Education Department, HHS Release Joint Letter Addressing Link Between Health and Education
The new guidance highlights high-impact opportunities.
The Departments of Education and Health and Human Services have recognized the importance that health care and health services play in preparing students to learn, thanks to a letter sent to governors, chief state school officers, state health officials, and state Medicaid directors.
The two departments also released a new toolkit that details five high-impact opportunities for school districts to support communities through collaboration education and health sectors, they announced.
"Healthy students are better learners and better positioned to thrive in school and later in life," said Acting Education Secretary John B. King Jr. "The opportunities we highlight in our new toolkit are happening already in some schools, but we need more action. Our hope is this call to action is a new day for collaboration. We need more schools, more districts, and more states to take advantage of existing channels and opportunities to create healthy opportunities for their students."
More specifically, the letter calls on state and local educational agencies to increase access to health insurance and health care, such as through school enrollment forms, as well as create school environments that help students succeed academically and lead healthier lives.