attention from PM Modi. Mamata Banerjee mentioned in her letter, "I would reiterate and earnestly request that a stringent Central legislation and exemplary punishment for heinous crimes of rape/rape and murder be considered, with a mandatory provision for the disposal of cases within a specific timeframe by the trial authorities. I hope this matter would receive very considered attention at your kind end in the interest of our society at large." On August 26, Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi criticised the West Bengal government for its failure to implement essential safety measures for women and children in the state. In a letter written to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, the Union Minister stated that 123 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) were allocated to the state, but none of them are functional yet. Earlier, on August 22, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the central government to bring in central legislation and set up fast-track courts for "sensitive" issues to ensure a speedy trial. Mamata, in the letter, mentioned that such "sensitive" issues need to be addressed comprehensively through stringent central legislation prescribing exemplary punishment against the perpetrators of such heinous crimes. The Bengal Chief Minister suggested the setting up of "fast-track special courts" to deal with such cases, which require a speedy trial. This development comes after the trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.

"No reply received, hope this matter receives considered attention": CM Mamata writes to PM Modi again on rape-murder case

In a significant move aimed at recognising mothers' vital roles in upbringing, the Maharashtra cabinet has mandated the inclusion of mothers' names in government documents. Effective May 1, 2024, the format for government documents will require the document-holder’s first name to be followed by the mother’s first name and then the father’s first name and surname. Individuals born on or after May 1, 2014, are required to adhere to this format for all government documents, including birth certificates, property documents, Aadhar cards and PAN cards, as well as school and revenue documents, examination certificates and salary slips, as stated in the government’s press note. The state's public health department has been tasked with consulting the Centre regarding the inclusion of the mother’s name in birth and death registrations. For married women, the prevailing practice of listing the woman’s name followed by her husband’s first name and surname will remain unchanged. Orphans will be exempt from including the mother’s name. In alignment with this decision, Maharashtra Chief Minister <keyword id="19913631" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="eknath-shinde" source="keywords">Eknath Shinde</keyword> had a new nameplate installed outside his office chamber at the state secretariat in south Mumbai. The updated nameplate now includes his mother's name before that of his father, reading 'Eknath Gangubai Sambhaji Shinde'. Shinde posted a picture of the same on his X, with part of the caption reading: “The state government has taken a historic decision to give credit to Mauli, who plays a lion's share in raising us right from giving birth to us.” <div type="twitter" handle="mieknathshinde" handlename="mieknathshinde" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1767428216350753121"></div> Historically, government documents have predominantly featured the father's name. However, acknowledging that mothers are equally instrumental in a child's upbringing, the <keyword id="20822121" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-and-child-development-department" source="keywords">Women and Child Development Department</keyword> emphasised the necessity of granting mothers the recognition they deserve. Meanwhile, critics have questioned whether this move is a pre-election strategy to appeal to women voters before the Lok Sabha polls' code of conduct is enforced. Overall, experts feel that the move could provide an opportunity for revisiting the archaic practices of a patriarchal presence throughout an individual’s life.

Why should fathers have all the mentions? Maharashtra govt mandates inclusion of mothers’ names in documents as recognition of their vital role

