Human Services News

Parents in more U.S. communities are facing fines and other penalties for allowing underage youths to drink in their homes, according to participants at the annual National Leadership Conference in Baltimore, Md., the Associated Press reported Aug. 25

"The word is out that if you are going to have a home party you are going to get a citation if it's an underage-drinking party," said Dan Hicks of the Ventura County (Calif.) Behavioral Health Department.

Supporters of the laws acknowledge that enforcement is difficult, so they're hoping that publicizing the penalties will serve as a deterrent.

Most of the laws have been passed on the local, rather than state, level.

"Those are where the action is lately, because communities realize they need to tailor these laws to local concerns," said Stacy Seatta of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, which studies youth drinking.

Posted by Michael at 11:28 PM

AIDS study challenges conventional treatment guidelines for HIV patients

A newly published study by investigators at the Center for AIDS Research at Case Medical Center, led by Benigno Rodríguez, MD, along with a nationwide team of AIDS/HIV experts, strongly challenges conventional thinking about the role of measurements of the amount of HIV particles in the blood as a method of predicting a patient's ability to fight off the disease.

The study, published in the current issue of JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association), indicates that the amount of HIV in a patient's blood (commonly known as the viral load) is much less reliable as a tool for determining the rate at which he or she will lose infection-fighting CD4 cells than previously thought.

"The results of this nationwide study may have profound implications in our understanding of how HIV causes disease and in our approach to the management of HIV-infected patients," says Dr. Rodriguez, infectious disease specialist at the Case Medical Center, a partnership of University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

The investigators sought to estimate how much of the person-to-person variation in the rate of CD4 cell loss could be accounted for on the basis of each patient's initial viral load, in an attempt to reproduce more closely the situation that a physician would encounter in clinical practice, where a patient presents with an initial set of laboratory results and the clinician must try to predict how quickly that person's CD4 cell count will reach the danger level at which treatment for HIV becomes most critical.

Antiretroviral therapy, also known as HAART, is credited with saving millions of lives.

However, potent side effects and issues of drug resistance, often cause doctors and patients to defer starting the medications, until it becomes medically necessary.

Posted by Michael at 10:36 PM

Creating 21st Century Medicaid System Requires Building Model Based on Choice, Flexibility, Accountability

According to a September 2006 Gallup poll, more than 65 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries reported that they would likely switch to a Medicaid plan that offered the incentive of a shared savings account.

The Gallup poll, the first of its kind in its examination of the role of incentives in changing Medicaid beneficiaries' behavior, was released today at the Center for Health Transformation's 2nd Annual "Creating a 21st Century Medicaid System" conference.

The event, hosted by the Center for Health Transformation, which was founded by Speaker Newt Gingrich, served as a unique opportunity for a bipartisan group of over 150 public and private sector leaders to explore recent changes to the Medicaid System.

Guest speakers included HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher and First Lady Glenna Fletcher, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and Marilyn Tavenner, Virginia secretary of health human resources.

While the specifics of each presenter's speeches were distinct, the common theme of the life- and money-saving potential of injecting personal responsibility into Medicaid - whether it be through shared financial incentives, prevention/wellness efforts, and/or disease management reform - ruled the day.

As one speaker, Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher, told the audience, providing the most vulnerable in our society with better health is of course "not only the moral goal," but it is also a financial imperative.

As greater and greater portions of state and federal budgets are directed toward the Medicaid system, now is the time to seek out and apply solutions that will lead to more choices of higher quality at lower cost.

Posted by Michael at 9:59 PM

Health Care Costs Rise Twice as Much as Inflation

From New York Times:

A widely followed national survey reported yesterday that the cost of employee health care coverage rose 7.7 percent this year, more than double the overall inflation rate and well ahead of the increase in the incomes of workers.

Since 2000, the cost of family coverage has risen 87 percent while consumer prices are up 18 percent and the pay of workers has increased 20 percent, the survey noted.

Despite the increasing costs, about 6 out of 10 employers still offer health coverage to attract and retain workers.

But the growth in premiums is making it harder and harder for companies to raise wages and salaries.

The national cost trend would probably have been higher, analysts said, but regulators in a number of states were able to push nonprofit Blue Cross plans that are prosperous to hold down their increases, at least for a while.

Posted by Michael at 9:56 PM

Many Teens Drink, Use Drugs and Drive; Parents Called Effective Deterrent

A new survey finds that 19 percent of teens drive under the influence of alcohol, 15 percent drive after using marijuana, and 7 percent report driving under the influence of other drugs.

However, the annual Teens Today survey, sponsored by Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and the Liberty Mutual insurance company, also found that teens whose parents set high expectations and impose serious consequences are less likely to drive while impaired.

For example, 16 percent of teens who say there would be serious trouble at home reported driving drunk, compared to 29 percent of teens who said they would not face such consequences from their parents.

Posted by Michael at 9:46 PM

Recommendations to States to Effectively Address Alcohol and Drug Problems

Lawmakers and other addiction stakeholders have warmly greeted the new Blueprint for the States report prepared by a Join Together policy panel, which contains a broad set of recommendations for optimizing state governments to effectively address alcohol and other drug problems in communities.

"People have been very interested" in the report, said former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, who chaired the policy panel and was in Boston this week to present the Blueprint to a meeting of the New England Association of Drug Court Professionals.

Perhaps the overriding recommendation coming out of the Blueprint is the need for executive leadership; Dukakis and others are reaching out to state leaders through the NCSL and the National Governor's Association, as well as urging chief judges, treatment providers, consumers, and other stakeholders to call for governors and state legislators to address the issues highlighted in the report.

Michael Botticelli, assistant commissioner for substance abuse services in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, said the Blueprint recommendations reflect many of the reforms now underway in his state, including the establishment of a Governor's Interagency Council on Substance Abuse and a reallocation of resources -- previously focused mainly on treatment -- to a broad range of services, including prevention, early intervention, aftercare, and recovery support.

Join Together also has launched a campaign to raise enough money to mail hard copies of the report to legislators and governors in all 50 states; the mailing will include a call for state lawmakers to hold hearings on the panel recommendations.

At the meeting, a lawmaker from Hawaii suggested that George recruit individual members of each state legislature to distribute copies of the report to their colleagues.

Posted by Michael at 9:40 PM

Study Relates AA Membership to Lower Murder Rate

Noting the relationship between drinking and violent crime, a new study suggests that increased membership in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) could actually lower the murder rate in a community, Reuters reported Sept. 25.

"Our study showed that total and male homicide rates in Ontario were strongly related to average levels of alcohol consumption," the University of Toronto's Mann said.

"Males drink more often, more heavily and consume more beer and spirits than females," said Asbridge, of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

"Moreover, the nature of the link between alcohol consumption and violence is more readily a male experience, for example, drinking heavily in bar settings leads to aggression and violence."

Posted by Michael at 9:30 PM

Abstinence Saves Lives

A long-term follow-up study of addiction-treatment graduates found that those who stayed sober a year after treatment were much more likely to be alive 15 years later than those who reverted to drinking, Reuters reported Sept. 25.

Researchers led by Christine Timko of the Veterans Affairs Health Care System in Menlo Park, Calif., tracked 628 people who entered addiction treatment, checking on them a year after completing the program and again 15 years later.

Patients who had spent three weeks or longer in inpatient care were more likely to have died, probably because they had more serious drinking problems to begin with, Timko said.

