Human Services News

Women in rural communities have their own specific obstacles to face.
By focusing on women and the communities they lived in, the authors were able to see how the rural families are embedded in their community while being negatively affected by the lack of resources.

"Empowering this population will require new modes of delivery for advanced education, addressing child care needs, and increasing access to secure, flexible employment with benefits," the authors conclude.

This study is published in the current issue of Family Relations.

Since 1951, Family Relations: Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies has covered areas of critical importance to family professionals.

The journal's content emphasizes family research with implications for intervention, education, and public policy.

Information about the National Council on Family Relations can be found at www.ncfr.org.

Blackwell Publishing is the world's leading society publisher, partnering with 665 academic and professional societies.

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Posted by Michael at 11:29 PM

National Association of Community Health Centers State of the Union Address Response

The following is a statement from Dan Hawkins, vice president for federal, state and public affairs at NACHC, in response to the President's State of the Union Address.
"At a time when Americans face an increasingly fragmented health care landscape with diminishing choices, we support solutions that preserve and expand health coverage opportunities for all.

The board zeroes in on the health needs of the community, and strives to meet those needs by offering a range of affordable services -- primary and preventive medical care, dental care, counseling, management of chronic conditions.

While conventional wisdom may hold that putting the patients in charge might drive up the cost of health care, the results on the front lines of public health have been precisely the opposite.

"Health centers stand ready to continue their critical role in protecting public health.

Hurricane Katrina and the fears of a possible Avian flu pandemic exposed the weak links in a coordinated response to public health needs that may span several states.

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Posted by Michael at 11:22 PM

Housing Priority Not Evident in President's State of the Union Address, Says NAHRO

The following is a statement from Saul N. Ramirez, Jr., executive director of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO):
On a national level, we must support and encourage the growth and development of quality communities, so that all Americans not only have quality affordable housing, but educational, employment and civic opportunities in their communities as well.

Increased support for the Community Development Block Grant program, for example, would empower communities to create and retain jobs, and assist households at a low-to-moderate range of incomes.

Finally, while homeownership is a valuable tool for families and communities, we need to address a wider range of housing needs.

The nation faces myriad issues and challenges everyday.

We at NAHRO believe that housing working families and those unable to access more than assisted housing-including lower-income seniors and people with disabilities-should be at the top of the President's agenda.

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Posted by Michael at 11:20 PM

The TANF Participation Rate Structure under the Budget Reconciliation Bill

Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect

The budget reconciliation bill awaiting a final vote by the House changes several key aspects of TANF participation rate rules, while leaving other parts of the law unchanged.
If the pending TANF provisions become law, then effective October 1, 2006, each state will be required to meet a 50 percent participation rate for all families, and a separately calculated 90 percent participation rate for two-parent families, with each rate adjusted downward for any caseload decline that occurs after 2005 for reasons other than changes in eligibility rules.

If the state had had 100 participants in the prior year, it must have at least 115 participants to qualify for penalty reduction in the subsequent year.

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Posted by Michael at 11:06 PM

Safe Children and Healthy Families Are a Shared Responsibility

The 2006 Child Abuse Prevention Website!

Read the welcome letter and find resources for communities to help parents understand and meet their children's needs and protect them from harm. You may order or print a hard copy of the 2006 Community Resource Packet: Safe Children and Healthy Families Are a Shared Responsibility, which includes both English and Spanish resources.

Posted by Michael at 11:41 AM

ACP proposes solutions for America's health care system

A policy paper providing proposals for resolving some of the major problems with the health care system in America was released today by The American College of Physicians (ACP) at its annual report on "The State of the Nation's Health Care."
"The Advanced Medical Home: A Patient-Centered, Physician-Guided Model of Health Care," proposes a fundamental change in the way that principal - or primary care - is delivered and financed.

"ACP proposals would provide patients with access to care that is coordinated by their own personal physician," explained C. Anderson Hedberg, ACP president.

The paper recommends voluntary certification and recognition of primary care and specialty medical practices that use health information technology, quality measurement and reporting, patient-friendly scheduling systems and other "best practices" to deliver better value and improve care coordination for patients, especially those with multiple chronic illnesses.

Primary care physicians would be responsible for partnering with their patients to assure that all of their health care is managed and coordinated effectively.

The paper calls for fundamental changes in third party financing, reimbursement, coding and coverage policies to support practices that qualify as advanced medical homes.

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Posted by Michael at 12:05 AM

January 30, 2006

President's 'Consumer-Driven' Health Care Proposals Fail to Deal with Real-life Problems for Americans

Newswire/ -- While President Bush should be congratulated for recognizing the deepening health-care crisis American families face, his expected call Tuesday night for more tax deductions and "consumer-driven" health care fails to address the real need for affordable, quality health care for all, Consumers Union said today.
"It's positive the president wants to make health care part of his agenda, but many of his proposals actually hurt consumers and waste precious tax dollars," said Bill Vaughan, senior policy analyst for Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports.

"We urge Congress to take the president's State of the Union focus on health care and turn it into a comprehensive solution that helps all Americans get affordable, quality health care as good as that available to members of Congress."

The president's plan for "consumer-driven" health care does little to help middle-class Americans struggling with spiraling health care costs, considering a record high of nearly 46 million Americans were without health insurance last year.

When an individual family policy for decent health coverage costs about $11,000 a year, tax credits of $1,000 to $3,000 to buy insurance are almost meaningless," Vaughan added.

Consumers Union also urges the president and Congress to acknowledge the problems with the new Medicare prescription drug law and take action to simplify the program and lower its costs.

The drug prices private plans are offering seniors are not nearly as low as those obtained by the Department of Veterans Affairs - which negotiates drug prices for veterans.

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Posted by Michael at 11:58 PM

Trial Opens in Challenge to Law Over Teenage Sex

WICHITA, Kan., Jan. 30 --- A federal trial opened here Monday over whether a Kansas law prohibiting virtually all sexual activity by people under age 16 means health care professionals and educators must report such behavior to state authorities, which some say would stop many teenagers from seeking contraception or treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.
Mr. Kline's interpretation of the law focused mainly on the reporting duty of abortion providers, arguing that any pregnant, unmarried minor had by definition been the victim of rape or abuse.

Among the plaintiffs' arguments is that blanket reporting of sexual activity would be futile because the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services has a policy against investigating cases of consensual teenage sex.

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Posted by Michael at 11:55 PM

Children, Media and Sex: A Big Book of Blank Pages

From NYT > Health:

What message are children getting about sexual mores, and what effect will it have on their behavior?
I'll start with the bottom line: "Although a great deal is known about the effects of mass media on other adolescent behaviors, such as eating, smoking and drinking, we know basically nothing about the effects of mass media on adolescent sexual behaviors," the report's principal investigator, S. Liliana Escobar-Chaves of the University of Texas Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, concluded.

