CFK Weekly: September 16, 2002
We encourage distribution of this information! If reprinting in whole or part, please attribute it to Connect for Kids (www.connectforkids.org).
NEW ON CONNECT FOR KIDS
**Teaching Kids, One by One
**Making Change
HEALTH NEWS
**Children Losing Health Coverage
**Annual Household Drug Abuse Survey
**Physical Activity Drops Dramatically in Girls’ Adolescence
**Reflections on the Crime Decline: Lessons for the Future
WELFARE REFORM
**The Welfare News Alert
**Call for Information on Welfare Recipients and College Education
**Data Says Marriage Associated with Better Family Finances
IMPROVING SCHOOLS AND LEARNING
**Born in the U.S.A.
**Hispanics Lack Funding, Not Motivation, for College
**Phonics Pitch Irks Teachers
**Brookings’ Brown Education Report
EARLY INDICATORS
**Youth Violence: Rare but Predictable?
**Early Experimentation Linked to Lifelong Addiction
RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING
**Cost-Effective Ways to Evaluate Youth Programs
**Child Care Services for Children in Out-of-Home Care
KIDS AND POLITICS
**Advocates Calling for Senate Approval of TANF Reauthorization
**Governors Urge House to Approve Fiscal Relief to States
**Gun-Industry Immunity Bill Poses Serious Threat
**Connect for Kids Needs Your Info
FOCUS ON THE STATES
SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
PRIVACY POLICY
NEW ON CONNECT FOR KIDS
**Teaching Kids, One by One
Today's teachers learn how to teach, but not enough about how kids learn, according
to Dr. Mel Levine, creator of the Schools Attuned Program. Holly St. Lifer profiles
the teacher-training program, which offers an antidote to "one-size-fits-all"
approaches.
http://www.connectforkids.org
**Making Change
What with ATM machines and debit cards, many of us hardly ever set foot in a
bank anymore. But access to a checking account is central to our ability to
manage money. Here's the story of how California welfare recipients pushed for
and won checking-account access for families on public assistance. It's from
the September-October 2002 issue of the Children's Advocate, published by Action
Alliance for Children.
http://www.connectforkids.org
HEALTH NEWS
**Children Losing Health Coverage
The state Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) serves millions of children
and has greatly reduced the number of uninsured kids since its enactment five
years ago. But Families USA warns that these gains may be reversed in the wake
of federal funding decreases, and a requirement that states repay $2.8 billion
of federal funds. Senators Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and Lincoln Chafee (R-RI),
along with Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA), who sponsored
the original SCHIP legislation, have proposed a new bill to allow states to
retain the money and to eliminate proposed cuts in federal funding over the
next two years.
http://www.familiesusa.org/SCHIPreport.pdf
**Annual Household Drug Abuse Survey
While drug use among young people increased from 2000 to 2001, according to
this national survey, many drug users report they cannot get—or do not
seek—treatment.
http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov
**Physical Activity Drops Dramatically in Girls’ Adolescence
By ages 16 or 17, 56 percent of black girls and 31 percent of white girls report
they have no regular leisure-time physical activity. Low levels of parental
education are associated with decreased activity for white girls and for older
black girls.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/new/press/02-09-04.htm
**Reflections on the Crime Decline: Lessons for the Future
According to this Urban Institute forum report, the crack epidemic that hit
poor urban areas in the mid-1980s was marked by an unprecedented rise in violence,
particularly youth violence spurred by the ready availability of handguns. After
peaking in the 1990s, both the crack epidemic and rates of violence fell.
The decline of the crack epidemic alone can't fully account for the decrease
in crime rates. Forum discussions focused on two factors that helped: "incidental"
factors including shifting demographics, the economic boom and cultural changes
within poor communities, particularly among young people, and deliberate approaches
such as new policing interventions, gun control strategies and increases in
imprisonment. The evidence suggests highly specific strategies targeting particular
problems—for example, focusing on repeat offenders and victimization,
and crime hotspots—can work.
http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/410546_CrimeDecline.pdf
WELFARE REFORM
**The Welfare News Alert
Designed for journalists, this site offers quick, easy-to-read summaries and
links to key reports, issue briefs and legislative testimony on welfare reform.
www.welfarenewsalert.org
**Call for Information on Welfare Recipients and College Education
The University of North Carolina's Howard Samuels State Management and Policy
Center is conducting research to identify model programs, projects, state and
county legislation and bureaucracy regulations that help give welfare recipients
access to postsecondary education.
If you have any information, please share it with Charles Price (cprice1@email.unc.edu;
919-843-7809).