A few years ago, Hallie Parker joined a WhatsApp group of millennial women who call themselves geriatric moms — almost all were close to 40 when they became parents. Half of them had two kids, including Parker, who at 33 was among the youngest. Half had only one kid, with no plans for more. But Parker was the only member in the group who is herself an only child. "If you have questions about only children," she volunteered, "you can ask me."She was flooded with queries. Were you lonely? Did you wish you had siblings? What did your parents do to normalize it?The level of anxiety in Parker's group chat made it clear that only children are still viewed as something of a demographic outlier — and a questionable one at that. Kids without siblings are seen as lonely brats who are moody and bossy and unable to play well with others. Their sense of entitlement draws everyone around them into mayhem: Just look at Harry Potter, Harriet the Spy, and Dennis the Menace. They're untethered and troubled in childhood (Drew Barrymore), in early adulthood (Tiger Woods), and especially in middle age (Elvis, Kanye). As only children become more prevalent, their alleged deficiencies have become generational shorthand: Instead of calling only children selfish, introverted, and lonely, we slap those labels on Gen Zers. No wonder we've never had an only-child president. In surveys, most Americans continue to say that the ideal family has two kids raised by married parents. Almost nobody — not even all of the mothers in Parker's group who have just one kid — aspires to have just one kid.Yet that's exactly what's happening. The only child's time has come.Back in 1978, the National Council on Family Relations published a paper titled "The One-Child Family: A New Life-Style," as if it were introducing a strange countercultural phenomenon. At the time, about 11% of American families had just one kid. By 2015, that number had doubled, to 22%. Big families, meanwhile, have become as rare as only children once were. In the early 1980s, 28% of women had four or more kids. Thirty years later, it was just 10%. Families with one child may be <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2015/05/08/ideal-size-of-the-american-family/">the least-desired outcome</a> when Americans envision their dream lives, but in reality they're the fastest-growing family configuration in the country.It's not hard to see why sibling-free families are increasingly common. Over the past half-century, the cost of raising a child has increased far faster than the average salary. American women are having kids later in life, leaving less time to bear multiple children. And the bigger-is-better belief about families that fueled the baby boom is now confined mostly to the deeply religious and the dramatically wealthy. In some schoolrooms, it's now more noteworthy among kids to actually have a sibling than to have none.But it's harder to foresee what the rise of the only child means for our future. Will more solo kids lead to a world run by spoiled brats, devoid of empathy and unschooled in the art of collaboration? The experts, surprisingly, say no. As the ranks of only children swell, their personal idiosyncrasies, social skills, and family dynamics could prove to be the very tools we need to thrive in modern life. In an America that is more divided than ever, the only child might just be what brings us back together.No one has done more to give only children a bad rap than Granville Stanley Hall. Once described as a "Victorian Dr. Spock," Hall was America's OG psychologist — the first man to earn a doctorate in the field from Harvard. Employing a method that was more sketchy than scientific, Hall asked college professors to share stories about "peculiar and exceptional children" they had encountered. Simply because only children were mentioned more often than they occur in the general population, and he concluded that they were inherently flawed: sickly, unable to get along with others, with a deluded tendency to create imaginary companions. Being an only child, Hall declared in 1907, "is a disease in itself."In the decades that followed, scores of "experts" relying on equally dubious methods echoed Hall's spurious claims, which seeped into the wider culture. Then, in the 1980s, a social psychologist named Toni Falbo — herself an only child — set out to rigorously test Hall's ideas about her kind. Reviewing 141 studies of personality development in only children, she found that they were virtually indistinguishable from children with siblings, with one notable exception: They scored "significantly better than other groups in achievement motivation and personal adjustment." That's right: They scored better. It's a finding that has been repeated many times since. Only children are not, on the whole, any more shy, entitled, or lonely than their peers with brothers or sisters.On the contrary, surveys have suggested that only children grow up learning to entertain themselves and solve their own problems. They don't mind eating alone. They're adept at forging close friendships that feel like family. Their comfort with being on their own may make them more unwilling to accept unhealthy relationships: One study found that only children were more likely to get divorced than their peers with siblings. And they tend to be academic achievers and highly independent, with high self-esteem. Only kids are more likely than other kids to become <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/08/ceos-childhood-career/596158/">CEOs</a>. Thomas Edison, Jack Welch, Carl Icahn — all onlies. But their success may have more to do with income than inclination. Small families tend to be more educated and wealthier, which gives only children a double advantage: Their parents have more time and money to spend, and fewer kids to spend it on.<div type="image" title="A child wearing a crown as a valedictorian" height="1500" width="2000" msid="115179418" hostid="261" sizebytes="85924"></div>In her group chat, Parker tried to reassure the moms who worried about their only children. She loved being an only, she told them. Even as a child, she knew it provided her with more opportunities. She loved horseback riding, a hobby her parents never would have been able to afford if she had siblings. Her folks made sure she wasn't lonely by always allowing her to bring a friend along with them on vacation. And despite the stereotype that only children are spoiled rotten, Parker was always eager to share her snacks and toys with others. She grew up hearing stories about her mother's difficult pregnancy and so was not one to beg for a sibling.Nothing has accelerated the rise of only children more than delayed childbearing. American women in general are having children later, but the delay is most pronounced among the most educated. In fact, the single largest determinant of how many children a woman will have is her level of education: The more degrees you hold, the older you are when you start to have kids, the fewer kids you have. "It's not just people having kids later — they're starting to think about them later," says Anastasia Berg, a coauthor of "What Are Children For?"That's how it turned out for the women in Parker's group chat. Most of them started out wanting to have more than one kid — but by the time they got around to bearing the cost and physical toll of having their first, they had changed their minds. In a 2021 survey, about a quarter of parents who said they didn't expect to have more children <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/11/19/growing-share-of-childless-adults-in-u-s-dont-expect-to-ever-have-children/">cited financial reasons</a>. During the Great Depression, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/70453-case-having-only-child">23%</a> of families had just one child; it's no coincidence that the baby boom took place during an unprecedented economic boom.The average cost of raising a child in America from birth to age 18 was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2022/cost-raising-child-calculator/">$310,000</a> in 2022 — and double that if you factor in four years of full college tuition. What's more, full-time working parents are spending even more time with their children than stay-at-home parents of previous generations did, prompting the surgeon general to issue a warning about their stress levels and mental well-being. If you're already struggling to care for one kid, it's difficult to imagine having a second.But the trend toward fewer children isn't just an American phenomenon. Even in countries like Sweden and France that enjoy subsidized childcare and guaranteed parental leave, fertility rates are falling. "Trends of delay are consistent across the board," Berg says. Even religious conservatives, who are biblically motivated to be fruitful and multiply, are starting families later and more often having only one child.Corinne Lyons is someone who wants a big family. A public-school teacher in her hometown of Detroit, she grew up the only child of two only children. But unlike Parker's, her siblingless childhood wasn't entirely glorious. "I didn't grow up playing with other kids," she says. Her biggest birthday parties involved having cake and ice cream at school. She wants a different experience for her own children, but she feels like she doesn't have much time: She'll be 36 when she marries her fiancé next September."Don't get me wrong," she says. "Being an only child is amazing. It's also hard. I don't want to have to send my child to school for social interactions." Even many only children, it would seem, aren't all that into having only children. But adult onlies are subject to the same trends (like later childbearing) and pressures (ahem, finances) that other Americans are. Lyons accepts that, despite her desires, she might end up having just one.So what will the coming reign of the only child mean for America? For starters, only kids could spur us to build stronger communities and mend our divided social institutions. Without a built-in family of peers at home, only children learn to go out and build their own. Lyons, the public-school teacher, forged an extended family of friends in college, despite being a self-professed introvert. She was initiated into the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, and for nearly 20 years she has held her sorority sisters tighter than many people hold their relatives. "These people aren't in my life because they have to be," she says. "They're here because they want to be. I am very intentional in building that bond." Only children could also transform America's business landscape. For starters, fewer kids means fewer heirs to take over family-run companies. In China, where the government's one-child policy created a generation of onlies, studies suggest that business founders with multiple children are significantly more likely to have an heir succeed them than founders with one child. What's more, research has found that only children, like first-born kids, tend to have a lower risk tolerance than younger siblings. China's one-child policy has contributed to a significant drop in the number of entrepreneurs — and only children who do start their own businesses tend to perform worse financially. One Chinese study found that companies run by only children generated revenue that was 30% lower than the revenue of companies run by children with siblings.Onlies are under<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/ed-magazine/10/05/one-and-only"> intense pressure</a> to succeed professionally in part because of the financial burden they're expected to bear. They may start off life getting all the extra attention and devotion from their parents — but as their parents age, they'll be left alone to return the favor. Without any siblings to help out, only children face the prospect of being the sole caregiver for their parents. Studies suggest they're more likely than adults with siblings to provide direct care for their parents, such as bathing and dressing them, cleaning the house, and paying the bills. "I feel like the whole family rests on me," Parker says.<div type="image" title="A baby in a crown as a CEO" height="1500" width="2000" msid="115179421" hostid="261" sizebytes="100030"></div>In a sense, having an only child effectively defers the costs of care by a generation. It's certainly cheaper to raise just one kid. But once that kid grows up, it's can be more expensive for them to care for two aging parents on one adult salary. And because their parents are likely to be older, many solo children are going to face elder-care questions earlier in their adulthood, while they're still trying to save up for a home or cover the costs of raising their own child. It's one of the few times that only children wind up longing for siblings. "It's true that there's infighting between siblings when a parent dies," says Lyons, who lives with and remains close to her mother. "But at least they can go through that experience together."The one-child family has long been a stand-in for the best hopes and worst outcomes for the human race. In 1968, a Stanford entomologist named Paul Ehrlich and his wife, Anne, self-published a paperback titled "The Population Bomb." The Ehrlichs, who had one child, argued that the troubling headlines of their day — the Vietnam War, for example, or starvation in India — were all rooted in overpopulation. Unless we start having fewer babies, they argued, the planet is destined for famine, environmental degradation, and economic collapse. In 1998, the journalist Bill McKibben floated a similar argument in his book "Maybe One," making an ecological case for smaller families.Fertility rates fell, and the population bomb never went off. These days, it's far more common to hear scaremongering about a population bust. America's most powerful billionaires, religious influencers, and conservative politicians are demanding we all make more babies. As <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1800318513502167246">Elon Musk</a>, a father of 12, said in June, "It should be considered a national emergency to have kids." Conservative authors publish books with titles like "What to Expect When No One's Expecting: America's Coming Demographic Disaster." Vice President-elect JD Vance issued dire warnings about "childless cat ladies."But as smaller families become the norm, the fears and stereotypes surrounding only children will inevitably subside. Just as having children is no longer seen as a required stage of adulthood, having siblings will no longer be a de facto part of childhood. Rainer Turim was raised in Manhattan as an only child who was immersed in his parents' adult world. "A lot of my friends in the neighborhood were older New Yorkers," says Turim, who's 25 and works in a restaurant. He has no idea how many of his classmates were also only children, because it never occurred to him to wonder about it. To him, it was totally unremarkable to grow up with no siblings.Many of the millions of only children in the US will grow up to care for their parents on their own, build their own bonds of kinship and community, and lead their own companies in new and exciting ways. They'll spend much of their lives alone, as all Americans increasingly do, but they won't be lonely. And maybe, once there are enough of them, they'll no longer be seen as "only." They'll just be "children."Ann Friedman is a writer who lives in Los Angeles. She is the coauthor of "Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close."

