Human Services News

Children treated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) have lower vaccination rates than the general population, exposing them to added risk from preventable illnesses such as mumps and measles. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 2:57 AM

Cover the Uninsured Week 2005 Resources

May 1 - 8, 2005 is Cover the Uninsured Week. The week, organized by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and several partner organizations, was developed to focus the nation's attention on America's uninsured population. The Kaiser Family Foundation has collected its many resources on the topics of health coverage and the nation's uninsured population onto a special page for the week. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 2:23 AM

College education protects middle-age caucasian women against obesity

There are significant racial differences in the association between education level and weight change for middle-aged women, according to an article in the March 14 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, by Ten. T. Lewis, PhD, of Rush University Medical Center. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:57 AM

Pelosi: 'Instead of a Statement of Our Values, Republican Budget an Assault on Our Values'

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor tonight in strong opposition to the final Republican budget resolution, which raids the Social Security trust fund, cuts billions in Medicaid, and adds trillions to the deficit. No House Democrats ... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:57 AM

Congress Passes Budget That Cuts Medicaid (AP)

AP - Congress narrowly passed a $2.6 trillion budget Thursday that would cut back spending on the Medicaid health care program for the first time since 1997 in a step toward trimming federal deficits. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:57 AM

Community efforts can reduce alcohol fatalities

Communities can decrease alcohol-related fatal crashes by providing better access to substance abuse treatment while reducing the availability of alcohol in the community, according to a new study supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A report of the study appears in the April, 2005 issue of the journal Injury Prevention. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:57 AM

Specific behaviors seen in infants can predict autism, new research shows

Canadian researchers have become the first to pinpoint specific behavioral signs in infants as young as 12 months that can predict, with remarkable accuracy, whether a child will develop autism. The preliminary findings, published this month in the International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, were taken from an ongoing study of 200 Canadian infants, the largest study of its kind in the world. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:57 AM

April 28, 2005

Role of Medicaid in Financing Family Planning Examined

While twenty-one states have expanded eligibility for Medicaid-funded family planning, many states are confronting budgetary shortfalls leading to cuts in Medicaid eligibility and services. At the federal level, there are proposals to cut Medicaid spending and restructure the program in significant ways. This updated issue brief provides an overview and analysis of the role Medicaid plays in financing family planning services. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:32 PM

A Medicaid Perspective on Medical Support Cooperation: A Study of Procedures in Five States

From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

Pat Redmond Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:21 PM

Effects of Welfare and Employment Policies on Young Children

From MDRC:

In welfare and employment programs that provide earnings supplements, increased family income plays a key role in improving children's school achievement.
Over the past 30 years, welfare and other public programs for poor families have focused increasingly on promoting parents’ self-sufficiency by requiring and supporting employment. Evidence from a diverse set of random-assignment experiments now reveals some of the conditions under which promoting work among low-income, single parents helps or hurts children.

This report summarizes the results of recent research conducted as part of the Next Generation Project, a collaboration between researchers at MDRC and several leading research universities, which draws on data from welfare and employment experiments launched in the early 1990s aimed at increasing the self-sufficiency of low-income parents in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to providing evidence for policymakers to assess evolving welfare policies, this research helps advance our understanding of the effects of parents’ economic circumstances and child care arrangements on the development of low-income children.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:06 PM

Institute of Medicine news: Changes needed in WIC program

A new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies proposes a number of changes to the WIC nutrition assistance program to encourage participants to consume more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, as well as to promote breast-feeding, among other goals. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:43 PM

House OKs Bill Toughening Abortion Consent (AP)

AP - The House passed a bill Wednesday that would make it illegal to dodge parental-consent laws by taking minors across state lines for abortions, the latest effort to chip away at abortion rights after Republican gains in the November elections. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:43 PM

Parents to Celebrate Children's Mental Health Week, May 1-7; Children's Mental Health Week Tool Kit Available Online

Most of us know a child or adolescent with a mental illness, whether it's attention deficit disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety or an eating disorder. However, due to stigma and the lack of public awareness and education, many are unaware of it.
Families Together in NYS, a parent-run organization offering support and information for families of children with mental illness, will be hosting its 10th Anniversary Conference held on May 1st and 2nd, 2005 at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, NY.

The organization is also offering a free downloadable tool kit for this special week. It can be downloaded at: http://www.ftnys.org. The tool kit contains Children's Mental Health Week activity ideas, a sample press release, graphics for stickers and iron-on transfers for t-shirts, children's mental health statistics and facts, how to seek help, promote awareness and eliminate stigma; and information on screening for and identifying depression.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:20 PM

DeLay: Protecting the Rights of Minors and Parents; House Passes Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) today said passage of the Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act will protect the rights of minors and their parents by closing the loopholes that have allowed circumvention of state parental notification laws. ... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:19 PM

House Passes Bill Tightening Parental Rule for Abortions

From NYT > Washington:

The House passed a bill making it a federal crime for any adult to transport an under-age girl across state lines to have an abortion without parental consent. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:17 PM

April 27, 2005

WIC in the States: Thirty-One Years of Building a Healthier America

WIC in the States: Thirty-One Years of Building a Healthier America has been published by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).

This report discusses the history, growth and success of WIC, a federal nutrition and health program for low-income pregnant women, infants and children. The report charts the number of women, infants and children served by WIC from 1974 to 2004 for the nation, each state, the District of Columbia, and Native American Tribal communities. It also describes the nature of WIC eligibility and benefits as well as the results of research about the program.

