Human Services News

Thousands of elderly, frail, and disabled refugees and humanitarian immigrants are at-risk of losing their vital Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits if Congress does not act soon to remove restrictive and unrealistic time limits, according to Catholic Charities USA.

This coverage is essential for people with health problems and disabilities.

Without SSI, they are forced to live in emergency shelters for long periods of time, unable even to afford a Single Room Occupancy unit or other low-income housing.

Without SSI benefits, said Hill, many humanitarian and refugees immigrants will sink deeper into poverty, and suffer poor physical and mental health.

Improving and protecting individuals and families economic security, such as ensuring that elderly and disabled refugees do not loose their SSI benefits, are key components of Catholic Charities USA's Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America.

This new multi-year initiative aims to cut poverty in half by 2020 by urging Congress and the Administration to give a much higher priority to the needs of the poor in budget and policy decisions on issues such as housing, health care, nutrition, and economic security.

Posted by Michael at 10:12 PM

March 28, 2007

Online Portal to Extensive Social Work Content Launches on First World Social Work Day

Web searchers looking for information and resources about numerous social service and psychosocial topics will now have the entire social work profession at their fingertips.

In celebration of the first ever World Social Work Day, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), has launched a new online search tool to help students, educators, journalists, policymakers and various professionals quickly find Web content on a wide range of issues.

Links to the Social Work Portal (www.socialworkers.org/swportal) can be found on the NASW national Web site, www.socialworkers.org, as well as on multiple NASW-affiliated Web sites-including the social work profession's consumer Web site, www.HelpStartsHere.org.

Powered by Google search technology, the new Social Work Portal will help the public find information about social work issues, services, education and careers-all in one place, from more than 100 sources.

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

Posted by Michael at 1:42 AM

Improving Outcomes in Premature Births

The costs due to complications from preterm birth are staggering.

In Canada, outlays for specialized care of surviving preterm infants are estimated to be almost $2 billion per year.

In a five-year, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study, researchers found that giving nitroglycerin to mothers who had entered premature labor led to significant improvement in their baby's health.

The results of the study are reported in the January issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Posted by Michael at 1:34 AM

Study Identifies Factors Associated with Successful Weight Loss in Teens

Participating in moderate to vigorous physical activity and limiting time in front of the television are some of the keys to successful weight loss in teens, according to researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Overweight teens who lost weight participated in significantly more moderate to vigorous physical activity than those who maintained the same weight or gained.

Females who lost weight averaged 7.6 hours a week, and males 11.7 a week.

Female adolescents who lost weight were more likely to participate in weight training and strengthening exercises.

Teens who lost weight spent significantly less time in front of the television compared to those who gained weight.

"Today, nearly 31 percent of adolescents in the United States are considered overweight," said Kerri Boutelle, Ph.D., lead author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

According to the study, successful weight loss for overweight teens averaged 14 percent reduction of their body weight for females and 12 percent reduction for males within a year.

"The study gives researchers, clinicians, and parents a better understanding that teens can lose weight, and what behaviors are associated with success," said Boutelle.

Researchers analyzed data from 1,726 adolescents from the ages of 16 to 18 who completed a questionnaire and interview in the National Health and Nutrition Survey study from 1999 to 2002.

Posted by Michael at 1:08 AM

Financing College, Importance of Postsecondary Education the Focus of March TV Show

From Education Newsfeed:

Tips for parents on paying for college, as well as a discussion on why postsecondary education is so vital to career success will be the focus of the March edition of the U.S. Department of Education's TV show, "Education News Parents Can Use."

How will the Commission on the Future of Higher Education's final report and U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings' Action Plan improve the accessibility, affordability and accountability of U.S. colleges and universities?

Among the guests will be U.S. Under Secretary of Education Sara Martinez Tucker, who until joining the Education Department recently served as president of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

The organization generates funds for $195 million in scholarships to more than 78,000 students and helps organize community outreach programs to raise college expectations in Latino families and communities.

Also appearing will be Derek Canty, co-founder and vice president at College Summit, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising college enrollment rates nationwide, as well as Beverely J. Elliott, a school counselor in Tucson, Ariz., and the 2006 Secondary School Counselor of the Year.

Posted by Michael at 12:49 AM

American Dental Association President Urges Congress to Improve Access to Dental Care

Kathleen Roth, D.D.S., president of the American Dental Association (ADA), will testify before the Health Subcommittee of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee on improving access to dental care.

Dr. Roth will urge the subcommittee to reform Medicaid in order to better address unmet oral health needs.

No more needless deaths; No more children unable to eat or sleep properly; unable to pay attention in school; unable to smile because of dental disease that could easily have been prevented and treated."

- Every child should see a dentist within six months of the appearance of the first tooth, and no later than the child's first birthday.

- Additional community-based initiatives are needed, such as water fluoridation, and the broader availability of dental sealants and topical fluoride.

The ADA has modeled a new type of allied dental professional, the Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC), which could greatly enhance the productivity of the dental team, by extending our reach into underserved communities.

The CDHC model is unique, in that it combines the provision of preventive services with triage, case management and referral to fully qualified dentists when needed.

During her testimony, Dr. Roth will offer examples of Medicaid programs in various states that have improved access to dental care.

Posted by Michael at 12:49 AM

Who Gets Heart Failure? Race Takes Back Seat to Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

Diabetes and high blood pressure, two conditions rooted in genetics and environmental surroundings, play a much greater role than race alone in determining who is mostly likely to develop heart failure, according to the latest study from cardiologists at Johns Hopkins.

Experts say that racial disparities have long been known to exist in who actually develops risk factors for the condition, with African Americans nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and more than a third as likely to have high blood pressure than Caucasian Americans.

In the study, researchers monitored nearly 7,000 men and women, age 45 to 84, of different ethnic backgrounds and with no existing symptoms of heart disease.

African Americans developed heart failure at significantly higher rates (4.6 cases per 1,000 per year) than all other races, including Hispanics and Caucasians.

"When all major factors are taken into account, the differences between races for heart failure largely evaporate in the absence of diabetes and hypertension among African Americans," says senior study investigator João Lima, M.D.

"A lot of public health attention has already been paid to getting high blood pressure under control, so it may be just that this risk factor is under tighter control in some ethnic groups than in others," he says.

Posted by Michael at 12:45 AM

March 27, 2007

New Clinic Brings Health Services to Underserved Neighborhood

A new children's health center is opening up, bringing high quality, affordable health care to a community that in the past has often been overlooked.

"Promoting access to healthcare for children of low income families is a primary mission of the McKesson Foundation and we're thrilled to be able to support this important effort," said Marcia Argyris, Vice President of Community Relations for McKesson Corporation and President of the McKesson Foundation.

"Thanks to the amazing efforts of CPMC and the United Way, the children of Bayview Hunters Point will have access to excellent care, right in their own neighborhood."

The clinic will provide a wide range of services including physical exams, well-baby care, urgent care appointments, nutrition education, referrals to specialists, even weight management classes and mental health services.

That is due to generous funding from the McKesson Corporation, California Pacific Medical Center Foundation and United Way of the Bay Area (UWBA).

They hope the CPMC Bayview Child Health Center will serve not just as a medical center, but also as a hub for community activity and civic resources.

"United Way is very excited to partner with California Pacific to help bring this desperately-needed children's health center to Bayview Hunters Point" said Anne Wilson, CEO of United Way of the Bay Area.

At San Francisco's California Pacific Medical Center, we believe in the power of medicine.

Posted by Michael at 11:57 PM

Subsidized Housing and Employment

From MDRC:

For many years, policymakers have agreed that low-income, working-age people who receive government rent subsidies ought to strive for self-sufficiency and that the housing subsidy system should play an actively supportive role --- or at least not stand in the way.