The coming reign of the only child

Adequately spaced pregnancies can significantly improve maternal and <keyword id="22472928" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="child-health-outcomes" source="keywords">child health outcomes</keyword>, Union Minister Anupriya Patel said on Friday, underlining that this also reduces risks and empowers women to make informed choices about their <keyword id="20548742" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reproductive-health" source="keywords">reproductive health</keyword>. "The government's efforts have resulted in reduction of <keyword id="20741690" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="maternal-mortality" source="keywords">maternal mortality</keyword> from over 130 to 97 per one lakh births," the minister of state for health said and also highlighted the efforts taken by states to involve men in <keyword id="19943279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="family-planning" source="keywords">family planning</keyword>. Patel held a meeting with public health experts as part of a series of programmes to observe the World Population Day. The theme of the meeting was "Reaching the Last Mile for Ensuring Healthy Timing and Spacing between Pregnancies: Issues and Challenges." The minister said the government has always been conscious of these issues. "The launch of initiatives such as the <keyword id="22472929" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pradhan-Mantri-Surakshit-Matritva-Abhiyan" source="keywords">Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan</keyword> (PMSMA), extended PMSMA, identification of high-risk pregnancy in PMSMA, Anemia Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and the Post-Partum Family Planning Programme (Post-Partum IUCD and Post Abortion IUCD) are some examples of the government's commitment to the cause," she said. Patel also underscored the importance of an effective communication strategy. "The task of achieving Viksit Bharat (developed India) by 2047 cannot be done without empowering our women. Healthy timing and spacing between pregnancies are very important for women's health," she said. Additional Secretary and Mission Director NHM at the health ministry, Aradhana Patnaik, highlighted that India has already achieved a total fertility rate (TFR) of two with 31 states and Union territories achieving the replacement level. There is a need for an effective strategy to bring the TFR under replacement level in the remaining five states, the minister said. Patel said that "we would be able to reach the last mile" by empowering the youth, addressing challenges of equal participation of men and women, increasing couple communication, learning from best practices, taking cues from current and historical trends in family planning data and expanding the contraceptive basket of choices. She also stressed on identifying and mapping regions, districts, and blocks with data of issues such as low uptake of <keyword id="22472930" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="family-planning-services" source="keywords">family planning services</keyword>, low demand for modern contraceptives and high unmet needs, and saturating them with services and enhanced social and behaviour change communication.

Healthy timing, spacing between pregnancies crucial for women's health: MoS Patel

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Passengers are suing Royal Caribbean after a cabin attendant was found guilty of hidden recordings.</li><li>A class-action lawsuit estimates that up to 960 passengers may have been secretly filmed.</li></ul>Passengers are suing the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hated-cruises-changed-mind-royal-caribbean-wonder-of-the-seas-2024-9">Royal Caribbean cruise line</a> after a cabin attendant was sentenced to 30 years in prison for <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-caribbean-cleaner-arrested-connection-cameras-bathrooms-watch-girls-video-2024-3">secretly recording adults and children</a> in states of undress with hidden cameras.Two lawsuits, one of which is a class action, were filed last week by passengers who said they were left traumatized after discovering they were victims of the recordings.In one lawsuit, a Hawaii-based passenger, identified as Jane Doe, is seeking $75,000 in damages from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/royal-caribbean">Royal Caribbean.</a>The passenger said in the suit that she was a victim of a "perverted video voyeurism scheme" during her vacation aboard the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/royal-caribbean#:~:text=I%27ve%20sailed%20with%20every%20Royal%20Caribbean%20cruise%20line%20%E2%80%94%20here%27s%20how%20to%20pick%20the%20best%20one%20for%20you">Symphony of the Seas</a> in January.According to the suit, the passenger was informed in April by the Broward Sheriff's Office Special Victim's Unit that she had been recorded while nude in her bathroom and stateroom.It said "the trauma and humiliation of viewing these videos," along with the knowledge that others had viewed them, caused her "lasting emotional and psychological harm."The suit added that the passenger had suffered <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/mental-health/what-is-depression">depression,</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/mental-health/how-to-stop-a-panic-attack">panic attacks</a>, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/signs-of-ibs-2018-11">irritable bowel syndrome</a> since finding out, and that she has undergone therapy to cope with the trauma.The suit follows the sentencing of Arvin Joseph Mirasol, who was her cabin attendant. Mirasol received a sentence of<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/cruise-ship-employee-sentenced-30-years-prison-placing-hidden-cameras-inside-passenger"> 30 years in federal prison</a> in August after pleading guilty to producing child sexual abuse material.Bernardo Pimentel, a lawyer with Leesfield &amp; Partners who is representing the passenger, told Business Insider that, "We have to hold these companies accountable for the actions, the heinous actions, of their employees."Pimentel said the timing of the lawsuit follows an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate a solution with Royal Caribbean, adding that it is entirely coincidental that another suit was filed in the same week.In the separate class-action lawsuit, led by a passenger from New Hampshire, also identified as Jane Doe, the plaintiff said she was on the Symphony of the Seas in late February when Marisol hid a camera in her bathroom and captured her while undressed and "engaging in private activities."The camera was discovered in late February, the lawsuit said.According to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/cruise-ship-employee-sentenced-30-years-prison-placing-hidden-cameras-inside-passenger">press release</a> from the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection seized Mirasol's electronic devices in early March, after a passenger reported finding a hidden camera.Investigators found videos of children in various states of undress, as well as footage of naked women.The August press release said Mirasol had been placing cameras in cabins since December 2023, as well as hiding under beds while guests showered so he could secretly record them leaving the bathroom.The class-action suit estimates there could be up to 960 victims, based on the number of cruises, cabins attended by Mirasol, and passengers per cabin.The passenger behind it said she fears footage secretly taken of her may have been distributed on the internet, including on the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dark-web-changed-the-world-black-markets-arab-spring-2020-3">dark web</a>, causing her to live in "constant fear" that others are viewing it.The suit claims that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-caribbean-first-cruise-what-to-know-photos-2022-6">Royal Caribbean</a> holds vicarious liability for the emotional distress Marisol caused, and also accused the cruise line of negligence.It argues that Royal Caribbean should have foreseen the risk of sexual assault, given the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-major-cruise-ship-companies-failing-victims-of-sexual-assault-2023-11">prevalence of such incidents on ships.</a>According to a<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/royal-caribbean-carnival-sexual-assaults-cruise-lines-2023-1"> 2023 Business Insider analysis</a> of data provided by the US Department of Transportation, of the approximate 500 incidents of sexual assault documented aboard 13 major cruise lines from January 2010 to September 2022, about 70% occurred on either Royal Caribbean or Carnival ships.Royal Caribean did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.Royal Caribbean Cruises stock closed at $203.35 on Tuesday, up 1.72%, and close to the 52-week-high reached last Thursday.

Royal Caribbean passengers are suing over an employee who recorded women and kids with hidden cameras

