CFK Weekly—August 19, 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**Beyond Stereotypes, and Behind the News
**Parent Involvement in Education
PROGRESS FOR 11 MILLION IMPOVERISHED CHILDREN
**Improving Children’s Economic Security
**State of the Nation’s Housing 2002
WHO’S MINDING OUR PRESCHOOLERS?
**Why Early Care Matters
**Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 1997
**Day Care for Disabled is Hard to Find
**A Stark Plateau: California Families See Little Growth in Child Care Centers
IMPROVING SCHOOLS
**Fuel for Schools: The Importance of Trust in Changing Schools
**Strong Neighborhoods, Strong Schools
**State High School Exit Exams
**Creating Seamless Educational Transitions for Urban African American and Hispanic
Students
**Higher Pay in Hard-to-Staff Schools: The Case for Financial Incentives
**School Finance: A Primer
REPORTS IN BRIEF
**Drop-Out Rates
**Vaccination Coverage of Foreign-Born Children
**New Treatment for Autism Shows Promise
**Reading Disability Attributed to Brain Impairment
**Students Take Charge of Technical Support
**Building a Nation that Works: Designing TANF for the Workplace
**Welfare Reform and American Indians: Critical Issues for Reauthorization
KIDS AND POLITICS
**Latino Leaders Release Congressional Scorecard
**GAO Reports Concerns Regarding CHIP Waivers
**Special Education and the IDEA Reauthorization
**Child Care Funding on the Table when Congress Returns
**Federal Child Care Funding for Low-Income Families: How Much is Needed?
BACK TO SCHOOL -- FAST FACTS
**Did You Know…?
**Back-to-School Resources
CONNECTING KIDS AND HEALTH
**Covering Kids Finds Millions of Children Still Uninsured
**Confidentiality Important to Teens’ Seeking Health Care
VIOLENCE IN CHILDREN’S LIVES
**How Girls Hurt
**Young Children, More Girls are Committing Acts of Violence
**Understanding and Preventing Violence in the Lives of Children and Youth
**Youth Speak Out for More Civil Society
**A Judge’s Guide to Juveniles Before the Adult Criminal Court
**Helping Teens Develop Healthy Social Skills and Relationships: What the Research
Shows
TANF REAUTHORIZATION IN CONGRESS
**One Step Forward or Two Steps Back?
**Consequences of Welfare Reform: A Research Synthesis
**Welfare Time Limits: State Policies, Implementation and Effects on Families
**GAO Finds Many TANF Families Dealing with Disabilities
TIPS FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS
**Help Yourself to a Healthy Home: Protect Your Children’s Health
**Proteja la Salud de Su Familia…con Confianza
**Is Your Playground Carcenogenic?
**Guide to Special Education Advocacy for Caregivers
**Handbooks for Parents and Foster Parents
FOCUS ON THE STATES
**State Budgets Under Stress: Plans to Reduce the Growth in Medicaid
Costs
**State-by-State News
SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE
NEW ON CONNECT FOR KIDS
**Beyond Stereotypes, and Behind the News
Since the age of 12, Myrta Ventura has spent her summers following the fruit
crops as the daughter of migrant farm workers. Last year, she traveled further-to
a spot in Brown University's freshman class. Michelle Spruill, 29, lives with
regret, after a jail term led to her losing all rights to her two sons under
the terms of the 1994 Adoption and Safe Families Act. Meet these women as Connect
for Kids celebrates the work of What Kids Can Do and Women's ENews in bringing
us fresh voices and perspectives on the lives of women and children.
http://www.connectforkids.org
**New PSAs
We've partnered with the National Education Association on a new series of public
service announcements to help adults help kids succeed in school.
**Parent Involvement in Education
If you thought your school days were behind you, think again. When adults are
involved in children's education, kids are more likely to succeed -- in school
and out. Learn how to help schools get the resources they need, nurture a child's
ability to learn, and more.
http://www.connectforkids.org
PROGRESS FOR 11 MILLION IMPOVERISHED CHILDREN
**Improving Children’s Economic Security
This National Center for Children in Poverty report concludes that
earned income tax credits, the nation’s largest cash or near-case program
directed at low-income families, is also the nation’s most effective government
program for lifting children out of poverty.
http://www.nccp.org
**State of the Nation’s Housing 2002
If you own a home, you know that the last few years have been good
for the housing market. But what about moderate- and low-income families whose
budgets are stretched tight by increasing housing costs? For many, rising home
prices undermine housing affordability.
