How COVID-19 changed health care access for vulnerable children in safety-net clinics
Official title: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Safety Net Performance, Disparities, and Vulnerable Children
Funded at National Bureau of Economic Research · NIH-11130983 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how the COVID-19 pandemic changed primary and mental health care use for children who rely on safety-net clinics, especially BIPOC and other vulnerable groups.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | National Bureau of Economic Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $544,702 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD109327-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11130983 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children (roughly birth to 11 years) who receive care at safety-net or community health centers—especially uninsured or Medicaid-enrolled children and those who are BIPOC, in foster care, homeless, LGBTQ+, or have emotional disorders.
✕Less likely to help
Children who receive care only in private, non–safety-net settings or who live outside the clinics and states represented in the datasets are unlikely to be reflected in the findings.
What this research studies
If your child gets care at a community health center, this project studies how the pandemic affected their access to primary and mental health services. Researchers will analyze electronic health records from the ADVANCE clinical data network covering over 500,000 children treated in safety-net clinics across 30 states, and will also use Medicaid data from three large states. They will compare patterns before and after the pandemic and focus on groups like children with emotional disorders, those with past abuse, children in foster care, homeless youth, LGBTQ+ children, and BIPOC children. The goal is to find where care gaps and disparities grew so policies and clinics can better support vulnerable kids going forward.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help shape policies and clinic practices to restore and improve timely primary and mental health care for vulnerable children after COVID-19.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies have documented large drops in pediatric visits during COVID-19, but this project uses a much larger safety-net network and multiple vulnerable subgroups to provide broader, policy-relevant insight.
Where this research is happening
-
National Bureau of Economic Research
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Evans Cuellar, Alison — National Bureau of Economic Research
- Study coordinator: Evans Cuellar, Alison
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Structural factors linking minimum wage, COVID-19, and community violence
A long-term study will explore whether higher minimum wages and pandemic-related economic factors are connected to changes in violence in US communities.
-
COVID-19 healthcare disruptions and heart health inequities in NYC adults with multiple conditions
This project looks at how COVID-19-related gaps in care affected heart health in adults with several chronic conditions in New York City.
-
Modifying body fat to aid COVID-19 recovery through behavioral strategies
A study in veterans explores whether changing weight through lifestyle habits can improve recovery after COVID-19–related health problems.
-
Post-COVID Neuro-Cognitive Changes in Older African Americans
A study explores how COVID-19 affects thinking, memory, and daily life in older African American adults and what might be driving these changes.
-
How COVID school closures affected kids with or at risk for developmental differences
This NIH grant follows children aged 4 to 15 and their families to see how pandemic school closures impacted emotional well-being and parenting over three years.
-
Long-term COVID-19 effects in older Veterans and a rehabilitation approach
This project looks at how COVID-19 affects blood vessel health in older Veterans and tests a rehab strategy together with a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant to help recovery.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.