The study was published online in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Posted by Michael at 9:22 PM

As 2 Bushes Try to Fix Schools, Tools Differ

From New York Times:

Jeb Bush of Florida has long played the dutiful younger brother.

"I mean perfection is not going to happen," Mr. Bush said Sept. 12 at a news conference in Orlando, arguing that achievement targets are important but that unrealistic ones discourage educators.

Well before President Bush signed his No Child Left Behind law, Jeb Bush poured his own ideas into a school improvement program for Florida.

Over the years since, Governor Bush has mostly held his tongue about the president's very different law, even as detractors of all stripes have attacked it.

But in recent weeks --- perhaps seeking to cement his legacy as a school-policy expert as he prepares to leave office --- Governor Bush has been speaking out about the federal law, mixing dollops of praise with measured criticisms --- and taking an occasional potshot.

It is natural, of course, that the brothers might feel a bit of fraternal rivalry on this topic, because each built a political career --- George in Texas, Jeb in Florida --- around promises to improve their states' schools.

No Child Left Behind and the Florida law, the A-Plus plan, differ in many ways.

For one, the federal law grades schools pass-fail, while Florida's gives schools A to F grades.

"Punitive actions don't work nearly as well," Governor Bush said in the interview.

In criticizing No Child Left Behind, Governor Bush signaled disagreement with the position staked out by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, who told reporters on Aug. 30, "There's not much needed in the way of change."

Posted by Michael at 9:07 PM

September 25, 2006

National Homeless and Low Income Voter Registration Week, Sept. 24-30

Being homeless can present significant challenges not the least of which includes figuring out how to become a fully participating citizen in our nation of abundance.

The Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness (MiCAH) is offering a chance to learn how to engage citizens typically disenfranchised by the system on Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Cass Community Services Building, 11850 Woodrow Wilson, in Detroit.

Nonpartisan voter registration events like the one being organized by Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness will take place across the country during the week of Sept. 24-30 to mark National Homeless and Low Income Voter Registration Week.

All citizens must vote on Nov. 7 for candidates to address the issues they are concerned about.

"We all know the candidates are hungry for attention in this time of the election cycle and they will show up to any gathering of voters, even if those voters are homeless" notes Georgia McPhaul, MiCAH board member and staff member of Cass Community Services where the training is being held.

The homeless in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs are excited to be a part of national and local civic participation efforts among low income citizens.

Posted by Michael at 2:07 AM

September 24, 2006

Survey of California's Latino Renters Shows High Rates of Exposure to Drifting Tobacco Smoke Despite Home Smoking Bans

Despite 95 percent of Latino families banning smoking inside their apartments, the first-ever statewide survey of Latino renters showed high rates of exposure to drifting tobacco smoke, according to the "Latino Renters Survey: Attitudes about Secondhand Smoke in Apartments," released by the Hispanic/Latino Tobacco Education Partnership and the American Lung Association of California's Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing.

"The extensive and widespread exposure to drifting tobacco smoke documented in this survey is a call to action," said Dr. Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, PhD, MPH, Director of the Hispanic/Latino Tobacco Education Partnership and faculty member at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

"This is especially important since the California Air Resources Board recently designated secondhand smoke as a toxic air contaminant, and, even more recently, the U.S. Surgeon General's Report stated unequivocally that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke."

A clear majority (60 percent) of Latino renters support separate smoking and non-smoking areas in multi-unit housing, 82 percent support a law requiring a section of apartments, patios and balconies to be smoke-free, and 35 percent said that they would prefer to live in buildings that are completely smoke-free, according to the survey.

Nearly 90 percent of those interviewed said that protecting the health of children, giving non-smokers the right to breathe clean air, and preventing odors and messes were among the top reasons for desiring smoke-free housing.

"Based on this and other general market surveys, there is a clear demand for smoke-free multi-unit housing," said Kimberly Weich Reusche, Director of the Center for Tobacco Policy and Organizing.

It assists local communities meet their policy objectives using community organizing strategies.

The Center also provides policy information and analysis regarding significant tobacco control bills, tobacco industry campaign contributions, emerging issues like tobacco retailer licensing and smokefree multi-unit housing, and breaking news stories as they relate to current or future tobacco control policy.

Posted by Michael at 11:27 PM

Audit Finds Ethical Lapses In U.S. Reading Program

From washingtonpost.com :

A scorching internal review of the Bush administration's billion-dollar-a-year reading program says the Education Department ignored the law and ethical standards to steer money how it wanted.

The government audit is unsparing in its view that the Reading First program has been beset by conflicts of interest and willful mismanagement.

It suggests that the department broke the law by trying to dictate which curriculum schools must use.

It also says that program review panels were stacked with people who shared the director's views and that only favored publishers of reading curricula could get money.

In one e-mail, director Chris Doherty told a staff member to come down hard on a company he didn't support, according to the report released yesterday by the department's inspector general.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings pledged to swiftly adopt all the audit's recommendations.

She also pledged a review of every Reading First grant her agency has approved.

Reading First aims to help young children read through scientifically proven programs, and the department considers it a jewel of No Child Left Behind, Bush's education law.

Spellings said the problems happened in the early days of the program, which began in 2002, before she was secretary.

Posted by Michael at 11:21 PM

Surveys find outright hunger among Latino immigrants in North Carolina

Wake Forest University School of Medicine researchers have found high rates of hunger in surveys of immigrant Latino families in eastern and western North Carolina, southwestern Virginia and Forsyth County.

"About 40 percent of the respondents in each study reported worrying that food would run out and that food bought would not last," said Quandt, the lead author.

That combination, less severe than "hunger," is viewed as "food insecurity" and includes such actions as relying on just a few kinds of food and cutting meal size for children and adults.

Besides Forsyth County, the other surveys included two conducted in eastern North Carolina in Harnett, Johnston, Sampson and Wake counties (one also included Duplin County) and the fourth in Alleghany, Ashe, Avery and Watauga counties of western North Carolina and Carroll, Smyth and Grayson counties in Virginia.

"In many ways, the experience of Latino immigrants of hunger is the same as non-immigrants -- they are hungry despite working and earning wages," said Quandt, professor of public health sciences.

In Forsyth, 15.8 percent of those surveyed reported children had had to go all day without food in the past year and 21.8 percent reported that children were hungry because they couldn't afford more food.

And yet the researchers also found that only 12.9 percent of those in Forsyth reported receiving food from a food pantry compared to 25 percent of those in eastern North Carolina.

The immigrants in the mountain counties are better off because of the year-round nature of the Christmas tree industry, but specific data on participation in food programs wasn't collected.

Posted by Michael at 11:17 PM

Study Reveals Seniors at Risk for Stopping Medications After Losing Brand-Name Drug Coverage

A recent study found that over one in four seniors cut back on their use of medications after their health plan stopped covering brand-name drugs.

This has implications for the 23 million elderly people enrolled in the new Medicare Drug Benefit plan, where some health plans are trying to bridge a "coverage gap" in the benefit by providing coverage for generic but not brand-name drugs.

The gap occurs when seniors have spent $2,250 for drug costs, then lose all drug coverage and must pay the next $3,100 out-of-pocket until the beginning of the next calendar year when coverage begins again.

This study shows that generic- only drug benefits, while better than no coverage, are not complete solutions to the coverage gap.

Dr. Chien-Wen Tseng, currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Hawaii Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and a researcher at the Pacific Health Research Institute, conducted the study with UCLA and RAND investigators Drs. Mangione, Keeler, and Brook while she was a UCLA Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar.