But to hazard a guess based on clear evidence that media representations influence teenage eating, smoking and drinking habits, adolescents are almost certainly affected --- negatively --- by sexual references and images from television, in movies and video games, in music, in magazines and on Web sites.

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Posted by Michael at 11:52 PM

2,500 Substance Abuse Prevention Leaders to Convene in Washington, D.C., for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America's National Leadership Forum XVI

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (AScribe Newswire) -- More than 2,500 substance abuse prevention and treatment specialists from throughout the country will convene in Washington, D.C. for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America's (CADCA) National Leadership Forum XVI on February 14-16, 2006 at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center.
The nation's top federal leaders in substance abuse prevention, intervention, research and treatment will address participants during two plenary sessions on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

In addition, during an award's luncheon on Thursday, CADCA will honor a number of exemplary national, state and local leaders, including Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who will receive the 2006 National Leadership Award for his outstanding support of coalitions in Florida.

James R. McDonough, Director of the Florida Office of Drug Control, will accept this award.

CADCA will kick off its Forum with "Capitol Hill Day," which will feature several of the nation's leading champions for substance abuse prevention, including Senator Joseph Biden, Senator Charles Grassley, Congressman Elijah Cummings, Congressman Sander Levin and Congressman Mark Souder.

CADCA's mission is to build and strengthen the capacity of community coalitions by providing technical assistance and training, public policy advocacy, media strategies and marketing programs, conferences, and special events.

For more information about CADCA, visit http://www.cadca.org/.

AScribe Newswire distributes news from nonprofit and public sector organizations.

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Posted by Michael at 11:30 PM

AARP Tax-Aide Helps Taxpayers Feb. 1 through April 17

Newswire/ -- Free tax counseling and preparation for taxpayers with middle and low- income, with special attention to those aged 60 and older, will be offered again this year by AARP Tax-Aide from Feb. 1 through April 17.
AARP Tax-Aide volunteers, trained in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, will offer help with personal income tax returns at numerous locations across Tennessee.

The taxpayer is so appreciative of having this resource," said Homer Kelly, a Tax- Aide Counselor in Tullahoma.

The program is offered at over 100 sites in Tennessee including senior centers, libraries and other convenient locations.

AARP Tax-Aide is administered through the AARP Foundation in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service.

The AARP Foundation administers publicly and privately funded programs, such as AARP Tax-Aide and the AARP Senior Community Service Employment Program.

The Foundation also carries out national litigation through AARP Foundation Litigation, and the Washington, DC based advocacy programs funded through Legal Counsel for the Elderly.

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Posted by Michael at 11:17 PM

Study links early friendships with high-quality sibling relationships

Children who experience a rewarding friendship before the birth of a sibling are likely to have a better relationship with that brother or sister that endures throughout their childhood, said Laurie Kramer in a University of Illinois study published in December's Journal of Family Psychology.
When parents relate to a child, they do a lot of the work, figuring out how what the child needs and then accommodating those needs.

Children who had a positive relationship with a best friend before the birth of a sibling ultimately had a good relationship with their sibling that lasted throughout adolescence, Kramer said.

And children who as preschoolers were able to coordinate play with a friend, manage conflicts, and keep an interaction positive in tone were most likely as teenagers to avoid the negative sibling interaction that can sometimes launch children on a path of antisocial behaviors, she added.

Early friendships also predicted future competence in other sorts of relationships and in certain forms of personal well-being -- for example, fewer behavior problems or less depression or anxiety later in life, Kramer said.

The 13-year study followed 28 pairs of siblings, beginning when the oldest child was between three and five years old and the parents were expecting the second child.

Researchers assessed the quality of the firstborn's relationship with his mother during the last trimester of the mother's pregnancy as well as the quality of the child's relationship with a best friend.

And, although the mother-child bond was important for the future sibling relationship, the child's relationship with a best friend was a stronger predictor of future sibling harmony, she said.

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Posted by Michael at 11:15 PM

University of Florida Study Shows That Risk of Victimization Increases With Early Puberty

Food Stamp Caseload Dynamics: A Study in Four Big Cities — Overview

GAINESVILLE, Fla., Jan. 30 (AScribe Newswire) -- Adolescents who experience puberty earlier than their peers are more likely to be physically victimized through fights or offending behaviors such as bullying.
Sexual victimization was not investigated as part of this study, but Piquero is researching its links to early puberty.

Piquero and Haynie sampled more than 10,000 adolescents, through the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a national sample also called the Add Health, which is one of the premier longitudinal studies of adolescents in the United States.

With this study, Piquero tracked children who had reached puberty in 1995 and looked at their victimization experiences a year later.

"It's like collecting puberty information today, and then I called the kids up in a year and asked them what happened to them in the last 12 months," Piquero said.

It introduces dating, experiences with the opposite sex and interactions with people who are older, Piquero said.

Parents should learn about the social changes their children are experiencing during puberty, Piquero said, and parents should encourage children to involve themselves in positive relationships and activities, rather than those that could put them at risk for becoming victims.

"It really is a challenge for parents to figure out how to keep their kids in environments that aren't as risky," said Julia Graber, a UF associate professor of developmental psychology, who was not a researcher in the study.

He studied a nationwide sample of youngsters and found that puberty also brings our kids a new risk of becoming crime victims.

We provide direct, immediate access to mainstream national media for 600 colleges, universities, medical centers, public-policy groups and other leading nonprofit organizations.

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Posted by Michael at 10:59 PM

Growing target for identity thieves: kids

From Christian Science Monitor | Work/Money:

Soon after, he learned that he had two names listed under his Social Security number and a sordid credit history.
"I had no idea what to do," recalls Friesen, a University of Colorado sophomore, who now travels around the country trying to educate other students about the risks of identity theft.

Of the more than 255,000 identity theft complaints filed with the US Federal Trade Commission in 2005, 5 percent involved people under age 18 - up from 3 percent in 2003 - making that demographic the fastest-growing target for identity thieves.

The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) in San Diego has had an "untold increase" in the number of calls and e-mails from 17-, 18-, and 19-year-olds, says Linda Foley, the group's executive director.

Part of the reason is that in 1989, the Social Security Administration implemented the "Enumeration at Birth" program, letting parents automatically register for an infant's Social Security number as part of the birth registry paperwork.

Many students don't realize that they can tell college administrators not to post or otherwise give out their personal information.

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Posted by Michael at 10:48 PM

Food Stamp Caseload Dynamics - A Study in Four Big Cities

The passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in 1996 placed a federal time limit on the receipt of cash assistance and encouraged states to move welfare recipients off the rolls and into work, which was expected to place pressure on the federal Food Stamp Program (FSP) --- a system designed to prevent hunger among the nation's low-income population.

In all four counties, food stamp caseloads declined over time.

