New evidence shows that kids need pauses between concentrated bouts of learning so the brain can hold and store the information. Researchers also say recess gives kids a chance to navigate relationships and build confidence, which is just as important for older kids as younger ones.

To address “long-standing registration frustrations,” the district announced the first wave of improvements to the process, set to take effect this year.

There’s now a growing push to separate profound autism — in which people need constant care for life, have a certain level of intellectual disability and are nonspeaking or minimally verbal — into its own diagnosis. The hope is that it would help ensure people get the support and services they need and that research includes them.

The group’s new COVID-19 recommendations come amid a tumultuous year for public health, as vaccine skeptics have come into power in the Trump administration and government guidance has become increasingly confusing.

It’s the third record-breaking year in a row for the exemption rate, and the vast majority are parents withholding shots for nonmedical reasons.

President Donald Trump’s administration is looking to block undocumented children from Head Start as part of ongoing efforts to limit access to federal benefits for immigrants without legal status.

Scientists who study and treat diabetes noted that CDC officials released only a 600-word online summary of their new findings — not the raw data nor a peer-reviewed published paper describing how they arrived at the new figure.

People in the country illegally are largely ineligible for federal public benefits such as food stamps, student loans and financial aid for higher education. But for decades they have been able to access some community-level programs such as Head Start and community health centers.

For nearly a decade, national guidelines have recommended introducing safe forms of peanut-containing foods to infants to help reduce allergy risk; however, a new study by Northwestern Medicine found that many families aren’t receiving that guidance from their pediatrician.

Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and Puma were among 76 companies that signed an April 29 letter to Trump asking for a footwear exemption from reciprocal tariffs. The Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America letter warned tariffs would “become a major impact at the cash register for every family.”

Writer and illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara draws from her own childhood to help kids navigate their diverse identities in her new book called “Tíos and Primos” — Spanish for “aunts, uncles and cousins.”

Sunny day, sweepin’ the clouds away... that’s how Sonia Manzano spent her career for more than four decades. The actress hung out with Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and the whole “Sesame Street” gang when she played Maria on the beloved program.

Whether it’s asking for a promotion or confronting the school bully, writer Luvvie Ajayi Jones has become an expert on overcoming fears and speaking up. Jones’ books urge everyone to become what she calls a “Troublemaker,” or someone who pushes for positive change.

In Illinois, DCFS contracts with community-based foster agencies in order to house and provide services for children in state care. The department reported that the state had about 20,000 foster children in 2024, with more than 4,000 of them in the care of community-based foster or group homes.

Online registration for Chicago Park District’s popular six-week summer day camp begins next week. Fees are being raised to bring fees back up to pre-pandemic levels and to address rising operational costs, according to the district.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress, often referred to as the Nation’s Report Card, is a set of standardized tests administered every two years to a representative sample of fourth and eighth students nationwide. Because the tests are administered uniformly nationwide, it allows for accurate comparisons between states and over time.