Skip to Content

Health in School

Children and teens spend a good deal of time in school and it’s important to ensure they’re healthy enough to learn. Law and policy can support strategies and programs that provide kids with a safe environment and nutritious meals, as well as nursing and other health services, including dental care, that are essential in promoting health in school. For vulnerable and underserved children, schools can present significant opportunities for improving health.

Explore a Sub-topic

Resources

Learn More

A Closer Look at Health in School

Children can’t learn when they’re hungry or sick, or absent from school. Ensuring kids are healthy enough—physically and emotionally—to learn is as important as the education they receive. Breakfast and lunch programs help kids get nutritious meals throughout the day. School immunization requirements ensure kids are safe from infectious diseases. School nurses provide timely health care to kids when they need it.

Children and teens spend more time in school than anywhere else except home, so schools present significant opportunities for improving health, particularly for vulnerable and low-income kids. Conditions and habits that affect health behaviors and decisions across the lifespan begin in early childhood education and continue into high school and beyond.

Law and policy can support strategies and programs that are essential to advancing health in school, including:

  • Providing nutritious meals.
  • Preventive dental care.
  • Immunizations.
  • Expanded health services through school nurses.
  • Identifying mental and behavioral health needs.
  • Addressing concussions in youth sports.

How we can help

Legal Research and Assistance

Experienced legal experts are available to answer questions and provide research, analysis and guidance. Let us know what you’re working on and together we can figure out how we can help.


Legal Assistance Library

Explore the Network’s Legal Assistance Library to find answers to commonly asked questions on a variety of public health topics.