Dr. Tseng says that this study shows that, "Physicians and health plans must actively help Medicare patients find ways to adjust to a switch from brand-name to generic-only drug benefits.

The need to make prescription medications affordable for patients is a critical health issue for Hawai`i as well as nationally.

Posted by Michael at 10:40 PM

Cost of HIV/AIDS Highlights Racial, Ethnic Disparities

The economic cost of HIV/AIDS is far greater than previously estimated, and the cost is even higher for minorities, according to a new study that estimated the direct and indirect costs of the disease.

The total lifetime cost of illness for Americans newly diagnosed with HIV in 2002 is approximately $36.4 billion, of which more than 80 percent is related to productivity losses, a cost that most previous studies have omitted.

It is the result of collaboration among researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Emory University Center for AIDS Research, and the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University.

While researchers have previously estimated the economic costs of HIV/AIDS, they have focused primarily on the direct medical expenses of treating the disease.

The results up to now have given an incomplete picture of the disease's economic consequences, according to Angela Blair Hutchinson, PhD, MPH, a health economist at the CDC and lead author of the paper.

"We wanted to assess the economic burden of an HIV infection in the U.S.," says Dr. Hutchinson, "by examining the impact of stage of disease at diagnosis and access to treatment on the cost of HIV infection and how this might differ by race/ethnicity."

Specifically, minorities incur fewer direct medical costs than whites ($160,400 for blacks on average, compared with $180,900 for whites), but suffer greater financial damage from lost productivity ($838,000 for Hispanics and $766,800 for blacks on average, compared with $661,100 for whites).

The differences, according to Hutchinson, reflect disparities in treatment.

Minorities are, on average, diagnosed at later stages of the disease than whites.

In addition, whites with HIV/AIDS are more likely to receive antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Posted by Michael at 10:38 PM

Nursing Research Targets Underserved Korean American Communities

Two unique community-based research initiatives will provide health awareness and interventions to underserved Korean Americans at risk for diabetes and high blood pressure.

In a $3.5 million study funded by the National Health, Lung, and Blood Institute, Kim will explore health literacy interventions for Korean Americans with high blood pressure (HBP).

The findings not only will contribute to knowledge about the connection between health literacy and HBP control, but also test CBPR approaches such as the use of lay community health workers in delivering health interventions to individuals with limited English proficiency.

A second study, funded as a $500,000 pilot project by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, will focus on improving disease control and quality of life for Korean Americans with type 2 diabetes.

She noted that, "Despite the tremendous progress made in improving overall health in the U.S. during the last decade, too many ethnic populations are still experiencing health care gaps.

Posted by Michael at 10:17 PM

Lower Income Means Higher Risk for Heart Disease

Low-income adults are more likely to have very high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a risk factor for heart disease, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Southern California.

The study, published in the current issue of Brain, Behavior and Immunity, finds that among adults with income levels at or below the poverty line, 15.7 percent had very high levels of CRP, compared to only 9.1 percent of those in families above the poverty line.

"We have long known that poor people have worse health," said Eileen Crimmins, corresponding author and professor in the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

"This paper provides evidence that people living at or near the poverty line are almost twice as likely to have very high CRP, which poses risks for long-term, chronic conditions like heart disease and cognitive loss.

"This suggests that even beyond issues like health behaviors and chronic conditions, there is something about poverty that makes people sick, and at least part of this effect is working through CRP."

Posted by Michael at 10:09 PM

Very low birth weight linked to reduced quality of life in pre-school children

Babies with very low birth weights tend to have a much lower quality of life when they are three or four years old, according to a study published in the latest issue of the UK-based Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Researchers assessed 118 children who had birth weights of 1500g or less and compared them with a control group of 170 born at normal weights to compare their quality of life when it came to physical, emotional, cognitive and social functions.

They discovered that the very low birth-weight children scored consistently lower scores on a scale designed to measure quality of life among pre-school children.

Their parents were also much more likely to say that their child had health issues, with 29 per cent reporting a current problem, compared with 18 per cent in the control group.

In general, children with low birth weight had poorer lung function, appetite and motor function than normal birth-weight children, as well as being more anxious, less positive and less lively.

"Previous studies of very low birth-weight babies have mostly focused on issues such as death, illness, neurodevelopment, growth and cognitive ability" says lead researcher Dr Li-Yin Chien, Associate Professor in the Institute of Community Health Nursing at National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan.

Posted by Michael at 10:01 PM

Teenage alcohol and drug use: At best, parents know about it only half of the time

New research looks at how helpful parents may be in terms of assessing their children's alcohol and/or drug use and abuse.

Findings indicate that parents do not provide valuable information about their children's use of alcohol and drugs because they are often unaware of it.

Previous assessments of child psychopathology have shown that parents can be helpful in reporting symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).

"'Externalizing' disorders such as ADHD and ODD have behaviors associated with them that are obvious and affect others," explained Laura Jean Bierut, associate professor of psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine.

"For example, a child who cannot sit still or focus on his or her work at school and is disruptive in the classroom, or a child who argues with his or her parents or refuses to do the things that they ask.

"In terms of a child's substance use or substance-related problems, however, parents may be unaware of what's going on with their children, or simply repeat information that has already been reported by their child," she said.

This is very troubling because research has shown that starting to use alcohol and drugs at a young age is a risk factor for developing substance abuse or dependence in the future."

"In general," said Fisher, "we found that parent reports added very little information to our knowledge about adolescent substance use beyond what adolescents themselves were reporting, particularly when compared to other types of psychiatric disorders like ADHD and ODD.

Health and Human Services:

Posted by Michael at 9:48 PM

September 22, 2006

States Get Federal Grants to Help People with Disabilities Live in the Community

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today awarded nearly $20 million in grants to states to develop programs for people with disabilities or long term illnesses.

The "Real Choice Systems Change Grants for Community Living" will help states and territories "rebalance" their long-term support programs to help people with chronic illness or disabilities to reside in their homes and participate fully in community life.

"These grants will help states take full advantage of the opportunities to reform their Medicaid long-term care systems offered by the recently passed Deficit Reduction Act of 2006 and remove barriers to equality for the 54 million Americans living with disabilities," Secretary Leavitt said.

"They will help persons with disabilities exercise meaningful choices about how and where to live their lives."

This demonstration provides up to $1.75 billion to eligible states to transition individuals from institutions who want to live in the community and rebalance their entire long-term care system to ensure individuals have a choice of where they want to live and receive services.

While applications for this demonstration are not due until Nov. 1, 35 states have expressed interest in applying.

For more information on the New Freedom Initiative, visit the CMS Web site at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/newfreedom/.

Posted by Michael at 1:02 AM

September 20, 2006

Immigrant Children Keep Academic Pace with Peers

Far from being a burden on the educational system, research from Florida State University shows immigrant children perform as well or better than their same-race, American-born counterparts.

FSU Sociology Professor Kathryn Harker Tillman found that first- and second- generation children are no more likely than their third-generation peers to have to repeat a grade despite the many social and economic disadvantages they face.

They focused on grade retention rather than more traditional markers of educational performance, such as high school graduation, dropout rates or grades in order to see how immigrant children navigate the educational system, not just the end result.

Tillman found that girls of all generations and backgrounds have the same rate of being held back.

"Our findings run counter to expectations derived from traditional assimilation theory, which posits that outcomes should improve across time and generation spent in the United States," Tillman said.