FRAC: WIC in the States

Posted by Michael at 1:41 AM

Teen Girls Use Steroids to Tone Up, Not Bulk Up

Up to 5 percent of middle-school girls and 7 percent of high-school girls say they have tried anabolic steroids, and experts believe that some girls use the drugs in hopes of toning their bodies, rather than adding on muscle like boys. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:30 AM

Irreconcilable Differences?: The Conflict Between Marriage Promotion Initiatives for Cohabiting Couples with Children and Marriage Penalties in Tax and Transfer Programs

Encouraging and strengthening marriage continues to move up the US's social policy agenda. This analysis uses nationally representative data on cohabiting couples with children from the 2002 round of the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) to assess the actual marriage penalties or bonuses facing these couples. In addition to examining the consequences of current (2003) federal tax laws, it also assesses the incentives that will be in place in 2008 as the final marriage-related provisions of 2001's tax reform are phased-in. The paper incorporates potential changes in transfer income received through welfare in assessing marriage penalties and bonuses for low-income cohabiting couples with children. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:30 AM

Managed care organizations evaluate trends in epilepsy to provide better care

Computer algorithms were used in a recent study to identify the prevalence and incidence of epilepsy, and epilepsy-related mortality of patients in a managed care organization (MCO). Data showed that these tools were successful in identifying these trends and were useful in making informed decisions affecting the health care needs and quality of life for epilepsy patients. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:30 AM

Pelosi: Budget Vote Shows Strong Majority in the House Opposes Cutting Medicaid

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke on the floor of the House this evening in favor of a Democratic motion to instruct House-Senate budget conferees that would prevent the Republican budget from cutting billions in Medicaid funding. The motion passed ... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:30 AM

Medicaid Panel Is Said to Be a Key to a Deal on Budget

From NYT > Washington:

Administration officials and Republican leaders in Congress said they hoped that a deal on Medicaid would clear the way for a broader agreement on the federal budget. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:30 AM

Prof: Stop explaining 'why' when teens kill; Instead reach out

From washingtonpost.com - US government, national security, science and national news and headlines.:

The labels put on youths who commit violent crimes not only prevent society from understanding their behavior, but also act as a barrier to solving the problem, says a Purdue University sociologist. We're trying to solve the problem by protecting them or punishing them without actually engaging with teen-agers because we are scared." Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:30 AM

For Wednesday Church Services, a Youthful Revival

TULSA Ashley Young and 800 other teenagers swarmed through the Church on the Move's youth center as they do every Wednesday night, shooting pool, jabbering over blaring Christian rock music and listening to Scripture. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:30 AM

April 26, 2005

Are Drug Courts a Solution to the Drug Problem?

[First Tuesday's Transcript] For the past 15 years, as incarceration and arrest rates have climbed, specialized, problem-solving courts have been created to deal with particular kinds of offenders. Drug courts, the most common problem-solving court, feature prominently in the White House's drug-control strategy and have been embraced by practitioners. At the same time, some judges and legislators are concerned that these courts will be perceived as "soft on crime" and may return dangerous offenders prematurely to the community. Panelists at this First Tuesday Forum address research showing the short-term benefits of drug courts, and their impact on the evolving judicial system. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:03 AM

How can we use a human rights approach to help improve the lives of those with mental disabilities?

A human-rights-based policy on mental health is urgently needed, an article for PLoS Medicine argues. Around half a billion people suffer from a mental or behavioral disorder, yet only a small minority receive even the most basic treatment. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:03 AM

Relatively few US adults report having a healthy lifestyle

Despite clear evidence of the health benefits, few US adults conform to four common healthy behaviors that together characterize a healthy lifestyle, according to the April 25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Current public health reports emphasize lifestyle modification, particularly quitting smoking, improved diet, increased physical activity and weight control, as the key to prevention and control of chronic diseases, according to background information in the article. Even though chronic diseases account for the greatest burden in terms of illness, diminished quality of life, and death, few Americans undertake the modifications that would result in a healthy lifestyle, the researchers found.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:03 AM

A Healing Journey, From Harvard to the Homeless Shelters

From NYT > Health:

For the author, counseling the mentally ill turned into a form of self-therapy.
The last decade has brought widespread use of peer counseling - people with mental illness working with people with mental illness - as a supplement (not a replacement) to traditional psychiatric treatment with medication and psychotherapy. The hiring of patients, or consumers, as they are known, has become standard practice.

Studies are beginning to show the efficacy of this approach. The World Health Organization's 2001 report noted that "patients with mental disorders can be very successful in helping themselves, and peer support has been important in a number of conditions for recovery.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:03 AM

Kettering's Pre-College Program, Academically Interested Minorities, Won Prestigious Pre-College/Community Award for 2005 From National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Administrators

The Academically Interested Minorities (AIM) program can add national honors to its already long list of awards. AIM was recognized by the National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Administrators (NAMEPA) as an exceptional contributor to increasing the participation of minorities in engineering disciplines in higher education at their annual conference in Las Vegas, Nev. April 10 to 13.
Ricky Brown, associate director of the Office of Minority Affairs at Kettering, has worked with the AIM program since 1994. "We are honored and thrilled to be recognized at the national level by our peers," said Brown.

"Pre-college programs are the beginning stage of bringing students into engineering programs," he said. "At Kettering we have been working hard to increase the number of minority students in engineering programs."

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:03 AM

Effective Strategies for Federal Monitoring of the Head Start Program: Testimony of Dr. Olivia A. Golden Before the Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development, United States Senate

This testimony was presented before the Senate Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development. Senior Fellow and Director of the Assessing the New Federalism project, Olivia Golden, discusses the Head Start program, effective strategies for federal monitoring, and the content and recommendations of the Government Accountability Office's recent report regarding a Comprehensive Approach to Identifying and Addressing Risks. Golden offers perspective on effective strategies for building the strongest possible federal oversight role to support high-quality, fiscally accountable, programmatically successful, and well-managed Head Start programs across the country. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:03 AM

April 25, 2005

New study shows simple actions wipe out huge higher heart risks for Asian diabetics

New research to be revealed on Tuesday 26th of April at the launch of the University of Warwick Medical School's new Clinical Sciences Research Institute at the University Hospital campus at Walsgrave in Coventry, has shown that very simple interventions to target the health care of UK Asian diabetics can almost wipe out the 40% higher risks of heart disease linked to diabetes in that community. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:43 PM

Take Our Children to Work Day: Sharing Power and Possibility

Access to Community College for Undocumented Immigrants: A Guide for State Policymakers

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:29 PM

Access to Community College for Undocumented Immigrants

States are using various approaches to help undocumented students fulfill their college aspirations. Community college systems, which typically serve as the first point of entry into postsecondary education for many of the nation's underserved and low-income populations, are key stakeholders in these approaches.