The good news, according to a new report from the Joint Center for Housing
Studies at Harvard University, is that millions of lower-income households have
been able to make the transition to home ownership in recent years using government-backed
loans. Still, many mortgages available to lower-income buyers are from subprime
lenders offering less favorable terms than conventional prime lenders. In addition,
conventional lenders tend to offer mortgages with the lowest interest rates
and most favorable terms for home buyers in higher-income neighborhoods.
http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/publications/markets/Son2002.pdf
WHO’S MINDING OUR PRESCHOOLERS?
**Why Early Care Matters
Good early care is critical, especially the care for vulnerable young
children, according to this policy brief from the National Center for Children
in Poverty, because good care helps preschoolers develop the social, emotional
and behavioral skills they need to be ready for learning at school.
http://www.nccp.org/ProEmoPP3.html
**Who’s Minding the Kids? Child Care Arrangements: Spring 1997
This first-ever Census Bureau analysis of families who receive help
in paying for child care -- from the government, another parent, a parent’s
employer, or another source -- examines the arrangements, time and cost of child
care for U.S. families. In 1997, grandparents were the leading child care providers
for preschool children. In addition, of the 466,000 preschoolers who received
government help to pay for child care, 9 percent were living under the poverty
line and 5 percent were living just above it. Poor families with an employed
mother paid roughly three times as much of their budget for child care than
families who were not poor (20 percent vs.7 percent).
http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p70-86.pdf
**Day Care for Disabled is Hard to Find
Parents of children with special needs struggle to find day care, and
many providers say their staff, facilities or funding is too limited to accept
the disabled, according to this Tacoma News Tribune article.
http://www.tribnet.com/news/story/1501562p-1619105c.html
**A Stark Plateau: California Families See Little Growth in Child Care
Centers
Policy Analysis for California Education reports that there is little
overall growth statewide in child care capacity, after adjusting for child population
growth, but increased state investments in child care have shown positive results
in rural counties.
http://pace.berkeley.edu/policy_brief_02-2.pdf
IMPROVING SCHOOLS
**Fuel for Schools: The Importance of Trust in Changing Schools
Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that it is not just good policies
and programs that make schools work, but good relationships among teachers,
parents, administrators and the people in the community who work together to
improve schools, as this Harvard Education Letter article recommended by the
Public Education Network reminds us.
http://www.edletter.org/current/reform.shtml
**Strong Neighborhoods, Strong Schools
Across the country, urban schools in low-income neighborhoods face
overcrowding, disrepair, inadequate funding, high staff turnover, outdated textbooks,
and low-performing children. The Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform
takes a look at how community organizations are organizing for school reform.
http://www.crosscity.org/programs/indicators/findings.htm
**State High School Exit Exams
Many states are adding high school exit exams to the requirements for
graduation, to make diplomas more meaningful. Citing evidence that high-stakes
graduation tests may lead to increased numbers of drop-outs, especially among
minority students and English-language learners, this report from the Center
on Education Policy looks at what different states are doing to develop valid
exams and appropriate cut-off scores, and how policy makers and schools can
make sure exit exams reflect and contribute to improved outcomes for all students.
http://www.ctredpol.org/pubs/StateHighSchoolExitExams13Aug2002/css/StateHighSchoolExitExams13Aug2002.htm
**Creating Seamless Educational Transitions for Urban African American
and Hispanic Students
Minority students in big city schools who want to go to college are
relying on parents, teachers and the Internet for information and guidance.
But many need help as early as middle school to get on a college-bound track,
and understand the differences between two- and four-year colleges or how to
access financial aid.
http://www.act.org/research/policy/pdf/2181.pdf
**Higher Pay in Hard-to-Staff Schools: The Case for Financial Incentives
Highly qualified teachers are in short supply where they are most needed:
in low-performing schools that serve large concentrations of poor and minority
students. Finding that money matters in attracting teachers to more difficult
schools, more and more states and school districts are turning to financial
incentives. This American Association of School Administrators report explores
the challenges in developing financial incentive policies, and calls for making
incentives big enough to be effective and structured in ways that support long-term
teacher commitments.
http://www.aasa.org/issues_and_insights/issues_dept/higher_pay.pdf
**School Finance: A Primer
Where do schools get their money, how is it allocated, and how have
funding streams changed in the last fifty years? Visit the Education Commission
of the States “School Finance” section for an overview, with links
to more detailed information.
http://www.ctredpol.org/
REPORTS IN BRIEF
**Drop-Out Rates
Check the state and national data on high school drop-out and completion
rates through 2000.