The results suggest that immigrant children are able to overcome many of the disadvantages that have been found to place children at high risk for grade retention, such as being a racial or ethic minority, having parents with very low levels of education, having low levels of English proficiency and attending schools in urban areas.

Instead, immigrant students succeed while keeping pace with their American-born peers.

CDC - Media Relations - Press Release - September 18, 2006

Posted by Michael at 2:10 AM

Family and Friends can Help Manage or Prevent Diabetes in Hispanic Communities

About 2.5 million (9.5 percent) Hispanic Americans age 20 or older struggle with diabetes in the United States.

Three Prevention Research Centers (PRC) funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) -- The University of Arizona's Southwest Center for Community Health, the San Diego Prevention Research Center, and the University of Illinois at Chicago Prevention Research Center -- are working to reverse the trend and ultimately eliminate health problems such as diabetes and obesity that disproportionately affect Hispanic communities.

Approaches being tested focus on how families and friends can help people start or keep doing things that will help prevent diabetes.

The current research is evaluating family involvement, walking clubs and other things that foster physical activity, and teaching people to be health coaches.

"If we hope to significantly reduce the number of people suffering from diabetes and obesity, we need family members and others to get involved.

The work being done by the Prevention Research Centers is an important part of CDC's goals to help improve the health of individuals, families, and communities across the nation, Collins said.

Posted by Michael at 12:14 AM

September 19, 2006

Head Start Participants, Programs, Families, and Staff in 2005

From Center for Law and Social Policy:

Since 1965, the federal Head Start program has provided low-income 3- and 4-year-old children and their families with comprehensive early education and support services.

Head Start programs focus on the "whole child" and include early education that addresses cognitive, developmental, and socioemotional needs; medical and dental screenings and referrals; nutritional services; parental involvement activities and referrals to social service providers for the entire family; and mental health services.1 In 1994, policymakers authorized the Early Head Start program to address the needs of children under age 3 and pregnant women.

Based on information reported through the PIR, this fact sheet describes the characteristics of Head Start children and families (including children in Early Head Start, the Head Start preschool program, and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start) and the services provided to them during the 2004-2005 program year.

Increasingly, children in Head Start are receiving health insurance through public programs, even though parental employment rates have remained constant.

Posted by Michael at 9:53 PM

High-Alcohol Beer, Wine Banned in Some Seattle Neighborhoods

Sales of "fortified" beer and wine will be banned in certain Seattle neighborhoods as part of a plan to cut homelessness and chronic alcoholism, the Seattle Post Intelligencer reported Aug. 31.

The ban applies to 29 specific brands, including Thunderbird, Richard's Wild Irish Rose, and Night Train Express wines, and Colt 45 Ice, Olde English 800, and Red Dog beers.

The local liquor-control board said the rules applied to sales in stores in downtown Seattle and the Belltown, Lower Queen Anne, Capitol Hill, Central Area, University District, and International District neighborhoods.

City officials said they will monitor the ban closely to ensure that sales don't simply shift to other areas of the city.

Posted by Michael at 9:34 PM

Children, their mental health and war, 9/11, graffiti, autism and more

More than 1,400 delegates gathered last week in Melbourne, Australia, for an international meeting on child and adolescent mental health.

They tackled mental health issues for children including: child soldiers, terrorism and natural disasters, jailing for autism, detaining refugees, online games, graffiti -- have we got it wrong?, ADHD safe drugs or over-prescribed?, deadly medications, two tongues and drug use. The congress is held every four years. This release summarizes stories from the conference.

Posted by Michael at 9:31 PM

CDC Report Slams Alcohol Ads Targeting Youth

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a report saying that the alcohol industry has failed to live up to promises not to advertise to youth, the Associated Press reported Aug. 31.

The alcohol industry ran about half of its radio ads during youth-oriented programs in 2004, the report said, violating a 2003 vow not to run ads on shows with an audiences comprised of 30 percent or more of underage listeners.

Alcohol-industry officials said that the study data, gathered in the summer of 2004, reflected ad trends from a period when ad commitments made before the pledge had not yet expired.

The study found that the highest percentage of alcohol ads on youth programs were aired in Washington, Detroit, Seattle, and Dallas.

Colt 45 Malt Liquor ads were the most likely to air on youth programs -- 87 percent -- while Bud Light ads aired on youth programs most frequently during the study period -- 2,415 times.

Posted by Michael at 9:28 PM

Drinking by Pregnant Women Predicts Later Alcohol Problems Among Kids

A long-term study concludes that women who drank as few as three drinks at a single sitting during early pregnancy had children who were more likely to have alcohol problems by the time they reached age 21, UPI reported Sept. 5.

The study, which involved 2,138 parents and children, found that women who drank heavily even once during early pregnancy were 2.47 times more likely to have children with early-onset alcohol disorders (prior to age 18), and 2.04 times more likely to have children with late-onset alcohol problems (between ages 18 and 21).

Posted by Michael at 9:22 PM

Young Alcoholics Less Likely to Seek Treatment

Researchers from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism report that people who become dependent on alcohol before reaching age 25 are less likely to seek treatment for their addiction. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:16 PM

Widespread Lack of Knowledge About Medicare 'Doughnut Hole'

A recent survey of seniors on Medicare Part D drug plans has found that there is still widespread misinformation and confusion on the gap in drug coverage commonly known as the "doughnut hole."

The study, released last week by the Medicare Rx Education Network, found that almost half (47 percent) of respondents enrolled in a Medicare drug plan were not aware of the gap in coverage or "doughnut hole."

Advocates for seniors have declared Sept. 22 a symbolic "Doughnut Hole Day" to educate beneficiaries on the gap.

During the coverage gap, beneficiaries must pay for 100 percent of drug costs until their total out-of-pocket costs equal $3,600.

"Although the majority of Medicare beneficiaries will not reach the drug coverage gap, seniors need to know the facts," said Brian Poger, President of Senior Educators, an organization that provides enrollment assistance and education on Medicare plans.

Posted by Michael at 9:13 PM

Middle-School Methamphetamine Prevention Called Effective

From Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs News:
Middle-school students in rural areas who attended prevention programs aimed at methamphetamine use were less likely to use the drug when they got older, according to research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Researchers examined outcomes from a group of Iowa families who attended one of two prevention programs when the children were in 6th grade, comparing their later methamphetamine use to a control group whose members did not attend the prevention sessions.

"We now have evidence that prevention programs can be important tools to protect adolescents from the devastating effects of methamphetamine use, and we will continue to explore the effectiveness of other drug-abuse prevention programs," said Elias A. Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health.

Posted by Michael at 9:13 PM

FAS Kids Can Fully Recover, Researchers Say

A regimen of constant mental stimulation and nurturing during the first two years of life can help children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) catch up developmentally with their peers, the CanWest News Service reported Sept. 10.

A Toronto program is pioneering the intervention, and researcher Gideon Koren of Toronto's Sick Children's Hospital said that widespread implementation could transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.

Most of the children who have passed through the program end up testing normal on standard developmental tests, said Koren.

The observational study, which followed the children up to age 6, will be published in the Journal of FAS International.

Posted by Michael at 8:56 PM

Funds for Youth Tobacco Survey Assessment

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will award a pair of $100,000 cooperative agreements to study how proposed revisions to its Youth Tobacco Survey may impact measurement of youth tobacco use. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 8:27 PM

New Foundation Center Report Sheds Light on Community Foundation Giving

Community Foundations Account for Nearly 10 Percent of Giving by U.S. Foundations

Estimated giving by the nation's 700 community foundations rose to a record $3.2 billion in 2005, according to the Foundation Center's new report, "Key Facts on Community Foundations."