This policy brief, created for ACHIEVING THE DREAM, a national initiative to increase the success of underserved groups in community colleges, explores and highlights some of the actions being taken by states and institutions to improve the access of undocumented students to postsecondary opportunities, particularly in public community colleges.

The brief focuses on the five states currently participating in the Initiative, all of which have large or rapidly growing immigrant populations. It also reports on developments in several other states and at the federal level.

ACHIEVING THE DREAM is funded by the Lumina Foundation for Education.

Posted by Michael at 10:38 AM

About One in Five Teens Misuse Prescription Drugs

Rising numbers of teenagers are turning to prescription drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin to get high, while fewer are smoking marijuana. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:19 AM

Colo. Schools Won't Even Penalties for Pot, Alcohol

Despite overwhelming support from students, Colorado state college officials rejected a proposal to lower penalties for student marijuana use to equal those for alcohol use. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:14 AM

Judge Could Tell Tobacco Firms to Pay for Education

The idea of collecting billions in past profits from tobacco firms may be fading, but the judge in the government's racketeering case against the tobacco industry could order firms to take steps like paying for smoking-education programs. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:13 AM

April 24, 2005

New research reveals common beliefs about gender differences in health

New research from University of Glasgow researchers on lay perceptions about gender differences in health reveals that both men and women believe health risks are higher for their own sex than for the opposite sex. But, it also shows that males think that men are fitter and females think women are more athletic. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:22 PM

Medicare Change Will Limit Access to Claim Hearing

From NYT > Health:

Medicare beneficiaries must now show special circumstances to appear in person before a judge when their claims are denied. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:56 PM

Breakthrough for kids with epilepsy

A study on 50 preschool-aged children with epilepsy who underwent surgical treatment showed significant improvements on overall cognitive development and left many seizure-free. The article is published in the journal Epilepsia. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:32 PM

Day care in infancy protects against childhood leukaemia

Children who attend day care centres on a regular basis in the first few months of life are less likely to develop leukaemia than children who do not, finds a study published online by the BMJ today. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:32 PM

High risk of second cancers in survivors of childhood soft tissue sarcomas

Children treated for soft tissue sarcomas have a significantly higher risk of developing subsequent cancers later in life, according to a new study. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:31 PM

DOL Announces $15 Million Grant Competition for Youth Offender Projects

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced that approximately $15 million will be competitively awarded for Responsible Reintegration of Youthful Offender projects. The grant program is designed to address the specific workforce challenges of ... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:30 PM

April 22, 2005

Lumina Foundation for Education Announces First Quarter Grants

In the first three months of 2005, Lumina Foundation for Education awarded nearly $5 million in grants to organizations across the country that will help students - especially the traditionally underserved - gain access to and achieve success in education after high school.
Grants totaling $4,847,615 ranged in size from $8,600 to $1.8 million to fund research, expand a variety of student services, extend influential discussions about legislative policy and replicate successful models that shape educational access and success.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 2:12 AM

Faulty body clock leads to obesity and diabetes

Researchers from Northwestern University and Evanston Northwestern Healthcare have pinpointed something deep within the brain and other tissues that plays an important role in the struggle to maintain a healthy weight: the body's internal clock. The research team, led by an endocrinologist and a circadian rhythms expert, has shown that a misaligned clock, which regulates both sleep and hunger, can wreak havoc on the body and its metabolism, increasing the propensity for obesity and diabetes. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:56 AM

Who needs health care - the well or the sick?

Shifting drug spending from the worried well in rich countries to those with treatable disease in poorer nations will benefit the health of everyone, argues a doctor in this week's BMJ. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:52 AM

Researchers identify marker of heart disease in low-birthweight babies

Some low birth weight infants have large particles rich in apolipoprotein C-1, a blood protein that could put them at risk for heart disease later in life, according to a national study led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center researchers. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:27 AM

Child health teacher numbers at worrying levels

Concerns over the future of children's health care in the UK are being raised as new research shows the numbers of clinical teachers in this field have dropped dramatically in recent years. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:25 AM

Child sex abuse policy recommendations published in Science magazine

An article in the April 22 issue of the journal Science summarizes the body of research to date on child sex abuse and makes major policy recommendations regarding the need for improved understanding of the causes, consequences and treatment of what one expert terms an "important and neglected problem." Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:23 AM

Canadian youth 4th highest in international obesity study

Canadian youth rank fourth-highest on the obesity scale in a new international study of adolescents from 34 countries, says co-author Dr. Ian Janssen, a professor in Queen's University's School of Physical & Health Education and Department of Community Health & Epidemiology. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:21 AM

Propensity for obesity, diabetes, may occur in utero

The adage "You are what you eat" should be rephrased to include "and so are your children," based on metabolic research pioneered by researchers at the University at Buffalo. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:20 AM

April 21, 2005

Nation's Leading Food and Nutrition Science Organizations Embrace Concepts behind 'MyPyramid'

The Food and Nutrition Science Alliance, consisting of seven of the nation's leading food and nutrition science organizations, commends the collaborative effort of the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to provide solid guidance to Americans on how they can balance food intake and physical activity.
These federal agencies recently released "MyPyramid," a new set of tools for consumers to help them implement the key concepts in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 2:17 AM

Adolescents not receiving health counseling, Stanford study shows

Fewer than 50 percent of adolescent medical checkups include preventive health counseling, despite the demonstrated effectiveness of doctor-delivered advice in promoting healthy behavior as well as reducing risky behavior in teens. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:55 AM

Job Corps Offers New Services for District Youth

As Job Corps continues to celebrate its 40th anniversary of training and educating at-risk youth, the program commemorates the revitalization of the Deanwood area by providing more neighborhood youth with a second chance to achieve success. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:54 AM