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Child-focused parenting is when parents center activities and schedules around kids.</li><li>Like gentle parenting, it can lead to burnout and worse-behaved kids.</li></ul>When Michaeleen Doucleff became a parent, she read books on how to ensure her child's happiness. She wanted to be a good mom, to not deprive her daughter of something important.That process really kicked into gear <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-thought-having-a-toddler-would-be-easier-2023-1">as she got older</a>, when her daughter started developing interests and friendships. As her world opened up, so too did Doucleff's options for parenting. Until her daughter was five, Doucleff dutifully carted her child to activities around San Francisco. A birthday party, a play area, a kid's museum. Weekends were exhausting — packed with kids-only events — but that's the deal, right?This is known as child-focused parenting, a style devised in the 90s that has become the norm in the last decade. The idea is that kids' education and enrichment take top priority.You may have heard of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gentle-parenting-bust-millennial-parents-helicopter-kids-misbehave-permissive-authoritative-2024-6">gentle parenting</a>, which teaches parents to communicate calmly with their screaming toddlers. Child-focused parenting takes it a step further, ensuring the child's entire world is engaging, whether on an educational excursion or structured play session."Every moment is scheduled with a child-centric activity," Doucleff, who was inspired to write "<a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=bi-auto-72091-20&amp;h=559b47f573d282d123d9ba0462b3f2a56101f7fc284ea2c76330f17500660003&amp;postID=668c591f7d643e28300a6b0e&amp;postSlug=child-focused-parenting-bad-for-kids-parents-2024-7&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fbookshop.org%2Fp%2Fbooks%2Fhunt-gather-parent-what-ancient-cultures-can-teach-us-about-the-lost-art-of-raising-happy-helpful-little-humans-michaeleen-doucleff%2F16059901%3Fgad_source%3D1%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwnK60BhA9EiwAmpHZw8aU9VZFTC5S1yNfit5gUVwciTIbpEWSxA2vEslfvYfJDI_U-qpAGBoCtwkQAvD_BwE">Hunt, Gather, Parent</a>" as an antidote to child-focused parenting, told Business Insider. "Your life is focused around these things that are just for the child and not for you or collectively as the family at all."Doucleff's views on her parenting style started to shift when she spoke to Suzanne Gaskins, a professor of psychology at Northeastern Illinois University who <a target="_blank" href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-16948-012">researches childhood practices around the world</a>. "She told me that these child-centered activities are in a way depriving kids of what they actually need: the adult world," Doucleff said.Gaskins isn't the only psychology professional against child-focused parenting. In a resurfaced podcast clip, famed psychology researcher<a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8AjueNJvGT/"> Brené Brown told Tim Ferriss</a> that her family is a "family-focused family," where "the family agrees about what will keep a family healthy."Now, parents like Doucleff are shunning pressures to make their children the most important family members at all times. They're learning how to get their kids to adapt to their lives, feeling less burned out — and with less anxious kids.<h2 id="dac97b3f-f11a-4798-a084-e74088a52037">The history of child-focused parenting</h2>Kid-focused parenting is "very new," according to Doucleff. "Even European-American middle-class parenting was very different 50 to 100 years ago," she said.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.history.com/news/life-for-the-average-family-during-the-great-depression">Children growing up during the Great Depression</a> found entertainment through family board game nights and radio programs: going to a movie theater was a luxury for many. In the 1950s, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.romper.com/p/12-things-parents-did-in-the-50s-that-millennial-parents-should-bring-back-3218481">parents prioritized their marriage</a> and encouraged kids to play outside. Gen Xers, born between 1965 and 1980, <a target="_blank" href="https://daily.jstor.org/latchkey-generation-bad/">grew up as latchkey kids</a>, left to their own devices while their parents worked.That started to shift in the '80s and '90s. "Intensive mothering," <a target="_blank" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1rrd8rb">a term coined by Sharon Hays in 1996</a>, describes a major change in mainstream American parenting. According to Caitlyn Collins, associate professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, intensive mothering "is incredibly time-intensive, expensive, emotionally heavy, and prioritizes the child's well-being above all else, typically subsuming the mother's needs underneath the child's needs."It's hard to know exactly what caused the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/01/intensive-helicopter-parenting-inequality/580528/">rise in intensive parenting</a>. One theory is that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w15284">college admissions became more competitive in the mid-90s</a>, creating a culture centered on children's individual success. Suddenly, parents' and kids' lives revolved around education and extracurriculars to maximize their chances of Ivy admission. Great parents prioritized interactive educational experiences for their five-year-olds on weekends and proper socialization via birthday parties."We tie a lot of morality to these ideals about parenting — who is a 'good parent,' a 'worthy parent,' is deeply wrapped up in how we see ourselves and our value," Collins said. The pressure has only gotten worse for mothers who compare themselves to wealthy "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unfollowed-momfluencers-bad-parenting-2024-3">momfluencers</a>," feeling a strong need to keep up with Disney trips and<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/kitchen/creative-lunch-box-products"> aesthetic bento boxes</a>, she added.<div type="image" title="A disappointed child at a birthday party" height="1414" width="2121" msid="112228852" hostid="261" sizebytes="111708"></div><h2 id="150983f8-8cc2-4292-8755-c79208ee37ba">Children grow up less resilient and more anxious</h2>Being dragged from playdate to playdate can sound like a parent is doing the most for their kid. But, often, these<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mom-brings-back-nineties-summers-no-technology-structure-2024-7"> highly structured</a> activities are just overwhelming, Doucleff said. She remembered her daughter being around screaming kids for hours at museum activities."At the end of it, she's screaming because it is so overstimulating and she's tired," Doucleff said. "I had a child that often was worse behaved.""If you really want your kid to be a responsible, good, and capable human, it's all about role modeling," Dr. Jenny Woo, the founder and CEO of<a target="_blank" href="http://mindbrainemotion.com/"> Mind Brain Emotion</a> and creator of<a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=bi-auto-72091-20&amp;h=c51edc62b43a190922409136cee0057b9685b86fff2b1201b0b801dbc308670f&amp;postID=668c591f7d643e28300a6b0e&amp;postSlug=child-focused-parenting-bad-for-kids-parents-2024-7&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FESSENTIAL-LIFE-SKILLS-GAME-CHORES%2Fdp%2FB0BVTK9NLH"> 52 Essential Life Skills</a>, told BI. Ironically, child-focused parenting teaches kids that it's normal to forego your identity and boundaries.Instead of being prepared for adult life, "the child's world is completely separated from the adult world," Doucleff said. It does kids a huge disservice, as they miss out on learning important life skills. Now, she brings her daughter along on errands or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unsupervised-play-outdoors-kids-neighborhood-benefits-2024-5">takes her to the park</a> to play with other kids, where she can be more autonomous.Doucleff was inspired to make these changes after traveling to the Arctic, where she observed children helping their families hunt whales or prepare dinner. She said having a sense of purpose made children more emotionally mature."I remember flying back into America and seeing kids at the same age screaming in the airport because they didn't want to share their potato chips," Doucleff said. "This is unheard of in many cultures, for a child of that age to have very little emotional regulation."Woo, who teaches at UC Irvine, said she's witnessed the lasting effects of child-focused parenting. Some students have a "lack of resourcefulness, not knowing where to go, how to do something, who to turn to and feeling very paralyzed," causing them anxiety.Tellingly, she said these same students' parents often pay for laundry services and other assistance to make college a smoother experience for their (now adult) children.<h2 id="f93408f6-7305-4e04-949f-f04c6a18b264">Parents are starting to ditch parenting styles that leave them depleted</h2><a target="_blank" href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/01/24/parenting-in-america-today/">Most US parents find parenting harder than expected</a>, according to a 2023 Pew Research poll of over 3,700 participants. Some are questioning whether their expectations around child-rearing are more to blame for their stress than the demands of parenting. Collins said that "encouragingly, more women are recognizing that this burden really shouldn't be theirs alone, and pushing back against these cultural ideals."They're <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-parent-who-ditched-gentle-parenting-it-doesnt-work-2024-6">ditching parenting styles</a> that leave them depleted. "Personally, it was way more work for me to cart my child to all these things," Doucleff said.It's not always smooth sailing; Doucleff said you have to adjust some chores so that kids can join you and put up with the occasional tantrum. "The parent has to be a little uncomfortable sometimes, but in the end, it becomes this really beautiful, easier parenting method," she said. Woo suggested letting kids slowly take on more responsibility when you're out together, such as ordering their own food.Some parents have been making <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mother-daughter-birthday-party-debate-2024-2">adjustments to events like birthday parties</a>, focusing more on intimate family time rather than a 30-kid backyard bash. They <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/took-little-kids-camping-maine-summer-fun-outdoors-huttopia-2024-6">take their kids camping</a> or<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-keep-kids-entertained-during-summer-break-2024-6"> make crafts with them</a> to make time together more meaningful.The real world is richer than the bubbles kids are kept in, Doucleff said. Her daughter bonded with her and grew so much once she started joining her mom on international work trips.It led to her daughter, now nine, starting a dog-walking business on her own this year. "To me, that's a way more important experience than going to Disney World," Doucleff said.