The report is the first ever to exclusively highlight the Center's most current research on the size, scope, and giving interests of this segment of the nation's grantmaking foundations.

- The community foundations in the Center's grants sample gave proportionately more for human services and the arts than did independent and corporate foundations in 2004.

"In recent years, community foundations have experienced robust growth in existing assets and a continued infusion of new gifts," noted Josie Atienza, the report's author.

"In uncertain times, they are an especially appealing option for donors.

They spare donors from having to be engaged in the day-to-day management of investments, while allowing them to remain involved in grantmaking decisions."

The report can be downloaded at no charge from the Gain Knowledge area of the Foundation Center's web site (www.foundationcenter.org/gainknowledge/research/nationaltrends.html).

Posted by Michael at 8:24 PM

Leadership Dallas Celebrates 30 Years of Leadership Development

It all began during the nation's Bicentennial year as a way to encourage young professionals in Dallas to become more involved in their community.

The leadership development organization has also become a model for groups around the Metroplex and North Texas and serves as a vibrant part of the city's business and volunteer community.

"Leadership Dallas has made a significant commitment to the City of Dallas over the past 30 years, and its alumni have made extraordinary contributions to our community in business, civic service and philanthropic activities," said Lou Ann Levering Monroe, community affairs manager for PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2006 leadership advisory council chair and Class of 2000 graduate.

"We continue to benefit from these alumni who serve on boards, hold public office, lead companies, guide non-profits and generously volunteer their time to help others.

And our graduates represent a level of diversity and commitment to service that is truly amazing.

Each year, the selection committee identifies a new group of 55 passionate community individuals who desire taking the next step into a servant leadership role.

Once a month, class members meet to learn about various topics ranging from city government, health and human services to arts and culture and other regional issues affecting North Texas.

"Many local companies see the benefits of having key employees trained in servant leadership principles by sending multiple candidates through the program," said Patti Clapp, vice president - Greater Dallas Chamber.

Leadership Dallas began in 1976 as a leadership development program aimed at increasing the leadership pool for community activities in the Dallas area.

Posted by Michael at 8:21 PM

First evidence that musical training affects brain development in young children

Researchers have found the first evidence that young children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year compared to children who do not receive musical training.

After one year the musically trained children performed better in a memory test that is correlated with general intelligence skills such as literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial processing, mathematics and IQ.

Over the period of a year they took four measurements in two groups of children -- those taking Suzuki music lessons and those taking no musical training outside school -- and found developmental changes over periods as short as four months.

Dr Laurel Trainor, Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University and Director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, said: "This is the first study to show that brain responses in young, musically trained and untrained children change differently over the course of a year.

Brain activity was measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG) while the children listened to two types of sounds: a violin tone and a white noise burst.

MEG provides millisecond-by-millisecond information that tracks these stages of processing; the stages show up as positive or negative deflections (or peaks), called components, in the MEG waveform.

Analysis of the MEG responses showed that across all children, larger responses were seen to the violin tones than to the white noise, indicating that more cortical resources were put to processing meaningful sounds.

On the other hand, it is very interesting that the children taking music lessons improved more over the year on general memory skills that are correlated with non-musical abilities such as literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial processing, mathematics and IQ than did the children not taking lessons.

Our work explores how musical training affects the way in which the brain develops.

Posted by Michael at 8:13 PM

Better grades and greater incentives help explain why women outpace men in college degrees

Girls have long gotten better grades than boys in all levels of school.

But while at one time few women used those academic skills to get degrees, new research suggests that growing incentives are helping draw women to college in record numbers.

"What has changed is that more women are now using their longstanding academic advantages and translating them into college degrees," said Claudia Buchmann, co-author of the studies and associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University.

"In the 1960s and 70s, girls were getting better grades, but many young women were not going to college, or they were dropping out of college to get married.

In the ASR article, the researchers examined data about students from around the country participating in the National Education Longitudinal Study.

The researchers found that girls did better academically than boys in both 8th grade and in high school.

Overall, 63 percent of women who enrolled in four-year colleges graduated, compared to 55 percent of men.

And the advantage for women was not because they were taking easier majors, or because women used different pathways than men to graduation, such as starting at two-year colleges, the findings showed.

The male disadvantage in earning a college degree is largest for those who grew up in households with a low-educated or absent father.

But the findings showed that women from families with a low-educated or absent father had the biggest increase in college enrollment and graduation.

"There were cultural changes in the United States for women born in the late 1960s, particularly those with less educated parents," she said.

The biggest reason for the gender gap in the graduation rate is that women are doing better in college."

So if girls have long done better academically than boys in elementary and high school, why has women's college graduation rate only surpassed men's in the past 25 years?

Compared to women whose education ended after high school, those with college degrees have a higher probability of getting married and staying married, and marrying a highly educated man with a higher income.

Posted by Michael at 8:07 PM

Global Youth Survey Explores Perspectives on Social, Cultural Identity; Over 3,000 Young People in 100 Countries Respond

The World Youth Identity and Citizenship Survey, developed by the Our World Alliance, was intended to capture youth thoughts regarding their community and sense of belonging, their political and economic beliefs, and their social and cultural experiences.

The administration of the survey was coordinated by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) in collaboration with the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and translated into eight languages, with most responses gathered via the Internet.

"The ways young people viewed themselves were encouraging," according to Ron Israel, vice president of Education Development Center, who worked on the survey with UNICEF and several other international organizations members of the Our World Alliance.

The survey asked respondents, based on a number of criteria, to rate their level of global citizenship as Getting Started, Moving Along, or as Global Citizens.

The survey results indicated that those who viewed themselves as a member of the global community tended to be: older, more educated, and able to access the Internet.

The World Youth Identity and Citizenship Survey results were presented at the 2006 iEARN Conference this summer in the Netherlands.

Based in Canada, the organization's flagship program, (http://www.takingitglobal.org/), serves as an online community for young people interested in connecting across cultures.

- Dutch National Youth Council: The Dutch National Youth Council (http://www.jeugdraad.nl/) is a coordinating organization that supports the voice of and acts as a focal point for youth ages 12 to 30.

Posted by Michael at 8:04 PM

Better Grades, Greater Incentives Help Explain Why Women Outpace Men in College Degrees

National Center for Children in Poverty:

Girls have long gotten better grades than boys in all levels of school. But while at one time few women used those academic skills to get degrees, new research suggests that growing incentives are helping draw women to college in record numbers. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 8:02 PM

September 14, 2006

Americans Squeezed by Health Care Costs

Commonwealth Fund:

As health care costs continue to rise, there has been steady erosion in the proportion of workers covered under employer-based plans, as well as in the adequacy of such coverage.

Workers forced to turn to the individual insurance market often find coverage unaffordable or unavailable, while families with employer coverage face ever-rising deductibles and other cost-sharing burdens.

This study uses the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey, 2005, to examine the experience of adults ages 19 to 64 in the individual insurance market compared with adults with employer-based coverage.

Compared with adults with employer coverage, adults with individual market insurance give their health plans lower ratings, pay more out-of pocket for premiums, face higher deductibles, and spend a greater percentage of income on premiums and health care expenses.

