Study links poverty to depression among mothers, By Donna St. George, August 26, 2010, Washington Post: “More than half of babies in poverty are being raised by mothers who show symptoms of mild to severe depression, potentially creating problems in parenting and in child development, according to a new study. In what was described as the first detailed portrait of its kind, researchers reported that one in nine infants in poverty had a mother with severe depression and that such mothers typically breastfed their children for shorter periods than other mothers who were poor…”

Proposed cuts would slash services for poor, mentally ill, other Texans in dire need, By Robert T. Garrett, August 26, 2010, Dallas Morning News: “Some of Texas’ most vulnerable residents - the very poor, the mentally ill, those suffering from birth defects, and children from troubled families - would lose state support and services under several new budget-cutting proposals. In one of the deepest proposed cuts, made public Tuesday by the Health and Human Services Commission, monthly welfare payments to extremely poor households with children would be cut about 20 percent, to an average of about $57 per person a month. In two-parent families, payments per person would be slashed by half, to about $33…”

Elderly and disabled immigrants may lose financial aid, By Alexandra Zavis, August 22, 2010, Los Angeles Times: “Some of the poorest elderly and disabled people admitted to this country on humanitarian grounds will lose their cash assistance in October unless they have naturalization applications pending, federal officials say. Letters have been sent to 3,800 recipients of Supplemental Security Income, including some in California, warning them that their eligibility for the federal program could end Sept. 30, said Lowell Kepke, a spokesman for the Social Security Administration. The deadline has caused concern among refugee advocates, who point out that some of these legal immigrants aren’t able to pass the citizenship exam or can’t yet apply because of delays processing their green cards. The refugees, asylees and other humanitarian immigrants are admitted to the U.S. because they have been victims of war, persecution or other disasters in their home countries…”

Kentucky drops health insurance fee for some poor kids, By Deborah Yetter, August 24, 2010, Louisville Courier-Journal: “Kentucky has dropped a $20 monthly premium that some low-income parents had to pay for state health insurance for their children. The charge ended last month, when the new state budget took effect, according to Gov. Steve Beshear. He had pledged to eliminate the fee for coverage through the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program, or KCHIP, a Medicaid program for low-income children. ‘In these tough economic times, we’re doing everything we can to make sure children have access to quality health care,’ Beshear said Tuesday. The governor had included the measure, which will cost the state about $370,000 a year, in his proposed budget, and lawmakers approved it when they passed the spending plan in May…”