running head in essay

How to Write a Running Head: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

Academic papers adhere to specific formatting guidelines before submitting to a journal. One such formatting element is including a running head. So, let’s explore what a running head is and its significance in journal submissions.

What is a Running Head?

A running head is a concise version of the title of your paper appearing at the top of each page of the article. The use of a running head allows the reader to identify the article. It ensures the reader’s focus remains on the content. It is generally positioned flush left at the top of the page, with the page number flush right.

What is Running Head in Journal?

In a journal article, the running head includes a shorter version of the paper’s full title. The running head fulfills the abovementioned purpose and provides information about the article. This shortened version maintains consistency and avoids overcrowding the header section.

What is a Running Head on Title Page? With Example.

The title page is the first page of your paper. It includes essential information like the title, author names, affiliations, and abstract. The running head on the title page is an abbreviated form of the title, written in uppercase letters. It usually has a limit of 50 characters with spaces and punctuation marks.

If your article’s title is “The Impact of Social Media on Youth: A Comprehensive Study,” a suitable running head might be “Social Media’s Impact on Youth.”

Running Head Example for a Research Paper

Let’s see an example of an effective running head for a research paper to better understand.

For instance, if the paper title is “The Effects of Exercise on Mental Health in College Students.” The running head could be “Exercise’s Impact on Mental Health in College Students.”

A sample example of the running head is written just above the main heading.

Source: Shetty A, Rosario R, Hyder S. The impact of social media on youth. International Journal of Innovative Research in Computer and Communication Engineering. 2015;3(7):379-83.

Tips for Writing a Running Head

• Be concise: The running head should be brief yet convey the essence of your paper.
• Use title case: Capitalize the first letter of each significant word in the running head.
• Maintain consistency: It should be consistent throughout the document.
• Check the journal guidelines: Different journals may have specific requirements for running heads. So, before finalizing your running head, review the submission guidelines.
• Proofread: Double-check the running head for spelling or grammatical errors, maintaining professionalism.

Thus, a running head is a short but informative title in a journal article that appears at the top of every page. It helps readers identify the article and maintain their focus throughout the content. When writing a running head, remember to keep it concise, use upper case, and maintain consistency throughout the document. Following these guidelines, ensure your article meets the journal’s formatting requirements. It presents your research clearly and professionally.

Remember, the running head is one aspect of a well-written paper. Pay attention to other formatting guidelines to increase your chances of publication success. Good luck with your journal submissions!

Related Posts

Researchers identify nearly a dozen genes responsible for coronary artery calcification.

Researchers examined data from over 35,000 individuals with European and African ancestry, revealing 40 candidate genes associated with coronary artery calcification. Notably, eight of these genes were previously unconnected to calcification, and five were novel for coronary artery disease. Some of these genes also play roles in cholesterol metabolism and inflammation, suggesting potential therapeutic targets […]

Multi-Omics Approach for Short-Term COVID-19 Progression Prediction in ICU Patients

The study developed a multi-omics approach to predict short-term COVID-19 progression in ICU patients. Analyzing data from 32 SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, including 124 clinical parameters, 271 proteins, and 782 metabolites/lipids, it identified CCL7, CA14 proteins, and hexosylceramide 18:2 as key markers. A machine learning model accurately forecasted worsening conditions up to five days in advance (79% […]

Eating for two, but making healthy choices

During pregnancy, eating for two doesn’t mean doubling your intake; it’s about wise choices for both you and your growing baby. Prioritize fruits and vegetables, aiming for five servings daily, as they provide vital vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Protein is crucial for tissue growth and repair, found in lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, lentils, and […]

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• West Coast University Libraries
• Research Guides
• Find Materials

APA Help (7th Edition)

• What is Plagiarism?
• What is Self-Plagiarism?
• Basics of APA (7th ed.)
• Running head

Running head?

• Page Numbers
• Section Headings
• Five Levels of Headings in APA Style Format
• Headings Example
• Figures & Images
• Placement of Tables and Figures
• In-Text Citation Examples
• Reference Page Example
• Reference Citation Examples
• Citing with Missing Information
• More APA Resources
• Instructor Created Presentations
• A Running head is only required on papers being submitted for publication, and is not required for student papers unless requested by an instructor
• The running head is a shortened version the paper's full title
• Contains 50 characters max (including spaces, letters, punctuation)
• Located on every page in the header
• UPPERCASE letters
• Example: ABBREVIATED TITLE
• << Previous: Title Page
• Next: Page Numbers >>
• Last Updated: May 7, 2024 12:25 PM
• URL: https://guides.westcoastuniversity.edu/apa

Terms of Use  |  Privacy Policy  |  Legal Notice  |  Federal Disclosures  |  State Disclosures  |  Title IX |  Accreditation

Student Consumer Information | BPPE Annual Report & Performance Fact Sheets | BPPE Website | Catalog | Careers With Us

West Coast University © 2024 All Rights Reserved

BibGuru Blog

Be more productive in school

• Citation Styles

APA Running Head

If you're wondering what a running head in APA is and how to create one, this article will answer all your questions.

What is a running head in APA style?

The running head , also called page header , is an abbreviated version of your paper's title. It appears at the top of every page of a document to identify it for readers, especially readers of a print copy of the article. The information in this blog post is based on the 7th edition of the APA Manual. There are small differences in the usage of running heads in the 6th edition.

Note: Running heads are required only for manuscripts being submitted for publication. They are not required for regular student papers according to the APA 7th edition. They can, however, still be used or requested by your instructor since the APA style only provides guidelines that can be used as needed and your school can choose whether to require running heads or not.

How to create a running head in APA style

The running head doesn't need to consist of the same words in the same order as the title. Rather, it is an abbreviated version of the title. For example, if the title of your thesis is "The relationship between sleep deprivation and student performance", your running head could simply be "SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE".

The running head can be up to 50 characters, counting letters, punctuation, and spaces between words as characters. If the original title is already 50 characters or fewer, it can also be used as a running head.

Note: In the APA 6 version, it was necessary to write "Running head: TITLE" as a header. APA 7th does not require you to put the label "Running head" in front of the title.

Format the running head in Microsoft Word or Google Docs as follows:

• The running head goes into the page header, flush left, in all-capital letters, across from the right-aligned page number.
• Use the same running head on every page. That includes the title page.
• For APA 6 you write "Running head: TITLE" and for APA 7 only the title (omitting the phrase running head).

Frequently Asked Questions about running heads

Student papers do not need a running head in APA 7 unless the instructor requires it. In APA 6, a running head is needed for all papers.

The running head is a shortened form of your title that appears on the top left side of each page of your manuscript. If your original title is already 50 characters or fewer, it can be used as a running head.

The running head in APA 7 style is an abbreviated version of your paper's title. It appears at the top of every page of a document to identify it for readers, especially readers of a print copy of the article.

The running head is in all caps in APA 7. In APA 6, you write "Running head: TITLE", so the title is in all caps, but the designation "Running head" is not.

To make a running head in Microsoft Word , click on “Insert” > “Header” . The running head goes into the page header, flush left, in all-capital letters, across from the right-aligned page number. Use the same running head on every page, including the title page.

Make your life easier with our productivity and writing resources.

For students and teachers.

• Submit a Document

Don't have an account yet? Sign Up!

Already have an account? Log In!

Complete the form below to receive an email with the authorization code needed to reset your password.

• Articles & Writing Help

"After graduation, I was looking for a research internship position. However, I did not get any due to the fact that English was not my first language. In order to enhance my chance of getting admitted, I submitted my writing sample to Editor World LLC. After the editing, my writing sample was more fluent and polished. As a result, I got an internship at the Hudson Institute after submitting the new writing sample. Editor World really has changed my life and I would like to thank the company for its help!" -Yichen, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What is a Running Head in APA Style?

First, what is apa style.

APA is the style for documenting sources used by the American Psychological Association (APA). This form of writing research papers is used mainly in the social sciences, such as psychology, anthropology, sociology, and education in addition to other fields (Source: https://www.iup.edu/writingcenter/writing-resources/research-and-documentation/apa-style/what-is-apa.html ).

