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COVID-19 has upended the lives of nearly every individual in the United States, with prolonged school closures one of the major driving forces of disruption for youth and families.

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Physical and social distancing due to the pandemic has negatively impacted youths’ mental health. Within the last year, youth have reported elevated levels of anxiety and depression as a result of isolation.

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High-quality, affordable, and reliable child care options are not accessible across the country. Child care deserts—areas with an insufficient supply of licensed child care options—are most frequently observed in marginalized and rural communities.

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Excessive alcohol use costs the US an estimated $249 billion each year.[1] The COVID-19 pandemic has affected young people in ways that may increase their risk for heavy alcohol use.

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While misinformation has long been a component of traditional print and broadcast media, digital technology allows for the frictionless dissemination of false and manipulated content with, at times, acutely dangerous consequences.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has produced unique challenges for parents with substance use disorders (SUDs). Although some barriers have been alleviated (e.g., medication assisted treatment is more accessible for some and telehealth is broadly available), COVID-19 has still resulted in barriers to support for parents with SUDs.

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Excessive alcohol use is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States[i] and has been made worse by the stress, anxiety, depression, and isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been especially harmful to members of social groups in the most vulnerable of situations, including youth in foster care and those who have recently exited care.

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More than 2.2. million people are incarcerated in the U.S.; this is more people than in any other country and over half of these individuals are incarcerated for non-violent offenses. Incarcerated populations, correctional staff, and their families are at an especially increased risk to become infected with COVID-19, as the prison environment does not lend itself to be protective against illness.

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The ways to improve minority and underserved communities’ interest and literacy for vaccine trials and contact tracing.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has increased risk factors for child maltreatment [1],[2],[3]. It is, therefore, critical that policymakers ensure support in promoting safety, resilience, and overall well-being of vulnerable children and families.

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Among the many distressing ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a heightened risk for family violence including both child maltreatment and intimate partner violence.

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In addition to participating in the following interviews, Ann Michelle Daniels, Dara Whalen, and Kamila Alexander also participated in our virtual congressional briefing on this topic.

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Contact tracing is critical to containing and mitigating the spread of COVID-19. It is a tried and true, evidence-based mechanism to identify disease patterns during a pandemic. Coordinated federal efforts, including the use of national contact tracing strategies, are effective at containing and mitigating the impact of pandemics.

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The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting people of color, in terms of number of cases, mortality rates, pay cuts, and job loss. The health and economic devastation of this outbreak, in addition to the distress raised by the recent killing of George Floyd and many others, are significantly contributing to the stress of the nation and disproportionately impacting the mental health of people of color.

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Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 125,000 additional mental health professionals were required to meet the nation’s mental health needs. Recent events have intensified the need for mental health professionals and the services they provide.

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The emergence of COVID-19 is not just a reminder of the digital divide in our community; it also highlights the inequities in accessing technology and online educational resources.

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This issue presents research-informed policy recommendations regarding the effects of COVID-19 on welfare-youth, and human trafficking and exploitation. The prevalence of human trafficking heightens with the growing impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities.

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Human trafficking is the crime of using force or fraud for the purpose of compelled labor or a commercial sex act. The United States considers “trafficking in persons,” “human trafficking,” and “modern slavery” to be interchangeable umbrella terms that refer to both sex trafficking and labor trafficking.

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Providing necessary care and social support is critical during the perinatal time period to ensure the health and well-being of parents and children. Due to concerns related to COVID-19, hospitals have limited the number of people who can be present during and following birth.

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Human trafficking involves individuals being compelled to work, provide services or engage in commercial sex through the use of force, fraud or coercion. COVID-19 has negatively impacted the screening and identification of human trafficking victims as well as reduced survivors’ access to the mechanisms associated with successful recovery (e.g., case workers, social workers and legal assistance).

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Contact tracing is a robust public health strategy to address evasive infectious disease outbreaks [i] and requires sensitive interpersonal and cultural competence to cultivate trust with patients and contacts [ii].

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Stressful situations combined with increased drug and alcohol use set the stage for potentially dangerous situations, especially for youth in abusive homes. Youth who consider school a safe haven may now be confined at home with their abusers.

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COVID-19 has created new barriers for students with disabilities. Students receiving special education services toward learning or behavioral goals are already at elevated risk for falling behind in school.

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Youth living in poverty are more impacted by the digital divide. This divide may widen as many schools transition to online learning.

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This issue presents research-informed policy recommendations regarding migrant workers and children. Particularly, attending to the impact of COVID-19 on health and economic disparities among America’s international workforce, as well as implications for educational access and linguistically diverse students

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The U.S. is the new epicenter of the Coronavirus pandemic. Mitigation strategies are more critical than they ever were before; however, they may exacerbate socioeconomic inequities and disparities that endanger the health and well-being of families.

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The Coronavirus has forced many families to make significant changes in their daily lives, limiting access to important resources that strengthen family functioning and well-being.

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Nationwide, stay-at-home or shelter-in-place orders have been issued in response to COVID-19 in order to facilitate physical distancing practices.

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In the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, many families are facing social shifts, economic uncertainty, and disruptions in their daily life, as well as coping with closures to school and childcare facilities and demands of providing for educational and childcare needs.

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Immigrant families and children who are infected/influenced by COVID-19 face various barriers in seeking healthcare.

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Schools, often a safe refuge for many children with an abusive parent or caregiver [i], are being closed from in-person instruction across the nation.

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COVID-19 is an equal opportunity virus, but exposure to this virus does not take place in an equal opportunity context. Although only some states and counties provide COVID-19 cases and outcomes by race, the data available indicate that disparities are stark.

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All students deserve an appropriate and effective education, including English Learners (ELs) [1] and dual language learners (DLLs) [2], collectively referred to as linguistically diverse students.

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Persons experiencing homelessness are at high risk of infection, transmission, complications and mortality from coronavirus. Persons experiencing homelessness have higher rates of physical and mental health conditions compared to the general public.

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The fast-moving Coronavirus pandemic (also known as COVID-19) has numerous implications on the health and well-being children and families.

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The fast-moving Coronavirus pandemic (also known as COVID-19) has numerous implications on the health and well-being children and families.

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What Do We Know About The Impact of Pandemics on Families?

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Social Isolation Exacerbates the Severity of Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders.

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Improve Access to Items Needed to Reduce Harm Associated with Opioid Misuse.