Blog

The Bill to End Child Marriage, HB 994, has PASSED in the Virginia Senate with overwhelming supportl. On to the Governor’s desk for final signature. Thank you for the early work and to all the nonprofit organizations and advocates who banded together, you are loved and appreciated. And to #survivors everywhere, this is a beacon of hope for future generations — thank you for your faith and hearts!

Learn more here from our colleagues at Unchained At Last.

Please watch here. 

The Biden administration is overseeing an “alarming” rise in exploitative child labor nationwide — a trend spurred by the ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border, according to Sen. Bill Cassidy.

In a pair of letters to officials at the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS), Cassidy (R-La.) pointed to reports of an 88% uptick in illegal child labor since 2019, including in “dangerous jobs” such as meat processing.

Federal watchdogs have also disclosed that the Biden administration “weakened” officials’ “ability to vet sponsors” who receive migrant children in the US and “protect” those children “from risks such as trafficking,” he noted.

Now the lawmaker is demanding answers from the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division and HHS’ Office of Refugee Resettlement about how the agencies plan to protect unaccompanied children from exploitation.

Read more here. 

Bark Technology – In today’s age of airbrushed influencers and celebrities with perfect bodies crafted by personal trainers, teens may feel pressured to live up to a certain body type. Namely, one that’s usually thin and toned. But these unrealistic standards can make it hard for teens to feel good about themselves and their bodies, especially during the teenage years when self-consciousness is usually at an all-time high.

With all the pressure out there, it’s crucial for parents to be extra aware of how their teens are feeling about food, eating, and their body image. In this blog post, we’re going to talk about some signs that might show your teen is struggling with their eating habits, and how Bark’s monitoring can help you support them if they need help.

The Difference Between Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders

Before we get started, let’s briefly discuss the difference between disordered eating and an eating disorder. An eating disorder is an official diagnosis from a healthcare professional, and the symptoms are generally more numerous and more severe. Eating disorders include anorexia and bulimia, for example.

Disordered eating, on the other hand, is an activity that affects food intake and can lead to discomfort. Not everyone who shows signs of disordered eating will develop an eating disorder, but some do. Disordered eating can look like following a very strict paleo diet or setting up iron-clad rules around calories — but we’ll get into the details next.

Read more here. 

Watch Here

In March, the national spotlight turns to women as the U.S. celebrates Women’s History Month.

Fighting for equality, historical and modern-day changemakers, and their contributions are an integral part of society, and this Women’s History Month, we’re taking a deep dive into why the month was created, how it is celebrated and more.

Learn more here. CELEBRATE!

A picture of a smartphone with a red line through it serves as a warning in the window of a hairdresser’s shop in a French village that has voted to ban people scrolling on their phones in public. “Everyone is struggling with too much screen time,” said Ludivine, a cardiology nurse, as she had her hair cut into a bob, leaving her phone out of sight in her bag. “I voted in favour, this could be a solution.”

Seine-Port, in the Seine-et-Marne area south of Paris, with a population of fewer than 2,000 people, last weekend voted yes in a referendum to restrict smartphone use in public, banning adults and children from scrolling on their devices while walking down the street, while sitting with others on a park bench, while in shops, cafes or eating in restaurants and while parents wait for their children in front of the school gates. Those who might check their phone’s map when lost are instead being encouraged to ask for directions.

The village has also approved a charter for families on children’s use of screens: no screens of any kind in the morning, no screens in bedrooms, no screens before bed or during meals. If parents of teenagers sign a written agreement not to give their child a smartphone before the age of 15, the town hall will provide the child with an old-fashioned handset for calls only.