The report also analyzes the implications of rising out-of-pocket spending among all privately insured Americans, particularly focusing on the effect of high deductibles.

Employer-sponsored health insurance is the main source of coverage for working adults.

Recently, there has been an erosion in both the proportion of workers covered under employer plans and the adequacy of such coverage, as rising health care costs have made it increasingly difficult for employers to continue offering comprehensive coverage.

Adults with high deductibles---including both those with individual and employer-based coverage---have higher out-of-pocket medical expenses than adults with lower deductibles, have greater problems obtaining needed care, are paying off medical debt over time, and are less satisfied overall with their health care.

Posted by Michael at 8:50 PM

Corporate Citizenship and Urban Problem Solving

Brookings Institution:

Business-led civic organizations have historically played an important role in urban policymaking, planning, and renewal.

However, shifting economic forces - including corporate consolidation, industrial decline, and the suburbanization of many businesses - have diminished the capacity of these organizations, potentially stripping cities of a significant advocate.

It examines how these shifts have affected the level and character of participation in local and regional public affairs by corporate CEOs, focusing particularly on the makeup, agendas, and roles of peak business organizations.

During the last quarter-century, the American economy has undergone a significant transformation.

Such sectors contain an area's basic industries, serving both the local economy and other regions by exporting goods and services.

Even in the face of substantial economic change, the culture of business engagement and the character of its civic institutions remain important factors in how corporate executives address urban issues.

Posted by Michael at 8:45 PM

'No Child' Leaves Too Much Behind

RAND Commentary:

The No Child Left Behind Act, a federal law designed to ensure that all children can read and do math proficiently by 2014, comes up for renewal in Congress next year.

Debate over its future will center on whether the law is doing enough to improve education across America and to help children succeed in school.

But questions have arisen about the accuracy of student proficiency testing used to chart performance under No Child Left Behind, and about whether math and reading scores --- even if they are accurate --- should be used as the full measure of school progress under the law.

Schools whose students fail to hit math and reading proficiency targets set by the states in these two subject areas face sanctions or even outright takeovers.

As the Washington Post reported Sept. 3, many states --- which develop their own proficiency tests --- set proficiency levels in reading and math without any relationship to standards in other states or to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The NAEP, a test known as "the nation's report card," tests representative groups of students in certain subject areas to chart long-term educational trends.

Beyond this, recent studies have shown that schools are spending less time teaching social studies, the arts and physical fitness --- and more time teaching reading and math --- at least in part in response to No Child Left Behind.

It seems reasonable that if we continue the policy of holding schools accountable, we need to broaden the meaning of school quality to include more of the things that really matter to students, parents and society.

Posted by Michael at 8:37 PM

Toward a National Strategy to Improve Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care

Family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) child care is a widely used form of care for young children in the United States, particularly for children birth through age 2.

It accounts for 46 percent of the hours these youngest children spend in nonparental care.

Thirty-three experts from a range of research, policy, and practice organizations came together for a symposium on FFN care on November 2, 2005 entitled: Improving Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care: Toward a National Strategy.

This symposium report outlines the picture of current FFN research, practice, and policy that emerged and identifies next steps to strengthen all three areas.

A major step that would support practice, policy, and research alike is to increase public awareness of the widespread use of FFN care by families of all economic levels and ethnicities.

Posted by Michael at 8:30 PM

High-Quality Preschool is Key to Closing the Achievment Gap

NCCP:

As our nation's children head back to school this month, the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) urges policymakers to ensure that preschool really does prepare young children to succeed in the early school years.

NCCP's new report, Effective Preschool Curricula and Teaching Strategies, identifies ways to strengthen preschool in order to close the persistent achievement gap separating low-income children from their more affluent peers.

A review of national data shows that at age 4, children who live below the poverty line ($20,000 for a family of four) are 18 months below the developmental norm for their age group, and by age 10, that gap is still evident.

Provide teachers with the hands-on professional development and supports that can help them more effectively promote early literacy and early math in the context of nurturing and supportive classrooms.

Invest in deliberate, sustained strategies to help teachers implement an intentional curriculum, and actively promote the kinds of skills young children need to succeed when they enter kindergarten and first grade.

Posted by Michael at 8:26 PM

HHS Awards $11.6 Million to States for Increasing Adoptions

HHS:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today awarded a total of $11.6 million to 21 states for increasing the number of children adopted from foster care.

States use the adoption incentive awards to enhance their child welfare programs.

"Children in our nation's foster care system need stable, loving families," HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said.

"Families that open their hearts and homes through adoption do a world of good.

We are pleased to recognize states for strengthening their child welfare systems and increasing the number of children adopted."

States receiving incentive payments completed more adoptions in 2005 than in the baseline year, which is the year with the highest number of adoptions for the period between 2002 through 2004.

In FY 2005, the total number of adoptions with public agency involvement is estimated at just below 51,500, up from about 50,700 in FY 2004.

There are currently 518,000 children in the foster care system, and of these about 118,000 are waiting to be adopted.

The average age of a child waiting to be adopted is 10 years.

Each year about 19,000 young people "age out" of the system without ever having a permanent home.

The Bush Administration's efforts to promote adoption also include the Collaboration to AdoptUsKids, a project to recruit and connect foster and adoptive families with waiting children throughout the United States.

For more information about this collaboration, go to www.adoptuskids.org.

Important steps have also been taken to expand the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program to encourage adoption at the local level and support adoptive families with services that ease a child's transition into a new family.

Posted by Michael at 8:23 PM

HUD Awards $10.4 Million in Grants to 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities

HUD News Release 06-110

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings today announced 13 historically Black colleges and universities would receive $10.4 million to help revitalize neighborhoods near their campuses.

"These grants will help ensure these colleges continue to educate many of the nation's African American physicians, lawyers and business leaders while also being able to revitalize the communities that surround them," Jackson said.

"Throughout the nation, we have seen HBCUs breathe life into struggling college towns and blighted urban neighborhoods."

HUD's HBCU program funds grantees to carry out projects designed primarily to benefit low- and moderate-income residents, help prevent or eliminate slums or blight, or meet urgent community development needs in their localities.

Since 1991, HUD has awarded more than $59 million to HBCUs to stimulate economic and community development activities.

The HBCU Program is one of several initiatives administered by HUD's Office of University Partnerships (OUP).

Established in 1994, OUP is a catalyst for partnering colleges and universities with their communities in a shared search for answers to pressing urban problems.

Posted by Michael at 8:18 PM

Guide to Food Stamp Outreach Collaborations

Food Research and Action Center:

FRAC's new resource guide, FRAC's Guide to Food Stamp Outreach Collaborations, provides an overview of promising partnerships that are working to increase participation in the Federal Food Stamp Program (FSP).

In FY 2004, only about 60 percent of eligible people received food stamps -- the program missed four in ten qualified low-income people.

However, the participation rate in FY 2004 showed a promising trend as it was the third year of increasing participation in the food stamp program after seven years of decline.

A wide range of groups have a potential interest in increasing food stamp participation and can bring a variety of resources and skills to a food stamp outreach campaign.

Through the support of the UPS Foundation, FRAC's guide offers suggestions on ways to leverage federal matching funds and other supports to maximize the reach of education campaigns.

It describes approaches to engaging different stakeholders on collaborative outreach, from school officials, state legislators and city officials, to food pantry operators, grocers and employers.

Together, stakeholders partnering on food stamp outreach can make important contributions to the health and well-being of families and communities.