Districts and Teachers' Union Sue Over Bush Law

Opening a new front in the growing rebellion against President Bush's signature education law, the nation's largest teachers' union and eight school districts in Michigan, Texas and Vermont sued the Department of Education yesterday, accusing it of violating a passage in the law that says states cannot be forced to spend their own money to meet federal requirements. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:52 AM

April 20, 2005

The Senate's $6 Billion Child Care Provision: A Critical, but Modest, Investment

by Danielle Ewen. In March, the Senate Finance Committee passed its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reauthorization bill-the bipartisan PRIDE bill-that includes $6 billion in new federal funds for child care assistance. The paper argues that while the $6 billion would keep pace with inflation over the next five years and would meet the cost of a limited increase in TANF work participation requirements, it will not expand access or increase quality of federal child care assistance. Pub No. 05-22. 3 pages. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:15 AM

Survey Finds Many Seniors Do Not Take Drugs As Prescribed

Four in 10 seniors told researchers in a recent national survey that they haven't taken all the drugs their doctors prescribed for them in the past year - either because the costs were too high, because they didn't think the drugs were helping them, or because they didn't think they needed them. This survey of 17,685 seniors was conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Commonwealth Fund and Tufts-New England Medical Center. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:56 AM

Utah Vote Rejects Parts of Education Law

In a stinging rebuke of President Bush's signature education law, the Republican-dominated Utah Legislature on Tuesday passed a bill that orders state officials to ignore provisions of the federal law that conflict with Utah's education goals or that require state financing.
The bill is the most explicit legislative challenge to the federal law by a state, and its passage marked the collapse of a 15-month lobbying effort against it by the Bush administration.
Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:49 AM

Hispanic Alcohol Use Studied

A five-year federal study is expected to provide the clearest look yet at alcohol use in the Hispanic community. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:43 AM

CDC Issues Caution on Alcohol Health Claims

Moderate drinkers may be in better health overall than nondrinkers, skewing research results associating alcohol consumption with healthier hearts, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:42 AM

AAHSA Urges Congress to Expand Housing, Home and Community-Based Services

Two officials from the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging today urged Congress to expand programs that offer home and community- based services to help seniors age in place and receive the services they need, when they need them, in the ...
Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:30 AM

Research reveals emotional trauma parents face when a child is diagnosed with diabetes

Discovering a child has diabetes can be a traumatic and life-changing event for parents - and researchers doubt whether many of them ever come to terms with it.
The findings raise doubts about whether many parents of children with diabetes ever fully accept the diagnosis. Even a year after diagnosis their emotions resurfaced when circumstances reminded them that their children were different from others and that they had a chronic and unpredictable illness.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:26 AM

Learning software developed by Rutgers-Newark scientist helps 450,000 students with reading

About 450,000 American schoolchildren all have used educational Fast ForWord software products developed from research that began in the lab of Rutgers-Newark professor of neuroscience Paula Tallal. And the kudos just keep coming.
Working at Rutgers-Newark's Center for Molecular and Biological Neuroscience, she has brought a neuroscientist's perspective to the concept of learning, convinced that developing brains are much more plastic than has been generally believed by educators. Independent tests at Stanford University have demonstrated that developmental skills in language and reading can be dramatically improved through the intensive use of these six- to eight-week programs involving computer-based suites of exercises.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:24 AM

Politically Active Teens Campaign Nationwide to Bring Justice to the People of Darfur

On April 22, 2005 at 4 p.m., Teens 4 Peace and Amnesty International USA will sponsor a rally by youth activists to express outrage at the indifference to the atrocities being committed in Darfur Sudan. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:19 AM

New research reveals working mothers do not adversely impact on children's diets

A new study from the University of Glasgow that analyses information from 11 year old children and their parents reveals that maternal employment is associated with better diets.The research challenges the streotype of working mothers who regularly dish out ready made meals, to reveal that children of parents who work may be fed more healthily. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:05 AM

Alliance for Equity in Higher Education Will Manage Building Engagement and Attainment of Minority Students Project

The Alliance for Equity in Higher Education will assume leadership and management of the highly regarded BEAMS (Building Engagement and Attainment of Minority Students) project effective May 1, 2005. The announcement was made by Jamie P. Merisotis, President of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, on behalf of the Alliance, and Clara M. Lovett, President of the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE).
Funded by Lumina Foundation for Education for the purpose of building capacity at minority-serving institutions (MSIs), the BEAMS project involves more than 100 baccalaureate-granting MSIs that aspire to increase student learning and success. BEAMS was developed in 2002 and has been led by the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) in collaboration with the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) at Indiana University. The project is supported by a grant of $2.9 million from Lumina Foundation for Education to continue activities through 2007.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:01 AM

Food Pyramid Gets New Look (washingtonpost.com)

washingtonpost.com - For the first time since it introduced the Food Guide Pyramid in 1992, the federal government yesterday unveiled a makeover of this well-known icon that emphasizes eating a variety of food, including healthful fat, and underscores the importance of physical activity. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:00 AM

April 19, 2005

Kaiser Health Poll Report - The Public On Prescription Drugs For Seniors

The most recent Kaiser Health Poll Report featured topic explores the public's views on the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. The March/April report analyzes new data as well as related polling information from earlier surveys by the Kaiser Family Foundation and other organizations. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:31 AM

Bush Social Security Plan Proves Tough Sell Among Working Poor (washingtonpost.com)

washingtonpost.com - Brenda Ellis's day begins at 6:30 a.m., when she rousts her 11-year-old son, Imani, from bed, hustles him into the kitchen for breakfast and to the school bus by 7. Tianna, 13, and Dikia, 17, quickly follow. Then she's off, some days to a substitute-teaching job in Prince George's County, others to tax clinics for the working poor, where she is earning credit for a hoped-for career in accounting. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:26 AM

Sacramento to Lead National Effort to Educate Consumers about Prescription Drug Prices; Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs Pilot Project Launched in California