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2002382
**Vaccination Coverage of Foreign-Born Children
Foreign-born children are less likely to be vaccinated against Haemophilus
influenzae type b and hepatitis B -- and more likely to live in conditions where
they face increased exposure to these diseases.
http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/abstract/110/2/e15
**New Treatment for Autism Shows Promise
Sixty-nine percent of autistic children randomly assigned to receive
the new anti-psychotic drug risperidone improved at the end of an eight-week
clinical study, compared with only 12 percent in the placebo group, the largest
positive effect by a medication ever observed in children with autism.
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/events/prautismmeds.cfm?LS=5
**Reading Disability Attributed to Brain Impairment
For some children, reading problems may be physical. A new brain imaging
study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
finds that children who are poor readers appear to have a disruption in the
part of their brain involved in reading phonetically.
http://www.nichd.nih.gov/new/releases/disability.cfm
**Students Take Charge of Technical Support
More than half of school leaders report that students are providing technical
support for computers and information technology infrastructures in their districts,
assuming an unprecedented leadership role in school technology. http://www.nsbf.org/thereyet/charge.htm
**Building a Nation that Works: Designing TANF for the Workplace
Business leaders say Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
employment policies need to take into account the role and needs of employers
in order to be successful in matching workers with good jobs.
http://www.jff.org/pdfs%20and%20downloads/WINsTANF.pdf
**Welfare Reform and American Indians: Critical Issues for Reauthorization
This National Health Policy Forum brief reviews the special situations
facing tribes and American Indian families in the context of TANF reauthorization.
http://www.nhpf.org/pdfs/8-778+(web).pdf
KIDS AND POLITICS
**Latino Leaders Release Congressional Scorecard
Every politician says kids are important, but if you want to get behind
the rhetoric, you need a scorecard. This Congressional Scorecard from the National
Hispanic Leadership Agenda tracks how individual members of Congress voted on
issues of critical importance for Latino and all families -- including education
matters, civil rights, economic mobility and health.http://www.nclr.org
**GAO Reports Concerns Regarding CHIP Waivers
The General Accounting Office (GAO), the investigative arm of Congress,
has issued a new report about states' spending, "Recent HHS Approvals of
Demonstration Waiver Projects Raise Concerns." It finds that the Department
of Health and Human Services’ approvals of waivers, which free states
from adhering to certain requirements, have improperly let states use money
allocated to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to
help childless adults, without justification for this re-allocation. In addition,
GAO charges that waivers have been issued with inadequate opportunities for
public input and raises questions about the level of HHS accountability.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02817.pdf
**Special Education and the IDEA Reauthorization
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), up for Congressional
reauthorization in 2002, is likely to generate fierce debate from all sides,
according to this Education Week overview.
http://www.edweek.org/context/topics/issuespage.cfm?id=63
**Child Care Funding on the Table when Congress Returns
Child advocates across the country say now is the time to speak up
regarding child care funding for working families, since Congressional votes
on the Child Care and Development Block Grant and TANF reauthorization are most
likely to occur in September. Increased funding to make sure more families on
waiting lists can get help will mean more kids can enter school ready to learn.
See the Children's Defense Fund's overview.
http://www.cdfactioncouncil.org/Indexcc.htm
**“Federal Child Care Funding for Low-Income Families: How Much
is Needed?”
The federal government spends about $6.5 billion on the Child Care
and Development Fund and TANF, serving some 2.5 million children, but reached
only about 15 percent of those eligible for federal child care assistance in
FY 2000. This National Health Policy Forum issue brief provides data on current
child care use, arrangements and costs, as well as an overview of the issues
and research findings on quality child care programs.
http://www.nhpf.org/pdfs/8-780+(web).pdf
BACK TO SCHOOL – FAST FACTS
**Did You Know…?
Did you know that New Jersey and New York lead the states in per pupil
spending?
