Seattle child care teacher secretly dosed toddlers with melatonin, state finds A longtime teacher at a Seattle child care center secretly gave 1-year-olds melatonin to sedate them, according to findings by the state Department of Children, Youth, and Families. Ann Dornfeld
'Astonishing' increase in car theft charges as juvenile criminal cases surge in King County Car theft charges brought against youth were up by more than 500% in King County last year. That’s just one of the charges driving a 61% increase in juvenile criminal bookings in 2023, including violent crime, gun possession and burglary. Ann Dornfeld
Kids playground canceled at Denny Blaine Park 'nude beach' The effort to preserve Seattle's nude-friendly beach has succeeded. Paige Browning
Are kids in danger when wildfire smoke hits, even on 'moderate' days? The Puget Sound area has seen good, moderate, and dangerous air quality in the last few weeks due to wildfire smoke. Last weekend was especially bad, but many people hit the streets and parks anyway. John O'Brien
Why Dolly Parton is bringing children's books to Washington state Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" Tuesday was a stop at Tacoma's Pantages Theater, where she celebrated the statewide expansion of her Imagination Library program. Sami West Play AudioListen 2 mins
'Challenge and opportunity,' Washington officials get first-hand view of youth homelessness Washington Senator Patty Murray says she’ll introduce a bill this fall to create new grant programs for homeless shelters that serve teens and young adults. Housing advocates in Seattle say the money is needed to prevent service cuts. Casey Martin Play AudioListen 1 min
Teens are using 3D printers to make guns in Seattle area In February, a SeaTac mother called police after she found a firearm in her 13-year-old son’s bed. Ashley Hiruko
How do you protect kids online... from their own parents? Tiktok, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram - there are lots of platforms where posting your kids can be a full-time job. And with pays for views and brand deals, a pretty lucrative one. A renewed push in Olympia would protect children against parents who reveal their private lives and growing pains on social media. Libby Denkmann Play AudioListen 30 mins
Does social media actually harm teens? The rates of suicide, anxiety and depression among young people have been on the rise since the 80s. Seattle Public Schools thinks social media is to blame… at least, in part. They and Kent school district are suing major tech companies over the role they may play in worsening mental health of youth who use their services. Today we're asking: What does science tell us about the connection between mental health ans cthe science behind social media and mental health… and we couldn’t have found a better person to ask than Lucia (loo-SEE-ah) Magis (MAY-jis) Wineberg (WINE-berg). She’s an Assistant Professor of psychology at the University of Washington AND she leads the International Adolescent Connection and Technology lab Clare McGrane Play AudioListen 15 mins
