 Bringing you relevant news, research and policy updates
affecting children, youth and families. June 16, 2010 |
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Editor's Note
By now you know that SparkAction.org is live!
The next Update will come from a new email address: update@sparkaction.org. Please add it to your contact list.
Over the summer, you'll see changes in the format of the Update, as we work to make it as useful, interactive and easy to read as the new site. If you have ideas for improvement or elements that you'd prefer we not change, please let us know! Email jan@sparkaction.org.
The trends are in the right direction for the economy, but the numbers on child poverty rates and state fiscal crises continue to tell a tale of woe for many families who have not yet found recovery.
In this Update you'll find action alerts for urging Congress to maintain its assistance for struggling families, the latest data on children's well-being -- and a call for a federal National Commission on Children in response -- and some good news beneath the headlines on early learning and juvenile justice reform.
And check out SparkAction for the latest resources and funding alerts!
Keep up the good work, everyone!
Jan
Jan Richter, editor emeritus, and the CFK Team
CFK gathers, synthesizes and promotes the best news, research and stories from the child and youth field. To suggest content, email weekly@connectforkids.org.
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 News from Washington, DC
HR 4213: Senate Fails to Get Votes to Consider Bill on Jobs and Medicaid
In the last few weeks, advocates have focused on Senate reactions to the House bill (HR. 4213) that would extend emergency assistance to states and families, that would, among other things: - help states with increased Medicaid expenses. (See the Families USA action alert.)
The latest development: on June 16, the Senate failed to muster the 60 votes needed to waive Senate budget rules to allow the bill to be considered. Stay tuned. Or better yet, call your Senators!
Fiscal Survey of States
If you have any doubts about the fiscal challenges facing states, check out the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers' latest Fiscal Survey of States, which concludes that states will have to keep cutting programs and services as their revenues lag despite the national economic recovery.
 The Foundation for Child Development's annual Child Well-Being Index, released last week, focused on the damage the recession has caused -- the childhood poverty rate has climbed and is expected to peak at 21 percent this year (2010), the highest in 20 years. In addition, risky behaviors among adolescents have increased and children's health indicators are down, in part due to the rise in obesity.
Senator Dodd Calls for National Commission on Children
Youth advocates see promise in a proposal by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), head of the Senate Children and Families subcommittee, calling for a National Commission on Children -- a new agency to provide an annual, systematic review of the status of children in America that has so far been left to the nonprofit world. A National Commission on Children could also take the lead in steering federal efforts to improve children's well-being.
Young people are using video messaging to get their point across about the importance of the Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support
and Education (PROMISE) Act. One student has gone even further. Kevin Sanchez, a representative of Barrios Unidos -- a Northern Virginia gang violence intervention organization -- hopes to win a trip to the 2010 Campus Progress National Conference in Washington DC, where he plans to use his keynote speech to excite and mobilize young people to action for the Youth PROMISE Act. The fight for the emergency funding bill, which includes an education jobs fund, is heating up, reports the National Education Association.
June 18 is the deadline for organizations to sign onto a letter supporting full funding for the Promise Neighborhoods Initiative, an initiative to replicate the successful Harlem Children's Zone model -- high quality education, wraparound supports for families and community, and continuous services from cradle to career -- in at least 20 communities across the nation.
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Improving Learning Teacher Evaluation Laws
Finding and keeping good teachers relies on a good way to evaluate their work in the classroom. States are getting into the teacher evaluation business and the Education Commission of the States has a summary of the evaluations allowed or mandated in new state laws.
Who Helps Public Schools?
There are more than 19,000 nonprofit organizations devoted to supporting public education in the United States -- booster clubs, parent-teacher groups, public education funds, high school alumni associations and others. The Urban Institute finds that the Public Education Network groups have an edge.
Kalamazoo Hosting President Obama
Kalamazoo High School won the competition to have President Obama speak at its graduation. The secret to the school's success was the "Kalamazoo Promise" -- free tuition at any public university in Michigan.
Small Is Beautiful!
The Consortium on Chicago School Research found Chicago's initiative promoting small schools helped boost graduation rates and provided for closer relationships among students and between students and adults. But student test scores did not improve significantly.
Find High-Quality Summer Science Programs
If you want to use summer programs for improving learning, this SAS Consumers Guide has reviews of high-quality, hands-on science activities.
June 22 Webinar: Preparing College- and Career-Ready Students
What program elements have been shown to be most effective in preparing students for postsecondary access and success? This American Youth Policy Forum webinar will feature findings of its recent publication, Success at Every Step: How 23 Programs Support Youth on the Path to College and Beyond
- Want to analyze the data on postsecondary education? The National Center on Education Statistics' PowerStats can help.
A heads up! Education Week will release its Diploma Counts 2010 report on graduation rates on June 22.
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Green Jobs, Summer Jobs, Any Job?
Job Outlook Improving?
The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) analyzes job and jobless data and has some good news. EPI reports better odds for job-seekers -- in April, when the ratio of unemployed workers to job openings was 5-to-one. This was an improvement from the March ratio of 5.4-to-one and the lowest ratio since March 2009 when the unemployment rate was 8.6%. - But the jobs picture is still bleak, especially in hardest hit metro areas and for Latino and black workers, where unemployment rates can be much higher than for whites with comparable education levels.
Green Job Challenges and Opportunities
- A Workforce Strategy Center report tackles the reality behind the promise of "green jobs" and highlights the role community colleges will need to play in training this emerging workforce.