A variety of self-sufficiency innovations and housing policy reforms have been tried over the past two decades, and new ones are being proposed all the time.

This paper, which was prepared for "Revisiting Rental Housing: A National Policy Summit," a November 2006 symposium organized by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and supported by the MacArthur Foundation, argues for building a stronger base of evidence in the housing-employment policy arena through an expanded use of randomized controlled trials.

Oregon Center for Public Policy:

Posted by Michael at 11:48 PM

Oregon's Income Taxes on Working Poor and Near Poor Among Highest in the Nation

Working Oregonians who are poor or near-poor pay high state income taxes compared to their counterparts in other states, according to a report released today by the Washington, D.C.-based Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Oregon Center for Public Policy.

Oregon is one of only 19 states that levy an income tax on two-parent families of four living in poverty and one of only 15 states that levy an income tax on a single-parent family of three with income at the poverty level.

"Oregon should be making work pay, not pushing poor working families deeper into poverty," said Michael Leachman, policy analyst at the Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP).

The same size family earning 25 percent more than poverty level wages, or $25,769, will pay about $832 in state income taxes, the third highest income taxes in the country for low income families.

The income tax on low-income families of three at 125 percent of poverty for the 2006 tax year is $511, also the third highest in the nation.

"The most targeted way to eliminate income taxes on poor working families is by increasing the state Earned Income Credit.

The national report released today focuses on the income taxes paid by poor and near poor families, but states have other taxes that can disproportionately impact the poor.

Posted by Michael at 3:34 PM

March 26, 2007

Toddlers Engage in 'Emotional Eavesdropping' to Guide their Behavior

University of Washington:

University of Washington researchers have found that 18-month-old toddlers engage in what they call "emotional eavesdropping" by listening and watching emotional reactions directed by one adult to another and then using this emotional information to shape their own behavior.

Writing in the March-April issue of the journal Child Development, which is being published today, Betty Repacholi and Andrew Meltzoff of the UW Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences say the research indicates infants understand other people's emotional states at a very young age.

"This may be a precursor to 'reading' other people's minds by understanding their emotional and psychological states," said Repacholi, an assistant professor of psychology.

The youngsters watched an adult manipulate a toy in both experiments.

Then they watched while a second adult expressed anger or a neutral reaction in response to the first adult playing with a toy.

The infants then were allowed to play with the toy and imitate the first adult's actions.

In the second experiment, the second adult either turned her back on the child or silently looked toward the child with a neutral expression.

When the second adult reacted neutrally or expressed anger and then either left the room or turned her back the youngsters grabbed the toy within one second.

"Parents usually socialize boys and girls differently and girls are usually more compliant.

The experiments are the first demonstration that infants can modify their own behavior in response to an emotional communication that does not involve them.

Posted by Michael at 6:35 PM

School Achievement, Perceptions of Ability and Interest Change as Children Age

Child Development:

Children in early grades may like a subject in which they don't feel very competent, or they may feel competent in a subject in spite of poor grades.

But by the end of high school, children generally feel most interested in subjects in which they feel they are the strongest.

Those are the findings of a new study published in the March-April 2007 issue of the journal Child Development.

For example, boys are more likely to get the best grades in the school subjects in which they are most interested, whereas girls may get good grades regardless of their interest level.

The researchers, from Humboldt University and the University of Michigan, examined the ties between achievement, ability perceptions, and interest by looking at a group of almost 1,000 children from first grade until they left high school.

Posted by Michael at 6:33 PM

Preschool Teacher Education Alone Unlikely to Improve Classroom Quality or Learning

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:

Policymakers are increasingly requiring that public preschool teachers have at least a bachelor's degree, preferably in early childhood education.

Rather than focusing solely on teachers' educational attainment, however, they should take a broad approach, supporting effective and comprehensive professional development activities.

An analysis of seven major studies of early care and education suggests that policies focused solely on teacher education are not likely to increase classroom quality or boost children's academic gains.

The analysis is published in the March/April 2007 issue of the journal Child Development.

A group of researchers led by scholars at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill looked at seven major studies of preschool classrooms.

Teacher education was considered over and above other potentially important factors, such as class size, length of school day, poverty, and children's skills when they started preschool.

The researchers found that, for the most part, more teacher education was not linked to better classroom quality or greater learning.

Neither teacher education nor teachers' degree---including whether or not the teacher had studied early childhood education--was related to classroom quality or children's learning.

Posted by Michael at 4:03 PM

Early Child Care Linked to Increases in Vocabulary, Some Problem Behaviors in 5th and 6th Grades

Institute for the Study of Children, Families and Social Issues:

The most recent analysis of a long-term NIH-funded study found that children who received higher quality child care before entering kindergarten had better vocabulary scores in the fifth grade than did children who received lower quality care.

The study authors also found that the more time children spent in center-based care before kindergarten, the more likely their sixth grade teachers were to report such problem behaviors as "gets in many fights," "disobedient at school," and "argues a lot."

The 1,364 children in the analysis had been tracked since birth as part of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the largest, longest running, and most comprehensive study of child care in the United States.

Families were recruited through hospital visits to mothers shortly after the birth of a child in 1991 in 10 locations in the U.S. The children studied were not a representative sample of children in the U.S. population.

An evaluation of the children in fifth grade showed that the children who had higher quality child care continued to show better vocabulary scores, a correlation that was seen previously from kindergarten to third grade.

These behaviors were listed on The Child Behavior Checklist Teacher Report Form, which consisted of 100 problem behaviors.

It would not be possible to go into a classroom and with no additional information, pick out which children had been in center care, Dr. Belsky explained.

Dr. James Griffin, the NICHD Science Officer for the Study, noted that the persistence of these findings demonstrates the importance of longitudinal research studies that follow children from infancy onwards.

Posted by Michael at 11:30 AM

March 23, 2007

New Tool to Help Families Plan for College

Department of Education:

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings today unveiled a new online tool to help students and families financially prepare and plan for college before a student's senior year of high school.

Called the FAFSA4caster, it provides students with an early estimate of their eligibility for federal financial aid, which could include a Pell grant of up to $4,310.

"Improving college access and affordability are key to giving more Americans a chance at higher education and keeping America competitive," said Secretary Spellings.

Last September, Secretary Spellings announced her plans to improve the U.S. higher education system, based on the recommendations in the final report of her Commission on the Future of Higher Education.

In addition to helping families make informed decisions as they plan for college, the FAFSA4caster will also reduce the application time when students file their FAFSA in their senior year in high school.

Need-based aid is one of the topics that will be discussed during Secretary Spellings' Higher Education Summit, "A Test of Leadership---Committing to Advance Post-Secondary Education for all Americans," on Thursday, March 22 in Washington, D.C. The summit will focus on action items around five recommendations from the Commission's report that will make an impact on improving college access, affordability and accountability in America's higher education system, including aligning K-12 and higher education expectations; increasing need-based aid for access and success; using accreditation to support and emphasize student learning outcomes; serving adults and other non-traditional students; and enhancing affordability, decreasing costs, and promoting productivity.

Posted by Michael at 6:53 PM

Study Finds Some Children Experience Gaps in Medicaid Coverage

Commonwealth Fund:

Many Americans experience instability in their health insurance coverage.

After being uninsured for a time, they may gain coverage for several months or several years, only to become uninsured again when they lose their job or family circumstances change.

The problem is particularly acute for minorities and people with low incomes.

Children covered by public programs---Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program---have a built-in source of instability: they must have their eligibility requirements verified periodically, which can create breaks in coverage.

The researchers find that while the program provides a "long-term continuous source of coverage for millions of children," it also creates "a revolving door for others."

Many children are covered for reasonably long periods, but many others experience short gaps---from two to four months---in coverage.

