Digital well-beingUSSafer
defaults
Lead story•Digital well-being•United States
Meta agreement adds stronger default safeguards for teen accounts
Agreement announced August 26; court approval reflected August 27, 2026
A multistate agreement approved by a federal judge requires stronger default protections for U.S. users under 18 on Instagram and Facebook. The terms include a two-hour daily limit across both apps and a midnight-to-6 a.m. block that only a parent can lift, quieter school-day notifications, hidden like counts, stronger age checks and independent auditing.
The useful contextThe changes will roll out over the coming months in participating U.S. states and territories. Direct messages are excluded from the time, night and school-mode limits, and no collection of settings makes a platform risk-free.
Why it mattersThese protections are defaults rather than settings every family must find on its own, while parents remain involved in changing the main time limits.
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02
School-day balance•New Brunswick, Canada
New Brunswick sets clearer screen and cellphone rules for young people
Announced August 28, 2026
Beginning in September, kindergarten through Grade 8 students must keep personal mobile devices silent and stored throughout the school day. The same rule starts for grades 9–12 on February 1, 2027. Licensed child-care programs will have no routine screen time for children age two and younger and generally no more than 30 minutes daily for older children.
Why it mattersFamilies receive clear, age-based expectations while educational technology and documented medical, accessibility and communication accommodations remain available.
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03
School nutrition•United States
New initiative directs funding toward healthier school meals
Announced August 24, 2026
USDA’s Harvest to Hallways initiative includes up to $70 million for cafeteria equipment and infrastructure, up to $25 million in additional Farm to School grants and a $30 million HHS investment in school-meal research. The effort also promotes locally produced food and updated nutrition practices.
Why it mattersBetter kitchens can help schools safely prepare more fresh food, but grants will move through schools and systems, so families should not expect immediate menu changes everywhere.
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04
School safety•Kentucky
Annual checks find broad compliance with Kentucky school-safety standards
Report released August 27, 2026
Kentucky’s school security marshal released the 2025–26 statewide assessment after annual unannounced visits to public schools. State officials report that nearly all schools followed requirements involving controlled entrances, locked classroom doors, surveillance, window coverings and threat-assessment teams. The report counts 937 school resource officers.
Why it mattersAnnual visits give families evidence that required safety plans are being checked in practice, although the public report does not provide school-by-school findings or guarantee prevention of every emergency.
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05
Family resources•New York City
New York City will remove remaining fees for subsidized child care
Announced August 13; begins September 2026
Beginning in September, about 22,000 New York City families already receiving subsidized child care will no longer pay the program’s sliding-scale fee. The city will cover those costs, and current recipients do not need to submit a new application. The assistance program serves eligible children from six weeks through age 13, and through age 19 for children with disabilities.
Why it mattersThe change offers direct household-budget relief to enrolled families. It is not universal free child care, does not create new seats and does not remove the waitlist facing some new applicants.
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