There are many components of APA style. For example, the in-text citations and the reference page follow a specific format that is defined by the American Psychological Association ( https://apastyle.apa.org/ ). Another aspect is that papers use standard-sized paper measurements (8.5” x 11”) with 1” margins. APA Style also provides guidelines for including a running head in papers.

What is a running head?

The running head is an abbreviated version of a paper’s title, or the full version of the title when the title is short (Source: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa6_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html ). For papers written as a student for a class, the running head isn’t required unless the instructor for the course requires it. The running head is included for professional papers such as those submitted to an academic journal for peer review.

Running Head in Student Papers

For the running head in an APA Style student paper, only the page number is generally included. The page number is placed in the header (top of each page) at the right side. The page number is also included on the title page unless your professor states another format.

Running Head in Professional Papers

For the running head in an APA Style professional paper, include the paper title and the page number in the header section at the top of each page. Follow these guidelines:

○ Type the running head in all capital letters (e.g., TITLE OF PAPER)

○ Keep the running head at 50 characters or less, including spaces and punctuation

○ Avoid using abbreviations, but you may use “&” instead of “and”

○ Maintain the same format for the running head on every page, including page 1

○ Do not include the phrase “Running Head” before the abbreviated title

○ Left-align the running head

○ Right-align the page number

What is the difference in the running heads for professional and student papers?

For professional papers, APA Style calls for a shortened version of the paper title in all capital letters at the left edge of the header, while the page number appears on the right edge of the header. For student papers, only the page number is included in the header, with the page number appearing at the right edge of the header on all pages.

How to Write a Running Head

Some journals or style guides require papers to have a running head. But, what is a running head? A running head is a short version of the paper title that is printed as a heading at the top of each page. If your document includes page numbers at the top, the running head can precede the page number or appear on the opposite edge of the page. In APA style, the running head is placed in the upper left.

The publisher often requests running heads for practical reasons. It is desirable to have every page clearly labeled as being part of the paper. If your paper is printed as a hard copy and the various pages fall to the floor or are mixed up, having a running head and page number on each page helps the reader to put all the pages back in the correct order. Even readers who are viewing an electronic version of the paper may appreciate the clear labels, especially if they are sorting through many documents simultaneously.

Table of Contents

Guidelines for Writing Running Head in APA Style

The specific requirements for running heads vary.

• In general, running heads should be brief. APA guidelines require that running heads be a maximum of 50 characters (spaces count as characters).
• The running head is usually written in all capital letters . (For style purposes, the examples in this article use regular title case.)
• It is placed in a header at the top of the page . Check the journal or style guidelines for any specifics on margins, spacing, or font.

Related: Ready with your running head and looking forward to manuscript submission ? Check these journal selection guidelines now!

• In APA, the running head is introduced on the first page by the phrase “Running head” and a colon, i.e., in the following format: “Running head: SHORT VERSION OF TITLE.” Subsequent pages have only the running head itself. In other formatting styles, the running head may be introduced in this way as part of the information that appears on the title page.

Here is an example of a running head:

Original Title: “The Impact of Climate Change on Coral Reefs in the Pacific Ocean”

Running Head: “Climate Change and Pacific Coral Reefs”

In this running head example, the full title of the article is “The Impact of Climate Change on Coral Reefs in the Pacific Ocean.” The running head condenses this title down to a shorter version that still conveys the main topic of the article.

Remember, depending on the specific requirements of the journal or publication you are submitting to, the running head format may vary. Always check the guidelines provided by the publication for any specific requirements regarding running heads.

How do you create a running head?

If your paper title is already within the character limit, simply use the full title as the running head—no special changes are needed. However, if your paper title is over the limit, then you need to create a distinct running head that fits within the style guidelines.

First, identify the main part of your title. For example, if the paper is called “The Effects of Running on Heart Health in Elderly Patients,” consider using only the first part, “Effects of Running on Heart Health,” or the second part, “Heart Health in Elderly Patients.” Make the choice based on which ideas and concepts are most prominent in the paper.

If it does not make sense to take part of the title to serve as the running head, try making a few tweaks or even paraphrasing the title entirely. For instance, with the title mentioned above, the running head could be “Running and Heart Health in Elderly Patients.”

Second, eliminate articles such as the words “the” and “a.” The title “Re-examining the Literary Traditions in Ancient China” can be shortened to “Re-examining Literary Traditions in Ancient China.” In this case, simply removing the word “the” from the title creates a running head that fits within the APA’s 50-character limit.

Practical tips for writing running heads in Microsoft Word

1. how to get a character count.

If you are typing your paper in Microsoft Word, use the “Word Count” function to count characters: To do this, highlight the running head and then go to the Review menu and click on “Word Count.” The results box will show the number of “Characters (no spaces)” and “Characters (with spaces).” Read the journal or style guidelines carefully to know which number you should look at. In APA, it is the second option that is relevant, as spaces are counted as characters.

2. How to add the running head as a header on each page?

Create a header by going to Insert and selecting “Header” under “Header & Footer.” A header will be created at the top of each page. Modifying the header on any page changes it on every page. If you wish to have the phrase “Running head” appear on only the first page, as required in APA style, check the option “Different first page” that appears under the Design menu when the header is inserted or edited. Checking this option allows you to edit the header on the first page independently while maintaining the headers on the second, third, and all other pages as the same.

Hume-Pratuch, Jeff. May 10, 2012. “Mysteries of the Running Head Explained.” American Psychological Association website. http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/running-heads/ (access March 13, 2017)

Lee, Chelsea. Nov. 11, 2010. “Running Head Format for APA Style Papers.” American Psychological Association website. http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2010/11/running-head-format-for-apa-style-papers-.html (access March 13, 2017)

Very easy to understand. Explained all I needed to know and gave great examples.

It is very good for me.

Rate this article Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Enago Academy's Most Popular Articles

Sign-up to read more

Subscribe for free to get unrestricted access to all our resources on research writing and academic publishing including:

• 2000+ blog articles
• 50+ Webinars
• 10+ Expert podcasts
• 50+ Infographics
• 10+ Checklists
• Research Guides

We hate spam too. We promise to protect your privacy and never spam you.

I am looking for Editing/ Proofreading services for my manuscript Tentative date of next journal submission:

As a researcher, what do you consider most when choosing an image manipulation detector?

ASA Style and Format

• Introduction

Manuscript Sections

Headings & subheadings.

• In-Text Citations

Text must be in 12-point Times or Times New Roman font. All text should be double-spaced except for block quotes.

Structure your paper using the following sections:

• Title page: Includes full title followed by an asterisk, name(s) and institution(s) of author(s), a complete word count, running head, and a title footnote with name and address of author(s), acknowledgments, credits, and grant information (if any).
• Abstract: Begin on a new page headed by the title. Brief, jargon-free paragraph (less than 200 words) summarizing the work, followed by three to five key words.
• Body: Begin on a new page headed by the title. Use headings and subheadings after the introduction.
• Notes: Footnotes and endnotes should be indicated in the text with superscripted numbers. The notes can be typed at the bottom of the page (footnotes) or in a separate section labeled Notes or Endnotes. Do only one or the other; not both. Begin each note with its superscript number.
• References: List alphabetically in a new section labeled References.
• Appendices: If more than one, label Appendix A, Appendix B, etc. Appendices should be labeled with a title.

FIRST-LEVEL HEAD

First-level headings are all in caps and left-justified. Start using headings after the introduction.

Second-Level Head

Second-level headings are italicized, left-justified, and all words except prepositions and conjunctions are capitalized.

            Third-level head.

Third-level headings are italicized, indented, end with a period, and only the first word and any proper nouns are capitalized.

• ASA Sample Paper (Word)

See PDF for a visual layout and feel free to use the Word document as a template.