Sacramento regional leaders today launched an ambitious effort to get free information on the cost and effectiveness of prescription drugs into the hands of consumers -- especially seniors, low income residents and the uninsured -- to help Californians stretch ... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:05 AM

Drinking Reinforces Smoking, Study Says

Drinking seems to encourage smoking even among people who are light smokers, according to a new study. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:04 AM

Americans Attracted by Relaxed European Attitudes About Drinking

For American youths, Europe is a whole different world when it comes to attitudes and age limits regarding alcohol consumption. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:04 AM

April 18, 2005

Study: Most in Treatment Began Drinking Early

The vast majority of people in addiction treatment programs first got drunk before the age of 21, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
According to an analysis of SAMHSA's Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), 12 percent of people in treatment first got drunk when they were younger than age 12, 25 percent got intoxicated for the first time between the ages of 12 and 14, 35 percent began drinking heavily between ages 15 and 17, and 16 percent first got drunk between the ages of 18 and 20.
Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:26 PM

Addiction Not Mental Illness, Oregon Court Says

The Oregon Supreme Court ruled this week that alcohol and other drug dependencies should be considered personality disorders, not mental illnesses.
The ruling is expected to hinder the use of an insanity defense by people charged with crimes committed under the influence of drugs. It also could allow people confined to state mental hospitals because of insanity pleas to be freed if their mental-health problems have been successfully treated, even if they still have addiction problems.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:25 PM

Youth Suicide Intervention and Prevention Grants

From Substance Abuse Funding News:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has announced the availability of its State/Tribal Youth Suicide Prevention Program grants.
Approximately 14 grants will be awarded to programs that display a commitment to establishing statewide suicide education and intervention projects, including collaborating with foster homes, juvenile-detention facilities, mental-health institutions, schools, and other organizations.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:19 PM

IRS Reports Widespread Tax Abuse among Nonprofits

From Substance Abuse Funding News:

A recent letter from IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson to Congress detailed a swath of "increasingly present" tax abuses involving nonprofits.
In the letter, Everson cited 31 tax-shelter abuses that had or could involve nonprofits, including some involving donor-advised funds and non-cash donations that allow taxpayers to claim inflated worth on donations.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:18 PM

Finding the Best Talent for Charter Schools; Third Annual Northeast Regional Charter School Career Fair

For the third consecutive year, K12connect, Inc. and Teachers College, Columbia University have joined forces to produce the Northeast Regional Charter School Career Fair for charter schools and management companies located in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

This year the New York City Center for Charter School Excellence joined as a co-sponsor paying the registration fee of all New York City charter school registrants. On Saturday, April 16th, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. over 350 job candidates flooded the halls of Teachers College to compete for 100 plus job openings at the 47 charters in attendance. Boston-based nonprofit, Building Excellent Schools, also recruited candidates for its school leader education and training program.

At a time when the number of chartered institutions is spreading quickly across the region, charter schools and education and charter management organizations - like Village Academies, Inc., Victory Schools, Inc., Uncommon Schools, Inc., Achievement First, Inc., Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), National Heritage Academies, Inc. and Universal Companies (who were also in attendance) -- are in heavy competition for top teacher, administrator and business manager candidates.

Easing the anxiety of pregnancy after miscarriage

Pregnancy for most women means joyous anticipation of the birth of a baby, day-dreaming about the child, preparing the nursery, accepting congratulations from friends.
For some pregnant women, however, feeling joy is a psychological luxury they can't afford. These are women who after one, sometimes many, miscarriages, stillbirths or newborn deaths, are pregnant again. UB's Denise C.t.-Arsenault is one of the few researchers to study the field of pregnancy after perinatal loss. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:57 PM

Pediatric Vaccine Stockpile at Risk (washingtonpost.com)

washingtonpost.com - Just three years after the largest and most serious shortage of childhood vaccines in two decades, the federal government's stockpile of childhood vaccines, designed as a buffer against shortages, is nearly empty -- and without immediate prospects of being filled. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:56 PM

At the Front of the Fight Over No Child Left Behind

From NYT > Washington:

Betty J. Sternberg has emerged as a national leader in the fight against provisions of the 2001 law pushed by President Bush that requires annual proficiency tests.
Connecticut is challenging the frequency of those tests and the limited exemptions the law provides for more than 5,000 of the state's special education students and 28,000 who are learning English.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:54 PM

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington Statement on IG Report; Focus on U.S. Dept. of Education Contracts

Metropolitan Policy at the Brookings Institution

The following is a statement from Melanie Sloan, executive director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), on the Inspector General's Report on the Department of Education contract with Ketchum Public Relations. CREW filed FOIAs with 22 agencies on Jan. 11, 2005, requesting copies of all contracts with public relation firms, including Ketchum and Fleishman-Hillard. Both firms have contracted with the government resulting in similar controversies, and in violation of the Publicity and Propaganda clause:
"Unfortunately, the Inspector General chose to focus on contract management issues –- whether the Department of Education and Ketchum properly oversaw the work of the Graham Williams Group (GWG) once the contract had been entered into. The IG report fails, however, to address the critical issue: did the Department of Education violate the anti-propaganda law by entering into the contract with GWG in the first place?

"Although the report glosses over this question, the report does note that in addition to creating advertisements, Mr. Williams also agreed that he "would regularly comment on NCLB during the course of his broadcasts and would work with African-American newspapers to place stories and commentary on NCLB." (IG Report, page 7). Rather than addressing this question, the IG report instead analyzes whether the GWG contract was effective in meeting its stated goal of disseminating information about NCLB to minority and disadvantaged communities. Apparently, it was not.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 8:47 PM

April 15, 2005

Working Families at Tax Time

In two new papers, the Metropolitan Policy Program analyzes the receipt of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in immigrant communities and the use of high cost refund anticipation loans (RALs). The EITC is a considerable investment in neighborhoods housing high numbers of immigrants, where families access the credit at significant rates. Nationally, RAL usage by EITC filers has declined, but remains well above average in cities throughout the South.