The researchers analyzed Medicaid enrollment data for children in California, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, and Pennsylvania from January 2001 to December 2003. They found considerable variation in coverage stability, proportion of children with gaps, and the number of gaps.

Posted by Michael at 6:48 PM

March 22, 2007

U.S. Child Health System Requires Radical Transformation

Commonwealth Fund:

Incremental reform will not solve the problems plaguing the U.S. child heath system, contend UCLA researchers in a new Commonwealth Fund-supported study.

The current system---fragmented, underperforming, and fraught with inefficiencies---will require bold, long-term, transformative changes to provide children with a healthy future, they say.

In "Transforming the U.S. Child Health System" (Health Affairs, March/April 2007), Neal Halfon, M.D., and colleagues call for broad reforms to create a more comprehensive approach to optimizing children's health and health care.

Specifically, they recommend: establishing a federal agency to consolidate existing funding and planning for children's health initiatives, improving early childhood services and systems, using health information technology to coordinate care among health care providers, and organizing local child health development systems to manage care delivery.

A Transformation Framework While the U.S. health system delivers some of the finest medical care in the world, the persistent and growing gaps in access to services and the quality of care are well documented.

The authors propose replacing the current model of child health---highlighted by an episodic, biomedical, diagnose-and-treat model---with "a more comprehensive and holistic approach to optimizing health development."

At its core, the model would focus on prevention, health promotion, and the development of health potential.

Financing reform would necessitate better integration of funding streams to support integrated services, as well as fund population health initiatives.

Posted by Michael at 6:44 PM

Innovative Architecture: Community Development and Affordable Housing in Chicago

Local Initiatives Support Corporation: Media Center:

Incorporating sleek design, community-building aesthetics and energy-efficient features, a variety of inspiring neighborhood projects cropping up around Chicago prove that affordable housing and other community facilities can be cutting-edge.

One literally shining example is the Near North Apartments, a new single-room occupancy building designed by star architect Helmut Jahn.

The five-story structure resembles a glistening, streamlined train.

Tiny but bright and airy rooms with great views of the downtown sklyine serve some of Chicago's most vulnerable citizens - the homeless and the disabled.

In addition to providing shelter, the building incorporates a community room and social services on the ground floor, where floor-to-ceiling glass windows welcome neighbors to come inside.

Rooftop turbines heat water in the building and supplement its electricity needs, while cisterns collect rainwater for on-site irrigation.

A model of sustainability and design, the $14 million, 96-unit building was developed by Chicago non-profit Mercy Housing Lakefront.

The project received $6.5 million in equity from LISC affiliate, the National Equity Fund (NEF), a $250,000 pre-development loan from LISC/Chicago, and a $70,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation and LISC towards the wind turbines.

Other standouts in innovative architecture were acknowledged at this year's Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards.

These awards recognize outstanding achievement in neighborhood real estate development and community building by community-based organizations and for-profit developers in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Posted by Michael at 6:39 PM

The Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act

Advocates for Youth and SIECUS:

The bill would create federal funding, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for comprehensive sexuality education that is age-appropriate, medically accurate, and stresses abstinence, while also educating young people about contraception.

"The REAL Act represents a return to common sense public health policy that focuses on the well-being of all young people," said James Wagoner, president of Advocates for Youth.

"We know that teenagers who receive comprehensive sex education that includes discussions on abstinence and contraception are more likely than those who receive abstinence-only messages to delay sexual initiation, to use contraception when they do become sexually active and to have fewer partners."

"We have high hopes for the REAL Act," said Joseph DiNorcia, Jr., president of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS).

Currently there is no federal funding stream dedicated to comprehensive sexuality education programs.

Posted by Michael at 6:35 PM

Homeowners Need a Safer Alternative to Risky Mortgages

HUD News Release 07-029

WASHINGTON - Concerned that high-priced, high-risk mortgages are hurting low- to moderate-income borrowers, Assistant Secretary for Housing - Federal Housing Commissioner Brian Montgomery today reaffirmed the need to modernize the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and give homeowners a better alternative to exotic high-cost mortgages.

According to 2004 HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) Data 40 percent of African Americans and 23 percent of Hispanics pay an interest rate three percent higher than the market rate.

The Center for Responsible Lending reports that 51 percent of refinancing transitions in African American neighborhoods are sub-prime loans.

"There needs to be a mortgage alternative which will qualify a wide swath of borrowers and simultaneously provide them with the loan options they require...enter a modernized and reinvigorated FHA.

Everyone should have access to a safe, affordable mortgage product; and this should not change just because that person is a first-time homebuyer, a minority homebuyer, or a homebuyer with troubled credit history," added Montgomery.

Modernization legislation, which overwhelmingly passed the House last year, would replace the FHA's stringent three percent minimum cash investment requirement with a flexible plan that allows homeowners to put down almost no money down, one, two or even ten percent.

Today, few buyers of homes in California or much of the Northeast have been able to use FHA financing because FHA's loan limits aren't high enough to meet the cost of most homes in those regions.

Posted by Michael at 6:31 PM

Food Stamp Participation in December 2006 Up Over Month

Food Research and Action Center

In December 2006 food stamp participation at 26,363,031 persons was up over the month by 86,171 people.

The overall caseload for December 2006 was nearly half a million persons lower than the prior December, when some Hurricane Katrina, Rita and Wilma victims received disaster food stamp benefits.

At a time when more than 35 million people in the U.S. face a constant struggle against hunger, continuing to strengthen the reach of the Food Stamp Program is vital.

Food Stamp Program growth in recent years reflects continuing wage stagnation, state actions to improve access, the effects of the 2002 food stamp reauthorization implementation, and disaster relief.

Increases in participation since then likely have been driven by improved access to the program in states, including most recently for legal immigrants, by the weakened economy for low-income families, and (in September, October and November 2005) by the hurricanes.

Posted by Michael at 6:29 PM

Adapting Healthy Marriage Programs for Disadvantaged and Culturally Diverse Populations

Center for Law and Social Policy:

Since 2002, more than 300 healthy marriage (HM) programs have been funded by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).

The first wave of competitive HM grants were funded using discretionary vehicles available in various ACF offices.

The result is that marriage education is now being provided to large numbers of people across the U.S. from a diversity of economic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds.

The advent of federal and state government funding and the subsequent rapid increase in the number of programs have resulted in substantial changes in participant demographics, curriculum content, and program design and infrastructure.

Until recently, educators believed that the core concepts and components of marriage education were universally shared and hence that their programs could be effective across different racial and ethnic cultures.

Some of these curricula are available "out of the box," while others are available only to participants in curriculum training.

Posted by Michael at 6:22 PM

National Catholic Leaders Call on Congress to Strengthen Child Health Insurance

The leaders of three national Catholic organizations have called on Congress to strengthen and expand a federal health program that provides health insurance coverage for children.

In a letter to the House and Senate Budget Committees, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA), and Catholic Charities USA urged Congress to adequately fund the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) so that all children eligible for the program get health care.

The SCHIP program was enacted to provide coverage to low-income children who do not qualify for Medicaid because their family income is too high, the Catholic organizations wrote.

Over 4 million children have health care coverage through SCHIP.

In a related action, the three national Catholic organizations, along with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Conference of Major Superiors of Men; Ladies of Charity United States of America; the Leadership Conference of Women Religious; and the Catholic schools of social work are mobilizing Catholics across the country to contact their U.S. representatives and senators on March 21 to support increased funding for children's health insurance coverage through reauthorization of SCHIP.

Posted by Michael at 6:13 PM

Catholic Charities Provide Free Tax Assistance to Help Low-Income Families Fill out Tax Forms, Identify Credits and Refunds

Housing Assistance Council:

Many Catholic Charities agencies across the country are offering free tax assistance programs that are helping families complete their tax forms and identify vital tax credits and refunds that are owed to them.