• << Previous: Introduction
• Next: In-Text Citations >>
• Subjects: Sociology
• Tags: american sociological association , citations , formatting , style guides

Baby giraffe panics, dies after its head got stuck in a hay feeder at Roosevelt Park Zoo

A baby giraffe died at a zoo in North Dakota after its head got stuck in the cover of its hay feeder.

Roosevelt Park Zoo , in an email to USA TODAY, said the baby giraffe Jabari was found dead in his barn that he shared with his mother and sister by a zookeeper Saturday as she made her morning rounds. The zoo staff immediately shifted the other two animals to a different section of the barn.

Giraffe dies: Baby giraffe named 'Saba' at Zoo Miami dies after running into fence, breaking its neck

Giraffe panicked as head got stuck

An investigation into the incident determined that the baby giraffe's head had likely been caught on the cover of its hay feeder. As the giraffe tried to pull back in panic, its neck broke.

"From what we could tell, is that he slipped his head around the edge of the cover of their hay feeder," Roosevelt Park Zoo Director Jeff Bullock said. "He must have been reaching far under the cover and hooked his ossicones on the cover when he tried to pull it back out. Once he realized he was caught, I am assuming he panicked and broke his neck while struggling to get free."

Bullock said that they were able to release Jabari's body from the hay feeder and take it for a necropsy, where x-rays confirmed that the animal had broken his neck.

Precautions for the future

The zoo said its staff is heartbroken over Jabari's death and is looking into ways to prevent this from happening again.

Bullock said that the zoo has previously raised 8 other giraffes in this same space without incident but are now looking into enlarging the cover so that an accident like this doesn't occur again.

"If there’s one thing, I’ve learned in my 44 years of working in zoos, it's that if an animal can find a way to put itself in danger it, it will," Bullock said.

The zoo director added that while Jabari's death was a tragic turn of events, his primary concern at the moment is his "young staff," who in some cases are "facing something like this for the first time in their career."

Jabari was born at the zoo in August last year.

Roosevelt Park Zoo is located in Minot, North Dakota.

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @saman_shafiq7.

Watch CBS News

RFK Jr. says he suffered from a parasitic brain worm and mercury poisoning

By Allison Novelo

Updated on: May 9, 2024 / 9:24 AM EDT / CBS News

The campaign of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , the independent running for president, confirmed Wednesday that he contracted a parasite in his brain over a decade ago. 

His campaign's comment came after The New York Times reported he said in a 2012 deposition that a parasitic worm "ate a portion" of his brain and may have caused cognitive issues. 

Kennedy campaign spokesperson Stefanie Spear said in a statement to CBS News that he contracted a parasite after traveling "extensively in Africa, South America and Asia as his work as an environmental advocate."

"The issue was resolved more than 10 years ago, and he is in robust physical and mental health. Questioning Mr. Kennedy's health is a hilarious suggestion, given his competition," Spear said. 

Kennedy quipped in a post on X Wednesday, "I offer to eat 5 more brain worms and still beat President Trump and President Biden in a debate."

During a deposition given by Kennedy in 2012 amid his divorce from his second wife, Mary Richardson Kennedy, The Times reports he stated that he faced "cognitive problems" and experienced memory loss and brain fog, leading one doctor to say he had a dead parasite in his brain in 2010. 

The Times reported that Kennedy said in the deposition that a friend pushed him to seek out medical care after noticing his cognitive issues, initially thinking Kennedy might be suffering from a brain tumor. 

It is possible that Kennedy could have contracted a parasitic worm in his brain, according to a medical expert, although it wouldn't have been "eating his brain." However, parasites such as tapeworms do not consume brain tissue, as Kennedy suggested during his deposition.

Tapeworm infections, or neurocysticercosis, can be contracted from consuming undercooked pork or drinking contaminated water, particularly in regions with poor sanitation such as parts of Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. When individuals ingest tapeworm eggs, these can travel through the bloodstream and infest various organs including the brain, muscles, liver and other tissues.

Symptoms can include nausea, headaches and seizures, said CBS News medical contributor Dr. Celine Gounder on "CBS Mornings,"  although many people who suffer from this type of infection may not see symptoms. 

Treatment for tapeworm infection typically involves medications such as anti-parasitic drugs to kill the worms.

In some cases, if the worm dies, the body's immune system may clear the dead worm from the brain tissue without requiring surgery, unless complications arise. It's unclear whether Kennedy underwent surgery for this diagnosis, though he informed the Times in a recent interview that he has fully recovered from the memory loss and brain fogginess and has experienced no other lingering effects. He also mentioned that no treatment was necessary for the parasitic condition.

According to The Times, during Kennedy's 2012 deposition, he also reported having been diagnosed with mercury poisoning, which he said was the result of a diet heavy on tuna and other fish. He reportedly said, "I have cognitive problems, clearly. I have short-term memory loss, and I have longer-term memory loss that affects me."

Memory loss is more commonly associated with mercury poisoning than with a parasitic worm, experts say.

Kennedy told the paper that he attributed his mercury poisoning diagnosis to his diet. He said medical tests showed his mercury levels were 10 times what the Environmental Protection Agency considers safe.

" I loved tuna fish sandwiches. I ate them all the time," Kennedy said to The Times.

Kennedy has long been an outspoken activist against vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that was phased out of childhood vaccines two decades ago, falsely linking vaccinations in children to a rise in autism and other medical conditions. There is no evidence to suggest that low doses of thimerosal causes harm to people, but an excess consumption of mercury, found in fish, can be toxic to humans.

And while both parasitic infections and mercury poisoning can lead to long-term brain damage, it is also possible to make a full recovery, experts say.

Allison Novelo is a 2024 campaign reporter for CBS News.

More from CBS News

RFK Jr. reverses abortion stance again after confusion, contradictions emerge

New U.S. rule would empower asylum officials to reject more migrants earlier

3 GOP candidates for WVA governor try to outdo each other on anti-LGBTQ issues

Trump says he'd leave abortion to states, but if reelected, could he limit it?

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

Analysis of the 2024 social security trustees’ report.

The Social Security and Medicare Trustees released their annual reports today on the financial status of the Social Security and Medicare programs over the next 75 years. The latest Social Security projections show that the program is quickly approaching insolvency and highlight the need for trust fund solutions sooner rather than later to prevent across-the-board benefit cuts or abrupt changes to tax or benefit levels. The Social Security Trustees project:

• Social Security is approaching insolvency. Under current law, Social Security cannot guarantee full benefits to current retirees. The Trustees project the Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) trust fund will deplete its reserves by 2033, when today’s 58-year-olds reach the full retirement age and today’s youngest retirees turn 71. Upon insolvency, all beneficiaries will face a 21 percent across-the-board benefit cut. Including the Disability Insurance (SSDI) trust fund, the theoretically combined trust funds will be insolvent by 2035 and beneficiaries would face a 17 percent cut.
• Social Security faces large and rising imbalances. According to the Trustees, Social Security will run cash deficits of $3 trillion over the next decade, the equivalent of 2.3 percent of taxable payroll or 0.8 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Annual deficits will grow to 3.4 percent of payroll (1.2 percent of GDP) by 2050 and 4.6 percent of payroll (1.6 percent of GDP) by 2098. Social Security’s 75-year actuarial imbalance totals 3.5 percent of payroll, which is over 1.2 percent of GDP or nearly $24 trillion in present value terms.
• Social Security’s finances have improved from last year but remain perilous. Social Security’s 75-year solvency gap was reduced from 3.61 to 3.50 percent of payroll as a result of stronger-than-expected economic performance and fewer expected disability applicants, partially offset by lower expected birth rates in future years.
• Time is running out to save Social Security. Policymakers have only a few years left to restore solvency to the program, and the longer they wait, the larger and more costly the necessary adjustments will be. Acting sooner allows more policy options to be considered, allows for more gradual phase in, and gives employees and employers time to plan.

With insolvency rapidly approaching, failing to address Social Security’s imbalances is an implicit endorsement of a 21 percent benefit cut imposed on all beneficiaries regardless of age, income, or need. Policymakers should implement pro-growth trust fund solutions sooner rather than later to ensure long-term solvency and give beneficiaries time to plan and adjust.