Over the entire period from 1993 to 2001, overall food stamp caseloads decreased by 51 percent in Cuyahoga, 44 percent in Philadelphia, 22 percent in Los Angeles, and 18 percent in Miami-Dade.

The decline occurred because the number of people leaving from 1994 onward was slighter greater than the number entering.

By September 1996, the percentage of individuals returning declined in Los Angeles, Miami-Dade, and Philadelphia but, by 2001, rose back up to 1993 levels in Miami-Dade and Los Angeles.

Posted by Michael at 7:51 PM

First Annual 'State of Federal Education Funding' Address: Will President Bush's 2007 Budget Fail the Test?

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- Education leaders and practitioners will discuss the effect of federal education funding cuts on schools and college students -- and the steps President Bush and Congress need to take to increase the federal government's investment in our nation's future -- in a conference call to take place Thursday, Feb. 2.
These leaders will call on the president and Congress to reverse the downward trend in federal education funding and make increased investment in our education system a top priority.

When our students succeed, our nation succeeds.

WHO: Founded in 1969, the Committee for Education Funding (CEF) and its over 100 member organizations have worked toward the common goal of achieving adequate federal support for our nation's education system.

Nonpartisan and nonprofit, CEF is America's largest education coalition, reflecting the broad spectrum of the education community.

Local school children will not receive the services they need, and college students will be unable to afford a higher education if further cuts are approved.

We provide direct, immediate access to mainstream national media for 600 colleges, universities, medical centers, public-policy groups and other leading nonprofit organizations.

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Posted by Michael at 12:49 AM

University of Illinois at Chicago Partnership With Chicago Public Schools Receives National Award

The University of Illinois at Chicago will receive the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education's Best Practice Award for Effective Partnerships for its Partnership READ initiative.
The award recognizes partnerships among schools, colleges and departments of education that have demonstrated measurable contributions to the achievement/learning of pre-K-12 students.

In collaboration with Learning First, a project of the Chicago Public Schools, Partnership READ is one of several university-school literacy partnerships funded by the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust. The project aims to improve literacy, teaching and learning by bringing coherence to schoolwide literacy programs.

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Posted by Michael at 12:47 AM

New York Times Article Provides Incomplete Picture of Academic Achievement in Public Charter Schools, Says National Alliance

The New York Times article about student achievement in public, private, and charter schools told only part of the story about student performance in charter schools.
The study uses data from the 2003 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), but the most current available data is from the 2005 NAEP, which was released in October.

The most recent NAEP data reveal that fourth graders attending public charter schools across the country are making notable strides in reading and math.

Gains were particularly strong in reading, with charter students gaining at a faster rate than students in traditional public schools (whose scores were actually unchanged since 2003).

African-American, Latino, and low-income charter students registered larger reading gains than their fourth-grade peers in non-charter public schools.

Even the Charter, Private Public Schools Achievement study itself notes, "The most important limitation of these data lies in the fact that NAEP data are cross- sectional, not longitudinal.

Hence, NAEP data do not allow for examinations of individual student growth in achievement over time, nor do they include information about student movement between school sectors.

In the meantime, the charter community will continue to build on its 15-year history of providing a high- quality option in public education that is based on innovation, freedom from red tape, and partnership between parents and educators-an option that is giving new hope to disadvantaged and minority families across the country.

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Posted by Michael at 12:44 AM

Study on hypertension indicates racial disparity among Hispanics

Hispanics in America who self-identify as Black are suffering higher rates of hypertension than their Hispanic counterparts who identify as White, according to research conducted at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
The study suggests this apparent health advantage could be an artifact of the U.S. Census grouping of all Spanish speaking people into a single category (Hispanic) without regard to race.

Dr. Borrell analyzed data collected in the National Health Interview Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics.

"This kind of comparison could help tease out the effect of race as a marker for inequality in opportunities and, further, as a cause for existing health disparities," Dr. Borrell said of these findings.

She suggests, "because of the racialized society in which we live, Hispanic Blacks could face a double jeopardy -- discrimination both from outside the Hispanic community and from within.

About the Mailman School of Public Health The only accredited school of public health in New York City, and among the first in the nation Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health provides instruction and research opportunities to more than 850 graduate students in pursuit of masters and doctoral degrees.

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Posted by Michael at 12:34 AM

U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-To-Teacher Initiative Supports Record Number of Educators

From Education Newsfeed:

The U.S. Department of Education supported a record number of educators last year through its successful Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative, a comprehensive program that offers professional development, research-based classroom strategies and other support for teachers.
"Teachers are responding enthusiastically, and the Department is working hard to meet educators' demands for high-quality training and assistance," said Secretary Spellings.

"The new Teacher Training Corps is now out in the field working with educators and school districts from California to New Jersey.

We are offering targeted workshops in math, science, reading and a range of other subjects," she said.

These individuals are practitioners who have developed presentations based on sound research and who can demonstrate results in raising student achievement.

The goal of the corps is to increase teachers' subject knowledge and improve instruction skills.

Parents, students, colleagues, school administrators or others can nominate a teacher who they believe has the qualities to be an American Star of Teaching.

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Posted by Michael at 12:13 AM

TV Show Tuesday to Offer Tips for Parents on College Access, Affordability

From Education Newsfeed:

With a college education virtually essential to job security in today's global economy, the U.S. Department of Education's monthly TV show, "Education News Parents Can Use," will devote its hour-long program to providing tips for parents to guide them on academic preparation for their children, as well as resources on how to make college affordable and attainable.
Tuesday's program, entitled, "Improving Access to College: Preparing for Education Beyond High School," will feature a taped interview with U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings on the work of the Secretary's Commission on the Future of Higher Education.

Arthur Rothkopf, a commission member and senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will appear live on the show to discuss the panel's work.

A conversation with Jennifer Douglas, general manager for student aid awareness and applicant services in the Federal Student Aid Office.

In addition, she'll be joined by Jim Boyle, executive director of College Parents of America, and Sue Rexford, Career Center specialist from West Springfield High School in Springfield, Va., with information on financial preparedness for higher education, including user-friendly tips and resources for parents on how to save and pay for college.

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Posted by Michael at 12:08 AM

January 29, 2006

Budget to Hurt Poor People on Medicaid, Report Says

From NYT > Health:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 --- Millions of low-income people would have to pay more for health care under a bill worked out by Congress, and some of them would forgo care or drop out of Medicaid because of the higher co-payments and premiums, the Congressional Budget Office says in a new report.
In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Mr. Bush plans to recommend a variety of steps to help people obtain health insurance and cope with rising health costs.

But the bill, the Deficit Reduction Act, written by Congress over the last year with support from the White House, could reduce coverage and increase the number of uninsured, the budget office said.

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Posted by Michael at 11:53 PM

Student Context, Student Attitudes and Behavior, and Academic Achievement

From MDRC:

Through path analysis modeling techniques applied to data collected in MDRC's evaluation of the First Things First school reform initiative in a large urban school district, the paper explores the influence of two psychological variables --- student engagement and perceived academic competence --- on achievement in reading and mathematics.
This study's findings may have important implications for understanding how students learn in the classroom.