Posted by Michael at 8:17 PM

Bush education officials try to pacify states

The Bush administration's decision to give states greater flexibility to comply with the No Child Left Behind Act was greeted with enthusiasm by state education officials meeting in Washington, D.C., this week. But the new concessions may not be enough to quell rebellions against the law brewing in several states.

U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings announced new guidelines April 7 designed to make it easier for school districts to avoid federal sanctions under the 2002 law by tripling the number of learning-disabled students exempted from passing standardized tests. Previously, states were allowed to exempt 1 percent of their students from the testing requirements of NCLB. Under the new rules, some states will be allowed to offer alternative tests designed for those with disabilities to 3 percent of their students.

Stateline.org Story

Posted by Michael at 8:07 PM

Homeless Youth Surveyed

In a new study of homeless youth in Chicago, nearly one-third have jobs; one-quarter are parents; almost two-thirds report a history of abuse; almost half have been arrested; one-quarter have been homeless for over three years; and about 88 percent are from Chicago and the suburbs.

Family problems were the most frequent reason given by youth for their current homelessness.

The Night Ministry and the city's Department of Children and Youth Services commissioned the study by the Center for Impact Research, which hired homeless youth to survey their peers.

Community Media Workshop: Newstips - Homeless Youth Surveyed

Posted by Michael at 7:49 PM

NCLB - Budget Fact Sheets by State

President's 2005 Budget: State Fact Sheets

President Bush's proposed 2006 budget would provide $56 billion for the Education Department, including $1.24 billion for the High School Intervention initiative.

Posted by Michael at 10:41 AM

April 14, 2005

Making HEA an Engine of Economic Productivity and Worker Prosperity

. The skill requirements of todays and tomorrows jobs continue to rise by 2020 its estimated that 15 million new jobs will require college preparation.
This paper from CLASP, the National Consumer Law Center, and the Workforce Alliance argues that the U.S. can meet this increasing demand by modernizing the Higher Education Act (HEA) through reauthorization. It suggests ways Congress can better align HEA with the needs of employers and the realities of working adults lives. Pub No. 04-07. 3 pages. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:40 PM

Teen Pregnancy, Child Poverty Decline in U.S.

From washingtonpost.com - Nation:

A decade of declining teenage birth rates has led to a notable reduction in the number of U.S. children living in poverty, according to a new analysis.
Building on research by two congressional committees, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy released a state-by-state report this week identifying how many more children would be living in poverty or growing up in a household with one parent in 2002 if the teenage pregnancy rate had remained at 1991 levels.
Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:50 PM

Independent voice rises to help consumers navigate health care

Patients have had few places to turn-other than their own health plans-for help if they receive unexpected medical bills or refusals for much-needed medical equipment. But a network of California legal services groups has become a valuable lifeline for these patients, USC researchers write in the April issue of the Journal of Community Health. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:57 PM

Legal Standards, Not Income, Should Decide Outcomes of Immigration Proceedings; Report Makes Case to Increase Counsel for Immigrants

Making legal counsel more widely available to immigrants in removal (deportation) proceedings could increase efficiency, speed and fairness in America's court system, as well as save the government money, concludes a report released today by the Migration ... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:54 PM

Who's Soft on Child Molestation in Missouri? Fate of Missouri's Abused, Molested Children Now in Hands of Nine Senators

PROTECT, a nonpartisan child protection lobby with members in 50 states, called upon Missouri lawmakers today not to cut so much as one lollipop from the budget for child assessment centers, the programs that interview, examine and help molested and abused children. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:49 PM

Vt. Mulls Allowing 18-Year-Olds to Drink

Some state lawmakers in Vermont want to restore the legal drinking age to 18, arguing that 18-year-olds are adults and that age-21 laws have just driven youth drinking underground. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:15 AM

April 13, 2005

Study Examines Asset Test for Medicare Low-Income Drug Subsidy

This study estimates that 2.4 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries will not qualify for additional subsidies because their assets exceed the limit established by law. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:55 PM

Senate WIA Reauthorization Bill Should Not Adopt the Administration's Consolidation or WIA Plus Proposals

by Nisha Patel. The Administration has proposed two Workforce Investment Act (WIA) initiatives that would effectively eliminate requirements that existing employment and training funding streams be targeted for populations and purposes specified by Congress. This brief paper outlines the reasons the Senate should reject both proposals in its WIA reauthorization bill. Pub No. 05-20. 3 pages. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:53 PM

Administration's TANF Proposal Would Not Free Up $2 Billion for Child Care

by Mark Greenberg and Hedieh Rahmanou. In recent weeks, Administration representatives have suggested that enacting the Administration's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) reauthorization proposal would free up $2 billion for states to use for child care. This paper explains how letting states use unobligated funds for any allowable TANF expenditure would provide administrative simplification, but would not result in any new funds becoming available for child care. Pub No. 05-19. 6 pages. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:52 PM

Recent Tax and Income Trends among High-Income Taxpayers: Treasury Department Release Creates Misleading Impression about Taxes That High-Income Taxpayers Pay

From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

The Treasury Department recently updated a fact sheet on who pays the federal income tax. The fact sheet makes two main points: that "the individual income tax is highly progressive - a small group of higher income taxpayers pay most of the individual income tax each year," and that the burden these taxpayers bear has increased as a result of the tax cuts enacted under the Bush Administration.
The Treasury release, along with other statements by Administration officials, are designed to counter arguments that the tax cuts enacted since 2001 are tilted to those at the top of the income scale. The fact sheet, however, is misleading. By focusing only on the federal income tax and leaving out all other federal taxes, it creates misimpressions both about the degree to which the tax code is progressive and about who is benefiting the most from the recent tax cuts.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:48 PM

New AAAS report explores how 10 US school districts improved science and mathematics learning

A 22-page report, "A System of Solutions: Every School, Every Student," identifies 10 US K-12 school districts, serving some of the nation's major inner-city areas, and discusses the systemic practices that helped them improve student performance and close the gap between minority and non-minority students. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:36 PM