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-69.html
Over half (52 percent) of 3 and 4-year-olds were enrolled in school in 2000,
compared with about one in five (21 percent) in 1970.
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/school.html
In 2000 state governments contributed $186 billion for elementary and secondary
public school funding. Local governments contributed $161 billion, and the federal
government, $27 billion.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-69.html
**Back-to-School Resources
The National PTA has resources for parents who want to stay involved
with their kids and their schools this year. And remember, September is the
PTA’s member sign-up month.
http://www.pta.org/parentinvolvement/bts/articles.asp
Connect for Kids' Parent Involvement in Education topic page also has good
resources and tips for strengthening schools and learning.
http://www.connectforkids.org/resources3139/resources_subject.htm?doc_id=82761
CONNECTING KIDS AND HEALTH
**Covering Kids Finds Millions of Children Still Uninsured
Despite the passage of the SCHIP, at the start of 2002 there were still
some 8.2 million children who remained uninsured. For a state-by-state analysis
of the number of eligible children who remain uninsured or to find out how you
can help, check out the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s “Covering
Kids” initiative. Community events are planned across the country in August
and September to help families sign up their eligible children.
http://www.coveringkids.org
**Confidentiality Important to Teens’ Seeking Health Care
According to research published in the Journal of the American Medical
Association last week (August 12), teens report that parental notification would
have a chilling effect on their seeking preventive and other reproductive health
services but would not change their sexual activity. Arguing for case-by-case
decision-making regarding parental notification, the National Family Planning
and Reproductive Health Association warns that removing confidentiality regarding
sensitive health services could put teens at higher risk of pregnancy and disease.
http://www.nfprha.org/media/index.asp?ID=21
VIOLENCE IN CHILDREN’S LIVES
**How Girls Hurt
They don’t use fists, but the kind of covert aggression and bullying
that girls can inflict on each other can be just as prevalent, and just as damaging,
according to this American School Board Journal article.
http://www.asbj.com/current/coverstory.html
**Young Children, More Girls are Committing Acts of Violence
Some are getting help to salvage their lives, but many are only getting
punishment, according to an overview of youth violence in the Journal of the
American Medical Association.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/issues/v288n5/ffull/jmn0807-2.html
**Understanding and Preventing Violence in the Lives of Children and
Youth
Violence among children and teens takes many forms -- from self-inflicted
injuries to child abuse or witnessing violence at home or on TV. This entire
issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine is devoted to the
problem of violence in young lives, reflecting the health community’s
belief that violence is one of the most significant public health problems confronting
our society and the world at large.
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/issues/v156n8/ffull/ped20010.html
(Or, view the table of contents: http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/issues/v156n8/toc.html
)
**Youth Speak Out for More Civil Society
Ask young people, “If you could make one change that would help
stop the violence kids experience today, what would it be?” and you’ll
learn that young people want parents, teachers, schools and communities to lead
the way with more positive adult behaviors that teach children by example to
be respectful of differences. They also want more opportunities to interact
with caring adults, access to programs that serve victims, more out-of-school
activities, and to be asked for their input and leadership.
http://www.familiesandwork.org/press/youthandviolencerelease.html
**A Judge’s Guide to Juveniles Before the Adult Criminal Court
This guide was developed as an outgrowth of the National Judicial College
and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
http://www.judges.org/library_research_links.html
**Helping Teens Develop Healthy Social Skills and Relationships: What
the Research Shows
Intervention programs focused on improving social skills, mentoring
programs, and, of course, warm and supportive relationships with parents can
help teens develop healthy interpersonal skills and relationships. Check out
what works, what doesn’t, and what looks promising in this Child Trends
analysis.
http://www.childtrends.org/PDF/K3Brief.pdf
TANF REAUTHORIZATION IN CONGRESS
**One Step Forward or Two Steps Back?
The TANF welfare law, which ushered in a primary focus on getting families
into the workforce, is up for reauthorization in 2002. While the welfare-to-work
approach has worked for many families, especially in states with generous work
support services and assistance to boost low wages, the impact of state budget
crises and rising unemployment on vulnerable families is forcing policy makers
to think about how ensure welfare reform works in bad times as well as good.
