The “Rural Impact” program a new effort from the White House Rural Council brings together federal agencies, public, and private resources, Cabinet officials, universities, foundations, non-profits, and community groups to help rural children. Rural Impact focuses primarily on a multi-generational approach so that public and private resources are invested in rural families and communities.
This spring, members of the Cabinet will headline a series of regional roundtables in areas of persistent rural poverty. These areas include Appalachia, the Delta, the Colonias in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, and Indian Country. This will provide an opportunity to upgrade promising local practices and develop local and regional partnerships.
This summer, the White House Rural Council will identify a group of ten rural and tribal communities to test mechanisms for delivering services to two generations. Federal agencies will work together with communities to address the needs of both vulnerable children and parents with a goal to increase patient’s employment and education along with child and family well-being.
The plan is to pilot telehealth and distance learning technology to connect rural children with health services. Rural children living in poverty areas can face a range of health and human service needs but often lack direct access to quality clinical child development and family support services.
The Office of Rural Health Policy www.hrsa.gov/ruralhealth within HHS www.hhs.gov is planning to award up to three pilot grants for a total annual investment of $945,000 in FY 2015. The funds will test new ways to use telehealth and distance learning technology to link rural children with specialized health services that may not be available locally.
This summer, EPA along with USDA, DOT, other federal agencies, and the Delta Regional Authority, will pool resources and technical support to help communities interested in integrating local food systems into their community and economic development plans. This will help poor families increase their access to healthy foods and help to combat child obesity.