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"A commission on social services and poverty issues Monday urged Suffolk County and New York State to boost funding for child care and pre-K programs for low-income children."

"Some of the neediest children in the U.S. Virgin Islands are not being put at the top of the list to qualify for the territory's Head Start program, a new report said."

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture's head of nutrition programs says a program that offers free lunch to students throughout entire schools or districts that could be coming soon to Topeka has worked well in other school districts with large percentages of low-income students."

"The report finds pronounced differences between colleges that energetically recruit low-income and working-class students -- able kids eligible for the federal Pell grant program -- and those that do not."

"State officials said this week that restoration of cuts to a program that helps pay child care for poor parents won't begin until Aug. 15, more than a month after it was originally planned."

"The program, which started in 1999, is designed to feed low-income children throughout the city during the summer months when they're not in school, said Kathy Walker, food director for the Green Bay Area School District. This year's program started Monday in many area locations."

"Life as a homeless college student eventually took its toll. Burned out and still broke after a few semesters, Menday dropped out of Minneapolis Community & Technical College in 2012. He does odd jobs now, hoping to earn enough to stabilize his life and finish his education."

"Despite an economy that is starting to turn around, the number of children living in poverty in Nevada is slightly above the national average, according to an annual analysis of children's well-being released Wednesday."

"The board will vote on whether to approve the Community Eligibility Provision for all Wayne County Schools. The CEP is for schools with high percentages of low-income children. It's intent is to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students."

"Orange County has 301 students classified as homeless,' according to the McKinney-Vento Act. The percentage of economically disadvantaged students is more difficult to calculate because of the perception among older, high school students that their peers will discover they qualify for free or reduced lunches."

"Randolph's elementary, middle and high schools have risen each of the last two years in Business First's annual rankings, which are based on state test scores. The district as a whole rose from 74th to 59th in the 2013 rankings, and up to 50th this year. What hasn't risen is prosperity in the district. Nearly half of Randolph's students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch - a metric that indicates poverty - and the district is the 12th poorest of 98 in Western New York, according to Business First data. The median household income in the district is $45,519."