Social Security is Approaching Insolvency

Social Security’s retirement program is only nine years from insolvency, and action must be taken soon to prevent an across-the-board benefit cut for many current and future beneficiaries.

The Trustees project the Social Security Old-Age and Survivors’ Insurance (OASI) trust fund will deplete its reserves by 2033; the SSDI trust fund is in much stronger shape and will remain solvent over the next 75 years. On a theoretically combined basis – assuming revenue is reallocated between the trust funds – Social Security will become insolvent by 2035.

Upon insolvency of the OASI fund, all retirees – regardless of age, income, or need – will face a 21 percent across-the-board benefit cut, which will grow to 31 percent by the end of the 75-year projection window. We previously estimated that a typical couple retiring in the year of insolvency would face a $17,400 cut in their annual benefits. On a combined basis, insolvency would lead to a 17 percent initial cut, growing to 27 percent by the end of the window.

The year 2033 is only nine years away. That means the OASI trust fund is on course to run out of reserves when today’s 58-year-olds reach the normal retirement age and when today’s youngest retirees turn 71. Meanwhile, the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) trust fund will exhaust its reserves in 2036, when today’s 53-year-olds become eligible.

The Trustees’ findings are similar to recent estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which estimated the OASI trust fund would be exhausted by Fiscal Year (FY) 2033, the HI trust fund by FY 2035, and the theoretically combined Social Security trust funds by FY 2034.

Social Security Faces a Large and Growing Shortfall

The Trustees project that Social Security will run chronic deficits. They estimate the combined program will run a cash-flow deficit of $169 billion this year – which is 1.7 percent of taxable payroll or 0.6 percent of GDP. Social Security will run $3.0 trillion of deficits over the next decade.

Over the long term, the Trustees project Social Security’s cash shortfall (assuming full benefits are paid) will grow to 2.6 percent of taxable payroll (0.9 percent of GDP) by 2035, to 3.4 percent of payroll (1.2 percent of GDP) by 2050, and to a high of 5.1 percent of payroll (1.7 percent of GDP) by 2079. Costs will then decline to 4.6 percent of payroll (1.6 percent of GDP) by 2098.

Social Security’s growing long-term shortfall is the result of rising costs, mostly due to the aging of the population. Total Social Security costs have already risen from 11.0 percent of taxable payroll in 2003 to 14.5 percent of payroll in 2023 and are projected to rise further to 16.8 percent by 2050 and 18.1 percent of payroll by 2098. Revenue will fail to keep up with growing costs, rising only modestly from 13.0 percent of payroll today to 13.5 percent by 2098.

On a 75-years basis, the Social Security trust funds face an actuarial shortfall of 3.5 percent of taxable payroll, which is 1.2 percent of GDP or $23.8 trillion in present-value terms. A plan to restore sustainable solvency over the next 75 years would require the equivalent of increasing payroll taxes immediately by 27 percent or reducing spending by 21 percent for all current and future beneficiaries, or some combination. Actual reforms could be better targeted, rather than across the board, and phased in gradually.

Social Security’s Finances Have Improved Modestly But Time Has Run Short

Social Security’s long-term outlook has improved relative to last year’s projection, mainly on the disability side, but its financial challenges remain large. The 2023 Social Security Trustees’ Report estimated a 75-year actuarial imbalance of 3.61 percent of taxable payroll, which has declined to 3.50 percent in this year’s report. The insolvency date for the theoretically combined trust funds has been pushed back one year from 2034 to 2035 but is still only 11 years away. 

The most significant improvements from last year’s report are driven by changes in economic and disability assumptions. On the economic side, stronger near-term output, updated educational attainment, and greater covered employment led to a 0.13 percent of payroll improvement. Meanwhile, a significant reduction in expected disability applications – driven by recent experience – led to an additional 0.12 percent of payroll improvement.

Methodological and programmatic data changes improved the 75-year outlook by 0.08 percentage points of payroll mostly due to updates to the sample of newly eligible retired worker and disabled-worker beneficiaries used to project average benefit levels as well as updated post-entitlement benefit adjustment factors.

Partially offsetting these improvements, new demographic assumptions increased Social Security’s 75-year shortfall by 0.16 percentage points of payroll. Most significantly, the Trustees now expect lower fertility – at 1.9 children per woman instead of 2.0 percent. They also incorporated lower-than-projected actual fertility in 2023, higher mortality rates, and other updates to population, immigration, and marriage assumptions.

Legislative and regulatory changes had a negligible effect on Social Security’s 75-year shortfall. Since the 2023 report, there have been ongoing judicial developments related to immigration policy, including a ruling on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that deferred full implementation of the program. While the 2023 report assumed the DACA program would be fully implemented by mid-2023, the Trustees now assume the program will not be fully implemented until mid-2024.

The remaining changes to the outlook come from the new projection window. Including the year 2098 in the Trustees’ 75-year solvency projections worsened Social Security’s 75-year actuarial imbalance by 0.06 percentage points of payroll.

Although the 75-year imbalance shrunk this year, it has generally been growing over the past 15 years. This year’s 3.50 percent of payroll imbalance is more than 80 percent larger than the 1.92 percent of payroll imbalance estimated in 2010.

Importantly, while Social Security’s finances have generally worsened overall, Social Security Disability Insurance’s finances have continued to improve. As recently as 2015, the SSDI program faced a 0.31 percent of payroll (17 percent of revenue) shortfall and was only one year from insolvency. A temporary reallocation of payroll taxes from the old-age program reduced that shortfall to 0.26 percent of payroll the next year.

Since that time, a combination of administrative reforms, strong labor markets, and other factors has eliminated that shortfall, turning it into a 0.14 percent of payroll surplus. Despite this improvement, policymakers should continue to support improvements to the disability program, which can improve fairness and administration of benefits while supporting individuals with disabilities who want to remain in or return to the workforce. Such reforms can also help grow the economy and improve the Social Security program’s combined finances.

Delaying Fixes to Social Security is Costly

The Trustees recommend that “lawmakers address the projected trust fund shortfalls in a timely way in order to phase in necessary changes gradually and give workers and beneficiaries time to adjust to them.” Quick action would also give policymakers choices in making targeted adjustments, enhancing benefits for vulnerable populations, and achieving pro-growth reforms.

According to the Trustees, lawmakers could restore 75-year solvency with the equivalent of a 27 percent (3.3 percentage point) payroll tax increase, a 21 percent reduction in all benefits, or a 25 percent reduction in benefits for new beneficiaries if they act today.

Delaying action until 2035 would increase the size of necessary adjustments by about one-fifth. In that year, taxes would need to be raised by 32 percent (4.0 percentage points) or benefits cut for all beneficiaries by 25 percent. It would be impossible to restore solvency from new beneficiaries alone – even eliminating all benefits would be insufficient.

Thoughtful trust fund solutions would not only prevent deep across-the-board benefit cuts, but could also support economic growth , reduce inflationary pressures, and improve the nation’s fiscal outlook . We have published ten options to improve Social Security solvency   – including a number of benefit and revenue changes. Other proposals can be designed with our Social Security Reformer tool . The closer we get to insolvency, the fewer of these options remain available.

The Social Security Trustees continue to warn that the Social Security retirement program is significantly out of balance and just nine years from insolvency. Absent reforms, Social Security will be unable to pay full benefits to many current beneficiaries, let alone today’s workers and future generations.  Taking no action to fix Social Security will be an implicit endorsement of a 21 percent across-the-board cut to all beneficiaries, regardless of age or need.

As policymakers delay necessary action, the program’s finances continue to deteriorate. The longer policymakers wait, the larger and more abrupt any adjustments will need to be. All options should be on the table including changes to revenue, spending and the retirement age.

Fortunately, many well-known options to fix Social Security’s finances exist and could be enacted and implemented with political will and bipartisanship. A number of comprehensive plans already exist to restore solvency, and our Social Security Reformer Tool allows anyone to design their own. Policymakers should also consider pursuing new, innovative solutions to promote economic growth and improve retirement security in concert with addressing the program’s finances.