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Posted by Michael at 11:51 PM

Medicaid Policy Changes in the Federal Budget Reconciliation Bill

From The Kaiser Family Foundation:

The Foundation's Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has collected resources related to the Medicaid policy changes in the budget reconciliation conference agreement to be voted on in February.
About the Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured:

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured provides information and analysis on health care coverage and access for the low-income population, with a special focus on Medicaid's role and coverage of the uninsured.

Begun in 1991 and based in the Kaiser Family Foundation's Washington, DC office, the Commission is the largest operating program of the Foundation.

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Posted by Michael at 11:43 PM

Forum on the Medicare Drug Benefit's Early Progress

From The Kaiser Family Foundation:

The Kaiser Family Foundation held a forum on Thursday, Jan. 26, on early progress under the new Medicare drug benefit. The forum included a range of perspectives, including that of health plans, advocates, pharmacists, states and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which is implementing the program. A webcast of the discussion is now available. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:39 PM

Colleges Start Student Intervention Early

Colleges are confronting incoming students with warnings about the dangers of excessive drinking earlier than ever. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:36 PM

Economic Policy Institute News Flash: State of the Economy

Next week's State of the Union address will be delivered to an audience that has grown extremely wary about the economy. A Gallup poll this month found that over half of Americans rate the economy as "poor" or "fair" and expect it to get worse. Today's distressing news about tepid GDP growth can only reinforce public worries. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:22 PM

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Still Misunderstood: Colgate Professor Available to Discuss EITC, Other Tax Issues

HAMILTON, N.Y., Jan. 27 (AScribe Newswire) -- In spite of recent IRS reports that a significant portion of tax fraud cases may involve the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the program should not be scrapped anytime soon, according to Colgate University tax expert and economics professor Nicole Simpson.
Simpson has worked with numerous families in the Central New York region who need the EITC to pay their rent and bills.

"This initiative has been more effective than any other at getting people off of the welfare rolls in this country," said Simpson, who has directed or participated in Colgate's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program since its inception in 2003.

"If the current administration or the next continues to talk about revamping the tax system in this country, I urge them to keep the EITC.

The tax preparation process should be streamlined, especially for households who qualify for EITC, so that tax fraud is more easily detected."

Many working low-income families don't receive the EITC for which they qualify because they cannot afford the assistance necessary to complete the complicated forms.

Through Colgate's VITA initiative, undergraduates offer free tax-preparation services to low-income individuals and families living in the communities surrounding the university.

It was the first student-staffed program of its kind in New York state.

Last spring alone, 30 students prepared paperwork for 235 families at VITA locations in the Central New York area, and returned more than $500,000 to local communities.

Average refunds totaled $2,500 per household, with the largest refund topping out at $7,700.

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Posted by Michael at 11:17 PM

Children's Defense Fund Opens Third Tax Filing Site in Joint Campaign Mission to Aid Low-Income Taxpayers

-- Children's Defense Fund Opens Third Tax Filing Site in Joint Campaign Mission to Aid Low-Income Taxpayers Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:15 PM

Income inequality on the rise

From Economic Policy Institute:

In most states, the gap between the highest-income families and poor and middle-income families grew significantly between the early 1980s and the early 2000s, according to the new study, Pulling Apart, by the Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The report includes fact sheets for 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:14 PM

Thousands Expected at 16 Chicago Sites; Free Tax Preparation for Low-Income Families in Chicago Opens Today

WHAT: Free, confidential tax preparation services for low and moderate income families will open at 16 sites in Chicago this Saturday and continue through April 15. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:12 PM

Why people are so dissatisfied with today's economy

From Economic Policy Institute:

In recent weeks, incumbent politicians have bragged about growth in GDP, jobs, and pay and touted declines in unemployment. Yet most Americans rate the economy as only "fair" or "poor," and they believe it's only getting worse. EPI's new Issue Brief, Why People Are So Dissatisfied With Today's Economy, tackles some common misconceptions regarding trends in jobs, wages, unemployment, and tax cuts that help explain the current disconnect. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:11 PM

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Asks Media for Correction

Recent news reports have stated that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) was among the organizations contacted by Georgia resident Tracie Dean. This was not true. NCMEC was not among the organizations Ms. Dean contacted. Ms. Dean ... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:09 PM

Medicare Drug Benefit Enrollment Update and New State-Specific Data

From The Kaiser Family Foundation:

A new enrollment update breaks down and explains the statistics related to enrollment under the new Medicare drug benefit and the separate low-income subsidy program that provides additional assistance. A separate update on dual eligibles and Medicare Part D summarizes the early implementation of the Medicare drug benefit for the more than six million Medicare beneficiaries whose prescription drug coverage switched from Medicaid to Medicare plans on January 1. The latest state-by-state enrollment data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries with drug coverage through the new benefit as well as type of coverage by state, is now available on statehealthfacts.org. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:08 PM

The UK Commitment: Ending Child Poverty by 2020

http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/issr/csup/uploaded_files/Natl_DayLabor-On_the_Corner1.pdf

by Elisa Minoff. In 1999, the United Kingdom (UK) announced its pledge to cut child poverty by one-quarter by 2004 and eliminate it by 2020. This paper examines the history of this ambitious commitment, and the progress to date. It also analyzes the components of the national effort—which range from employment supports, asset building initiatives, and child-targeted assistance to tax, welfare, and education policies—and the next steps the UK is considering to meet the goal of eradicating child poverty. 17 pages. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:01 PM

January 26, 2006

On The Corner: Day Labor in the United States

This report is a portrait of day laborers in the United States. Information includes: the number of day laborers in the US, characteristics of day laborers (country/region of origin, education, gender, marital status, length of residence in the US, types of occupations, average earnings), workplace conditions (safety, employer related abuses and mistreatment, treatment by law enforcement and local communities), geographic distribution of laborers, and more. The report also includes a look at work centers and possible policies to alleviate community tensions and safeguard workers' rights.

Posted by Michael at 8:23 PM

Benefits of Keeping Youth In Foster Care During Transition to Adulthood

Chapin Hall

Presented here are the first two waves of findings from the Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth, a longitudinal study of youth aging out of foster care and transitioning to adulthood in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.

Outcomes at Age 19 is based on survey data collected during follow-up interviews with 603 of the 736 youth from whom baseline data were collected in the first wave.

The study compares the outcomes of the 282 young adults who were still in care at age 19 to the outcomes of the 321 who had already been discharged.

It also compares the study's sample of young adults to a nationally representative sample of 19-year-olds from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.

The results suggest that youth making the transition from foster care to young adulthood face a number of significant challenges, including educational deficits, mental health problems, economic insecurity, victimization, and early child-bearing.