**Data Says Marriage Associated with Better Family Finances
Women who are married by the time their first child turns one tend to stay married
and spend less time alone than those who remain single moms for longer. Marriage
is also associated with more stable home environments and fewer years in poverty,
according to Robert Lerman, a researcher with the Urban Institute. The data
don’t indicate whether government programs promoting marriage can be successful,
or whether married couples' higher incomes are the result of marriage, or due
to the fact that people with higher incomes are more likely to be married. The
data show, however, that low-income married couples have less material hardship
and a broader support network than their single counterparts.
http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?Section=ByTopic&NavMenuID=62&template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=7858
IMPROVING SCHOOLS AND LEARNING
**Born in the U.S.A.
Why are thousands of Mexican-American teenagers born in the United States still
not fluent in English? Many speak only Spanish at home and live in Spanish-speaking
communities—but the factors that play a larger role, according to Education
Week, are poor motivation, little emphasis on reading outside of school, and
lives that are often disrupted by stress.
http://www.you-click.net/GoNow/a15864a63930a89281975a8
**Hispanics Lack Funding, Not Motivation, for College
The Pew Hispanic Center says efforts to increase the number of Latinos with
college degrees might be best spent by helping the large pool of Latino college
students stay in college through graduation. The research suggests that the
root of poor rates of postsecondary education among Latinos is not low enrollment,
but impediments to students finishing their studies.
http://www.pewhispanic.org/site/docs/txt/transcript090502.txt
**Phonics Pitch Irks Teachers
The Washington Post reported on controversies in the implementation of the reauthorized
Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which calls for a greater emphasis on
phonics. Some educators say the federal guidelines and funding favor one or
two private publishers, and limit local districts' ability to select their own
materials.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59455-2002Sep9.html
**Brookings’ Brown Education Report
Charter schools in four of the ten states analyzed in this year's Brookings
Education report scored significantly below similar local public schools on
achievement tests. These charter schools averaged rates in the 41st percentile
on their states’ math and reading tests. The researchers note, however,
that the analysis cannot determine whether these results reflect poor performance
on the part of the charter schools or a pre-selection of low-performing students
whose parents choose to send them to charter schools.
The report also found that academically and athletically strong "powerhouse"
high schools tend to be in relatively wealthy suburban neighborhoods and serve
predominately white, non-Hispanic populations. Across all schools, seventeen-year-olds'
arithmetic scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests have
fallen precipitously since 1990—largely attributable to poor performance
on problems involving fractions.
http://www.brookings.edu/dybdocroot/gs/brown/bc_report/2002/bcr_pressrelease2002.pdf
EARLY INDICATORS
**Youth Violence: Rare but Predictable?
Few children grow up to be violently aggressive, but those who do tend to have
physically abusive parents, according to this longitudinal study from Harvard
University. Race, gender and family income had little effect on kids' likelihood
of fighting, lashing out against peers, or attacking with weapons. But children
who are physically punished at home and are socially withdrawn, distressed in
new situations, and anxious about making new friends are at high risk for aggression.
Researchers also found that being victimized by peers led to aggressive fantasy,
which in turn predicted violence.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/features/fischer08212002.html
**Early Experimentation Linked to Lifelong Addiction
The younger children are when they first use marijuana, the more likely they
are to use cocaine and heroin and become dependent on drugs as adults, according
to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's report, "Initiation
of Marijuana Use: Trends, Patterns and Implications."
http://www.samhsa.gov/news/newsreleases/020828nr_marijuana.htm
RESOURCES FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING
**Cost-Effective Ways to Evaluate Youth Programs
Even if your youth program can’t afford a full-fledged independent evaluation,
you can still set up systems to assess how well you are reaching your objectives.
This "Promising Practices" article is one of several on ways to measure
your impact through "reflective evaluation" in the current issue of
the Harvard Evaluation Exchange.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/eval/issue19/pp2.html
**Child Care Services for Children in Out-of-Home Care
Foster parents and relative caregivers need help with child care, and say access
to good, affordable care is a factor in their decision to become and remain
foster parents. This Casey Family Programs tool is designed to help develop,
fund and expand child care services for children in out-of-home care.
http://www.casey.org/cnc/support_retention/child_care_services.htm
KIDS AND POLITICS
**Advocates Calling for Senate Approval of TANF Reauthorization
Child advocates, pleased with measures in the Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families (TANF) bipartisan legislation approved by the Senate Finance Committee,
are working over-time to urge Senators to pass the bill in the full Senate before
Congress adjourns this fall. More than half the Senate has signed a letter asking
Senate Majority Leader Daschle to schedule debate time for the welfare bill.
http://www.chn.org/alerts/evdetails.asp?evid=27
**Governors Urge House to Approve Fiscal Relief to States
The nation's governors have officially commended and thanked the U.S. Senate
for its bipartisan effort to pass the Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals
Act (S.812), which includes a provision to provide nearly $9 billion in fiscal
relief to state Medicaid and social services programs. Governors are calling
upon the House of Representatives to adopt a similar measure.
http://www.nga.org/nga/newsRoom/1,1169,C_PRESS_RELEASE%5eD_4241,00.html
**Gun-Industry Immunity Bill Poses Serious Threat
Join Together reports on a bill pending in Congress that would extend the protections
specific to the gun industry—already exempt from Consumer Product Safety
Commission regulations—to include immunity from lawsuits.
http://www.jointogether.org/y/0,2521,553731,00.html?U=24562
**Connect for Kids Needs Your Info
Are you preparing questions for candidates, or voters' guides for the upcoming
November elections to help citizens in your state vote with kids in mind? Connect
for Kids is putting together its Kids and Politics—Election 2002 section
now, and wants to link to your information.
