Public assistance programs could be a good way for doctors to connect with low-income kids

Young kids in low-income households are more likely to be diagnosed with mental, behavioral, or developmental conditions than their peers in high-income households, according to a new CDC study of children ages 2 to 8. The analysis also found that fewer kids in low-income households had seen a health care provider in the past year. But the study also points to a potential opportunity to intervene: public assistance programs. Seven in 10 kids in low-income households who didn’t see a health provider in the last year did receive at least one public benefit, such as food assistance. The authors say public health professionals and health care providers could use the programs as a way to connect families with screenings and services.