Policymakers cannot wait much longer to enact thoughtful Social Security reforms.

What's Next

Event Recap: The Trustees' Reports on the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds

Maya MacGuineas on Fox News' "Special Report"

Social Security and Medicare Trustees Confirm Trust Funds Need Saving

• Share full article

When Prison and Mental Illness Amount to a Death Sentence

The downward spiral of one inmate, Markus Johnson, shows the larger failures of the nation’s prisons to care for the mentally ill.

Supported by

By Glenn Thrush

Photographs by Carlos Javier Ortiz

Glenn Thrush spent more than a year reporting this article, interviewing close to 50 people and reviewing court-obtained body-camera footage and more than 1,500 pages of documents.

• Published May 5, 2024 Updated May 7, 2024

Markus Johnson slumped naked against the wall of his cell, skin flecked with pepper spray, his face a mask of puzzlement, exhaustion and resignation. Four men in black tactical gear pinned him, his face to the concrete, to cuff his hands behind his back.

He did not resist. He couldn’t. He was so gravely dehydrated he would be dead by their next shift change.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

“I didn’t do anything,” Mr. Johnson moaned as they pressed a shield between his shoulders.

It was 1:19 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2019, in the Danville Correctional Center, a medium-security prison a few hours south of Chicago. Mr. Johnson, 21 and serving a short sentence for gun possession, was in the throes of a mental collapse that had gone largely untreated, but hardly unwatched.

He had entered in good health, with hopes of using the time to gain work skills. But for the previous three weeks, Mr. Johnson, who suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, had refused to eat or take his medication. Most dangerous of all, he had stealthily stopped drinking water, hastening the physical collapse that often accompanies full-scale mental crises.

Mr. Johnson’s horrific downward spiral, which has not been previously reported, represents the larger failures of the nation’s prisons to care for the mentally ill. Many seriously ill people receive no treatment . For those who do, the outcome is often determined by the vigilance and commitment of individual supervisors and frontline staff, which vary greatly from system to system, prison to prison, and even shift to shift.

The country’s jails and prisons have become its largest provider of inpatient mental health treatment, with 10 times as many seriously mentally ill people now held behind bars as in hospitals. Estimating the population of incarcerated people with major psychological problems is difficult, but the number is likely 200,000 to 300,000, experts say.

Many of these institutions remain ill-equipped to handle such a task, and the burden often falls on prison staff and health care personnel who struggle with the dual roles of jailer and caregiver in a high-stress, dangerous, often dehumanizing environment.

In 2021, Joshua McLemore , a 29-year-old with schizophrenia held for weeks in an isolation cell in Jackson County, Ind., died of organ failure resulting from a “refusal to eat or drink,” according to an autopsy. In April, New York City agreed to pay $28 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of Nicholas Feliciano, a young man with a history of mental illness who suffered severe brain damage after attempting to hang himself on Rikers Island — as correctional officers stood by.

Mr. Johnson’s mother has filed a wrongful-death suit against the state and Wexford Health Sources, a for-profit health care contractor in Illinois prisons. The New York Times reviewed more than 1,500 pages of reports, along with depositions taken from those involved. Together, they reveal a cascade of missteps, missed opportunities, potential breaches of protocol and, at times, lapses in common sense.

Prison officials and Wexford staff took few steps to intervene even after it became clear that Mr. Johnson, who had been hospitalized repeatedly for similar episodes and recovered, had refused to take medication. Most notably, they did not transfer him to a state prison facility that provides more intensive mental health treatment than is available at regular prisons, records show.

The quality of medical care was also questionable, said Mr. Johnson’s lawyers, Sarah Grady and Howard Kaplan, a married legal team in Chicago. Mr. Johnson lost 50 to 60 pounds during three weeks in solitary confinement, but officials did not initiate interventions like intravenous feedings or transfer him to a non-prison hospital.

And they did not take the most basic step — dialing 911 — until it was too late.

There have been many attempts to improve the quality of mental health treatment in jails and prisons by putting care on par with punishment — including a major effort in Chicago . But improvements have proved difficult to enact and harder to sustain, hampered by funding and staffing shortages.

Lawyers representing the state corrections department, Wexford and staff members who worked at Danville declined to comment on Mr. Johnson’s death, citing the unresolved litigation. In their interviews with state police investigators, and in depositions, employees defended their professionalism and adherence to procedure, while citing problems with high staff turnover, difficult work conditions, limited resources and shortcomings of co-workers.

But some expressed a sense of resignation about the fate of Mr. Johnson and others like him.

Prisoners have “much better chances in a hospital, but that’s not their situation,” said a senior member of Wexford’s health care team in a deposition.

“I didn’t put them in prison,” he added. “They are in there for a reason.”

Markus Mison Johnson was born on March 1, 1998, to a mother who believed she was not capable of caring for him.

Days after his birth, he was taken in by Lisa Barker Johnson, a foster mother in her 30s who lived in Zion, Ill., a working-class city halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. Markus eventually became one of four children she adopted from different families.

The Johnson house is a lively split level, with nieces, nephews, grandchildren and neighbors’ children, family keepsakes, video screens and juice boxes. Ms. Johnson sits at its center on a kitchen chair, chin resting on her hand as children wander over to share their thoughts, or to tug on her T-shirt to ask her to be their bathroom buddy.

From the start, her bond with Markus was particularly powerful, in part because the two looked so much alike, with distinctive dimpled smiles. Many neighbors assumed he was her biological son. The middle name she chose for him was intended to convey that message.

“Mison is short for ‘my son,’” she said standing over his modest footstone grave last summer.

He was happy at home. School was different. His grades were good, but he was intensely shy and was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in elementary school.

That was around the time the bullying began. His sisters were fierce defenders, but they could only do so much. He did the best he could, developing a quick, taunting tongue.

These experiences filled him with a powerful yearning to fit in.

It was not to be.

When he was around 15, he called 911 in a panic, telling the dispatcher he saw two men standing near the small park next to his house threatening to abduct children playing there. The officers who responded found nothing out of the ordinary, and rang the Johnsons’ doorbell.

He later told his mother he had heard a voice telling him to “protect the kids.”

He was hospitalized for the first time at 16, and given medications that stabilized him for stretches of time. But the crises would strike every six months or so, often triggered by his decision to stop taking his medication.

His family became adept at reading signs he was “getting sick.” He would put on his tan Timberlands and a heavy winter coat, no matter the season, and perch on the edge of his bed as if bracing for battle. Sometimes, he would cook his own food, paranoid that someone might poison him.

He graduated six months early, on the dean’s list, but was rudderless, and hanging out with younger boys, often paying their way.

His mother pointed out the perils of buying friendship.

“I don’t care,” he said. “At least I’ll be popular for a minute.”

Zion’s inviting green grid of Bible-named streets belies the reality that it is a rough, unforgiving place to grow up. Family members say Markus wanted desperately to prove he was tough, and emulated his younger, reckless group of friends.

Like many of them, he obtained a pistol. He used it to hold up a convenience store clerk for $425 in January 2017, according to police records. He cut a plea deal for two years of probation, and never explained to his family what had made him do it.

But he kept getting into violent confrontations. In late July 2018, he was arrested in a neighbor’s garage with a handgun he later admitted was his. He was still on probation for the robbery, and his public defender negotiated a plea deal that would send him to state prison until January 2020.

An inpatient mental health system

Around 40 percent of the about 1.8 million people in local, state and federal jails and prison suffer from at least one mental illness, and many of these people have concurrent issues with substance abuse, according to recent Justice Department estimates.

Psychological problems, often exacerbated by drug use, often lead to significant medical problems resulting from a lack of hygiene or access to good health care.

“When you suffer depression in the outside world, it’s hard to concentrate, you have reduced energy, your sleep is disrupted, you have a very gloomy outlook, so you stop taking care of yourself,” said Robert L. Trestman , a Virginia Tech medical school professor who has worked on state prison mental health reforms.

