POLITICO
School mess: Why millions of parents are owed billions of dollars
In numerous states, a bureaucratic system has kept hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars in extra grocery benefits from getting to parents who qualify for special pandemic aid.
Parents of children who qualify for the extra pandemic aid are owed around $240 to $450 per child per month to buy groceries. | Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
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Seven months into the school year, millions of low-income families are still waiting for billions of dollars in federal food aid that was supposed to compensate them for school meals that were missed during remote learning.
When EMT Saranika Griffith goes on emergency calls for Lancaster EMS, she is prepared with medical supplies and lifesaving equipment.
She also carries an extra bag with tools of a different kind: sunglasses, headphones, bubbles and fidget spinners. As a mother of a 5-year-old boy diagnosed with autism, she knows firsthand that children with special needs and sensory processing disorders require extra care.
The tools in Griffithâs bags can help de-escalate tense situations and calm individuals with special needs and sensory processing disorders.
âAs a mother, itâs my worst fear for my son to be in a situation where somebody thinks heâs being noncompliant or trying to act out when in reality itâs none of that,â says Griffith, 27, of Lebanon. âHe just doesnât understand what heâs being asked to do.â
Northfield paramedic announces retirement, increased focus on Start ’Em Early Foundation
Northfield EMS Public Education Coordinator and Paramedic Erik Davidson, shown in February with items that are included in sensory bags for people with autism, is retiring as a paramedic but will continue to run his nonprofit, the Start ’Em Early Foundation. STAFF FILE PHOTO/DAN LITTLE
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NORTHFIELD Following complications from an accident and changes in his personal life, Northfield EMS Paramedic Erik Davidson will retire on Jan. 1.
In an email announcing his plans, Davidson, of Southwick, said continued factors from injuries he sustained in a fire in August have “affected (his) confidence as a running paramedic.” He also cited changes in his personal life, as he has assumed sole medical care of his elderly mother.