Many of the Catholic Charities programs are done as part of the IRS-sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) initiative to help qualified families fill out tax forms and learn whether they qualify for tax credits or refunds.

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and a similar Child Tax Credit (CTC) are federal tax credits for low- and moderate-income workers.

The credits can offset income taxes and payroll taxes paid by workers, and will either reduce a tax bill or lead to a refund for many families.

A program coordinated by Catholic Charities of San Antonio and its coalition partners is the nation's largest volunteer program, and last year helped 30,000 low- and moderate-income people fill out tax forms at no charge, said Steve Saldana, president and CEO of Catholic Charities of San Antonio.

"The Catholic Charities Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America has identified the Earned Income Tax Credit as an example of a program that helps move families out of poverty, and we want to draw attention to the credit and its benefits to families who qualify," Father Snyder said.

Posted by Michael at 6:10 PM

How Programs in Three Cities Responded to the Prisoner Reentry Crisis

Public/Private Ventures:

Call to Action chronicles how individuals, community organizations, faith institutions, businesses and officials mobilized to build partnerships to address escalating numbers of ex-prisoners returning to their communities.

The three cities highlighted in this report, Jacksonville, FL; Memphis, TN; and Washington, D.C., were pioneers in responding to the nation's prisoner reentry crisis. They developed impressive programs and eventually joined P/PV's Ready4Work initiative.

In the report's foreword, P/PV President Fred Davie and Vice President for Public Policy and Community Partnerships Renata Cobbs Fletcher argue: The collective experience of Ready4Work sites highlights the need for more collective and integrated approaches to prisoner reentry - across cities, regions and states; public and private resources and funding streams need to be redirected, pooled and put to use in more strategic, cost-effective and outcomes-driven efforts.

Posted by Michael at 3:39 PM

Mentoring Ex-Prisoners in the Ready4Work Reentry Initiative

Public/Private Ventures:

With 650,000 prisoners being released from incarceration each year, the question of how to support their return---and promote a successful transition into society---is paramount.

Early findings from the Ready4Work prisoner reentry initiative suggest that, as part of a comprehensive reentry program, mentoring is indeed a valuable strategy.

Men and women returning from incarceration are concentrated in some of the nation's poorest neighborhoods, where there are few supports and services to help them reintegrate effectively, and where their presence may threaten already fragile households and communities.

Ready4Work programs were established in 17 sites around the country to provide a comprehensive set of services to returning prisoners.

For years, P/PV has studied and evaluated a wide variety of mentoring programs for youth.

Because little research about mentoring adults exists, P/PV allowed the 11 adult Ready4Work sites4 to decide whether to emphasize group sessions, one-to-one mentoring or a combination, letting each lead agency pick the model that provided the best fit for its program structure.

In examining the relationship between mentoring and other outcomes in Ready4Work, an important point must be made: Mentoring was just one component of the Ready4Work model; virtually all of the participants received case management and employment services.6 Thus our research doesn't explore the value of mentoring by itself, but rather its potential as part of a larger program.

P/PV is a national nonprofit organization that seeks is to improve the effectiveness of social policies, programs and community initiatives.

Posted by Michael at 3:34 PM

Rural Americans Want Affordable Housing Agenda

Americans worry about having a decent affordable place to live.

More than 95 percent of rural Americans surveyed in a recent Zogby poll said having affordable housing is a high priority or their number one priority.

"As a member of the Housing America 2007 coalition, the Housing Assistance Council is committed to a national affordable housing agenda," said Moises Loza, executive director of the Housing Assistance Council.

Housing America 2007 aims to raise public consciousness of the critical role of housing and community development initiatives and the fundamental benefits the nation receives from these activities.

The Housing Assistance Council is committed to improving housing conditions for the rural poor, with an emphasis on the poorest of the poor in the most rural places.

Coalition members are: National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, AFSCME, U.S. Conference of Mayors, Housing Assistance Council, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Counties, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Realtors, National Council of State Housing Agencies, National Housing Conference, National League of Cities, and National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Posted by Michael at 12:35 AM

March 21, 2007

Massachusetts Sets Benefits in Universal Health Care Plan

From New York Times:

Massachusetts took a major step toward enacting its near-universal health care overhaul, with the board that oversees the plan voting on Tuesday to require insurers to provide certain minimum benefits, including coverage of prescription drugs.

The requirements were worked out over several months and include several compromises, balancing the interests of businesses, insurers and health care advocates.

For example, the board, called the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, agreed to phase in some of its requirements, giving residents and employers an extra 18 months to buy health plans that meet all the new criteria.

The goal of the health insurance law, passed in April 2006, was to make sure that most of the state's uninsured residents, about 515,00 people, would be covered.

Those who fail to get insurance would face penalties that could include the loss of a personal income tax deduction.

Posted by Michael at 9:01 PM

U.S. to Ease Illegal Immigrants' Children's Access to Medicaid

From washingtonpost.com :

In response to concerns that some babies may be missing out on essential health care, the Bush administration will issue a rule making it easier for the infants of noncitizens to gain access to services covered through Medicaid.

Typically, newborns of Medicaid beneficiaries are deemed automatically eligible for the health-care program during their first year as long as the mother remains eligible.

Last year, Medicaid officials said this automatic status would not extend to infants whose delivery was covered through emergency Medicaid.

Such emergency care covers the labor and delivery expenses for many uninsured couples, including illegal immigrants.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated last year that the parents of babies whose care was covered through emergency Medicaid would have to abide by their state's requirements concerning proof of citizenship and identity.

The problem, health officials said, is that generating such documentation is time- consuming.

Officials with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities said they heard complaints from pediatricians that some babies released from the hospital had problems accessing follow-up care.

Food Research and Action Center:

Posted by Michael at 8:43 PM

March 15, 2007

HHS Releases Strategic Action Plan on Homelessness

HHS News Release:

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced his vision for helping America's homeless through improving their access to health insurance and health services and by encouraging continued collaboration among other committed federal agencies.

"I am excited to assume the role of chairman of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, and look forward to working with other agencies to prevent homelessness," Secretary Leavitt said.

"HHS, the council and our federal partners recognize this valuable opportunity to help thousands of individuals, families, and children who experience homelessness in our country each day."

HHS' Departmental Strategic Action Plan on Homelessness details HHS strategies toward preventing homelessness by ensuring the provision of services to eligible individuals and families, empowering states and community partners to improve their response to homelessness, and tracking Departmental progress in reaching these goals.

The council and its 20-member federal agencies focus on factors impacting persons experiencing homelessness, such as substance abuse and mental health, housing, employment, education, and access to health care.

To increase access to health services, HHS has developed pathways that individuals and families experiencing homeless can use to access essential health services, such as Medicare and Medicaid, Community Health Centers and through the new Affordable Choices Health Insurance Initiative.

Posted by Michael at 10:36 PM

Surgeon General Issues National Call to Action on Underage Drinking

HHS News Release:

In its first Call to Action against underage drinking, the U.S. Surgeon General's Office appealed today to Americans to do more to stop America's 11 million current underage drinkers from using alcohol, and to keep other young people from starting.

The availability of this research provides more reasons than ever before for parents and other adults to protect the health and safety of our nation's children."

Although there has been a significant decline in tobacco and illicit drug use among teens, underage drinking has remained at consistently high levels.

The 2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health estimates there are 11 million underage drinkers in the United States.

Foster changes in society that facilitate healthy adolescent development and that help prevent and reduce underage drinking.

Engage parents, schools, communities, all levels of government, all social systems that interface with youth, and youth themselves in a coordinated national effort to prevent and reduce underage drinking and its consequences.