Posted by Michael at 8:11 PM

Can Positive Youth Development Improve Juvenile Justice?

The Urban Institute | Can Positive Youth Development Improve Juvenile Justice?

Youth crime has declined for much of the past decade, but analysts don't expect the good news to last forever. This panel discussed intervention programs built around concepts of positive youth development, a promising new approach to making juvenile justice more effective. The programs suggest that children develop into successful adults by working through a sequence of developmental stages in which they gradually acquire capacities for reason, self-respect, and personal and social responsibility.

Posted by Michael at 8:05 PM

January 25, 2006

Support for Ohio Proposed Education Agenda, Emphasis on High School Preparation and Program Quality

The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Ohio (AICUO) today voiced its support for Gov. Bob Taft's agenda of helping all Ohio students enter college, the military, and the workforce better prepared and ready to succeed. The governor's plan is part of an education reform agenda announced by Taft on Wednesday during his State of the State address.
The plan seeks to ensure that Ohio students take the most rigorous courses available to them, as well as utilize options such as AP and quality dual enrollment programs. The proposals for K-12 education would certainly help more students enter college prepared for the rigors of higher education.
Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:51 PM

Congressional Cuts to Foster Care Funding would Jeopardize Children Living with Grandparents and Other Relatives

The budget bill contains child welfare provisions that would discourage states from placing abused and neglected children with grandparents and other relatives, impede state efforts to reunify children with their parents, and make it more difficult to provide critical services to children and families.
Eliminate federally funded foster care assistance for thousands of children who live in low-income homes with their grandparents or other relatives.

Place time limitations on federal matching funds for costs to serve children in safe but unlicensed relative placements, and other limitations on child placement and administrative funds.

The CBO estimate does not identify the federal savings related specifically to foster children.

However, the provision is significant and is expected to reduce total federal funding of TCM by $760 million over five years and $2.1 billion over ten years---more than the total reduction in other child welfare programs.

Additionally, the proposal would eliminate other states' ability to offer support to relative caregivers under the analysis of Rosales.

A total of 45,500 children who should be eligible for support under the Rosales interpretation (if universally adopted), stand to lose potential benefits under this provision, using the 8.7 percent figure.

Several states were challenging HHS's continued rejection of Rosales in non-Ninth Circuit states.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:08 PM

January 24, 2006

Public schools equal or better in math than private or charter schools

Contrary to common wisdom, public schools score higher in math than private ones, when differences in student backgrounds are taken into account. That was the conclusion of researchers Sarah and Christopher Lubienski in a study last year of data from the 2000 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Now they're back with similar and more-extensive results in a follow-up study. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:52 PM

End-of-life wishes vary among racial and ethnic groups, and between genders, study finds

A new study finds sometimes divergent views in how the racial and ethnic groups view health care, spirituality, family, and dying. Authors say the study is a reminder that is important for health care providers to treat everyone as an individual. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:41 PM

Daughters of alcoholics

During the last decade, most of the research on genetic and environmental variables relevant to children of alcoholics has focused on the sons of alcoholics. In contrast, symposium participants at the annual meeting of the Research Society on Alcoholism in Vancouver, Canada in June 2004 focused on moderators of risk for alcoholism and other psychopathologies among daughters of alcoholics. Proceedings are published in the February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:31 PM

Addressing alcohol problems in the regular health care setting, outside of specialized treatment

Most people with alcohol disorders do not enter specialized treatment; they are seen in regular health-care or social services, which is generally reflected by their poor treatment outcomes. Given this reality, participants in a roundtable discussion at the June 2005 annual meeting of the Research Society of Alcoholism in Santa Barbara, California deliberated the need to address alcohol problems during routine health care. Proceedings are published in the February issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:29 PM

Unhappy marriages detrimental to self-esteem and health

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

Long-term, low-quality marriages have significant effects on overall well-being, according to a recent study by Penn State researchers. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:22 PM

States to Be Reimbursed for Drugs

Federal officials said yesterday that they will reimburse states that bought medicine for senior citizens and disabled people who could not get help through the new Medicare drug benefit. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:04 PM

Youth Drinking Rises in Hurricane Disaster Areas

Left without movie theaters, restaurants, and other forms of entertainment, youths from hurricane-ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast say that drinking has become more common. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:49 PM

Minn. Smokers Want Refund of Tobacco Fees

A trio of smokers in Minnesota is suing for a refund of the state's 75-cent-per-pack "health impact fee" on cigarettes, which was charged for months before being declared illegal by a county judge. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:43 PM

NIAAA Grants for Alcohol Abuse Epigenetic Effects Research

From Substance Abuse Funding News:

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism will make four to eight grants for research into alcohol metabolism and epigenetic effects on tissue injury. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:41 PM

Income Inequality Grew Across U.S. Over the Past Two Decades

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities will hold a conference call briefing on Thursday, Jan. 26 at noon EST to discuss a major new CBPP/EPI report showing that the gap between the highest-income families and poor and middle-income families grew significantly between the early 1980s and the early 2000s.
The study is one of the few to examine income inequality at the state as well as national level, and includes fact sheets for all 50 states.

This trend is in marked contrast to the broadly shared increases in prosperity between World War II and the 1970s.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:39 PM

Conference Call Briefing: Income Inequality in Massachusetts Grew Over the Past Two Decades

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) and the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MBPC) will hold a media conference call briefing on Thursday, January 26 at 2 p.m. (ET) to discuss two major new studies about the growing divide between the highest-income families and poor and middle-income families nationwide, and locally in Massachusetts.
This trend is in marked contrast to the broadly shared increases in prosperity between World War II and the 1970s.

The MBPC's report, "The Growing Gap", based on data from the CBPP-EPI study, shows that similar trends occurred in Massachusetts, but to a greater extent.

To participate in the conference call, please register by e- mailing spillane@cbpp.org or by calling CBPP at (202) 408- 1080.

Working families across Massachusetts continue to face difficulties in paying for housing and other necessities.

To hear from families in your community, contact Leora Maccabee, Communications and Outreach Associate at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center at 617-272-0617.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization and policy institute that conducts research and analysis on a range of government policies and programs.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:36 PM

States' Costs to Be Repaid in Drug Plan

At least two dozen states have taken emergency action to help low-income people who could not get their medications under the new federal Medicare program. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:32 PM

January 23, 2006

Recovery Community Services Program Survives Scare

Supporters of the federal Recovery Community Services Program received a scare this week when reports indicated that the program was going to be eliminated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:30 PM

January 22, 2006

Black, White Youths Metabolize Nicotine Differently

Black adolescents take in far more nicotine with each cigarette they smoke than white youths, and also take longer to get the drug out of their system, according to researchers from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:32 PM

Medicare Woes Take High Toll on Mentally Ill

From NYT > Health:

Some patients have relapsed after mix-ups in the first weeks of the new drug benefit kept them from getting their medications. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:25 PM

Grants to Improve Access to Treatment

From Substance Abuse Funding News:

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will award $2.2 million to states for cooperative agreements aimed at improving access to and retention in outpatient treatment. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:21 PM

Reaching All Children? Understanding Early Care and Education Participation Among Immigrant Families

Research shows that high-quality, early education programs can particularly benefit low-income children and those most at risk of school failure by supporting their healthy development across a range of measures. Because young children learn from their surroundings at all times, early education occurs in multiple settings and has many names---including child care, Head Start, preschool, and pre-kindergarten.
Research demonstrates that it is the quality of a program that is most important to a young child's development.