Child-focused parenting is exhausting. Some parents are finally ditching it.

Every year, nearly 6,500 <keyword id="20068743" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="adolescent-girls" source="keywords">adolescent girls</keyword> in <keyword id="19897710" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-Asia" source="keywords">South Asia</keyword> die giving birth. Most of them are minors <keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="WHO" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="WHO">who</keyword> have limited power over their reproductive health or lives, according to a joint analysis done by <keyword id="20018080" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UNICEF" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="UNICEF" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="UNICEF">UNICEF</keyword>, WHO and <keyword id="20802066" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UNFPA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="UNFPA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="UNFPA">UNFPA</keyword>. South Asia accounts for 290 million <keyword id="22387193" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="child-brides" source="keywords">child brides</keyword> - nearly half of the world's burden. In three countries in South Asia, they are also four times more likely to be out of school than their unmarried peers, as per the analysis done by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), <keyword id="19902256" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-health-organisation" source="keywords">World Health Organisation</keyword> (WHO) and United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). At the two-day regional dialogue on adolescent pregnancy in South Asia, which concluded on Friday, the <keyword id="20679678" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SAARC" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SAARC" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SAARC">SAARC</keyword> countries, UNICEF South Asia, UNFPA and WHO called for increased commitment to critical services for over 2.2 million adolescent girls that give birth yearly in South Asia, a joint press release issued by the agencies said. "I appreciate the role of governments, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society for the improvements made by the SAARC region over the years in reducing <keyword id="22387194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="teenage-pregnancy" source="keywords">teenage pregnancy</keyword>," said Ambassador Golam Sarwar, the Secretary General of SAARC. "But the region still has a long way to go. I call upon everyone to resolutely address the root causes including child marriage, access to adolescent health education, and removing social stigma in managing the teenage population of the SAARC region," he said. Every year, nearly 6,500 adolescent girls die in childbirth in South Asia, according to the analysis by UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA. Most of them are child brides who have limited or negligible power and autonomy over their reproductive health or lives. When young girls give birth, their lives can be at risk as they are not yet physically ready to give birth. Thousands more girls are forced to drop out of school, face stigma, rejection, violence, unemployment as well as lifelong social challenges. Forty-nine per cent of young girls in South Asia are not in education, employment or training - the highest in the world, the press release said. "We must do better for adolescent girls, particularly those who are married, pregnant or parents. In addition to hurdles to learn, get good healthcare and eat nutritious food, they are denied the opportunity to build skills and start businesses -- everything they need as parents to thrive and fulfil their potential," said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia. "We must work together and invest in opportunities to unleash the promise of more than 170 million adolescent girls in South Asia. Doing so would be transformative for this region," he said. Government and UN officials, adolescent girls, as well as civil society representatives from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have participated in the dialogue and reaffirmed their commitment to providing better services to support pregnant adolescent girls and young mothers. This includes opportunities to learn, set up their businesses, and earn a living. The event held in Kathmandu over July 11-12 was jointly organised by SAARC, WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA and was inaugurated by the Secretary General of SAARC, Ambassador Golam Sarwar. Adolescent mothers have a much higher risk of dying from maternal causes, compared to women in their 20s and 30s. "It is high time that we reverse this trend. The unique physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and sexual development during adolescence necessitates special attention in national and international policies. Effective strategies to tackle adolescent pregnancy require cross-sectoral collaboration and equitable access to a variety of services," said Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.

Over 6,500 adolescent girls die giving birth every year across South Asia, says a recent study