Posted by Michael at 10:25 PM

HUD Releases Landmark Homeless Study

HUD News Release 07-020

For the first time since 1984, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is releasing a report on the scope of homelessness in America.

HUD's first-ever Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress concludes that an estimated 754,000 persons are homeless on any given night.

HUD's assessment also measures homelessness over time, allowing researchers to expand their body of knowledge beyond the more limited "point-in-time" estimates of the past.

"This first-of-its kind study is a huge leap forward in our understanding of not only how many people are homeless, but also what their needs are," said HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson.

Since 2001, HUD has awarded more than $9 billion to support thousands of local housing and service programs throughout the nation and is seeking a record $1.6 billion through the Department's Continuum of Care grant programs for FY 2008.

The first is a national sample of 80 geographically diverse communities, chosen randomly, that have implemented Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS).

This modern data collection method can accurately count how many persons use emergency shelters and transitional housing over time.

HUD intends to produce more extensive HMIS data in future assessments that will provide a longer-rangeperspective on homeless trends.

While HUD continues to collect this point-in-time data for both sheltered and unsheltered persons, new HMIS data collection techniques now allow researchers to study the sheltered homeless population over time.

As HUD continues to encourage local communities to implement HMIS nationwide, the Department also collects local one-night counts of homeless persons, both at the shelter level and on the streets.

Posted by Michael at 10:21 PM

HUD announces $2.4 billion available through 38 grant programs

HUD News Release:

The Department of Housing and Urban Development published HUD's Fiscal Year 2007 "SuperNOFA," a notice that makes available approximately $2.4 billion in funding through 38 individual grant programs.

In launching this year's grant application season, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson strongly encouraged prospective applicants to read the general and program-specific sections of their funding notices thoroughly and to follow the registration information available in HUD's step-by-step registration guide.

"Every year, we strive to make it easier for our applicants to access the funding that can create a real difference in their communities," said Jackson.

"HUD is moving full steam ahead toward e-government and we invite our applicants to become familiar with the supporting materials we've produced to streamline the submission process even more."

This year's SuperNOFA will continue the Department's push toward requiring nearly all grant applications to be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov.

Applicants seeking funding through HUD's Continuum of Care homeless assistance programs will not be required to submit their applications electronically.

The electronic submission process is part of President Bush's management agenda to increase funding opportunities for states, local governments and nonprofit grassroots organizations that house and serve lower income families living in their communities.

Last year, more than 4,300 applicants successfully submitted their applications electronically.

This year, HUD is announcing the return of three grant programs: The Early Doctoral Research Program, the Doctoral Dissertation Research Program, and Housing Counseling Training Program.

The doctoral programs provide universities with funding for doctoral students who focus research efforts on policy-relevant housing and urban development issues.

The Housing Counseling Training Program is designed to improve and standardize the quality of counseling provided by housing counselors employed by HUD-approved housing counseling agencies.

HUD is continuing to provide help so that every applicant can successfully meet this year's electronic submission requirements.

HUD's Desktop User's Guide provides easy-to-follow instructions to guide applicants through the electronic submission process.

In addition, HUD also offers training via webcast.

For a list of training programs, visit HUD's website.

HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS.

The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation's fair housing laws.

More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.

Posted by Michael at 10:13 PM

Food Stamps' Positive Impact on Children's Health

The program is essential to the basic well-being of millions of Americans, including the nutrition a nd health of children, but needs to be strengthened further.

For many low-income people, food stamps are the critical lifeline -- a source of basic income as fundamentally important as Social Security is to seniors.

According to a survey of several thousand mothers of 3-year old children in 18 large cities, mental health problems in mothers and behavioral problems in their preschool-aged children were twice as likely in food insecure households as in food secure households.

An analysis of nationally representative survey data shows that school-age food insecure girls are less likely to be overweight or at risk of overweight if they participate in the School Breakfast Program, School Lunch Program or Food Stamp Program, or any combination of these programs.

Posted by Michael at 10:01 PM

When Kids Get Sick, Insurance Matters

Families USA:

Extensive research has documented the positive effects that health insurance has on a child's physical, developmental, social, and emotional health.

Children who have health insurance are more likely to have a relationship with the same doctor over time, receive regular well-child checkups, and have their medical, dental, vision, and other health care needs met.

But what happens when an uninsured child is seriously injured or develops a condition that requires hospitalization?

The findings in this report add a new sense of urgency to the problem of uninsured children.

Posted by Michael at 9:53 PM

CDF Unveils Fictional Presidential Campaign to Address Child Health Crisis

Children's Defense Fund:

There are more than nine million children in the United States who are currently without health insurance, and the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) believes some of our elected officials are not doing enough to solve the problem.

As a result, CDF is announcing the launch of "Elect Susie," an integrated marketing campaign designed to build awareness for its legislative plan to provide all children in America with health insurance.

Campaign elements will feature "Susie Flynn," a 10-year-old girl who intends to make everyone in America aware of the nine million uninsured children so they will no longer be ignored.

Developed by Fallon Worldwide, a partner of CDF since 1986, the "Elect Susie" campaign features all of the traditional political campaign elements, including TV spots, print ads and out of home signs and posters.

There, users have the ability to gather additional facts about the issue, submit their own personal story, read the latest news headlines pertaining to healthcare, view pictures of "Susie" during her TV commercial shoot and download online banners and posters.

Adults and politicians should feel embarrassed that it takes a child to drive awareness and encourage involvement to solve this problem."

In the shape of an adhesive bandage, the pin's design features the outline of nine children, one of whom is highlighted in pink and symbolizes the one in nine children in this country who is without health insurance.

CDF provides a strong, effective voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby or speak for themselves.

Posted by Michael at 9:46 PM

Substance Abuse Interventions for Young Offenders

Chapin Hall:

Juvenile justice systems do not often provide an effective response to substance abuse problems among young offenders.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched Reclaiming Futures, a ten-community demonstration project, to improve substance abuse interventions for justice-involved youth.

The initiative relies on inter-organizational collaboration, shared performance management, enhanced treatment quality, strengthened leadership, and community partnerships to improve systems and services.

Early results from a cross-site evaluation indicate that the initiative has inspired real improvements in the quality of service delivery systems.

This journal article was published by the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges in the Juvenile and Family Court Journal.

Posted by Michael at 5:42 PM

Report Explores Successes and Challenges of Preschool Program

Chapin Hall:

This report shares findings from the first year of the implementation of the Early Childhood Cluster Initiative (ECCI), a full-day pre-kindergarten program in twenty classrooms based on the design of the High/Scope Perry Preschool model in ten elementary schools in Palm Beach County.

In addition to the High/Scope curriculum, a highly regarded educational model that has shown positive outcomes for children, the initiative is characterized by low teacher-child ratios, the use of trained and certified teachers, and an intensive program of activities to strengthen parent involvement.

Classrooms reached their targeted population with enrollment at or near capacity during the school year; and the High/Scope curriculum was being implemented successfully.

Posted by Michael at 5:36 PM

Kids' Share 2007: How Children Fare in the Federal Budget

Urban Institute:

This study reports on trends in federal spending on children from 1960 to 2017, looking across over 100 major federal programs, including tax credits and exemptions.

Thirteen major programs enacted between 1960 and 2006, which include Medicaid, the earned income tax credit, and Food Stamps, comprised 65 percent of federal spending on children in 2006.

Overall, federal children's spending increased in real terms from $53 billion in 1960 to $333 billion in 2006, or from 1.9 to 2.6 percent of GDP.

Yet as a share of federal domestic spending, children's spending declined from 20.1 to 15.4 percent.

Meanwhile, spending on the automatically growing, non-child portions of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, nearly quadrupled from 2.0 to 7.6 percent of GDP ($58 billion to $993 billion) over the same time period.