Indicators of quality that encourage conditions in which children are better able to learn and grow include low teacher-child ratios, small group sizes, qualified teaching staff, positive teacher-child interactions, parental involvement, and access to comprehensive services such as health care and mental health services.

Children born to immigrant parents often face multiple risk factors that would make their participation in quality early education programs particularly beneficial; yet, these children appear less likely to participate in such programs.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:19 PM

New TANF Requirements Could Result in New Large Costs and Risk of Federal Penalties for California

by Mark Greenberg. In February 2006, the House of Representatives will vote on a federal budget bill that revises work requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and creates significant penalties for states that fail to meet these requirements. Given its size and caseload, California will incur significant costs in order to meet the new requirements, and will still be at great risk for penalties. This report uses available federal data to examine the federal bill's budgetary implications in California. Pub No. 06-04. 4 pages. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:17 PM

Federal Budget Bill May Reduce Federal Child Welfare Funds to California by Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

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

by Casey Trupin. Shortly after it returns on January 31, 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on a budget package already approved by the Senate. This package, called the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, contains numerous cuts to human services, including child welfare. California will bear the largest share of the funding losses in the nation. This paper examines how the budget agreement will affect children and families in California's child welfare system-particularly, the bill's financial disincentives to placing children with relatives and time restrictions on federal administrative funds for children in relative care. Pub No. 06-03. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:14 PM

Day-Laborer Study Finds Community Ties

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22 -- The immigrant day laborers who wait for work on street corners across the United States have families and attend church regularly, and the people who hire them are more likely to be individual homeowners than construction contractors.
The first nationwide study of day laborers also found that one in five has been injured on the job and nearly half have been cheated of pay.

The study, the most detailed snapshot to date of the mostly Hispanic and often undocumented immigrants who have become a focal point in the immigration debate, was based on interviews of 2,660 workers at 264 hiring sites in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:13 PM

Summary of TANF Work Participation Provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bill

Grantmaking Portfolios - Index of Reports and Memos

by Mark Greenberg and Sharon Parrott (CBPP). The budget reconciliation bill expected to be up for a vote in the House of Representatives on February 1st includes a set of provisions related to TANF and federal child care funding, including changes to TANF work participation rules. This report, jointly issued with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), provides a brief summary followed by a more detailed explanation of each change. Pub No. 06-05. 5 pages. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:12 PM

January 19, 2006

Covering Kids and Families Program

The Covering Kids and Families Program, an initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, works to reduce the number of uninsured children and adults who are eligible for public health care coverage but who are not enrolled. By providing funds and technical assistance to community-based initiatives in every state, CKF helps states expand outreach, coordinate activities, and simplify application processes to enroll greater numbers of low-income children and families. Since August 2002, Mathematica has been evaluating the program. A number of reports on outreach, simplification, sustainability, coalitions, economic and political barriers, and access to care are available.

Posted by Michael at 11:05 AM

Regional Differences in Kindergartners' Early Education Experiences

Early Childhood Education: Regional Differences in Kindergartners' Early Education Experiences.

Public funding for prekindergarten classes is growing, with most states currently supporting some type of prekindergarten initiative. This article describes kindergartners' participation in preschool and kindergarten programs, as well as characteristics of the programs and the children who attended them, to provide a regional picture of their early learning experiences. It notes that certain child and family characteristics vary across regions, as do program characteristics and participation.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) fulfills a congressional mandate to collect and report "statistics and information showing the condition and progress of education in the United States and other nations in order to promote and accelerate the improvement of American education."

Presents 10 years of data on internet access in public schools, including national estimates as well as selected fi ndings by school characteristics.

In addition, the website provides a variety of online data tools so that users can build their own tables using raw data from NCES surveys.

Posted by Michael at 10:54 AM

Preserving and Enhancing Housing Mobility in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program

PRRAC - Current Projects

The report includes new research summaries on housing mobility by Margery Austin Turner, Dolores Acevedo-Garcia, Stefanie DeLuca, and Xavier de Souza Briggs, and guidelines for improved housing voucher policy and program management to promote choice and mobility - by Gene Rizor, Elizabeth Julian, Jennifer O'Neill, and Paul Fischer.

A special section on "New Constituencies for Housing Mobility" looks at the relationship between housing mobility and public health (Gail Christopher); recruitment of Latino families in Chicago into a housing mobility program (Ofelia Navarro), and housing mobility as a women's rights issue (Emily Martin).

The report also includes a foreword by Professor Sheryll Cashin and a concluding chapter on "Bringing Gautreaux to Scale," by Alex Polikoff - based on the successful long running housing mobility program in Chicago established under the Gautreaux v. HUD lawsuit.

According to Philip Tegeler, PRRAC's Executive Director, "This report includes important new research and writing on a crucial housing issue. As Congress and HUD look to the future of the housing voucher program, and to the re-housing of families displaced by Hurricane Katrina, we need to remember that meaningful housing choice is the foundation of a fair and equitable national housing policy."

Posted by Michael at 12:38 AM

January 18, 2006

Children's Defense Fund Finds Tax Refund Loans Cost Low-Income DC Workers $2.6M

As a fitting follow-up to Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday commemoration, the Children's Defense Fund is initiating a campaign to alleviate an income tax-filing issue that has plagued millions of low-income American workers each year, including tens of thousands here in our nation's capital. Low- to moderate-income D.C. working families lost $2.6 million of their earned refunds during the 2004 tax season in exchange for collecting those refunds about 10 days sooner in some instances.
As tax season approaches, many of the country's working poor are unaware that they are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a refundable federal tax credit for people who work full- or part-time but earn low wages. The EITC, which can be worth up to $4,400, enables workers to use their refunds to cover such expenses as rent, utilities, food and childcare, thereby improving their families' lives while directly reducing poverty levels. Knowing about the EITC for low-income workers, some unscrupulous tax preparers target these individuals, offering them "rapid refunds" through Refund Anticipation Loans (RALs), deceptive high-interest loans that typically carry exorbitant preparation fees and are secured by the taxpayers' refund... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 2:05 AM

January 17, 2006

New Orleans Agrees to Give Notice on Home Demolitions

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 17 - A federal judge approved a settlement on Tuesday in a lawsuit over the first demolitions of New Orleans homes ruined by Hurricane Katrina, after city officials agreed to give homeowners advance notice.
A group of advocates for improved housing in damaged neighborhoods filed suit against the city last month, demanding that homeowners be notified before any demolitions.