Depressed? New York City Screens for People at Risk

From NYT > Health:

Doctors in New York City have begun to use a simple questionnaire to determine if a patient is at risk for depression, a practice that health officials hope will become a routine part of primary care, much like a blood pressure test or cholesterol reading.
The new program is the first to carry out depression screening using a scored test on a wide scale. It comes amid a spirited national debate among psychiatrists, policy makers and patient-advocacy groups on the wisdom of screening for mental disorders, especially in children.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:05 PM

Suicide in one partner substantially increases suicide risk in the other

Suicide in one partner significantly increases the risk of suicide in the other, finds a large study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. But there are gender differences, the research shows. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:59 PM

40 California Job Corps Students Give Back to East L.A. Community by Reading to Little Ones to Honor Literacy Month

Job Corps is celebrating its 40th Anniversary year and National Youth Service Day (NYSD) by combining the efforts of 40 Job Corps students from 3 Job Corps Centers to "give back" by reading to toddlers and young kids in an East L.A. neighborhood.
To promote literacy during National Literacy Month ... the Los Angeles, Inland Empire, and Long Beach Job Corps Centers, along with the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles, are sponsoring a Community Literacy Fair for children in the East L.A. area. The fair, expected to draw as many as 300 children ages 3-8 from the surrounding community, will include stories, games, crafts, and food, all designed to give the at-risk students of Job Corps an opportunity to stress the importance of literacy to children living in this "target empowerment zone". Special emphasis will be given to the bilingual literacy, as select stories will be read in Spanish. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:58 PM

Current Issues in Medicaid Financing

In recent years there has been much discussion about states' use of creative financing to draw down additional federal funds for Medicaid financing. Some suggest a curb on these practices and the President's FY2006 budget includes provisions targeting intergovernmental transfers (IGTs). The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has produced a fact sheet and briefs on Medicaid financing issues. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 2:54 AM

The Impact Of State Income Taxes On Low-Income Families In 2004

From Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

Poor families in many states continue to owe substantial taxes as they file personal income taxes for the 2004 tax year. In a large number of the states that levy income taxes — in 17 out of 42 states — two-parent families of four with incomes below the federal poverty line continue to owe income tax. In 16 states, poor single-parent families of three pay income taxes. In addition, 31 of the 42 states with an income tax still tax families with incomes just above the poverty line, even though such families typically have difficulty making ends meet.
In some states, families with poverty-level incomes face income tax bills of several hundred dollars. For example, a two-parent family of four in Alabama with income of $19,311 — the 2004 poverty line for a family that size — owes $513 in income tax, while such a family in Hawaii owes $434 and in Arkansas $403. Such amounts can make a big difference to a struggling family. Other states levying tax of $200 or more on families with poverty-level incomes include Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 2:25 AM

Filling a Need (and a Tooth) in America's Poorest Pockets

From NYT > Health:

According to most authorities on oral health, dental care for Americans has not improved since a recent surgeon general's report, and there are many indications that it is getting worse.
In 2000, Dr. David Satcher, then the surgeon general, issued the first report on oral health in America. Calling dental and oral diseases a "silent epidemic," the report details significant oral health problems in poor people of all ages, members of racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and those living in rural America.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:45 AM

Childhood asthma may be linked to grandmother's smoking

A child whose grandmother smoked while pregnant may have double the risk of developing childhood asthma, according to new research. A study published in the April issue of CHEST, the peer-reviewed journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, suggests that the harmful effects of tobacco products can be passed through the generations, even if the damage is not visibly apparent in the second generation. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:29 AM

Study Finds Shortcoming in New Law on Education

The academic growth that students experience in a given school year has apparently slowed since the passage of No Child Left Behind, the education law that was intended to achieve just the opposite, a new study has found.
In both reading and math, the study determined, test scores have gone up somewhat, as each class of students outdoes its predecessors. But within grades, students have made less academic progress during the school year than they did before No Child Left Behind went into effect in 2002, the researchers said.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:18 AM

Secret loves, hidden lives?

The mental, emotional and sexual health of people with learning difficulties who are gay, lesbian and bisexual is being jeopardised by the failure of many services to give the support needed in this area.
New research by academics at Bristol University's Norah Fry Research Centre, working in partnership with Terrence Higgins Trust and REGARD, found significant barriers were put in the way of people with learning difficulties exercising their human rights to consenting same sex relationships.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:56 AM

Bud Light Accused of Trivializing Alcoholism in New Ad

The Center for Science in the Public Interest and NCADD complain to FTC over a Bud Light beer ad that depicts lying about drinking. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:53 AM

AMA 'Doctors Back To School' Program Inspires New Generation of Minority Physicians in Pensacola

The American Medical Association (AMA) will bring its "Doctors Back to School" program to four Pensacola area high schools this week. The visits are part of an ongoing effort by the AMA's Minority Affairs Consortium (MAC) to increase the number of underrepresented ... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:51 AM

Georgia H.S. Tipsters Can Earn $100

Model High School in Rome, Ga., will pay up to $100 to students who report on classmates who are using drugs or carrying weapons, the Associated Press reported April 11.
The money for the rewards comes from candy and soda sales at the school. Students get $10 for information about theft, $25 to $50 for information on drug possession, and $100 for information about gun possession or other serious felonies. "It's a proactive move for getting information that will
help deter any sort of illegal activity," said Principal Glenn White.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:50 AM

Colo. Lawmakers Agree on "Meth Baby" Bill

Colorado legislators have agreed on a bill that makes using illicit drugs during pregnancy a form of child abuse, deleting a provision that would have given judges the power to immediately terminate parental rights. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:49 AM

Economists Nationwide Endorse FairTax Plan; Includes HR 25/S 25, Replacing Income, Payroll Taxes with Progressive National Sales Tax

More than 75 economists nationwide endorsed the FairTax in a letter delivered to the House, Senate, Treasury, tax reform panel and the President today. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:31 AM

Researchers show parents give unattractive children less attention

A researcher at the University of Alberta has shown that parents are more likely to give better care and pay closer attention to good-looking children compared to unattractive ones.
"Attractiveness as a predictor of behaviour, especially parenting behaviour, has been around a long time," said Harrell, a father of five and a grandfather of three. "Most parents will react to these results with shock and dismay. They'll say, 'I love all my kids, and I don't discriminate on the basis of attractiveness.' The whole point of our research is that people do."