This analysis from the Center on Law and Social Policy and the Center on Budget
and Policy Priorities identifies 13 reasons why the bipartisan Senate Finance
TANF reauthorization bill provides states with more flexibility and resources
to help parents succeed in the labor force than does the House-passed bill.
http://www.clasp.org/DMS/Documents/1028928846.02/view_html
**Consequences of Welfare Reform: A Research Synthesis
This Administration for Children and Families report synthesizes research
on welfare reform's impact on families and children, and charts the correlations
between specific policies and positive or negative outcomes, along with an indication
of the strength of the research. Different welfare policies have had mixed results
for child well-being. The most disturbing effects were increased behavioral
problems and poorer school performance among teens in welfare-to-work families.
The most favorable effects were associated with financial work incentives that
boost family incomes. Improved family finances resulted in better outcomes for
school-age children. Raising incomes is also associated with higher welfare
use rather than reducing caseloads, however, so policy makers may have to choose
between reducing caseloads or improving family outcomes.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/welfare_reform/reform_cover.html
**Welfare Time Limits: State Policies, Implementation and Effects on
Families
States vary widely in how they are implementing time limits for welfare
families, but in general the impact of time limits on family well-being has
yet to be tested because most families have not yet reached their limits, given
the strong economy and flexible state policies of the late 1990s.
http://www.mdrc.org/Reports2002/welfaretimelimits/wtl_overview.htm
**GAO Finds Many TANF Families Dealing with Disabilities
This General Accounting Office report finds that 44 percent of TANF
recipients report that either they or their children have disability impairments,
compared with 15 percent of the non-TANF population. Families with impairments
who leave welfare are less likely to be unemployed; many receive Supplemental
Security Income, a federal cash assistance program for low-income individuals
who are blind, aged or disabled.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02884.pdf
TIPS FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS
**Help Yourself to a Healthy Home: Protect Your Children’s Health
Does your home shelter mold, carbon monoxide, lead poison, pesticides?
How’s your drinking water or indoor air quality? This booklet from the
Department of Housing and Urban Development helps you identify and address potential
health hazards to children in your home.
http://www1.uwex.edu/healthyhome/tool/
**Proteja la Salud de Su Familia…con Confianza
This booklet helps Hispanic parents whose children may be eligible
for SCHIP or Medicaid understand these programs and how to enroll their children.
http://www.ask.hrsa.gov/detail.cfm?id=HRS00291
**Is Your Playground Carcenogenic?
According to the New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
(NYCAP), the wood in many school and public playgrounds has been treated with
chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a toxic pesticide designed to protect against
pests and decay. Recent data suggests that arsenic may leach out of CCA-treated
wood. NYCAP recommends that parents should be sure CCA-treated play structures
are sampled for arsenic and chromium. Precautions include covering treated wood
picnic tables with tablecloths and making sure children wash their hands thoroughly
after playing on arsenic-treated structures or decking, especially before eating.
http://www.crisny.org/not-for-profit/nycap/nycap.htm
**Guide to Special Education Advocacy for Caregivers
Foster parents and other resource families caring for out-of-home kids
can get help in how to be effective advocates for the educational services that
foster children with disabilities are entitled to, from the Association for
Children of New Jersey’s Children’s Legal Resource Center.
http://www.casey.org/cnc/support_retention/special_education_advocacy.htm
**Handbooks for Parents and Foster Parents
Parents whose children are in foster care, resource families caring
for these children and teens in foster care can often use help in navigating
the complexities of the child welfare system. Here are handbooks to help birth
parents, foster parents and youth in foster care.
http://www.casey.org/cnc/support_retention/nav_supports.htm
FOCUS ON THE STATES
**State Budgets Under Stress: Plans to Reduce the Growth in Medicaid
Costs
This preliminary report from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and
the Uninsured finds that in the face of serious budget shortfalls, 41 states
have plans to reduce their Medicaid funding growth in FY 2003.
http://www.kff.org/content/2002/20020730/
**State-by-State News
Alaska
Once they apply for benefits, Alaska will put welfare applicants on
a 10-day fast track to employment that includes a personal work force development
specialist, training and job supports.
http://www.adn.com/front/story/1541340p-1658353c.html
Connecticut
Connecticut’s child poverty rate dropped only 0.3 percent from
1990 to 2000, despite the state’s strongest economy in decades, a poor
showing compared to the national average drop of 1.7 percentage points. Child
poverty fell in Connecticut’s major cities, but rose in its inner-city
rings, according to a new report.
http://www.ctkidslink.org
California
An L.A. County Children's Planning Council Foundation report, “Running
Out of Time,” analyzes parent survey and focus group responses to explore
the types of help welfare-to-work families need to overcome barriers to employment.