The paradox is that prison is often the only place where sick people have access to even minimal care.

But the harsh work environment, remote location of many prisons, and low pay have led to severe shortages of corrections staff and the unwillingness of doctors, nurses and counselors to work with the incarcerated mentally ill.

In the early 2000s, prisoners’ rights lawyers filed a class-action lawsuit against Illinois claiming “deliberate indifference” to the plight of about 5,000 mentally ill prisoners locked in segregated units and denied treatment and medication.

In 2014, the parties reached a settlement that included minimum staffing mandates, revamped screening protocols, restrictions on the use of solitary confinement and the allocation of about $100 million to double capacity in the system’s specialized mental health units.

Yet within six months of the deal, Pablo Stewart, an independent monitor chosen to oversee its enforcement, declared the system to be in a state of emergency.

Over the years, some significant improvements have been made. But Dr. Stewart’s final report , drafted in 2022, gave the system failing marks for its medication and staffing policies and reliance on solitary confinement “crisis watch” cells.

Ms. Grady, one of Mr. Johnson’s lawyers, cited an additional problem: a lack of coordination between corrections staff and Wexford’s professionals, beyond dutifully filling out dozens of mandated status reports.

“Markus Johnson was basically documented to death,” she said.

‘I’m just trying to keep my head up’

Mr. Johnson was not exactly looking forward to prison. But he saw it as an opportunity to learn a trade so he could start a family when he got out.

On Dec. 18, 2018, he arrived at a processing center in Joliet, where he sat for an intake interview. He was coherent and cooperative, well-groomed and maintained eye contact. He was taking his medication, not suicidal and had a hearty appetite. He was listed as 5 feet 6 inches tall and 256 pounds.

Mr. Johnson described his mood as “go with the flow.”

A few days later, after arriving in Danville, he offered a less settled assessment during a telehealth visit with a Wexford psychiatrist, Dr. Nitin Thapar. Mr. Johnson admitted to being plagued by feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and “constant uncontrollable worrying” that affected his sleep.

He told Dr. Thapar he had heard voices in the past — but not now — telling him he was a failure, and warning that people were out to get him.

At the time he was incarcerated, the basic options for mentally ill people in Illinois prisons included placement in the general population or transfer to a special residential treatment program at the Dixon Correctional Center, west of Chicago. Mr. Johnson seemed out of immediate danger, so he was assigned to a standard two-man cell in the prison’s general population, with regular mental health counseling and medication.

Things started off well enough. “I’m just trying to keep my head up,” he wrote to his mother. “Every day I learn to be stronger & stronger.”

But his daily phone calls back home hinted at friction with other inmates. And there was not much for him to do after being turned down for a janitorial training program.

Then, in the spring of 2019, his grandmother died, sending him into a deep hole.

Dr. Thapar prescribed a new drug used to treat major depressive disorders. Its most common side effect is weight gain. Mr. Johnson stopped taking it.

On July 4, he told Dr. Thapar matter-of-factly during a telehealth check-in that he was no longer taking any of his medications. “I’ve been feeling normal, I guess,” he said. “I feel like I don’t need the medication anymore.”

Dr. Thapar said he thought that was a mistake, but accepted the decision and removed Mr. Johnson from his regular mental health caseload — instructing him to “reach out” if he needed help, records show.

The pace of calls back home slackened. Mr. Johnson spent more time in bed, and became more surly. At a group-therapy session, he sat stone silent, after showing up late.

By early August, he was telling guards he had stopped eating.

At some point, no one knows when, he had intermittently stopped drinking fluids.

‘I’m having a breakdown’

Then came the crash.

On Aug. 12, Mr. Johnson got into a fight with his older cellmate.

He was taken to a one-man disciplinary cell. A few hours later, Wexford’s on-site mental health counselor, Melanie Easton, was shocked by his disoriented condition. Mr. Johnson stared blankly, then burst into tears when asked if he had “suffered a loss in the previous six months.”

He was so unresponsive to her questions she could not finish the evaluation.

Ms. Easton ordered that he be moved to a 9-foot by 8-foot crisis cell — solitary confinement with enhanced monitoring. At this moment, a supervisor could have ticked the box for “residential treatment” on a form to transfer him to Dixon. That did not happen, according to records and depositions.

Around this time, he asked to be placed back on his medication but nothing seems to have come of it, records show.

By mid-August, he said he was visualizing “people that were not there,” according to case notes. At first, he was acting more aggressively, once flicking water at a guard through a hole in his cell door. But his energy ebbed, and he gradually migrated downward — from standing to bunk to floor.

“I’m having a breakdown,” he confided to a Wexford employee.

At the time, inmates in Illinois were required to declare an official hunger strike before prison officials would initiate protocols, including blood testing or forced feedings. But when a guard asked Mr. Johnson why he would not eat, he said he was “fasting,” as opposed to starving himself, and no action seems to have been taken.

‘Tell me this is OK!’

Lt. Matthew Morrison, one of the few people at Danville to take a personal interest in Mr. Johnson, reported seeing a white rind around his mouth in early September. He told other staff members the cell gave off “a death smell,” according to a deposition.

On Sept. 5, they moved Mr. Johnson to one of six cells adjacent to the prison’s small, bare-bones infirmary. Prison officials finally placed him on the official hunger strike protocol without his consent.

Mr. Morrison, in his deposition, said he was troubled by the inaction of the Wexford staff, and the lack of urgency exhibited by the medical director, Dr. Justin Young.

On Sept. 5, Mr. Morrison approached Dr. Young to express his concerns, and the doctor agreed to order blood and urine tests. But Dr. Young lived in Chicago, and was on site at the prison about four times a week, according to Mr. Kaplan. Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, was not one of those days.

Mr. Morrison arrived at work that morning, expecting to find Mr. Johnson’s testing underway. A Wexford nurse told him Dr. Young believed the tests could wait.

Mr. Morrison, stunned, asked her to call Dr. Young.

“He’s good till Monday,” Dr. Young responded, according to Mr. Morrison.

“Come on, come on, look at this guy! You tell me this is OK!” the officer responded.

Eventually, Justin Duprey, a licensed nurse practitioner and the most senior Wexford employee on duty that day, authorized the test himself.

Mr. Morrison, thinking he had averted a disaster, entered the cell and implored Mr. Johnson into taking the tests. He refused.

So prison officials obtained approval to remove him forcibly from his cell.

‘Oh, my God’

What happened next is documented in video taken from cameras held by officers on the extraction team and obtained by The Times through a court order.

Mr. Johnson is scarcely recognizable as the neatly groomed 21-year-old captured in a cellphone picture a few months earlier. His skin is ashen, eyes fixed on the middle distance. He might be 40. Or 60.

At first, he places his hands forward through the hole in his cell door to be cuffed. This is against procedure, the officers shout. His hands must be in back.

He will not, or cannot, comply. He wanders to the rear of his cell and falls hard. Two blasts of pepper spray barely elicit a reaction. The leader of the tactical team later said he found it unusual and unnerving.

The next video is in the medical unit. A shield is pressed to his chest. He is in agony, begging for them to stop, as two nurses attempt to insert a catheter.

Then they move him, half-conscious and limp, onto a wheelchair for the blood draw.

For the next 20 minutes, the Wexford nurse performing the procedure, Angelica Wachtor, jabs hands and arms to find a vessel that will hold shape. She winces with each puncture, tries to comfort him, and grows increasingly rattled.

“Oh, my God,” she mutters, and asks why help is not on the way.

She did not request assistance or discuss calling 911, records indicate.

“Can you please stop — it’s burning real bad,” Mr. Johnson said.

Soon after, a member of the tactical team reminds Ms. Wachtor to take Mr. Johnson’s vitals before taking him back to his cell. She would later tell Dr. Young she had been unable to able to obtain his blood pressure.

“You good?” one of the team members asks as they are preparing to leave.

