The Kid Angle: Kids and the LA fires: Three things to know

The country’s attention has been rightly focused this week on the horrific wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles. But the coverage has been missing one critical element: The Kid Angle.

First Focus on Children President Bruce Lesley laid out the kid angle in his recent piece “When wildfires rage, children should never be left behind.” Based on that article, here are three things you need to know about kids and the Los Angeles wildfires:

1. Kids and families who’ve already lost their homes — and possibly a loved one — could also lose federal tax breaks:

Every year, the Child Tax Credit leaves 17 million children behind, according to the Center on Poverty and Social Policy, shutting them out of all or part of the tax credit because their parents make too little to qualify. Traditionally, these children are disproportionately under age 6, Black and Hispanic, in single-parent households, and in rural communities. Children who survive the LA wildfires can reasonably be expected to join these ranks as their family income drops due to job loss, homelessness or, horribly, the death of a parent or caregiver in the blazes.

The solution, of course, is to expand and make the CTC fully refundable going forward, a change that helped lift nearly 3 million children out of poverty in 2021. The CTC is not just a pro-child, anti-poverty tool. It is a disaster-recovery necessity. Congress must treat it this way.

2. Kids and families who’ve lost a home may not qualify for federal assistance:

An estimated 12,000 homes and other structures burned to the ground in the fires, sending thousands of children and families scrambling to find shelter. Already exorbitant rents have skyrocketed with the new demand, sending many families to stay with friends and relatives, or in motels or other temporary situations.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced that U.S. homelessness has reached an all-time high, and that in 2024 children experienced the largest increase in homelessness. But here’s the catch: HUD does not consider children staying with friends and relatives, or in motels or other situations like the ones that abound for LA’s kids as “homeless.” To be considered homeless by HUD — and therefore eligible for assistance — a child must be living in a shelter or on the street.

First Focus on Children and other advocates have long sought to remedy this issue through legislation that would align the various federal definitions of homelessness, create additional housing vouchers for high-need families with children, and offer other aid to children and youth in need.  

3. Kids injured in the fires may not receive health care:

Children’s health care needs are likely to increase as a result of the wildfires. But lawmaker’s plans for Medicaid are likely to reduce their access.

Studies of past California wildfires have found increased hospital admissions among children for respiratory illnesses in affected communities. Children who survive the fires may also experience burns or other physical injuries, or mental health crises brought on by trauma. Studies conducted by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and other organizations in the wake of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina found that child survivors faced significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even years later.

Right now, Medicaid is purpose-built to be responsive to these and other issues. Federal funding to states expands to meet increased program needs, whether those result from financial challenges, societal changes or natural disasters. Unfortunately, many lawmakers want to restrict, cut or cap Medicaid coverage in order to pay for tax cuts for wealthy Americans. Any one of these changes would hamstring Medicaid’s ability to respond to the needs spurred by the Los Angeles wildfires and other disasters, natural and otherwise.  

In conclusion: It is clear that climate-fueled disasters like the Los Angles wildfires will only continue to increase in number and intensity. National attention is currently focused on making our physical infrastructure more resistant to these episodes. But in addition to prioritizing funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), policymakers also must update the social safety net that protects children and families from natural and other disasters. The time to do it is now.