This report answers those questions with the most comprehensive examination available of trends in federal spending---plus tax credits and exemptions---on children.

Posted by Michael at 1:10 PM

March 14, 2007

Mass. Risks Loss of Federal Block Grant Funding, Advocates Say

From Funding News:

Rising sales of tobacco products to underage users could lead to the loss of federal addiction block-grant funds in Massachusetts, local officials warn.

"We'd like to stay on top of (tobacco sales to minors), but with the funding it's difficult," said Dedham, Mass., health director Catherine Cardinale.

"It's time to restore the trust, reinvest in tobacco prevention and cessation and protect our kids," Diane Pickles, executive director of Framingham-based Tobacco Free Mass Coalition, told state legislators this week.

Posted by Michael at 8:56 PM

'Responsible Alcohol Use' Group Launches First Community Project

From Funding News:
The Foundation for Alcohol Responsibility (FAR), an alcohol-industry supported group that advocates for responsible use of alcohol and seeks to "prevent intoxication, drunk driving and other alcohol-related problems," has launched its first community-based project in Harrisonburg, Va.

FAR -- founded by the head of Health Communications, Inc., the company that produces the TIPS server-training curriculum -- will conduct alcohol-education outreach to local community members and leaders "while arming them with the information to both consume and serve alcohol responsibly and to intervene in instances of intoxication," according to a press release.

"The training provided servers and bartenders with the confidence and skills to help reduce instances of underage drinkers as well as reduce the number of intoxicated patrons and patrons who drive under the influence," according to FAR.

Posted by Michael at 8:47 PM

Implementation and First-Year Impacts of the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Demonstration

From MDRC:

This report presents findings on the implementation and early effects of Britain's Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration, which is being evaluated though a large-scale randomised control trial.

Aimed at helping low-income individuals sustain employment and progress in work, ERA offers a combination of job coaching and financial incentives to participants once they are working.

Across various types of people and places, it increased the receipt of services and training for working customers, increased participants' average earnings, and produced some reductions in their benefit receipt.

A centrepiece of those policies is the New Deal programme, which offers job placement help from a Personal Adviser and other pre-employment assistance to out-of-work recipients of benefits.

Members of the WTC group immediately enter the post-employment phase.

The control group got the provisions they were normally entitled to receive from Jobcentre Plus; for the two New Deal customer groups, these included regular New Deal pre-employment services.

As a result of its more deliberate focus on in-work assistance, ERA increased the rates of receiving in-work help or advice by 21 percentage points for NDLP customers, and by almost 11 percentage points for ND25+ customers.

For East Midlands WTC customers, who were already employed when they came to ERA, the increase generated by ERA in the proportion who got in-work help or advice was much larger.

Among the East Midlands WTC target group, 58 per cent of the programme group combined training or education with work during the first year, compared with about 45 per cent of the control group, for a statistically significant increase of almost 14 percentage points.

Posted by Michael at 8:38 PM

Responsive Workplaces: The Business Case for Employment that Values Fairness and Families

More and more, working parents have dual -- and dueling -- responsibilities on the job and at home.

Often, such measures have benefited the employers, too, demonstrating that businesses can do well by doing good.

Some employers have adapted and made their workplaces responsive to working parents. Flexible scheduling that considers employee preference and paid time off, for example, have helped those who constantly juggle work and home. Often, such measures have benefited the employers, too, demonstrating that businesses can do well by doing good.

A business case for work/life balance is important, because commerce is not built on altruism.

Further, outmoded assumptions -- that low-wage workers are expendable, for example, despite research showing the significant costs of losing and replacing these workers --are hard to change.

Because the United States has not set a minimum standard for work leave, private employers determine whether and to what extent employees receive paid leave for illness or for parental, vacation, or personal time.

Posted by Michael at 8:35 PM

Staying in Jobs and Out of the Underground: Child Support Policies that Encourage Legitimate Work

Over 670,000 people were released from prison into the community in 2004.

Fathers typically enter prison with a $10,000 child support debt and leave owing $20,000 or more. High levels of child support debt accumulating during incarceration can create an untenable financial situation for fathers in low-wage jobs.

Many fathers released from prison will respond to child support enforcement pressures by reentering the underground economy and resuming their old way of life.

This policy brief explains why policymakers and practitioners should manage the child support obligations of incarcerated and re-entering men to help them maintain regular employment, limit participation in the underground economy, reduce recidivism, and provide steady support to their children over time.

Research has shown that men released from prison who obtain steady jobs and maintain family relationships have lower recidivism rates. Because child support policies impact employment and family decision making, these policies may play a pivotal role in increasing or reducing recidivism.

Posted by Michael at 8:32 PM

Where the Funds Are: The Use of FSET Funds for Workforce Training Programs

Funding for workforce training programs is limited. Many of the traditional funding streams used to cover the costs of these programs have been cut, leaving administrators to think creatively about alternative funding sources.

One possibility is the Food Stamp Employment and Training program (FSET), which supports employment and training services for food stamp participants.

This policy brief provides an overview of the FSET program and funding streams and discusses ways that workforce training programs can access FSET funds to improve the employability of FSET participants.

MSHDA - Michigan's Campaign to End Homelessness Housing Initiatives

Posted by Michael at 8:30 PM

March 12, 2007

National Award for Campaign to End Homelessness in Michigan

At the Second Annual National Summit for Jurisdictional Leaders, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) recognized Governor Jennifer M. Granholm with the "Every American Deserves A Home" award for her encouragement and leadership for Michigan's statewide Campaign to End Homelessness.

"As we work to revitalize our economy and build vibrant cities across the state, we must also have the will power, focus, and funding to confront today's epidemic of homelessness.

I would like to thank Interagency Council on Homelessness for recognizing Michigan's efforts to end this tragic reality."

Our state's effort is a mature one because we recognize that the work needs to happen at the local level," said DeVos.

"Our work is to hasten the day when every American will have a home," said Mangano.

"To bring remedy to the pain and misery of those experiencing homelessness is what we are about."

The Summit, themed The Pursuit of Solutions, was inspired by the recent hit movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" starring Will Smith portraying the true life story of Chris Gardner.

Many wanted to know when and if Gardner could come to their city to inspire their communities for change.

In 2005, before the movie was in production, Michigan invited Chris Gardner to address the Michigan Conference on Affordable Housing.

His spirited and personal presentation was an inspiration to the 1,500 attendees, many of whom were front line homeless service workers.

The USICH Second Annual National Summit for Jurisdictional Leaders was held at the Washington Press Club for representatives from across the country.

MSHDA is a quasi-state agency that provides financial and technical assistance through public and private partnerships to create and preserve safe and decent affordable housing, engage in community economic development activities, and address homeless issues.

Posted by Michael at 10:18 PM

An Early Look at Restructuring Results in California

Center On Education Policy:

California educators face an uphill battle to improve schools in restructuring -- the No Child Left Behind Act's ultimate sanction for struggling schools according to a new study from the Washington, D.C. based Center on Education Policy.

The number of California schools in NCLB restructuring nearly doubled in the last year, increasing from 401 schools in 2005-06 to 701 in 2006-07, or roughly 8% of California schools.

Schools are placed in restructuring when they missed adequate yearly progress (AYP) targets for five or more consecutive years must undertake reform strategies intended to boost their performance.

Contrary to the assumption behind the U.S. Department of Education's recent call for disallowing "minor" restructuring strategies in favor of replacing staff or reconstituting the school's governance structure, CEP's study finds that California schools that replaced staff were no more likely to increase the percentages of proficient students on state tests than restructuring schools in general.

Instead, officials at schools that improved student achievement attributed their success to analyzing school data and tailoring interventions to the needs of the particular school.