In her <keyword id="19906106" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Interim-Budget" source="keywords">Interim Budget</keyword> speech in February 2024, <keyword id="20385790" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Finance-Minister" source="keywords">Union Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> celebrated what she termed as the Modi government's landmark achievement: unleashing 'nari shakti' or women's power through various initiatives since 2014. Among these, the creation of one crore 'Lakhpati Didis' — women whose annual household income exceeds one lakh rupees — under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), has garnered significant attention. <h2>The hype around it </h2>Imagine being a <keyword id="20416259" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lakhpati-Didi" source="keywords">Lakhpati Didi</keyword> — a rural woman whose annual household income exceeds Rs. 1 lakh. These women are not just financial achievers; they are community leaders who inspire others through their entrepreneurial journeys. Their success stories highlight the transformative impact of self-help groups (SHGs) and collective action in rural India. Launched amid much fanfare on August 15, 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, the 'Lakhpati Didi' scheme aims to empower women through diverse skill development programs, from producing LED bulbs to operating agricultural drones. Partnering with entities like Patanjali, Flipkart, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the initiative also focuses on branding and marketing these products, ostensibly connecting women with credit lines and MUDRA loans for financial support. Almost an year on, the scheme is all set to get some well-deserved boost in the Budget 2024 to be presented on July 23. However, the time also apt to examine if it has actually contributed to <keyword id="20009191" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-empowerment" source="keywords">women empowerment</keyword> in the country. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111915324" title="Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to table Economic Survey in Parliament today" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>The reality check </h2>Critics argue that such schemes may inadvertently tether women's SHGs to corporate networks, potentially benefiting transnational agribusiness giants aligned with the government. Programs like 'Namo Drone Didi', allocated Rs. 500 crore in the Interim Budget, exemplify this trend by integrating women into digital agriculture, albeit under the influence of corporate agendas. Further, while the Interim Budget championed the narrative of women's economic prosperity, it failed to adequately address their basic needs. Despite claims of empowerment, essential schemes such as PM Awas Yojana (Rural) and Har Ghar Jal have seen significant budgetary underspending, raising concerns about the government's commitment to women's welfare beyond mere rhetoric. For instance, the underutilisation of funds in Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and the shrinking allocations for crucial subsidies like nutrition and education further highlight the disconnect between budgetary outlays and on-ground impact. This trend suggests a shift in responsibility towards state governments without commensurate support from the Union government, leaving vulnerable populations like widows and rural women at risk. Overall, the well-intentioned narrative around the scheme needs better translation and execution on ground to achieve desired outcomes. <h2>Looking ahead </h2>Until now, the budgetary allocation for women-centric programs have remained disproportionately low, with the Ministry of Women and Child Development having been allocated Rs 26,000 crore in 2024-25, an increase of 2.52% compared to the previous budget. This paltry investment underscores a broader pattern of neglecting systemic issues such as gender-based violence, social discrimination and pro-corporate stance. As Budget 2024 approaches, stakeholders eagerly anticipate policies that not only boost economic growth but also empower rural women as entrepreneurs and leaders. While Lakhpati Didi stands poised to empower rural women with opportunities and support, more steps are needed to make it more sustainable. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111689743" title="Union Budget 2024: A handy FAQ guide to decode the upcoming budget" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Budget 2024: Can Lakhpati Didi Yojana’s reality inspire better focus on women?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Illinois is launching a guaranteed basic income pilot for families in the child welfare system.</li><li>The EmPwR program will provide monthly cash payments to 400 families for a year.</li></ul>Experts in Illinois are planning to test whether cash can help reduce cases of child maltreatment. Beginning this fall, the statewide Empower Parenting with Resources (<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.empwrstudy.com/about.html">EmPwR</a>) <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-parents-afford-childcare-get-stable-jobs-gbi-ubi-2024-8">guaranteed basic income</a> pilot will give 400 families involved in the child welfare system monthly cash payments for a year, no strings attached. All participants will be selected from households that are enrolled in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/give-foster-child-safe-space-cope-emotional-trauma-2024-1">children and family services</a>, meaning the state has determined they need support or monitoring after a child abuse or neglect investigation.Researchers hope that boosting parents' income through GBI will help prevent maltreatment. Studies and basic income pilots have previously found that cash payments can mitigate neglect by strengthening parents' access to basic necessities. Researchers <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-child-tax-credit-reduce-child-abuse-rates-2024-4">have also told BI</a> that reducing family financial stress can lead to lower rates of physical abuse and domestic violence."Many of the families that we would see have deeper involvement in foster care and child welfare are dealing with gaps and the holes in the safety net," said Mike Shaver, the CEO of Brightpoint, a Chicago-based organization that provides child welfare and family support programs.The GBI pilot is a partnership between the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Brightpoint. Funding will come from the Department of Children and Family Services and various foundations.The 400 families <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/universal-basic-income-ubi">receiving cash payments</a> from EmPwR will be compared to a control group of 400 additional families who meet the criteria for the program but will not receive payments. All 800 families will continue receiving other child welfare services as usual.Shaver said there is no income requirement for participants, and the monthly cash amount families receive will vary based on the number of children they have and the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-food-healthcare-housing-cost-most-expensive-us-cities-2024-2">local cost of living</a>. Researchers expect to enroll participants and control group members on a rolling basis.EmPwR joins <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-gbi-ubi-low-income-americans-afford-housing-food-2024-5">over 100 guaranteed basic income pilots</a> across the country — programs that typically offer participants between $100 and $2,000 a month for a set period of time as an approach to poverty reduction. Previous guaranteed basic income participants have told BI they used the money to afford rent, groceries, childcare, and prescriptions.Giving parents money is an increasingly <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/harris-trump-proposals-boost-child-tax-credit-give-parents-money-2024-8">popular policy idea</a>. Several of America's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-states-cities-have-guaranteed-basic-income-programs-low-income-2024-4">guaranteed basic income </a>programs are already giving cash to single parents, low-income pregnant people, and foster youth. Other<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-will-government-help-during-recession-unemployment-checks-parents-biden-2022-12"> federal safety net programs</a> like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) also aim to help parents financially. Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, both Democrats and Republicans have also shown support for an expanded <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/child-tax-credit-new-parents-cut-taxes-harris-economic-policy-2024-8">child tax credit</a>.However, it's worth noting that not all cases of child abuse or maltreatment are caused by poverty-related neglect."The idea here is that it's not to say that all neglect is caused by poverty or is the only answer," said Will Schneider, associate professor of social work at the University of Illinois and a principal investigator for the EmPwR pilot. "But that cash assistance is a missing piece of the puzzle."<h2 id="9d641ce6-d14e-4761-995b-b382234f77fc">Illinois hopes guaranteed basic income will reduce cases of poverty-related neglect</h2>Illinois' GBI program comes as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ncsl.org/human-services/policy-levers-for-preventing-child-maltreatment">nearly four million</a> families are referred to the child welfare system every year.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5227926/"> About 38%</a> of all children — and 53% of Black children — will experience a Child Protective Services investigation by the time they turn 18.These child welfare referrals can stem from suspected physical harm, sexual abuse, or situations where a child isn't given basic necessities. And, this system involvement can lead to parents losing custody and children being put in short or long-term <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/foster-care-influenced-parenting-style-2024-3">foster care</a>.However, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5227926/">over 70%</a> of all maltreatment reports in the US are neglect cases, typically because a child isn't receiving adequate childcare, meals, or hygiene, according to Schneider. Because of this, low-income families — many of whom are facing <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/parents-lower-income-alice-paycheck-to-paycheck-minimum-wage-insecurity-2024-5">housing and food insecurity</a> — are <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.cbpp.org/research/income-security/research-reinforces-providing-cash-to-families-in-poverty-reduces-risk-of#_ftn18">at least three times more likely</a> to be reported for neglect than families who are not struggling financially.While there are helpful tools, such as the caregiving classes and violence prevention services often offered by the welfare system, these interventions sometimes don't address the root cause of neglect cases, Schneider said. Some <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poverty-statistics-new-york-city-most-millionaires-2024-2">low-income parents</a> aren't receiving the resources or government assistance they need to care for themselves and their children. Without financial support, parents can fall back into the system."Parents know what's best for their kids and want to do what's best for their kids," Schneider said. "And, given access to support, they'll make those choices."Throughout the EmPwR pilot, researchers at the University of Illinois plan to track quantitative data like participants' spending, along with conducting surveys and interviews with participants about their experiences. They will also track the number of times families are referred back into the welfare system while receiving payments. The pilot is also statewide, so researchers will compare the safety and financial outcomes of families living in rural areas with those living in cities. Family service programs are often more difficult to access in rural areas, Schneider said.<h2 id="409224d0-f17c-4d69-83cd-43ea237e65bd">Research shows financial support can boost family safety</h2>There is already evidence that financial support and no-strings-attached cash can reduce cases of neglect and household violence.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-child-tax-credit-reduce-child-abuse-rates-2024-4">BI previously reported</a> on a study published in January by doctors at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's PolicyLab, which found that family finances are a key predictor of child welfare involvement. For instance, child hospitalizations for severe head trauma spiked <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-abuse-economy/child-abuse-climbed-with-recession-study-idUSTRE78J0JU20110920/">during the 2008 financial crisis</a>.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1538544223002031?via%3Dihub">The study</a> found that housing assistance programs, <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-childcare-costs-in-us-women-workforce-cheapest-countries-kids-2024-2">affordable childcare</a>, guaranteed basic income, and tax credits limit maltreatment and reduce the number of children placed in foster care.In July, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/los-angeles-guaranteed-basic-income-pilot-ubi-partner-violence-employment-2024-7#:~:text=Los%20Angeles%20gave%20families%20%241%2C000,Now%20the%20results%20are%20in.&amp;text=The%20largest%20basic%20income%20pilot,security%2C%20and%20safer%20home%20situations.">Los Angeles</a> released results of a GBI pilot that gave 3,200 households $1,000 monthly for a year, beginning in January 2022. Within the first six months of the program, participants — some of which were parents and all of whom were living near the poverty line — left situations of intimate partner violence more frequently than the pilot's control group.To be sure, guaranteed basic income pilots are temporary. It is not yet clear if cash payments will have a lasting effect on families' financial security and child welfare involvement in the months or years after EmPwR ends. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-ban-ubi-arizona-texas-houston-homelessness-poverty-2024-2">Some politicians and economists</a> also say the millions of dollars it costs to run a GBI program isn't sustainable for taxpayers or private funders.Still, Schneider said that giving basic income to families in the child welfare system could help parents better afford food, housing, and healthcare. He said the program also aims to provide insights for future policies that prevent maltreatment and keep families together.Have you participated in a guaranteed basic income program? Are you open to sharing how you spent your money? If so, reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" class="" href="mailto:allisonkelly@businessinsider.com">allisonkelly@businessinsider.com</a>.