Homes, or remains of homes, were set to be bulldozed with no warning to the owners, the advocates said; officials countered that they simply wanted to clear piles of debris that posed safety hazards.

From the start, officials agreed that homeowners should be allowed to challenge demolitions, though they made exceptions for homes deemed threats to public safety.

But shifting lists and timetables increased the emotional temperature, prompting the lawsuit.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:35 PM

Does household income affect access to medical care in developed countries?

In this study, members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) health equity research group examined access to general practitioners and medical specialists in 21 OECD countries.
After taking into account the age, sex and reported level of health of respondents to national surveys, the authors found that -- although in many countries general practitioner care is distributed fairly equally and is often even pro-poor (more visits among poorer households) -- in all countries surveyed, higher-income people are so much more likely to seek specialist care than lower-income people that total doctor utilization is somewhat pro-rich.

The authors also found that this general finding tends to be reinforced in countries where private insurance or private care options are offered.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:32 PM

AA: Attend Early and Often

This study supports the notion that long-term participation in AA, particularly when begun soon after seeking help, is an important adjunct to professional treatment for alcohol use disorders. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:23 PM

Professor: Maine Senators Wield Swing-Vote Power Against No Child Left Behind Act

"It is no surprise that Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are seeking support for their recent legislation to amend the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). As key swing votes on a range of hotly debated issues in Washington - confirmation of Samuel Alito chief among them - Maine's two senators are uniquely positioned to be heard," says Richard Skinner, visiting assistant professor of Government at Bowdoin College. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:07 PM

Rolls Growing For Drug Plan as Problems Continue

From NYT > Washington:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17 - The Bush administration said Tuesday that more than 2.6 million people had voluntarily signed up for Medicare's prescription drug benefit in the last 30 days, pushing the total voluntary enrollment to 3.6 million.
Michael O. Leavitt, the secretary of health and human services, cautioned beneficiaries that they might still encounter problems when they tried to use the new benefit for the first time.

Since the drug coverage took effect on Jan. 1, many low-income beneficiaries have been overcharged, and some were turned away from pharmacies without getting their medications because the pharmacies could not confirm their enrollment.

The problems have been so widespread that more than 20 states have stepped in to pay drug claims that should have been paid by the federal Medicare program.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 8:44 PM

January 15, 2006

AARP Statement on Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Implementation

Our own endorsed plan is working to resolve problems and improve customer experience.
AARP is also working to inform members and the public to bring any and all enrollment documentation, government-issued Medicare card and photo identification to the pharmacy.

If individuals are having trouble at one pharmacy we are recommending they try another, given that some pharmacies are handling filling prescriptions differently.

"With the Medicare prescription drug program, millions of Americans now have the opportunity to access affordable prescription drugs.

Providing a prescription drug benefit is the most significant change to Medicare in its 40 year history.

More than one million prescriptions are being filled every day and people are realizing savings."

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:51 PM

President Tells Insurers to Aid Ailing Medicare Drug Plan

From NYT > Health:

With many states warning of a public health emergency, the Bush administration is setting rules on supplies and prices of drugs. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:43 PM

Post-Katrina wave of Mexican migrant workers reflects changing immigration trends from 1990

The large influx of Mexican and other Latin American migrant workers seeking construction jobs in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama during Hurricane Katrina's aftermath was mainly a continuation of a new pattern of immigration to the Gulf Coast that began in the 1990s, said Rice University sociologists. The region's reliance on immigrant labor from Mexico and other Latin American nations may mean even faster growth in the foreign-born populations in these communities than such growth pre-Katrina. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:40 PM

Study: Most Bad Habits Begin Early

From alcohol abuse to smoking, overeating to lack of exercise, most behaviors that lead to preventable deaths are well-established by adolescence or early adulthood.
But that rate skyrocketed to 46 percent in early adulthood.

White people, in general, were more likely to be healthy as adolescents but experience the biggest decline in healthy behaviors as adults, including high rates of smoking and binge drinking.

"These trends are quite stunning," Harris added.

"Whether or not the trends will continue as they age, we don't know.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:17 PM

Early drinking in teens linked to alcohol use in movies

Seeing movies that feature characters drinking alcohol can predispose young adolescents to experiment with alcohol at an early age, concludes a study led by Dartmouth Medical School researchers. It is the first research study to measure the influence of alcohol use in movies and, using data from more than 600 films and 5,000 students, found that movies play a significant role in an adolescent's decision to drink at a young age. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:15 PM

Full-day vs. half-day kindergarten

In an important new longitudinal study forthcoming in the Feb. 2006 issue of the American Journal of Education, researchers draw on a nationally representative sample of more than 8,000 kindergarteners and 500 U.S. public schools to explore the role of full-day vs. half-day kindergarten in early academic achievement.
"Results are clear: when children's social and academic backgrounds are taken into account, as well as structural, social, and academic features of their schools, children who experience full-day kindergarten as a whole-school program are advantaged in terms of their cognitive learning."

The Journal bridges and integrates the intellectual, methodological, and substantive diversity of educational scholarship, while encouraging a vigorous dialogue between educational scholars and practitioners.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:13 PM

January 14, 2006

State Legislator Group Denounces Maryland's 'Fair Share Health Care Fund Act'; First-in-the-Nation Law Threatens MD Jobs and Access to Health Care

MDRC - Fast Fact: First Things First School Reform Initiative Increases Student Achievement in Kansas City

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) today denounced the Maryland General Assembly's veto override of Senate Bill 790, otherwise known as the "Fair Share Health Care Fund Act."
"This is a misguided approach to solve the problem of the uninsured or reduce the cost of health insurance," said Maryland Delegate and ALEC Member Adelaide "Addie" Eckardt, who opposed the bill. "It is an unprecedented government intrusion into the benefit structures of private companies that ignores better approaches-such as expanding health savings accounts or reducing costly mandated benefits-that would help all Marylanders afford insurance coverage."

The bill requires Maryland companies with more than 10,000 employees to spend at least eight percent of their payroll on employee health benefits or make a contribution to the state insurance program for the poor.
Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:53 PM

January 13, 2006

First Things First School Reform Initiative Increases Student Achievement in Kansas City

Recent political and public focus has centered on low-performing high schools, where many students fail to graduate and where those who do are often unprepared for the challenges of college and work.

First Things First is a comprehensive school reform now operating in more than 70 schools across the country. It includes three central components: small learning communities of up to 350 students and their key teachers; a family advocate system, in which each student is paired with a staff member who keeps the student's family informed about the student's progress; and instructional improvement efforts.