The report also finds that few California schools in restructuring converted into charter schools (2 percent) or turned their operation over to an outside entity (10 percent).

The case studies show that all the participating schools have implemented teacher team planning time, added teacher or principal coaches and changed their schedules to allow more time for special instruction for struggling students.

Posted by Michael at 8:34 PM

March 8, 2007

Families' Food Stamp Benefits Purchase Less Food Each Year

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

Food stamp benefits average only about one dollar per person per meal (to be precise, the figure is $1.05 in 2007).

In addition, as a result of benefit cuts enacted as part of the 1996 welfare law, the purchasing power of most households' food stamp benefits is eroding in value each year.

The 1996 cut to the standard deduction continues to deepen with each passing year for households with one, two, or three members, even though the budget window in effect at the time of the 1996 welfare law (fiscal years 1997 through 2002) is over.

The 1996 welfare law also reduced the Food Stamp Program's maximum benefit level from 103 percent of the cost of USDA's "thrifty" food plan (TFP) to 100 percent of the TFP.

Specifically, a household's monthly food stamp benefits are equal to the maximum benefit for their household size (based on the cost of the thrifty food plan) minus 30 percent of the household's net income (its gross income minus deductions).

Posted by Michael at 8:25 PM

Catholic Charities USA Supports HEARTH Act as Balanced Approach to Addressing Homelessness in America

Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust

Calling the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing Act (HEARTH) a comprehensive and balanced approach to addressing homelessness in America, Catholic Charities USA today called on Congress to pass the bill, which reauthorizes the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

According to Catholic Charities USA, the HEARTH Act provides greater decision making at the local level, expands HUD's definition of homelessness, increases emergency shelter and supportive services, provides a framework for greater homeless prevention activity, and allows a range of housing solutions.

At a briefing this week on Capitol Hill for Congressional staff on this new bill, Arlene McNamee, executive director of Catholic Social Services in Fall River, MA, stressed the importance of expanding HUD's definition of homelessness to include those who are living in doubled-up situations with family or friends or are forced to live in hotels or motels for lack of other options.

McNamee detailed how families with children who are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population are being hurt by current federal homeless policies that do not reflect the reality of the situation.

By expanding the definition, many more children, youth, and families would eligible for HUD homeless assistance.

Each year, Catholic Charities agencies nationwide provide over a half million housing services ranging affordable housing production to homeless street outreach to foreclosure prevention.

Posted by Michael at 8:19 PM

March 6, 2007

NMPCT announces $7.8 million, four-year extension of Nina Scholars Program

The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust is committing $7.8 million over the next four years to fund college scholarships for students in Arizona and Indiana whom traditional scholarship programs typically overlook.

"This commitment of $7.8 million will provide scholarships to 168 more men and women over the next four years," said Frank E. Russell, chairman of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. "The Nina Scholars have faced incredible challenges in their lives and many of the Scholars we have met since the program began in 2001 have told us that without the Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program they would not have realized the dream of a college education," Russell added.

The program extension includes full tuition, an annual $2,750 living allowance for each Scholar, books, and class fees. It also covers the program’s administrative cost and funding a full-time Nina Scholar coordinator at each school who provides counseling and assistance to the scholars.

The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust began making grants to Arizona nonprofits in 1998 and has distributed more than $62 million to 303 Arizona nonprofit organizations. "The Scholars program is a living legacy to Nina who believed that with an education, there was nothing an individual could not achieve," said Pulliam's niece and Trustee Carol Peden Schilling.

Posted by Michael at 12:57 PM

Toddler Tests Speak for Themselves

From the first smile to the first word, signs that a toddler is learning to communicate are a source of great joy for any new parent.

A new study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has come up with new tests for pre-schoolers to help recognise potential problems earlier.

According to Professor Shula Chiat and Dr Penny Roy of City University in London, these tests provide new indicators of the likelihood and nature of longer term difficulties, allowing for earlier and more targeted intervention.

Many 2-3 year olds will catch up with their peers within a year or two, but others don't, and the nature of their longer term language and communication problems will vary".

Unlike traditional assessments which focus on language itself, the four new tests probe 'very early processing skills' (VEPS) which are known to underpin language development.

The remaining three tests target the kind of social and cognitive skills children require to discover the meaning of words.

The different patterns of performance which emerged from a sample of over 200 clinically referred children were related to the type of language and social communication problems evident 18 months later, when children were 4-5 years old.

Researchers also validated the contribution of standard clinical assessment for children as young as 2-3, but the new tests provided important additional information about a child's basic processing skills.

Posted by Michael at 12:29 AM

Teenagers with Retail, Service Jobs at Risk of Injury, Robberies, Sleep Deprivation

Despite federal regulations intended to protect them, many teenagers in the U.S. use dangerous equipment or work long hours during the school week, according to a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study.

The results show 52 percent of males and 43 percent of females use dangerous equipment such a box crushers and slicers, or serve and sell alcohol where it is consumed, despite federal child labor laws prohibiting these practices.

Additionally, 84 percent of females and 61 percent of males handle cash in their jobs, exposing them to risks associated with robberies.

Homicides during robberies were the cause of up to one half of all youth fatalities in the retail trade.

Our aim is to examine the conditions under which they are working, and suggest ways to protect them at work," said lead study author Carol Runyan, Ph.D., director of UNC's Injury Prevention Research Center (IPRC) and professor of health behavior and health education in the UNC School of Public Health.

Many teens younger than 16 years old reported working after 7 p.m. on school nights, which is illegal, Runyan said, and suggests the need for better enforcement of child labor laws.

About one third of the teens surveyed said they had not received any safety training, Runyan said.

Posted by Michael at 12:22 AM

American Anthropological Association Public Education Project: 'RACE: Are We So Different?'

The largest-ever public education project on race in America was recently launched by the American Anthropological Association.

The project began a decade ago with collaboration among a diverse group of anthropologists discussing how to use their public voice to engage with race and racism.

The result is a fresh and provocative look at race, racism, and human biological and genetic variation.

Dr. Alan Goodman, professor of biological anthropology at Hampshire College, is president of the AAA and a member of the project's advisory group.

The exhibit is filled with interactive activities allowing visitors to examine the history of the idea of race, the experience of race in the United States, and how race relates to health, wealth and education.

"For an organization like the American Anthropological Association to step up to the plate and do this is very unusual," Goodman said.

Posted by Michael at 12:09 AM

March 5, 2007

In Diversity Push, Top Universities Enrolling More Black Immigrants

From washingtonpost.com :

The nation's most elite colleges and universities are bolstering their black student populations by enrolling large numbers of immigrants from Africa, the West Indies and Latin America, according to a study published recently in the American Journal of Education.

Immigrants, who make up 13 percent of the nation's college-age black population, account for more than a quarter of black students at Ivy League and other selective universities, according to the study, produced by Princeton University and the University of Pennsylvania.

The large representation of black immigrants developed as schools' focus shifted from restitution for decades of excluding black Americans from campuses to embracing wider diversity, the study's authors said.

"In part, it has to do with coming from a country, especially those educated in Caribbean and African countries, where blacks were in the majority and did not experience the stigma that black children did in the United States," Guinier said.

Black immigrants were defined as students who emigrated directly from Africa or the Caribbean, including countries such as Guyana that are on the South American continent and nations in the black diaspora or their American-born sons and daughters.

Posted by Michael at 11:56 PM

Alcohol Plays Role in 62 Percent of All Arrests in Wyoming

Alcohol use is involved in a remarkable 62 percent of all arrests in the state of Wyoming, from drunk driving to domestic assaults, according to a study by the Wyoming Sheriffs and Chiefs Association.

"It really opened our eyes," said study leader Ernie Johnson, who said the findings show that substance abuse is the biggest problem facing Wyoming.

