July 1 - What is the secret behind students staying
in school and graduating ready for success? Interesting courses? GPA?
A new CDC study shows that unwavering support of teachers and community
members is a primary contributor to students' outcomes. At a
June 23 Congressional briefing hosted by Search Institute and the National Collaboration for Youth, researchers and educators shared their insight on how to create these essential
connections and their lasting impact on students. Watch the video below
and read more.
July 1 - As Congress and the administration
work to reform our nation's health care system, here are resources to
understand what's happening, what's in it for kids and young people,
and what you can do to get involved. Read more.
A Changed Mind - Kids & Health Care Reform Commentary by CFK’s Jan Richter
I am happy that I was proven wrong about how important it is to have
the peace of mind and access to affordable, quality care when you need
it... read more.
July 1 - Can social networks really perform
miracles for hardworking child advocates? Journalist Ray Schultz takes
a hard look at the brave new world—and the real data. Read more.
June
17 - Numbers only get you so far—12 million children,
17 percent of U.S. households with children—the real story of
fighting hunger in America is best told by families themselves. Check
out this CFK video coverage of an intimate and moving new project to "keep
the children at the center" of policy debates. Check out the video
and read
more.
May 21 - The bill includes the HEARTH Act reauthorizing the McKinney-Vento Homelessness Assistance programs for children and youth. Is it good for kids? Yes—but there's a major missed opportunity, according to the nonpartisan advocacy group First Focus. Read more.
Senators
Dodd (D-CT), Kennedy (D-MA) and Stabenow (D-MI) and Representatives Miller
(D-CA), Kildee (D-MI) and Yarmuth (D-KY) are the latest to join the movement
calling on President Obama to create a centralized coordinating body
for child/youth funds and services. How would this impact your community,
and how can you get involved? Read
more.
Columns:
Taking Risks for Transition-Age Youth Karen
Pittman's column Karen finds commonalities
between juvenile justice and the child welfare systems. Leaders from both systems
convened recently to hear about efforts to strengthen supports for young people. Read
Karen's column.
The Good, the Bad, and What’s Real about Social Media in Child Advocacy? Hershel Sarbin's Child Advocacy 360 column
All ‘a-twitter’ about social media in child advocacy communication?
Lots of folks are. But to what end? Are we just looking for connections
with like-minded people, or a chance to move people to action—and just
how would you do that with 140 characters per message? How much time
does it take each day to make social media effective? Read
Hershel's column.
A biweekly review of news, policy developments and trends
in the child and youth field. Subscribe.
CFK
Update | July 1
My local newspaper rarely covers national news -- for example, the photo-story
on last week's front page was about the new elevated "goat walk" at
our local country store.
But the same day, the top non-photo story was about our county receiving
$1.18 million over two years in federal stimulus funds, all for schools.
It is a rare moment demonstrating the connection between Washington,
DC and our local community.
Congress is in recess this week, but work will likely continue
on two major proposals that impact on families and local communities
everywhere: reforming health care and reshaping the clean energy bill
just passed in the House. Despite public insurance by Medicaid and SCHIP,
some 8.8 million kids in the U.S. lack any kind of health coverage. The
energy bill has a clear impact on our children's future, as well as on
green job incentives for young people.
This week, we also take a look at prospects for high school
graduates going on to college, a neat federal
website that matches volunteers with local service projects and more. Read
the Update.
Happy Fourth of July!
- Jan Richter
The Latest from the Field
Children and young people don't grow up in fragmented programs. That's why we're committed to bringing you best practices, news and policy developments from across the child and youth field. Here are a few of the latest:
Families USA Activist Tip: Meet Face-to-Face with Your Members of Congress
National health care reform is happening right now.
The Senate hopes to have its reform bill on the floor in the last two weeks of July; the House in the last week of July. Schedule a face-to-face meeting
with your Senator and tell him or her what you want
to see in the bill. Request a meeting while they
are home over the July 4 recess—it
may be your last chance to give your input before
the bill goes to the floor!
Casey's 100 Days/100 Voices Social Media Project What's the most important thing that the Obama administration has done for children and families during its first 100 days? What should be next on the agenda? The Annie E. Casey Foundation is inviting all concerned community members to weigh in, in 100 words or fewer or with a two-minute video clip.
Pre-K to Third: What’s the Price Tag?
The Foundation for Child Development offers a framework for figuring the costs of core elements in moving to full-time pre- K and kindergarten in the primary school.
Childhood Poverty Can Impair Memory in Young Adults
Rockefeller University researchers have found that poverty and chronic stress during childhood is adversely associated with working memory in young adults.
Got a minute to get involved? Check out our Action Alerts!
Featured Alert:
4/23/09: Create a White House Office on Children and Youth!
The Federal government runs hundreds of critical programs to serve children and youth ages 0 to 24, which are spread across 12 departments and agencies. This fragmentation is getting in the way of effectiveness, but we can do better ... more.
Connect for Kids makes the best use of communications technologies, specifically the Internet, to give adults—parents, grandparents, guardians, educators, advocates, policymakers...
The Ready by 21 Challenge isn't a program, campaign or even an initiative, but it's working hard to change the way we do business so we can improve the outcomes for youth.
So just what is Ready by 21 and how can it help youth work? Find out here.
Subscribe to
Pre-K to Third: What’s the Price Tag?
Childhood Poverty Can Impair Memory in Young Adults
10 weeks 5 days ago
10 weeks 6 days ago
10 weeks 6 days ago
11 weeks 2 hours ago
11 weeks 2 days ago
11 weeks 2 days ago
11 weeks 4 days ago
11 weeks 5 days ago
12 weeks 12 hours ago
12 weeks 15 hours ago