Let jan@benton.org know what you have online,
and what you’re planning.
FOCUS ON THE STATES
California
The Action Alliance for Children's English and Spanish report "Pathways
to Parent Leadership/Senderos a un liderazgo de padres" profiles nine successful
California programs that are training parents to be leaders—in their children's
lives, schools and communities, and in the political process.
http://www.4children.org/parents.htm#path
Colorado
Advocates report the Colorado Amendment 31 ballot initiative would eliminate
parental choice in bilingual education by mandating a one-year English immersion
program as the only option for English language learners.
http://www.no-on-31.org
Florida
A proposal to authorize a property tax to pay for children's services is back
on the ballot in Miami-Dade County. The revenue from the property tax would
go towards funding after-school care, higher quality child care and children's
health programs.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/4012628.htm
Illinois
According to the Alliance to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, Chicago has more
lead-poisoned children than any other city in the country. In a move similar
to the state of Rhode Island's landmark case, the city of Chicago is suing paint
companies and lead pigment manufacturers for jeopardizing the health and safety
of the city’s children.
http://www.aeclp.org/chicago.html
Voices for Illinois Children says you can learn what candidates for local,
state and federal offices have to say about children and families by attending
one of the Community Dialogues held prior to the Nov. 5 election.
http://www.voices4kids.org/cd02.html
Iowa
" The Economics of Raising a Family: Implications for Public Policy"
describes many economic and social changes over the last three decades that
have burdened low-wage families—including declining real wages, increasing
numbers of mothers in the workforce, and slow growth in real family income.
The policy brief also examines how low-income parents and children have been
disproportionately disadvantaged by tax policies that have benefited higher
income households.
http://www.cfpciowa.org
Michigan
You can check your voter registration status and find the nearest polling place
with the new Michigan Publius Voter Information Center. Remember to register
by October 4. The site also has information on statewide candidates and ballot
proposals, and campaign finance filings.
http://www.publius.org
New Hampshire
Before you vote in November, join the Children’s Alliance of New Hampshire
and check out their "members-only" legislative report card to see
how your state legislators voted on key issues like early literacy or unemployment
benefits for part-time working parents.
http://www.childrennh.org/
New York
Statewide Youth Advocacy of New York is featured in the National Association
of Child Advocates' "Making a Difference" brief for its work in forming
an independent State Commission on the Quality of Foster Care. The Commission,
under the executive branch, receives, investigates and reports complaints and
concerns from children, parents and foster parents involved in the foster care
system.
http://www.childadvocacy.org
The Healthy School Network reports that legislation to ban future playground
uses of chromated copper arsenate wood, which can leach arsenic onto children’s
skin and clothing, was sent to the governor for signature on September 6.
Contact Stephen J. Boese (sboese@healthyschools.org)
for more information.
Oregon
Despite progress in effective programs to expand health insurance and reduce
teen pregnancies and smoking, the Children First for Oregon 2002 Report Card
on the status of children paints a picture of mediocrity and missed opportunities,
with one in every seven kids living in poverty—unable to take music lessons,
play a sport or even count on steady meals and stable housing.
http://www.childrenfirstfororegon.org
Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s investments in children and families have helped the state
make enormous progress on some key child well-being indicators, but Rhode Island
Kids Count notes that lawmakers need to be well briefed and committed to these
investments in these days of rising budget deficits and difficult economic times.
The Campaign for Kids briefing papers offer information and specific policy
recommendations on children's health, well-being, education and early childhood
to help candidates and voters prepare for the 2002 election.
http://www.rikidscount.org
Vermont
Ask not what’s wrong with youth, but rather what community supports and
positive relationships with adults are available for youth, says Youth Count:
The Vermont Youth Report, which measures the well-being of Vermont youth using
developmental assets. Cost: $5
http://www.childrensforum.org
Wisconsin
In an innovative approach, a settlement in the child welfare reform class action
lawsuit in Wisconsin will measure specific outcomes for children -- including
more timely placements with permanent families, reduced abuse and neglect of
children in foster care, lowered caseloads, fewer moves for children, and an
end to shelter placements by Dec. 31, 2003. Judge Randa of the U.S. District
Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin, must now approve the agreement.
E-mail jmeyer@childrensrights.org
for more information.
PRIVACY POLICY
In an effort to better serve the subscribers of our electronic newsletters,
the Connect for Kids Weekly and Connections, periodically we may employ tracking
software that lets us know how subscribers move from the e-mail newsletter to
our Web site. The information we gather is strictly intended for internal evaluation
and will not be shared with any individual or organization.
http://www.connectforkids.org/information1537/information_show.htm?doc_id=9207
Keep up the good work, everyone!
Jan Richter, Policy and Outreach Specialist, and the Connect for Kids team
Jan@benton.org
connect
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