An MDRC study shows that First Things First significantly increased student achievement in Kansas City, Kansas, where the program was launched. Middle and high schools in Kansas City registered increased rates of student performance and graduation, reduced student dropout rates, and improved student performance on state tests of reading and mathematics. These academic gains were sustained over several years.

Posted by Michael at 9:31 AM

January 12, 2006

Houston Ties Teachers' Pay to Test Scores

The nation's largest merit pay program calls for rewarding teachers based on how well their students perform on standardized tests.
Over the objections of the teachers' union, the Board of Education here on Thursday unanimously approved the nation's largest merit pay program, which calls for rewarding teachers based on how well their students perform on standardized tests.

The $14.5 million program, which immediately replaces a model with lower incentives, would distribute up to $3,000 annually per teacher and up to $25,000 for senior administrators. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:15 PM

3 More States to Intervene in Drug Plan

East Meets West, Adding Pounds and Peril - New York Times

California, Illinois and Pennsylvania joined at least 11 other states to help low-income Medicare beneficiaries struggling under Medicare's new drug program. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:37 PM

East Meets West, Adding Pounds and Peril

Asians, especially those from Far Eastern nations like China, Korea and Japan, are acutely susceptible to Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease and the subject of this series. They develop it at far lower weights than people of other races, studies show; at any weight, they are 60 percent more likely to get the disease than whites.

And that peril is compounded by recent immigrants' sudden collision with American culture. Many of them left places where factory and field work was strenuous, televisions were rare and advertising was limited. They may speak little English and have poor access to medical care.

Posted by Michael at 1:28 PM

The Implications of a Loss in Public Health Coverage

The Implications of a Loss in Public Health Coverage - Kaiser Family Foundation

A new Health Affairs article and a policy brief examine the implications of cuts to public coverage programs like Medicaid and SCHIP.

The Health Affairs article finds that Medicaid and SCHIP cuts would increase emergency department visits by the uninsured, suggesting that cost containment actions on public coverage programs would shift costs to hospital uncompensated care.

The policy brief examines the share of current enrollees in public programs who would have other coverage options if public coverage were no longer available and estimates that no more than 9 percent of currently enrolled low-income adults would have access to an alternative source of insurance.

Posted by Michael at 3:53 AM

The Marriage and Fatherhood Provisions of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005

Among the provisions of this subtitle is a program of grants for the promotion of healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood (Section 7103).
Of this money, up to $2 million per year may be used to fund demonstration projects for coordinating the provision of child welfare and TANF services to tribal families at risk of child abuse or neglect.

Using state funds to operate programs that further TANF purposes 3 or 4 also counts toward this requirement.

As part of their application, those seeking funding for healthy marriage promotion or responsible fatherhood programs must describe how they will address issues of domestic violence.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 2:43 AM

Florida Voucher Ruling Not a Threat to Other States

Florida has a liberal Supreme Court, with five of its seven members appointed by Democratic governors, said Lawrence Kenny, a UF economics professor who recently analyzed the results of studies on vouchers.
Much has been made of the importance of the Florida ruling because other states have provisions similar to Florida's constitution requiring that public education be "uniform," but in Wisconsin, a state with such a "uniformity" clause, the state Supreme Court upheld vouchers in 1992, Kenny said.

He also noted that vouchers were unlikely to be overturned in Ohio, where the state Supreme Court in 1999 had approved its current school voucher program, and in Washington D.C., whose voucher program was approved by Congress.

Republicans are more supportive of vouchers because of their faith in markets and private institutions, believing competition from private schools makes education more efficient, Kenny said.

Democrats, in contrast, are more likely to oppose vouchers because they have greater confidence in the public sector and are politically aligned with teacher unions, he said.

And conservative Republicans are more likely than moderate Republicans to favor vouchers because they are most bullish on the marketplace, Kenny said.

Vouchers also fare better in precincts with problem-plagued schools, fewer teachers, legislators who receive smaller contributions from teacher unions and larger numbers of students already enrolled in private schools, he said.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:05 AM

Young dream-seekers strapped by debt

From Christian Science Monitor | Work/Money:

School loans, soaring house prices, low wages, and too-easy credit are keeping 20- and 30-somethings from making financial headway. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 12:01 AM

January 11, 2006

Obesity in middle age raises heart disease, diabetes risk in older age

Obesity in middle age - even without established cardiovascular disease risk factors such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels - greatly increases risk of hospitalization for and death from heart disease and diabetes in older age, according to a study in the Jan. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:57 PM

Severe periodontal disease is more frequent among socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals

Socioeconomic disadvantage at the individual and neighborhood level is associated with severe periodontitis among African-Americans and Whites, according to research conducted at the Mailman School of Public Health. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:39 PM

ACORN Blasts Four-Month Deadline and Building Moratorium for New Orleans Neighborhoods

Representatives of Louisiana ACORN and the ACORN Katrina Survivors Association today strongly condemned the four-month deadline for residents of low and moderate income communities to prove the "viability" of their New Orleans neighborhoods included ... Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:05 PM

School Helps Parents Track Parties Via Internet

School officials in Arlington, Mass., are hoping an e-mail contact list will help parents keep track of student parties and head off underage drinking and other problems. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:02 PM

Chinese pre-schoolers show better self control than North Americans, says Queen's psychologist

Chinese children are better able to control impulsive behaviour than their North American counterparts, a new Queen's University study shows.But the development of a related ability - being able to connect what other people do with what they are thinking and feeling - shows no cross-cultural difference, says psychologist Mark Sabbagh, who led the international research team. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 11:01 PM

Health seriously declines, disparities increase as youths become adults

A new study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Carolina Population Center indicates that may be the case, with leading health indicators showing serious declines as adolescents become adults.
A survey involving an ethnically diverse and nationally representative sample of 14,000 young people found diet, inactivity, obesity, health-care access, substance use and reproductive health to worsen with age.

The report used a unique source of data, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), which follows a national sample of more than 14,000 adolescents through their transition into young adulthood.

Most previous studies of health disparities have used data collected at a single time point.

"This is the first longitudinal study to track the developmental trends in health disparities among a national cohort of young people with new findings showing a general decline in health during the transition to adulthood," said the lead author Dr. Kathleen Mullan Harris, Gillian T. Cell distinguished professor of sociology at UNC, a fellow at the Carolina Population Center and director of the Add Health study.

Add Health survey participants were recruited from high schools and middle schools nationwide.

"That means that there are no simple, across-the-board solutions for addressing health disparities," Harris said.

Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:49 PM

Most behaviors preceding major causes of preventable death have begun by young adulthood

By the time they reach early adulthood, a large proportion of American youth have begun the poor practices contributing to three leading causes of preventable death in the United States: smoking, overweight and obesity, and alcohol abuse. This finding is according to an NIH-funded analysis of the most comprehensive survey of adolescent health behavior undertaken to date. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:48 PM

January 9, 2006

Role models influence ethical behavior