SparkAction has loads of information on making sure young people are workforce-ready, including several recent reports on how businesses are trying to meet the challenge.
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Reforming Juvenile Justice
Ohio: A Model for Juvenile Justice Reform
Amid budget woes and lower juvenile arrest rates, states are quietly shutting large juvenile prisons, as advocates for juvenile justice reform cheer. Ohio is leading the way, reports the Associated Press.
A Vision of Change in New York
New York's juvenile justice system has been riddled with abuse and neglect; but, in an interview with young reporters, New York's director of Children and Family Services Gladys Carrión talked of her vision for change. - Reclaiming Futures blogger Benjamin Chambers reports that New York Governor Paterson has proposed a bill that would radically change the state's juvenile justice system by sharply limiting the kinds of crimes for which youth could be committed to youth prison, and setting up an independent office to oversee those prisons. Chambers notes, however, that increased mental health and substance abuse treatment for youth in the system is not in the bill.
 In Massachusetts, young offenders have to rehearse and perform Shakespeare -- it's the kind of alternative treatment that improves the odds for young offenders.
The Center for Juvenile Justice Reform at Georgetown University is opening its Certificate Program to nonprofit leaders. Applications are due July 27, 2010.
You'll find lots more stories from those who know juvenile justice up close and personal -- the young people themselves -- on SparkAction. |
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The Costs of Raising Children Today
How Much Does it Cost?
It takes a whole village to raise a child -- and a lot of money! The latest figures on how much it costs to raise a child tell a sobering story. For a middle-class upbringing, new parents can expect to spend $286,050 by the time their baby turns 18.
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Making the Case for Early Learning
Why Early Learning Pays Off
Several grantmakers' groups have developed a tip sheet of evidence-based arguments for why investing in early learning pays off, especially for low-income children. 
Children of 2020
Opinion leader and pundit, David Gergen, calls our lack of strong commitment to providing quality early learning opportunities for all young children a "disgrace" in the book, Children of 2020, published by the Council for Professional Recognition. Book cost: $19
State of Preschool Yearbook
Most state leaders do get it! Despite their budget difficulties, states continued to make progress in providing preschool education to children, but progress was slower and more uneven than in previous years, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.
Reducing Teen Pregnancy Rates Gives Babies a Better Start
What's an effective way to ensure new parents can give their babies a good start? The data shows that becoming a parent too soon poses huge challenges for teen parents and their babies. This Center for the Study of Social Policy guide offers state leaders key research, data and effective strategies for reducing the teen pregnancy rates. - Here's another idea: let teens text to get information on sex and safety.
This webinar will highlight four states' innovative components of home visitation systems and discuss state planning efforts for the home visiting funds designated by the new health reform law. A new state self-assessment tool from ZERO TO THREE will be released in conjunction with the webinar.
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Immigration & Child Welfare Policies
Caught Between Systems: The Intersection of Immigration and Child Welfare Policies  First Focus and the Migration and Child Welfare Network offer a comprehensive series of papers that examine the many challenges that arise when the immigration and child welfare systems collide and offer solutions on how the two systems can better work together. Immigrant Children in the Child Welfare System FactsheetIn its basic fact sheet, First Focus concludes we know too little about how and why immigrant families come to the attention of the child welfare system, the barriers they encounter once they become involved and whether language, culture and religion affect the treatment and services they receive or fail to receive.
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Children with Autism
Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
New research published in Nature identifies gene variants associated with autism. Identifying biological pathways can point to new avenues of scientific investigation as well as potential targets for the development of novel treatments, says the Autism Genome Project.
Supporting High Needs Children
The Society for Research in Child Development blames the absence of standard societal mechanisms to pay for appropriate assessment and treatment for autism spectrum disorders -- that means families must personally shoulder many of the high costs associated with securing appropriate services for their children.
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Healthy Living -- Get Moving
Let's Read. Let's Move.
First Lady Michelle Obama, along with four Cabinet Secretaries, has launched a Let's Read. Let's Move. summer initiative, with help from the Corporation for National and Community Service. The initiative focuses on increasing summer opportunities for children and youth -- activities, healthier eating and jobs.
Job Opportunity: Teens Needed to Feed Hungry Children
Here's a win-win example! In partnership with the local Boys & Girls Club and local schools, the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is hiring 20 teens to help feed 800 children every weekday this summer, thanks to a $50,000 ConAgra Hunger-Free Summer Grant.
 Cooking Up Change
And how about that high school team from the Tohono O'odham Community Action in Arizona that won the national Cooking Up Change contest sponsored by the Healthy Schools Campaign and the National Farm to School Network. Using typical school lunch fare to create a tasty, healthy menu -- that takes talent!
Food Allergy Help
Peanut allergies are common and dangerous! Here's tip sheet on being prepared to deal with peanut allergies.
Ensuring Healthy Ingredients in WIC Eligible Foods
If we want to get kids off to a good nutritional start, we should separate the hype from the science in determining eligible foods for WIC coupons. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says WIC reauthorization legislation should establish a science-based mechanism to examine whether costly ingredients advertised as "healthy" would actually benefit program participants.
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 Check out our new site!
CFK, the Youth Policy Action Center and National Youth Development Information Center are merging and relaunching as SparkAction: for children, for youth, for change this month. Want a sneak peek now? Visit SparkAction.org to get in on the action.
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Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus Ferber
Connect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment
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