CFK Update
The CFK Update provides the latest and most relevant information and resources on children's issues. We sift through an enormous amount of information each week so we can point child advocates and organizations working on behalf of children and families to the most up-to-date news, research and information on issues of concern.
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Bringing you relevant news, research and policy updates
affecting children, youth and families.
January 26, 2010
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Editor's Note
One year ago, President Obama's calls for change drew enthusiastic applause. A year later, we're finding that change does not come easy.
Some new efforts are bearing fruit: Race to the Top is quietly encouraging and rewarding educational reform in many states.
The economic stimulus/recovery package has softened the blow of the recession, but we've got a long way to go before families can feel financially secure.
In tomorrow's State of the Union address, President Obama will discuss his plans to help working families, including expanding the Child Care tax credit and capping student loan re-payment levels.
It is unclear whether health care reform can recover from a major shift in Senate politics.
And there's the heart-wrenching catastrophe in Haiti and the Supreme Court decision giving corporations license to spend their big bucks on political campaigns -- potentially tipping the balance toward special interests and away from the public interest.
So what's an advocate to do?
Take heart from Jessica Byington (in Youth Voices, below): gather your courage and don't give up. You'll find information and action alerts you need in this week's Update.
For some inspiration on what's working, check out the Indianapolis program in our Reconnecting Youth section, the Spotlight on Housing section and others, below.
Jan Richter, editor emeritus, and the CFK team
Correction: Providence, Rhode Island, has a lot to offer but not the Providence St. Mel school, which is located in Chicago, Illinois, and not Rhode Island as our Jan. 4, 2010 Crystal Ball Update incorrectly noted.
Test our new site!
CFK has merged with the Youth Policy Action Center and National Youth Development Information Center to bring you SparkAction: for children, for youth, for change.
We're launching this winter. To get a sneak peek at the new site, become a beta tester. It's easy and it give you the chance to lend your voice to the SparkAction community. Email beta@sparkaction.org for more information!
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CFK gathers, synthesizes and promotes news, research, and stories from the child and youth field. To suggest content, email weekly@connectforkids.org.
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 New on Connect for Kids
Race to the Top - Driving a Race for Reform?
Money makes a lot of things happen, but can it drive more states to tackle comprehensive school reform? States have been working hard to put in place the changes required to meet last week's deadline for the first round of Race to the Top funds. In this blog, CFK's Jan Richter looks at what it means, and what states are doing to earn the money.
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Youth Voices- Stories of Youth Power in Action
Jessica Byington, Learning "Possibilities" Spokesperson
For Jessica Byington, learning to read was a struggle -- made possible with the help of multi-sensory tutoring. Now 17, Byington is an A student in college and spokeswoman for the International Dyslexia Association. She is pushing for new laws to require early screening of students and special training for teachers, as this article in The Oxford Press reports.
A Youth Council in Action
 Youth councils -- where young people advise policy makers at the local or state levels -- can be more than just a token gesture, making a real difference for everyone involved. Check out this video of a Washington state youth council in action (you'll need Flash to watch it).
Share your Stories! Our new SparkAction.org site has a special Youth Voices section, to keep the perspectives of young people themselves front and center. To suggest content, email caitlin@forumfyi.org.
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 News from Washington, DC
Health Care Reform: Prognosis Uncertain
A setback or fatal blow? Last week's shift in the Massachusetts Senate seat has health care reform advocates scrambling to get a bill over the finish line that extends health coverage to millions, keeps insurance companies accountable, and makes the systemic changes needed to begin to rein in the health care costs that burden families, businesses and economic growth.
- Families USA is also hosting a hotline to contact Congress - 1-800-828-0498.
President Obama will give his State of the Union address on Wednesday, January 27 and deliver his budget proposal to Congress on February 1. The ABC News blog has a look at what to expect, which includes a focus on working families and young people.
 Child Protection - "We Can Do Better"
Have you seen the ads on billboards, buses and subway cars? Every Child Matters is running a series of public service announcements calling for emails to Congress to hold hearings on protecting children from deadly abuse and neglect.
Children and Families Have a Stake in Social Security
Generations United summarizes the latest research on the children and families who benefit from Social Security and urges policymakers to weigh the impact of all proposed reforms on vulnerable groups.
What's Universal Broadband Got to do with It?
 For children and youth, a lot: The Children's Partnership reports
on how rural families and youth are disadvantaged because they lack
broadband Internet access. The right policies could change that.
- Arguing for expanded broadband access, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski says digital learning is fundamental -- without basic digital skills, students will have a hard time finding a job in this economy.
Making Sense of the Supreme Court Ruling on Campaign Finance
Last week's 5-4 ruling, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, removed limitations on campaign spending by corporate and other entities and could be a political game-changer.
- This ruling does not impact 501(c)(3) organizations, but does affect other nonprofits. Will it affect your work? The Alliance for Justice has a helpful factsheet.
- The nonprofit, nonpartisan Democracy 21 is tracking media and political responses to the ruling -- including editorials in Washington Post and New York Times expressing concern that it will strengthen money's stranglehold on politics; and a Wall Street Journal article examining partisan reactions.
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 Hunger in America
TODAY: Hunger Haunts Families in Every Congressional District
The Food Research and Action Center will release hunger data for every Congressional district. The full report will be online after 10am Tuesday, January 26.