Posted by Michael at 8:13 PM

People with Disabilities Are Less Healthy than those without Disabilities

CDC - Media Relations:

For the first time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published a report of state-level data on the number of people with disabilities, and the wide range of health differences that exist between people with disabilities and those without.

The new report, The Disability and Health State Chartbook, 2006 -- Profiles of Health for Adults with Disabilities, will be unveiled at CDC's National Health Promotion Conference scheduled at the Hilton Atlanta Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia from September 12-14, 2006.

Disability prevalence ranges substantially among the states -- from a low of 11.4 percent to a high of 25.8 percent among people with disabilities.

"The findings in the Chartbook will allow states to measure their progress and will highlight the need to include people with disabilities in health promotion activities to reduce smoking, obesity, and to increase physical activity," said Dr. José Cordero, assistant surgeon general and director of the CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

In addition, the findings in the Chartbook show that people with disabilities are also more likely to smoke, to be obese, and not be physically active.

Highlights of the report include --States with the highest percentages of disability among adults include West Virginia (25.8 percent), Kentucky (24.7 percent), and Oregon (23.7 percent).

The highest prevalence of obesity is reported in Mississippi, Indiana, and North Carolina.

The data were collected from the 2001 and 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a state-based system that obtains health information through telephone health surveys, with technical assistance provided by CDC.

Posted by Michael at 8:03 PM

Racial Disparities in Childhood Immunization Coverage Rates Closing

CDC - Media Relations:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today announced that 2005 childhood immunization rates for vaccines routinely recommended for children between 19 and 35 months of age remain at or near record highs.

For the first time in the past ten years, rates for the full series of recommended vaccines did not vary significantly by race and ethnicity.

Coverage for the previous series that excluded varicella vaccine (4:3:1:3:3) was 10 percent lower for black children in 2002, compared to 3 percent in 2005.

The 4:3:1:3:3:1 series includes four doses of Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (DTaP), three doses of polio vaccine, one dose of measles-containing vaccine, three doses of Hib vaccine, three doses of hepatitis B vaccine, and one dose of varicella vaccine.

Other significant findings from the 2005 NIS indicate that substantial progress has been made in five years after the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) despite past shortages of the vaccine.

Coverage estimates for 2005 indicate that more than 50 percent of the nation's children are fully vaccinated with PCV and more than 80 percent have received at least three of the four dose series.

Estimates for four doses of PCV most likely remain low because prior shortages affected children included in the 2005 NIS.

Posted by Michael at 8:00 PM

Making History 101: Child Poverty

Making History 101

Making History 101 (MH101) is a humanitarian effort to improve conditions associated with poverty on a local and global level.

MH101 is made up of volunteers determined to shape history by improving the conditions around us.

We are using the precedent set by the United Nations in the Millennium Development Goals as a guideline.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were created to address issues associated with extreme poverty around the world: hunger, disease, inadequate shelter, gender inequality, insufficient education, and lack of environmental sustainability.

With this in mind we plan to develop events and programs that address these issues and demonstrate specific ways that individuals everywhere can help.

We believe that everyone can contribute to making history by helping those in need.

MH101 calls on individuals everywhere to act on making a difference.

Poverty affects us all and it will take all of us working together to end it.

Every day, each of us has the ability to impact people's lives, whether it be by donating money to a charity, organizing a canned food drive, or volunteering at your local area food bank.

Your contribution could mean that one less person goes to bed hungry and a community has access to clean water.

There are many ways that you can make a difference and it is up to you to do it.

"There can be no keener revelation of society's soul than the way in which it treats its children."

Join us on September 20, 2006 to learn How You Can Help: Child Poverty.

Posted by Michael at 6:29 PM

The Medicare Drug Benefit in California: Facts and Figures

CHCF.org:

Since the implementation of the Medicare Part D drug benefit plan on January 1, 2006, an estimated 39 million beneficiaries (about 89% of the total Medicare population nationwide) have signed up for some type of prescription drug coverage.

These beneficiaries, most of whom have enrolled in Medicare Part D, have numerous plan choices that vary by premium cost, plan structure, and prescription drug coverage.

This presentation examines the key elements of Part D plan availability, enrollment, formulary coverage, and cost sharing to provide a portrait of Part D implementation in California.

It is intended to help assess the success of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, establish a baseline to evaluate the benefit over time, and identify important issues and options facing policymakers today.

About 2.8 million Medicare beneficiaries in California are enrolled in Part D; however, approximately 700,000 beneficiaries appear to have no source of drug coverage and are believed to be disproportionately low-income.

Proportionally, more beneficiaries in California have Part D coverage than in the rest of the country; however, enrollment has been very uneven among Californiaâ¬(TM)s 58 counties.

About 75% of Medicare beneficiaries in California are enrolled in plans offered by one of five commercial sponsors.

Nearly half of Medicare beneficiaries in California are enrolled in drug plans that qualified for auto-enrollment of dual-eligible beneficiaries.

In general, these plans have lower premiums and cover more drugs than the others.

Another 40% of beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage managed care drug plan.

Low income Medicare beneficiaries also covered by Medi-Cal face much higher cost sharing under Medicare than they did under Medi-Cal.

Posted by Michael at 5:09 PM

Why Women Should Vote

National Women's Law Center

We know there is never enough time to do what you HAVE to do each day, much less to learn more about the issues that concern you.

As a result, many women, especially unmarried women, do not vote in national elections and make their voices heard in our democracy.

Yet our government is making decisions every day that affect women's lives, and our leaders' priorities often don't match ours.

When you cast your ballot, you want to be informed.

Sure there is a lot of information out there, but how do you know who to believe?

The National Women's Law Center (NWLC) and Women's Voices have cooperated on a resource to address that concern.

Here you will find a series of short summaries outlining why it's important for women to register and vote - addressing issues like access to health care and education, equal pay and job opportunities, and protecting Social Security.

Check out these materials, and share them with your friends, families, co-workers and neighbors.

Then make sure you go to the polls on Election Day!

You can also click here for information on voting (your polling place, how to vote absentee, etc.) or to learn about the candidates in your area.

NWLC is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that has been working to advance and protect womenâ¬(TM)s legal rights since 1972.

WVWV is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to mobilize women to register to vote and to go to the polls on Election Day.

Neither organization takes positions on candidates or elections, and nothing herein should be construed as an endorsement of any candidate or party.

Posted by Michael at 5:04 PM

Renewing Commitment to Fighting Poverty

Catholic Charities USA:

Examining problems facing the poor and debating policy proposals to help break the cycle of poverty in America will be the central focus of Catholic Charities USA's 2006 Annual Gathering in Minneapolis from September 14--17.

The centerpiece of the meeting's agenda is discussion and ratification of the 2006 Catholic Charities USA policy paper, "Poverty in America: A Threat to the Common Good," which examines Catholic Charities' commitment to serving those in need and the theological construct of the common good.

The paper also sets forth specific public policy proposals that will be the foundation of the organization's advocacy and outreach in the coming years.

Catholic Charities agencies nationwide have provided social services and emotional support to help bring relief to people in poverty and help them build lives of dignity and economic security for more than 275 years.

In addition to the ratification of the policy statement, meeting attendees will discuss issues contributing to poverty and problems facing America's poor during several workshops and meetings scheduled throughout the conference.

The first is from Jason DeParle, author of American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare, an exploration of the welfare system through the eyes of three Milwaukee families.