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:22 AM

University of Florida Study: Incarcerated Male Adolescents Suffer Ill Effects From Abuse

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:21 AM

Day of Silence in Thousands of American Schools Today; Estimated 450,000 Students to take Part in Day of Silence Activities; National Teach Respect Campaign will 'Break the Silence'

GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, today announced its fourth year of sponsorship for the Day of Silence, an annual national student-led effort in which participants take a vow of silence to peacefully bring attention to bullying and ... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:11 AM

April 12, 2005

NEW PUBLICATION: US Working Poor Profile

The Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty at the Weingart Center has highlighted a new publication from the US Department of Labor.

A Profile of the Working Poor, 2003 has been published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This report presents demographic information about poor people in the US labor force. Topics explored include gender, family status, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, occupation, and weeks worked per year.

SELECTED DATA

3,749,000 people in the US worked full-time, yet lived below the poverty line.
*

23% of families maintained by mothers (with a child under 18 years old) in the labor force 27 weeks or more per year lived below the poverty line.
*

10% of all people who were in the service industry labor force 27 weeks or more per year had incomes below the poverty line. This included African American - 17.4%, Latino - 15.1%, Asian - 10.1%, and White - 9.1%.
*

Among single woman headed households, 44.4% of householders with no labor force activity were poor, compared to 59.8% with 1 to 26 weeks of labor force activity and 18.4% with 27 weeks or more of labor force activity.

US Working Poor Profile

Posted by Michael at 9:32 AM

Trends and Indicators in the Changing Health Care Marketplace

Current information on key health care marketplace trends including health care spending and costs; health insurance enrollment, premiums, and benefits; the structure of the health care marketplace; and consumers and the safety net. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 1:15 AM

Distressed Public Housing: What It Costs to Do Nothing

Over the past decade, the HOPE VI program has invested over $5 billion in federal funds in the replacement or revitalization of severely distressed public housing developments. The current administration at HUD has been critical of the high costs of HOPE VI, and proposes that the program should be cut back dramatically or even eliminated. By our estimates, however, between 47,000 and 82,000 severely distressed units remain in the public housing inventory. Tackling the remaining inventory of severely distressed public housing would be costly. But doing nothing about distressed public housing has costs as well. This paper summarizes the existing research evidence on the costs of doing nothing about the remaining inventory of severely distressed public housing. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:58 AM

Onus is on educators to protect students from anti-gay bullying

Labels such as "fag" and "lesbian" remain popular weapons against students in Canadian and US schools, according to McGill University researcher Elizabeth Meyer. She is among 80 McGill researchers presenting at the American Educational Research Association's (AERA) annual meeting in Montreal until April 15. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:30 AM

Research questions belief that private schools are better than publics

Students do better in private schools, according to common wisdom -- and some well-regarded data now more than two decades old. But a recent study of standardized math scores in more than 1,300 public and private schools says the opposite may be true. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:29 AM

At-risk middle schoolers: A good investment

A curriculum for middle schoolers based on learning about and investing in the stock market pays off in improved attendance, interest in school and grades. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:28 AM

Research news from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University

A recent study of students in college found that a startling 27% were overweight, 6% were pre-diabetic, and 10% had either high total cholesterol or low HDL ("good") cholesterol. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:23 AM

In years preceding medicare eligibility, many older adults at risk of being uninsured

At least one-fourth of older U.S. adults will be uninsured at some point during the years preceding Medicare eligibility, according to an article in the April 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:11 AM

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Offers Free Courses Online

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:06 AM

U.S. Says Medicaid Money Was Obtained Improperly

Federal officials contend that 15 states have been "recycling" federal money, rather than using state and local tax revenue to pay their share of Medicaid costs. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:00 AM

April 11, 2005

When a Food Marketer Devises Nutrition Advice

From NYT > Health:

The government's hiring of a company with a stable of food industry clients to sell the national nutrition plan has some public health advocates concerned. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:59 PM

Can toddlers understand what's really going on?

A Canada-U.S. research team has discovered that very young children absolutely comprehend that other people believe things that aren't true. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:31 PM

Drug Free Communities Support Mentoring Program

From Substance Abuse Funding News:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will award as many as 39 grants under its $2.9-million Drug Free Communities Support Mentoring Program.
The grants will finance community-based anti-drug coalitions, with a focus on adult mentoring programs for children and youth. Potential applicants must meet the same eligibility requirements for the Drug-Free Communities Support Program's coalition grants, which include, but are not limited to, being at least five years old and having demonstrated prior effectiveness in delivering alcohol and other drug abuse programs.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:47 AM

NYU research shows anti-poverty program boosts marriage rate among single mothers

An anti-poverty program in Milwaukee, Wisc., substantially increased marriage rates among single mothers who have never been married, according to research by New York University psychology professor Hiro Yoshikawa and Anna Gassman-Pines, a doctoral candidate in psychology.
The findings, the result of an unprecedented five-year study of Milwaukee's "New Hope Project," will be presented on Sat., April 9, at the Society for Research in Child Development conference in Atlanta, Ga. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:44 AM

Certain weight control behaviors may precipitate obesity among adolescent girls

The prevalence of adolescent obesity has doubled over the last 30 years and can lead to serious medical problems, like high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer.
According to a new study, certain weight-control behaviors may actually contribute more to weight problems than other behaviors. Furthermore, parents who are overweight may also contribute to their adolescent's future weight problem. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:22 AM

Community Colleges Solicited For Excellence Award; Metlife Foundation to Recognize Innovation in Helping Youth and Adults succeed in College