“Yeah, I’ll have to be,” she replies in the recording.

Officers lifted him back onto his bunk, leaving him unconscious and naked except for a covering draped over his groin. His expressionless face is visible through the window on the cell door as it closes.

‘Cardiac arrest.’

Mr. Duprey, the nurse practitioner, had been sitting inside his office after corrections staff ordered him to shelter for his own protection, he said. When he emerged, he found Ms. Wachtor sobbing, and after a delay, he was let into the cell. Finding no pulse, Mr. Duprey asked a prison employee to call 911 so Mr. Johnson could be taken to a local emergency room.

The Wexford staff initiated CPR. It did not work.

At 3:38 p.m., the paramedics declared Markus Mison Johnson dead.

Afterward, a senior official at Danville called the Johnson family to say he had died of “cardiac arrest.”

Lisa Johnson pressed for more information, but none was initially forthcoming. She would soon receive a box hastily crammed with his possessions: uneaten snacks, notebooks, an inspirational memoir by a man who had served 20 years at Leavenworth.

Later, Shiping Bao, the coroner who examined his body, determined Mr. Johnson had died of severe dehydration. He told the state police it “was one of the driest bodies he had ever seen.”

For a long time, Ms. Johnson blamed herself. She says that her biggest mistake was assuming that the state, with all its resources, would provide a level of care comparable to what she had been able to provide her son.

She had stopped accepting foster care children while she was raising Markus and his siblings. But as the months dragged on, she decided her once-boisterous house had become oppressively still, and let local agencies know she was available again.

“It is good to have children around,” she said. “It was too quiet around here.”

Read by Glenn Thrush

Audio produced by Jack D’Isidoro .

Glenn Thrush covers the Department of Justice. He joined The Times in 2017 after working for Politico, Newsday, Bloomberg News, The New York Daily News, The Birmingham Post-Herald and City Limits. More about Glenn Thrush

Advertisement

Victoria's Free Kinder program has been running for a year, but a planned expansion has been delayed

Returning to Helm Street kindergarten feels like coming home for parents Aleisha Mackaway and Tyson Murphy, and their two daughters. 

Annalise, 6, and Lilliana, 8, both have autism and had behavioural issues before starting at the community-based kindergarten in central Victoria.

Lilliana was mostly non-verbal when she first started.

The family said it was an example of how kindergarten could change lives — both for the girls and their parents.

"Just watching the girls, how they developed over the years and how hard they worked to get them school ready … it nearly brings a tear to my eye," Mr Murphy said.

"Without [the staff], I would be an emotional and mental wreck," Ms Mackaway said.

But not everyone is happy with the Free Kinder program.

Expansion of Free Kinder delayed 

Free Kinder programs began in 2023 in most Victorian centres.

Under the scheme, the government provides 15 hours of four-year-old kinder a week, and 5-15 hours of three-year-old kinder a week.

That was supposed to increase to 30 hours a week for four-year-old kinder from 2026, but Victoria's state budget papers reveal this has now been delayed to 2036. 

Victoria is also in the process of building 50 new state government-owned and operated early learning centres.

But the budget reveals the construction of some of those centres has also been delayed, with the last 20 to be built by 2032. 

Premier Jacinta Allan has blamed the delay on workforce shortages. 

"We have a series of workforce shortages that are putting pressure on the delivery of these programs," she said.

"We have had to make a more gradual rollout of four-year-old kinder. 

"With this massive expansion of kindergarten, we need an extra 11,000 educators and teachers to deliver this." 

At Shinebright Helm Street in central Victoria, free kinder   has made a big difference for children from low socio-economic backgrounds.

"It's finally catching the children that have been missed and would have been missed," educator Beckie Parkinson said.

"The amount of families we have who call up and say, 'I'd like to do kinder, how much is it going to cost?' And we say it's free and they're blown away.

"We know without that relationship, children fall through the cracks, families fall through the cracks. This might be the first safe place they've ever really had."

Extra funding allowed educators at the Bendigo kindergarten to provide families with food relief, link them with health services and advocate for their children's needs.

Ms Mackaway remembers how hard staff fought to get her daughter Annalise into the dentist after she smashed her front teeth on a trampoline.

"They really pushed to get her on the waitlist to get her teeth removed. If it wasn't for them, we'd probably still be on the waitlist."

Kinder asks for toilet paper donations

But Free Kinder is causing problems as well as solving them.

Some Victorian council-run and community-based centres say it is financially unviable to operate under the new funding model, especially if enrolments drop.

They say the Free Kinder funding barely covers costs, and leaves them out of pocket for cleaning supplies, building maintenance, or expanding centres to fit the growing number of enrolments.

This has led to Melbourne councils Glen Eira and Knox's decision to close their kindergartens , while other councils, including Casey Council in the outer south-east, say they can't afford to expand their kinder programs to keep up with demand from the Free Kinder program.

In Melbourne's east, community-based sessional kindergarten in Bellevue has called for the state government to allow centres to charge parents a gap fee, so they can afford their program.

"We've had to make cuts to our finances so that we can pay wages, pay bills and buy the essentials," coordinator Carla Sutton said.

"We have to rely on parent donations. We're asking parents to donate toilet paper, boxes of tissue and paper." 

Ms Sutton said free kindergarten meant her centre gets $1,460 less per child, losing about $48,180 in fees.

"We've had to cut our cleaner down to three days a week to save $200 a week. It's actually quite embarrassing."

Ms Sutton said they had cut incursions and special programs like music, Italian, a petting zoo, and sport.

"I've never had to think twice about providing a quality program for children. Now it's, 'What are the children missing out on?'"

The state government said Free Kinder gave a sessional service about 30 to 40 per cent more funding compared to the average income from parent fees in 2022.

It said the small number of community-based session services that previously charged more were offered transitional support.

Early Learning Association of Australia (ELAA) chief executive Andrew Cameron said he was working with struggling centres to prevent closures.

"We'd like to make sure they're getting every support possible to meet their needs so they can continue to operate successfully."

Free Kinder a 'real success', peak body says

Mr Cameron described the Victorian government's reforms as "really positive and groundbreaking".

He said despite some issues, most children and families were benefiting from the Free Kinder funding model, and the high demand showed that.

"Most kindergartens are receiving higher levels of revenue to their services," Mr Cameron said.

"Free kinder has been a real success."

The state budget showed enrolments in government funded three and four-year-old kindergarten had increased to 146,900 children, up by 10,000 from the previous year.

Calls for 'rethink' on national kinder 

In Queensland, a Free Kinder subsidy for 15 hours for 40 weeks , or 600 hours, began this year.

Advocates said it disadvantaged low-income earners who still had high out-of-pocket childcare costs, while the Victorian model had significantly lowered costs for low-income parents. 

The NSW government's funded kindergarten scheme started in 2022, funding 15 hours per week in the two years before school.

With varying schemes around the country, Goodstart Early Learning has called for a national "rethink" to free kindergarten, to make it simple and fairer and to provide two years of 30 hours of early childhood education a week, at no cost to low-income families. 

The Productivity Commission will hand down its final report on a review of early childhood education in June. 

ABC Central Vic —local news in your inbox

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Queensland's free kindy program dubbed 'ill thought-out' after widespread confusion and disappointment.

Kindy will be free for all Queensland families from 2024

Why isn't child care free in Australia?

The potential closure of a Melbourne childcare centre Emiko's son is settled into has left her 'distraught'

• Balwyn North
• Early Childhood Education and Care
• Family and Relationships
• State and Territory Government

Procrastinator's guide to Indiana's election: How to vote and what races are on the ballot

It's officially election week, which means it's time to make a voting plan for the May 7 primary election if you haven't already. Polls are open from 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. local time Tuesday.

IndyStar pulled together a primer of what you need to know in order to vote if you live in Central Indiana.

Live Election Day updates: How are polls today? What are voters saying about the Indiana primary?

IndyStar Election Night Live: Join IndyStar journalists, local pundits May 7 for live analysis of the primary's biggest races

How do I know if I'm registered to vote?