The second will be by Angela Jobe, a certified nursing assistant in Milwaukee and a single mother of five children, whose journey from welfare to work was captured in DeParle's book.

To kick-off the discussion and ratification of the poverty policy statement on Friday, September 15, 18-year-old Rodney "October" Dixon and 19-year-old Ashley "Younique" Gilbert will present their poems on poverty and race in a performance of Spoken Word Poetry, the sharing of stories and lessons in traditional oral presentation by becoming the character (a person or an emotion) inside the poem.

Participants will discuss the development of transitional housing and different housing approaches to elevate families' lives and help meet the unprecedented housing needs in this country.

Posted by Michael at 1:06 PM

September 13, 2006

Back to School: MDRC's Education Research Agenda

MDRC - Issue Focus:

In today's economy, more than ever before, graduating from high school and obtaining a postsecondary credential are the keys to better economic opportunity.

MDRC began its research on education in 1991 in response to discouraging evaluation findings from "second chance" programs intended to help high school dropouts do better in the labor market.

Given MDRC's history of studying initiatives for low-income adolescents, our first studies focused on school-based reforms in secondary schools and evaluated programs and policies designed to help students graduate from high school equipped to make successful transitions to college and the labor market.

But our education portfolio today ranges from pre-K to postsecondary, including studies of school-based interventions in elementary schools; school district-wide reforms; and after-school and preschool programs --- as well as innovative programs to help low-income students overcome obstacles to success in community college.

MDRC is evaluating the Dreamkeepers Emergency Financial Aid initiative, an emergency scholarship program for community college and tribal college students, and is developing the Student Support Partnership Integrating Resources and Education (SSPIRE) to help a group of colleges in California effectively integrate traditional student support services with intensive academic instruction and supports.

MDRC has examined three prominent comprehensive high school reform interventions that have had some measure of success in improving student outcomes: Career Academies, First Things First, and Talent Development.

MDRC is helping to fill important gaps in what is known about the role that skills instruction --- and schools themselves --- can play in after-school programs in economically disadvantaged communities.

Posted by Michael at 1:05 PM

September 11, 2006

Most Katrina Evacuees in Houston Plan to Stay

More than two-thirds of the Hurricane Katrina evacuees who fled to Houston for shelter a year ago said they plan to remain here, according to a recent survey by researchers at Rice University.

The survey focused on mostly poor, African-American, unemployed and uneducated Katrina evacuees in Houston - a population estimated at 35,000 to 40,000 people - and was conducted in apartment complexes where evacuees live.

"When you compare the results of the first survey with those from the third round, it's clear that uncertainty about remaining in Houston has decreased among the group that we targeted," said principal investigator Rick Wilson, chair of political science at Rice.

Forty-six percent currently have no health insurance; given that 29 percent had no health insurance before Katrina, the researchers attributed the increase in uninsured to the rise in unemployment among the evacuees.

Between 50 and 57 percent of the evacuees said their lives are worse today than before Katrina in regard to finding a job, transportation, getting around Houston and access to friends and relatives.

The evacuees' ratings of the performance of elected officials and government agencies in responding to the hurricane and flooding and later in dealing with relocation and assistance suggest that they blame mostly the federal government for the outcome.

"Expectations may have been much higher for the performance of FEMA and the Red Cross after evacuees arrived in Houston," said Bob Stein, Rice professor of political science, who helped analyze the data.

The first wave focused on people who had recently arrived in shelters across Houston.

The second wave was conducted in hotels and apartment complexes as evacuees were in transit between the two types of housing.

The third wave focused on evacuees in apartment complexes almost a year after the evacuees had settled into Houston.

Posted by Michael at 6:48 PM

U.S. Secretary of Education to Headline NALEO 2nd Annual National Summit on the State of Latino Education

The NALEO Educational Fund, the leading organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, announced today that U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings will be addressing Latino elected officials from across the country at the upcoming 2nd Annual National Summit on the State of Latino Education which will be held September 13-15 at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C.

NALEO will convene Latino state legislators, municipal officials, and school board members from across the United Stated at a three day meeting to address the current state of education for Latino students from preschool to graduate school (P-20).

The summit will enhance the working knowledge of elected officials on the state of Latino education by engaging them in a cross-jurisdictional dialogue pertaining to No Child Left Behind (NCLB), higher education access, English-language learners, curriculum alignment, and high school retention and attrition - all critical to closing the education gap among Latino students.

The NALEO Educational Fund is the leading organization that empowers Latinos to participate fully in the American political process, from citizenship to public service.

The NALEO Educational Fund is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization whose constituency includes the more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials nationwide.

Posted by Michael at 6:37 PM

Medicare Costs to Increase for Wealthier Beneficiaries

From NYTimes.com:

Higher-income people will have to pay higher Medicare premiums than other beneficiaries next year, as the government takes a small but significant step to help the financially ailing program remain viable over the long term.

The surcharge is a major departure from the traditional arrangement under which seniors have generally paid the same premium.

It is expected to affect one million to two million beneficiaries: individuals with incomes exceeding $80,000 and married couples with more than $160,000 of income.

The surcharge was established under a little-noticed provision of the 2003 law that added a prescription drug benefit to Medicare.

Posted by Michael at 6:25 PM

Medical Foundation Youth Action Initiative

From Funding News:

The Youth Action Initiative (YAI) of Massachusetts' The Medical Foundation will award mini-grants to young people who work to eliminate tobacco use through community-based youth tobacco prevention and control efforts.

YAI, which is allied with the Massachusetts Tobacco Control Program, recently issued an RFP for the 2006-07 mini-grants program, pledging to award 51 Get the Word Out Mini-Grants to local youth groups.

Last year, 40 grants were given to a wide range of programs and projects, including efforts to ban smoking in public parks and create radio PSAs on tobacco use.

Youth groups associated with schools, faith communities, teen centers, community-based organizations, or other agencies are encouraged to apply.

Posted by Michael at 6:24 PM

Everything You Wanted to Know About the No Child Left Behind Act

The Public Education Network (PEN), working in conjunction with the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE), has developed simple, easy-to- understand materials that community leaders and parents all over the country have requested to translate the requirements and demands made by this very complex 1,000 page law.

This new NCLB web portal is especially valuable to educators, the media, policymakers, elected officials, business organizations, and civil rights and civic organizations.

The purpose of providing this information is not to take a position on the law, but to encourage deep understanding the law, so that local communities are enabled to make their own judgments about how effective the law is in their own states and school districts.

The action briefs are written in easy-to-use language focused on specific sections of the law and include pertinent regulations, a glossary of terms, action steps, and additional resources.

Examples of action brief topics include: Understanding Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP); Programs of English Language Learners; Armed Forces Recruiter Access; Charter Schools; Education of Homeless Students; State and Local Report Cards; Public School Choice; Teacher Quality; and many others written in simple language with numerous "action tips" to encourage local advocacy and education improvement.

The hearings were designed to gain grassroots and civic input on the law from groups often left out of the policy debate, yet profoundly impacted by its implementation.

Parents and community leaders indicated that discrepancies between state and federal measures of school progress have created a deep mistrust of high-stakes tests and other NCLB indicators as accurate assessments of school performance.

And, they believe that accountability must be expanded to include additional measures of school and student progress, developed with the input of local educators, parents, and the community.

Americans are also angered by the labeling of schools as "in need of improvement" because they say that this label erodes public support for these schools.

The complete national report, as well as the individual state reports, is available online at www.PublicEducation.org.