Statewide, 23 percent of alcohol-involved arrests were for drunk driving, and 9.5 percent were for public intoxication.

The chairman of Wyoming's governor's advisory board on alcohol and other drugs said that the state has failed to keep pace with other states in implementing alcohol-control legislation.

Posted by Michael at 11:46 PM

National Inhalants & Poisons Awareness Week

The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition (NIPC) is leading the 15th annual National Inhalants & Poison Awareness Week (NIPAW) campaign, March 18 - 24, 2007.

This campaign is designed to mobilize your community to educate and raise awareness about the dangers of inhalant abuse.

Parents don't know that inhalants, cheap, legal and accessible products, are as popular among middle school students as marijuana.

Join Together publishes selected press releases and other announcements relevant to alcohol and drug policy, prevention, and treatment.

Posted by Michael at 11:35 PM

Stop-Smoking Drugs: Try and Try Again

Reuters reported Feb. 24 that medications like Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion) can be effective even if they don't result in abstinence during the first few weeks.

David Gonzales, director of the smoking-cessation program at Oregon Health & Science University, said that it can take that long for many smokers to wean themselves off tobacco.

"If smokers on medication don't quit in the first week or two following their target quit date, clinicians often will instruct their patients to discontinue their medication.

Gonzales' research showed that 24 percent of patients taking Chantix were able to quit right away, compared to 18 percent taking Zyban and 10 percent given a placebo.

Posted by Michael at 11:09 PM

Study Explores Nature of Online Learning in K-12 Schools

The Sloan Consortium's (www.sloan-c.org) first ever survey of online learning in elementary and secondary education, "K-12 Online Learning: A Survey of U.S. School District Administrators," predicts rapid growth in online education.

The nationwide survey, conducted during the 2005-2006 academic year, finds that almost two out of three (63 percent) school districts had one or more students enrolled in either a fully online or a blended course, which combines online learning with traditional face-to-face instruction.

The Sloan Consortium's K-12 online survey, developed in collaboration with Hunter College and Babson College and funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, consists of responses from 366 public school district chief administrators representing two million students nationwide.

Survey results show online learning is meeting the specific needs of a range of students including those who need extra help, those who want to take more advanced courses and those whose districts do not have enough teachers to offer certain subjects.

The complete survey is available at
www.sloan-c.org/publications/survey/index.asp. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:49 PM

SAMHSA: Underage Drinking Highest in Wisconsin, Lowest in Utah

Almost 40 percent of 12- to 20-year-olds in Wisconsin reported drinking alcohol within the past month, the highest rate in the nation, according to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The state with the lowest rate of past-month underage drinking was Utah, where 21.3 percent of adolescent respondents to the 2004-05 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health said they imbibed.

Other states with high current underage-drinking rates were Connecticut, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Posted by Michael at 10:45 PM

FEMA Closes Trailer Site for Katrina Victims

From washingtonpost.com :

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Sunday abruptly closed down a trailer site housing Hurricane Katrina victims because of health and safety concerns.

Its residents said they were once again being left in the lurch since losing everything after the storm hit on Aug. 29, 2005.

Although many residents said they would have been happy to keep living on the trailer site, FEMA determined it was too risky because of ongoing problems with raw sewage and periodic power outages.

By Sunday night, FEMA said, 48 of the 58 households affected had places to go, with many moving to other FEMA sites.

The agency continued to look for new places for the other 10 households.

"This is a very quick, decisive move because of concern for the residents," FEMA spokesman Manuel Broussard said.

Posted by Michael at 10:29 PM

Funding Supports Alcoholism Medication Development

From Funding News:

A pair of recent grant announcements solicit applications for funding of medication development for treating alcoholism. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 10:28 PM

Severe PTSD damages children's brains, Stanford/Packard study shows

The researchers found that children with post-traumatic stress disorder and high levels of the stress hormone cortisol were likely to experience a decrease in the size of the hippocampus - a brain structure important in memory processing and emotion.

Carrion, assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the medical school and director of Stanford's early life stress research program, and his collaborators speculate that cognitive deficits arising from stress hormones interfere with psychiatric therapy and prolong symptoms.

The children in the study were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, as a result of undergoing physical, emotional or sexual abuse, witnessing violence or experiencing lasting separation and loss.

Children predisposed by genetics or environment to be more anxious than their peers are also more likely to develop PTSD in response to emotional trauma, perhaps because their responses to other life experiences simply left them closer to that threshold than less-anxious children.

After correcting for gender and for physiological maturity, they found that kids with more severe PTSD symptoms and higher bedtime cortisol levels (another marker of stress) at the start of the study were more likely to have reductions in their hippocampal volumes at the end of the study than their less-affected, but still traumatized peers.

Stanford University Medical Center integrates research, medical education and patient care at its three institutions - Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.

Ranked as one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation by U.S.News & World Report and Child magazine, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford is a 264-bed hospital devoted to the care of children and expectant mothers.

Posted by Michael at 10:26 PM

National Science Foundation releases statistics on women, minorities and persons with disabilities

The National Science Foundation today released the latest statistics on women, minorities and persons with disabilities in science and engineering.

The report focuses on education and employment statistics for these groups.

NSF obtains the data from many sources, including NSF surveys, other federal agencies and non-federal organizations.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of $5.58 billion.

Each year, NSF receives about 40,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes nearly 10,000 new funding awards.

Posted by Michael at 10:23 PM

National Association for College Admission Counseling Calls for Greater Investment in Counseling, College Preparation Resources in High-Need Schools

Proposals to reauthorize No Child Left Behind, reform high schools, and improve college access will be incomplete without crafting a greater role for school counselors, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC).

Accordingly, members of NACAC, who are attending the association's 25th annual legislative conference in Washington, March 4-7, are unveiling a legislative proposal to boost support for school counselors in high-need schools on Capitol Hill this week.

California (Assembly Bill 1802, 2006) and Pennsylvania (Project 720) have recently enacted legislation increasing the number of counselors and strengthening their role in boosting academic achievement and college access.

"Congress can accomplish these goals through a combination of increased support for existing programs and a bit of innovation in through NCLB and the Higher Education Act," Hoganson noted.

The association is committed to maintaining high standards that foster ethical and social responsibility among those involved in the transition process, as outlined in the NACAC Statement of Principles of Good Practice.

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

Posted by Michael at 10:12 PM

Obesity surgery triples among U.S. teens

From Yahoo! News: Top Stories:

The number of U.S. children having obesity surgery has tripled in recent years, surging at a pace that could mean more than 1,000 such operations this year, new research suggests.

While the procedure is still far more common in adults, it appears to be slightly less risky in teens, according to an analysis of data on 12- to 19-year-olds who had obesity surgery from 1996 through 2003.

Youngsters had slightly shorter hospital stays than adults and none died in the hospital during the study period.

Children spent an average of about 3.2 days in the hospital in 2003, versus 3.5 days for adults.

Total hospital charges also were lower for pediatric patients, $30,804 per patient versus $36,056 for adults.

Posted by Michael at 10:02 PM

Between Welfare Reform and Reauthorization

From MDRC:

This report, part of MDRC's Project on Devolution and Urban Change, tells the story of Cleveland's and Philadelphia's welfare systems in the early 2000s, a time marked by an economic downturn, state budget cuts, and welfare time limits. Read more from this post.

Posted by Michael at 9:57 PM

Bush Administration's "Child Welfare Program Option" Puts Children Who Have Been Abused or Neglected at Greater Risk

The Bush Administration's 2008 budget proposal talks about a goal of increasing services and supports for children, but its budget recommendations go in the opposite direction.

This brief focuses on the Administration's "Child Welfare Program Option," offering a summary of what is known about the proposal and the concerns and questions CLASP has about the approach suggested.