Voters can double check they are registered by going to indianavoters.in.gov and entering in their information.

If you are not yet registered to vote, it's too late to do so for the May primary. However, you can still register to vote in the November general election by going to indianavoters.in.gov .

Where can I vote?

In Marion County, voters can can cast a ballot at any vote center on Election Day. A list of available locations, as well as a map of sites, can be found at vote.indy.gov/vote-centers . Boone, Hendricks, Morgan, Johnson, Shelby and Hancock counties all allow voters to go to any vote center in the county as well.

Hamilton County residents have to vote at their assigned locations. You can find your voting location at indianavoters.in.gov .

What else to know before you head to the polls

• Decide which party you want to vote for: In Indiana, voters don't register with a particular political party, which means once you get to the polls, you'll have to tell the poll workers whether you want to pull a Republican or Democratic ballot. What you pick will impact the number of contested races you get to vote on.
• Bring your ID : Indiana law requires voters to show a government-issued photo ID that displays your name, photo and an expiration date of the last general election or later. Student IDs from an Indiana state school, not a private university, will work as long as they meet the above criteria.

What races will be on my ballot?

This year the following elected positions are up for election:

• President of the United States
• U.S. Senate
• U.S. House of Representatives
• State representatives
• State Senate (half of the seats)
• Other local races

But, not everyone will have a choice for every elected position. Some races are uncontested or feature no candidates. You can see who all will be on your specific ballot at indianavoters.in.gov .

Who is running for governor?

U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, former Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers, Fort Wayne entrepreneur Eric Doden, former Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill and mom-of-five Jamie Reitenour are running for governor on the Republican ballot.

IndyStar profiled each of the Republican candidates:

• Read Braun's here .
• Read Chambers' here .
• Read Crouch's here .
• Read Doden's here .
• Read Hills' here .
• Read Reitneour's here .

Jennifer McCormick, the former state schools superintendent, is the only choice on the Democratic ballot for governor.

Will I have a choice for U.S. Senate or president?

That depends on whether you pull a Republican or Democratic ballot.

For president, President Joe Biden is the only choice for the Democratic nominee. Meanwhile, Republicans can technically choose between former President Donald Trump and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley . Haley, though, dropped out of the race after she had qualified for Indiana's ballot.

For U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Jim Banks is the only Republican candidate who will be on the ballot. Democrats will have a choice between Rep. Marc Carmichael and Valerie McCray.

What other races should I read up on?

The following primary congressional races are poised to be competitive, two of which are located in central Indiana.

• Republican 3rd Congressional District primary : With Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Banks running for one of Indiana’s U.S. Senate seats, eight Republican candidates are running for the northeast Indiana district. Nonprofit executive Tim Smith, former Allen County Circuit Court judge Wendy Davis, former 3rd District Rep. Marlin Stutzman and state Sen. Andy Zay had raised the most money by mid-April, including personal loans.
• Republican 5th Congressional District primary : Nine Republican candidates are running for the this district, which stretches from Hamilton County north to Grant County. U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz and Noblesville State Rep. Chuck Goodrich are the frontrunners, according to internal polling.
• Republican 6th Congressional District primary: U.S. Rep. Greg Pence decided not to seek reelection in this district that includes the southern portion of Marion County, which has led to a contentious Republican primary between seven candidates . Former Republican mayoral nominee Jefferson Shreve, state Rep. Mike Speedy, state Sen. Jeff Raatz, former lawmakers John Jacob and Bill Frazier, businessman Jamison Carrier and Darin Childress are running.
• Republican 8th Congressional District primary : U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon is also not seeking reelection. Seven Republicans are running for the southwestern Indiana district. State Sen. Mark Messmer, R-Jasper, and former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler are the frontrunners.

There are a number of competitive Statehouse races , too. Three Hamilton County Republican primary races feature no incumbent lawmaker this year, due to the departures of state Reps. Jerry Torr, Donna Schaibley and Chuck Goodrich.

You can read all of IndyStar's election coverage here.

Contact IndyStar government and politics editor Kaitlin Lange at [email protected] or follow her on  X  @Kaitlin_Lange .

The frenemies running Microsoft's and Google's AI ops have some serious history

• Microsoft's Mustafa Suleyman and Google's Demis Hassabis were childhood friends.
• In 2010 the pair cofounded DeepMind, which was later bought by Google.
• The two are on opposite sides of an AI arms race between Big Tech's oldest rivals.

Google's Demis Hassabis and Microsoft's Mustafa Suleyman first met in London when the latter was still at school.

Suleyman, the son of a taxi driver, and Hassabis, a chess child prodigy, both grew up in different parts of north London.

The pair are separated by eight years, and Hassabis had already begun a computer science degree at the University of Cambridge when he met Suleyman in the mid-1990s.

By 2010, the two had cofounded DeepMind along with fellow researcher Shane Legg. Less than four years later, Google acquired it for more than $500 million.

With Hassabis at the helm, the Google DeepMind is at the forefront of Google's AI push.

Meanwhile, Suleyman, who left Google in 2022, is heading up Microsoft's AI efforts.

From childhood friends to two of the most important players in AI, the two Londoners have found themselves on opposite sides of an increasingly tense race between Big Tech's oldest rivals.

Deep rivalry

Hassabis and Suleyman seem to view their relationship somewhat differently.

The younger cofounder spent much of his career in Hassabis's shadow — first at DeepMind and later at Google after it acquired the AI startup.

Speaking to The New York Times , Suleyman called his relationship with Hassabis "a friendly and respectful rivalry."

In a separate interview, Hassabis dismissed the idea of a rivalry with his former business partner altogether. Speaking about Suleyman, Hassabis told the newspaper: "Most of what he has learned about AI comes from working with me over all these years."

Related stories

The pair spent more than nine years working together at DeepMind. During that time, Hassabis acted as the company's public face and CEO, largely leading the company's high-profile acquisition deal with Google.

Eric Schmidt, Google's CEO at the time of the acquisition, last year told Fast Company he only got to know Suleyman after spending considerable time with Hassabis.

"I didn't understand at the time how good a technologist he was because Demis sort of overwhelmed him in that sense — he was sort of in Demis's shadow," Schmidt said. "But I think in the past few years, he's emerged from that shadow."

At DeepMind, Suleyman was initially chief product officer and later head of applied AI. In 2020, he finally joined DeepMind's parent company, Google, as a vice president of AI product management and policy.

But Suleyman's attempt to step decisively out of Hassabis's shadow came when he left Google and cofounded Inflection AI in 2022.

Just two years later, Inflection was bought by Microsoft, and Suleyman was installed as the company's CEO of AI.

'Pretty relentless'

Suleyman's time at DeepMind was not without controversy , and in early 2022 the DeepMind cofounder left Google to join venture capital firm Greylock Partners.

In a podcast interview on Greylock's website, Suleyman said he'd "really screwed up" when asked about complaints regarding his management style.

Suleyman described himself as "very demanding and pretty relentless," adding: "I think that at times that created an environment where I basically had pretty unreasonable expectations of what people were to be delivering and when, and ended up being pretty hard-charging, and that created a very rough environment for some people."

London calling

One of Suleyman's first moves as Microsoft's newly installed AI chief was to launch an AI hub in London, which is also home to Google DeepMind.

The move is part of a wider AI talent war between tech companies and sets the stage for a wider battle with Suleyman's old company .

"There is an enormous pool of AI talent and expertise in the UK, and Microsoft AI plans to make a significant, long-term investment in the region as we begin hiring the best AI scientists and engineers into this new AI hub," Suleyman wrote in the announcement.

The move could prove savvy for Microsoft as major tech companies eye up Google's high-quality pool of AI talent.

Microsoft already has a presence in London, but the fact that the new hub is focused on AI and run by a DeepMind cofounder will not have escaped Hassabis' attention.

Representatives for Hassabis and Suleyman didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.

Watch: Sam Altman moves to Microsoft after OpenAI fires him as CEO

• Main content