Lack of child care was the most frequently identified barrier to getting good
jobs.
http://www.economicrt.org/download/form.html
District of Columbia
In September, DC’s public television station, WETA, will be premiering
“Reading Rockets,” a five-part TV series to help parents appreciate
the importance of reading early to their children and what to do if they suspect
a problem.
http://www.readingrockets.org/series.php
DC’s Public Access Corporation, headed by Kojo Nnamdi, host of NPR’s
“Public Interest,” has just opened a new studio and transmitter
facility with production facilities and training freely available to nonprofits
who want to train young people in video production or produce programs to get
their message out to the community.
http://www.dctvonline.org/about.htm
DC Action for Children has voter guides on poverty, housing, health and child care for upcoming citywide races. E-mail Susie Cambria at scambria@dckids.org for more information or copies.
Florida
The final report on the medical, developmental and behavioral problems
of foster children and the capacity of foster care providers in Florida is now
available.
http://www.teamfla.org/downloads/FinalFosterCareReport01.pdf
Illinois
How did children and families fare in the final state budget for FY
2003? According to Voices for Illinois Children there were a few victories,
but also deep pain reflected in a significant decrease in Illinois’ investment
in children and families in cutbacks in the general fund that covers education,
human services, health care and public safety programs.
http://www.voices4kids.org/03budget.PDF
New federal legislation may say parents can get government funding help to
pay for tutors if their children attend low-performing schools, but where can
they find the tutors, asks the Tutor Mentor Exchange, which finds that where
most poorly performing schools are located there are no, or not enough, tutor/mentor
programs. Tutor/Mentor Connection is holding neighborhood events to recruit
more tutors for hundreds of locations in September.
http://www.tutormentorexchange.net
Maryland
Baltimore’s Safe and Sound Campaign is launching a new community-wide
campaign for children and families, with the tag line, “Who says it can’t
be done?”
http://www.safeandsound.org/home.php
North Carolina
"The North Carolina ABCD Project: A New Approach for Providing
Development Services in Primary Care Practice" describes the state’s
comprehensive, community-based child development services system, which integrates
well-child visits with case management for parents concerned about their child’s
development.
http://www.cmwf.org/publist/publist2.asp?CategoryID=2
Pennsylvania
The Transitional Work Corporation in Philadelphia is a model program
that helps welfare-to-work parents gain supervised paid work experience, training
and placement in jobs with a future. Richard Greenwald describes how community
leaders came together to create this innovative program.
http://www.brookings.edu/dybdocroot/es/urban/localinnovations.htm
Utah
Despite its conservative politics, Utah’s welfare-to-work supports
have been generous, and have been strengthened by the state’s strong Mormon
safety net and tradition of community-based welfare, according to “Welfare
Reform in Utah,” a Rockefeller Institute report. The findings demonstrate
the impact of devolution in spawning different kinds of welfare systems across
the states. Utah’s self-sufficiency plans include case management, needs
assessment, job development and placement, mental health and substance abuse
counseling, funds for work-related expenses, and job-readiness and life skills
training. Caseworkers carefully monitor progress and enforcement is strict.
http://www.rockinst.org/publications/federalism/brynerutahrocrept.pdf
Virginia
Mathematica’s “Experiences of Virginia Time Limit Families”
finds that nearly all parents worked, mainly at low-wage jobs, and total earnings
increased over time in the late 1990s.
http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/PDFs/redirect.asp?strSite=experiencesva.pdf
September is PTA sign-up month. E-mail Debi Abadie at membership@vapta.org.
Washington
“Kinship Care in Washington State” describes the prevalence,
challenges and needs of kinship caregivers in the state.
http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/childfamily/FosterCare.html
Have a good week, everyone!
Jan Richter, Policy and Outreach Specialist, and the Connect for Kids team
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