Illinois is launching a basic income pilot for 400 families in the child welfare system in the hopes of reducing maltreatment

In the Pindwara village of Rajasthan, a grassroots-level initiative led by local women has transformed the community's approach to nutrition. The women, part of a self-help group, began cultivating kitchen gardens to ensure a steady supply of diverse and nutritious food for their families. These gardens now yield various fruits and vegetables, contributing to a balanced diet and reducing the community's dependence on market-bought, often less nutritious food items. This initiative has improved health and empower women by giving them control over their family's nutrition. Similarly, in the tribal regions of Chhattisgarh, a collective effort by local community leaders has revitalized traditional agricultural practices. The community has reintroduced indigenous crops like millets and pulses, which are more resilient to the changing climate and require fewer resources to cultivate. These crops are rich in essential nutrients and have historically been part of the local diet. The community's efforts have not only preserved these traditional foods but also improved the nutritional status of the population, particularly children and women. These <keyword id="22748061" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="community-led" source="keywords">community-led</keyword> initiatives are part of a broader pattern observed in a recent study on <keyword id="22747862" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="diet-diversity" source="keywords">diet diversity</keyword> in <keyword id="20109648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rural-India" source="keywords">rural India</keyword>. The qualitative study by NGO Vitamin Angels India and supported by UNICEF, conducted across several states, found that communities with strong local leadership and grassroots initiatives showed significant improvements in diet diversity and nutritional outcomes. According to government data, about 17% of children in the age group of 0-5 years are underweight, while 36% are stunted and 6% are wasted (too thin for their height, indicating acute malnutrition). Stunted, wasted, and underweight are key indicators of malnutrition in children aged 0-5 years. The research highlighted that while government programs and interventions are essential, the involvement and initiative of the community are critical to the success and sustainability of these efforts. One of the key findings of the study was that communities with active local participation in nutrition-related activities, such as kitchen gardening and the cultivation of traditional crops, had a higher intake of diverse and nutritious food. The research, which employed a mix of focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and home observations, reveals how collective and individual contexts -- ranging from socio-cultural norms to economic challenges -- influence dietary practices across different communities like the brick-kiln workers, fishers, and salt pan workers among others. This was particularly evident in regions where women played a central role in these initiatives. The study also noted that these communities were more resilient to food insecurity and were better able to cope with economic and environmental challenges. For example, the study looked into the lives of salt pan workers in Jodhpur who prioritize their children's nutrition despite financial hardships. They ensure that their children never go hungry, even if it means offering biscuits or bread-milk. It suggested that while government initiatives provide the necessary framework and resources, real change happens when communities take ownership of these programmes and adapt them to their local contexts. To enhance the effectiveness of nutritional interventions for pregnant women and children under five, several key recommendations emerge from the study. First, there is a critical need to strengthen the role of ASHA and Anganwadi workers, who are often the primary source of health information in many communities. By providing these workers with advanced training that equips them to offer tailored advice based on the specific socio-cultural and economic contexts of the families they serve, the reach and impact of nutritional programs can be significantly increased. Subsidies for essential complementary foods are another vital measure to address the financial barriers that many families face. These subsidies would ensure that even in economically disadvantaged households, children receive the necessary nutrients during crucial developmental stages, the study recommended. Additionally, promoting a blend of legacy knowledge with modern nutritional insights can lead to more culturally acceptable and effective practices. Health education programs that respect and incorporate local beliefs while introducing scientifically backed practices are likely to be more successful in achieving sustainable behavioral change. Support for maternal health is also paramount. Implementing programs that provide additional food or rest for pregnant women, particularly during the last trimester, can have a positive impact on both maternal and child health outcomes. These programs should be designed with an understanding of local familial structures and dynamics, ensuring that they are accessible and acceptable within the community. Community-based nutritional programs should be developed to emphasize the importance of child nutrition and encourage collective action. Workshops and informational sessions led by trusted community members or healthcare professionals can play a crucial role in disseminating knowledge and encouraging healthy practices. Finally, improving access to fresh and nutritious food, particularly in remote or economically disadvantaged areas, is essential. This could involve initiatives such as creating community gardens, improving market access, or providing transportation subsidies to reach markets with a wider variety of foods.

Community-led nutrition initiatives in rural India can boost diet diversity, empower women, says study

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The bird flu, or avian influenza, is increasingly worrying public-health experts.</li><li>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bird-flu-avian-influenza-outbreak-us-h5n1-wiping-out-everything-2023-4">H5N1 bird flu virus</a> is changing, creeping closer to humans, and getting more opportunities to adapt.</li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bird-flu-virus-h5n1-new-human-case-michigan-respiratory-symptoms-2024-6">Bird flu</a> is flying wild, and it has many infectious disease experts more worried now than ever.The H5N1 avian influenza virus has killed tens of millions of birds across the planet and more than 40,000 sea lions and seals. For animals, it's a pandemic.Still, the CDC says the risk to humans is low. Most people seem to have very little chance, if any, of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bird-flu-eggs-meat-milk-dairy-safety-during-outbreak-2024-4">catching H5N1 avian influenza</a> right now.Only three people in the US have tested positive for the virus since its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bird-flu-cattle-outbreak-repeat-mistakes-former-surgeon-general-warning-2024-4">surprising break into the cattle population</a>, and they all had direct contact with infected cows.<div type="image" title="farmer man in overalls blue and white button shirt and camo cap reaches over a wooden fence to scratch a cow wearing a bow inside an indoors stall full of hay" height="1500" width="2250" msid="110949087" hostid="261" sizebytes="321112"></div>But infectious disease experts are increasingly concerned that the H5N1 virus could <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/3-viruses-scientists-are-watching-for-the-next-pandemic-2022-4">make a sustained jump into humans</a> and start spreading among us. That's not inevitable, but several recent developments suggest it's a growing threat."There's a lot going on," Dr. Monica Gandhi, a professor of medicine and associate chief of the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, told Business Insider. "I'm becoming more worried."You shouldn't panic, but you should probably know what's going on. This virus is a leading candidate for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-says-world-needs-billion-year-prevent-next-pandemic-2022-6">the next pandemic</a>, and four developments in the past month have experts worried.Here's what you need to know.<h2 id="a6efdbe9-4727-4b3a-b934-ceccc3f63ba8">Bird flu hospitalized a child in Australia</h2>On Friday the World Health Organization announced that a 2-year-old had become Australia's first human case of H5N1 in March.After returning from travel to Kolkata, India, the child's symptoms — loss of appetite, fever, coughing, vomiting, and irritability, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2024-DON519">according</a> to WHO — put them in the hospital for two and a half weeks, including admission to the intensive care unit.As human cases crop up in different parts of the world, epidemiologists like Christopher Dye become more concerned."There's such a vast amount of virus at the moment. And clearly it is changing, and it's doing new and unexpected things," Dye, a professor and senior research fellow at the University of Oxford, told BI.<div type="image" title="researcher in white lab coat blue medical gloves and protective goggles works with an ice bucket containing small samples of milk in a lab" height="1500" width="2250" msid="110949085" hostid="261" sizebytes="166070"></div>He recently co-authored a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bmj.com/content/385/bmj.q1199.full">paper</a>, published in the medical journal BMJ, arguing that the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-real-is-the-last-of-us-science-behind-fungus-pandemic-2023-1">risk of a major human outbreak</a> is "large, plausible, and imminent.""<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/influenza-more-worrisone-than-zika-ebola-2016-4">Influenza has always been a concern</a> for decades and decades, and this particular form of influenza for at least two decades," Dye said. "But now, it's risen to a level of concern, I think, which is greater than ever before."<h2 id="17691a35-dcc3-4171-8b3c-1c847c1e9bb6">Mice could bring bird flu into homes</h2>A total of 47 house mice have tested positive for H5N1 in New Mexico, the US Department of Agriculture reported on Tuesday."Mice are kind of everywhere," Gandhi said. "They're around other animals, they're around humans a lot. And it's a little worrisome."<div type="image" title="brown mouse with white belly sits eating small piece of something in the snow" height="1500" width="2250" msid="110949089" hostid="261" sizebytes="37666"></div>The samples were collected from the sick mice in early May. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/why-the-discovery-of-h5n1-bird-flu-in-mice-is-so-alarming/">The Telegraph</a>, scientists suspect that the mice, as well as some domestic cats, may have gotten the virus from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bird-flu-milk-food-safety-former-surgeon-general-doctor-2024-4">drinking raw milk from infected cows</a>. (Public health experts resoundingly advise that people should not drink unpasteurized, aka "raw," milk.)"This brings the virus closer to human homes," Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, told The Telegraph. "This is out of control," he added.Every new population of animals, and every new exposure to humans, is another opportunity for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-hiv-had-coronavirus-216-days-virus-mutated-2021-6">the virus to mutate</a> and adapt.<h2 id="abc7e6b4-b179-449b-b66c-ad52a39458d8">One mutation suggests the virus has started adapting</h2><div type="image" title="h5n1 virus microscope image shows black and white long straight worm-shaped organism" height="1500" width="2250" msid="110949092" hostid="261" sizebytes="157400"></div>When the CDC analyzed a virus sample from the second US farmworker infected, they spotted a mutation in the virus's replication machinery — the way it gets inside its host's cells to make copies of itself.It's a change "associated with viral adaptation to mammalian hosts," the CDC said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/spotlights/2023-2024/h5n1-technical-update-may-24-2024.html">statement in May</a>. The statement also said that studies in mice indicate this type of genetic mutation in the virus is associated with more severe disease and enhanced viral replication.That doesn't make it a human virus yet, though.Other than this one change, H5N1 has mainly "avian virus properties and not human virus properties," Richard Webby, a virologist at St. Jude and director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds, told BI.That means the virus is better adapted to thrive and spread among birds, not humans.Still, that could change.<h2 id="ddfee4b3-1706-4652-9418-5ae34679d762">The latest US case had a troubling cough</h2>The first two farmworkers to test positive for H5N1 in the US had <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/treatments/pink-eye-treatment">pink eye</a>. But the third case, reported in Michigan in May, featured a cough and sore throat.That means H5N1 was in that worker's respiratory system, which is a scarier place to find a threatening virus than in our eyes.For one thing, it's easier to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-covid-positive-biden-statement-meadows-book-coughing-on-people-2021-12">spread a virus by coughing</a> or sneezing than by, well, sharing eye fluid.<div type="image" title="A man coughing" height="1439" width="2084" msid="110949086" hostid="261" sizebytes="169668"></div>The good news is that, as far as scientists can tell, H5N1 is still not adapted to humans enough to transmit between us. The CDC has reported no evidence that the coughing farmworker spread the virus to anyone else.But that doesn't mean H5N1 can't mutate to achieve human-to-human transmission — which brings us to the second unfortunate reality of this farmworker's respiratory infection. Compared to the eyes, human lungs are a more convenient place for an avian virus to get more mammalian, according to Webby. In the lungs, the virus is exposed to more of the cell receptors that a mammalian virus would bind to, giving H5N1 more opportunity to mutate and start grabbing onto those receptors — thereby becoming better adapted to infecting and spreading between humans.Many experts fear the USDA and CDC aren't monitoring cattle and farmworkers closely enough to catch concerning mutations early, and that other human cases may be going undetected.<div type="image" title="blue gloved hands in a white lab coat hold a large syringe and a lab tube of fluid" height="1500" width="2250" msid="110949093" hostid="261" sizebytes="47636"></div>"I think there's enough of a threat here to be very alert so that we have a surveillance system in place that, as soon as this happens, we can find it," Dye said.<h2 id="048d06aa-b91d-4421-b98b-5ae259b70f87">Vaccines are in the works</h2>The good news is that bird flu is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/august-flu-vs-covid-infection-rate-2023-8">not COVID-19</a>. Scientists have been tracking this virus and its entire viral family tree, watching for any sign of a growing threat to humans, for decades.As a result, the key elements of a vaccine are already on standby. The US is beginning to manufacture millions of vaccines using "candidate vaccine viruses" — weakened influenza viruses — that the CDC has developed.<div type="image" title="how does the flu shot work" height="1414" width="2121" msid="110949090" hostid="261" sizebytes="78400"></div>Though the candidates are not necessarily perfect matches to H5N1, and the vaccines' use of eggs may be a manufacturing roadblock if bird flu is sweeping the chicken population, they may provide some immunity in the case of a human outbreak.Furthermore, scientists now have proven <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mrna-vaccine-pfizer-moderna-coronavirus-2020-12">mRNA vaccine technology</a> at the ready. Vaccines that use mRNA, of which the COVID-19 vaccines were the first approved for use, are more flexible and faster to develop than traditional vaccines — and they don't require eggs.<div type="image" title="white shiny eggs on a machine coming out of a pink glowing chamber" height="1500" width="2667" msid="110949091" hostid="261" sizebytes="187078"></div>Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have already <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2024/may/penn-researchers-develop-experimental-mrna-avian-flu-vaccine">developed</a> an experimental mRNA vaccine for H5N1, which they've successfully tested in mice and ferrets.If H5N1 becomes a problem in humans, a vaccine could be offered with the flu shot you get later this year.In the meantime, bird flu is a looming threat to keep an eye on."As far as I can see, this is not going to go away anytime soon," Dye said.

Why 4 new bird flu developments have experts worried about the virus

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Education Department is requesting information on expanding Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility.</li><li>It's considering the inclusion of for-profit early childhood educators in PSLF.</li></ul>President Joe Biden's Education Department wants feedback on making more student-loan borrowers eligible for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-happening-with-public-service-loan-forgiveness-mohela-transition-2024-4">Public Service Loan Forgiveness</a>.PSLF forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of qualifying payments, and under Biden, over 900,000 borrowers have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-student-loan-forgiveness-borrowers-save-plan-pslf-debt-cancellation-2024-4">been approved for relief</a> through the program.However, according to an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-issues-request-information-operational-approaches-extend-public-service-loan-forgiveness-early-childhood-educators">announcement</a> from the Education Department last week, the program has excluded early childhood educators since its inception in 2007 because many of them run small businesses, and their own or their employer's for-profit tax statuses make them ineligible for PSLF.As a result, the Education Department issued a Request for Information on what it would entail to extend PSLF eligibility to early childhood educators. This could make 450,000 workers eligible for the program if they have federal student loans, according to data from the HHS's National Survey of Early Care and Education."Early childhood educators help young children learn, grow, and thrive. But they are often poorly compensated, and student debt is a problem," Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal said in a statement. "If these educators can access Public Service Loan Forgiveness, we can help our youngest children, their families, and their communities."The public can submit comments to the Federal Register regarding information, research, and suggestions on including for-profit early childhood educators in PSLF <a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/06/20/2024-13446/request-for-information-on-identifying-and-tracking-data-related-to-early-childhood-education">here</a>. The public comment period ends on July 22.According to background information from the Education Department, this information request will not be used as part of the formal rulemaking process related to for-profit workers and PSLF eligibility; rather, it'll be used to help the department develop non-rulemaking approaches related to this issue.Expanding student-loan forgiveness eligibility to these workers could be significant, particularly because early childhood educators are among the lowest-paid jobs in the US, largely made up of women. <a target="_blank" href="https://cscce.berkeley.edu/workforce-index-2020/the-early-educator-workforce/early-educator-pay-economic-insecurity-across-the-states/">According</a> to Berkeley's Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, those working full-time with toddlers and infants are paid up to $8,375 less a year than those who work with preschoolers. Immigrants and women of color are disproportionately impacted by this disparity.This follows work the Education Department has already done to reform PSLF. Through its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/student-loan-forgiveness-account-adjustment-consolidation-deadline-debt-cancellation-biden-2024-6">one-time account adjustments</a>, the department is bringing borrowers' payments through PSLF and income-driven repayment plans up to date, getting them closer to the loan forgiveness promised through the programs.Are you an early childhood educator who would benefit from Public Service Loan Forgiveness? Share your story with this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:asheffey@businessinsider.com">asheffey@businessinsider.com</a>.

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