Feeding America, the nation's food bank network, will release its Hunger in America 2010 report in February, with data on demands challenging food banks across the country.
Have you had lunch in your local school lately? This new issue brief from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices can help states work with local schools to provide the best nutrition possible for every dollar spent on the National School Lunch Program.
  Rural Families Need Food Aid
Rural families rely on federal food programs at about the same rate as central city families, reports the Carsey Institute, but many eligible families are not participating. Out of the estimated 2.8 million income-eligible rural households with children, about 43 percent do not participate in any of the four child nutrition programs.
Sign On to Increase Food Aid
National organizations have until January 26 to sign on to a letter to Congress requesting an additional $250 million for emergency food aid programs. Email Carol Long if your organization is interested in signing on.
House Bill Introduced to Improve Nutrition for Young Children
The National Women's Law Center says Representative Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) has introduced legislation (H.R. 4402) that would improve young children's access to nutritious meals in child care centers, family child care homes, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
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Mending the Safety Net for America's Families
Who are America's Poor Children?
There are 2.5 million more children living in poverty today than in 2000, an increase of 21 percent. The National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) provides a demographic snapshot of the more than 13 million American children living in families with incomes below the poverty level.
 Families of the Recession: Unemployed Parents & Young People
One in seven (10.5 million) American children under age 18 lives with an unemployed parent as a result of the current recession, reports First Focus. A record number (3.3 million) of job-seeking young people ages 16 to 24 are unemployed.
Battered by the Storm: How the Safety Net is Failing Americans and How to Fix It
 The stimulus package has helped millions in the current economic crisis, but the Institute for Policy Studies reports that a frayed safety net is offering little protection to many poor families. In 1995, 62 percent of impoverished children were receiving welfare benefits. In 2008, after welfare was changed to a conditional rather than a guaranteed benefit program, the percentage fell to 22 percent and the amount of the monthly cash benefit left families far below the poverty line.
Repairing the Safety Net, Ending Poverty in the U.S.
The rising poverty and unemployment rates triggered by the recession are stark reminders of the need for a secure social safety net. This Urban Institute book makes the case for strengthening the safety net and making a national commitment to end poverty.
Revising Welfare (TANF) in 2010: Goals for Congress to Consider
By September 30, 2010, Congress must take action to reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant at a time when the nation's safety net programs are being put to the test with an increasing share of American families in need. The Center for Law & Social Policy has recommendations for helping families in hard times.
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| Spotlight on Housing, Families & Child Development
Stabilizing Neighborhoods Hit by Foreclosures
Preventing foreclosures or putting
new families in houses left vacant are critical steps toward stabilizing
distressed neighborhoods. Beyond that, responsible redevelopment that
ensures residents are equal partners in reconstruction efforts can help
improve the health, safety and sustainability of communities.
NeighborWorks America offers case studies on what works.
 Homelessness and Young Families
The current issue of the Zero to Three Journal is all about young families coping with homelessness. (Please note: this requires a paid subscription and is not available to non-subscribers -- we don't usually link to resources that aren't free, but we thought this was worth mentioning.)
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Putting Jobs into Recovery
 Fostering Economic Recovery through Postsecondary Education
The Lumina Foundation offers three big ideas for improving the match between workers' skills and jobs in growing sectors: (1) accelerate pathways to an associate's degree, (2) set up a credentialing system to recognize and count all education beyond high school, and (3) recognize prior learning so workers get "credit" for skills and don't have to duplicate training.
Immigration Reform: Spur to Economic Growth
La Raza says two recent studies from opposite sides of the political spectrum argue that immigration reform would be a boon to the economy, raising the GDP and boosting American household incomes.
Webinar: What the Federal Government Must do to Tackle the Unemployment Crisis (January 28)
 Some 27 million people in the U.S. are unemployed or under-employed. The Coalition on Human Needs is hosting this Webinar on what the federal government can do.
The National Employment Law Project urges calls to the Senate (202-224-3121) to act before February 19 to extend federal Unemployment Insurance and COBRA health care benefits through the end of 2010.
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Improving Education For All
Quality Counts 2010
EdWeek's
annual report finds that states have made a lot of progress in
establishing standards for academic content, aligning assessments to
those standards, and holding schools accountable for results, but
supports and programs to improve student success lag behind.
This year's edition has a special report on common standards and updates on school finance policies and those designed to strengthen the
teaching profession. You can also find your state's report card.
America's Rural High Schools: Challenges and Opportunities for Success (Webinar February 5)
The
Alliance for Excellent Education's new report finds that while many
rural high schools are preparing their students for college and good
jobs, more than one fifth of the nation's two thousand
lowest-performing high schools are located in rural areas. Join this Webinar for the story.
Understanding the Legal Issues Impacting Immigrant Families, in School and Out
In this lecture hosted by the Center for Health and
Health Care in Schools, Fred  Tsao, Policy Director at the Illinois
Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, presents information on
legal immigration categories, public benefit and education eligibility, the impact of 1996 Welfare
Reform, and the constitutional rights of undocumented immigrants.
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 Reconnecting Youth
Leveraging Resources to Create Alternative Pathways to Education and Employment Training for Disconnected Youth
The UCLA Center for Mental Health in
Schools reviews current practices
for preparing, recruiting and retaining students for post-secondary
learning -- and makes the case that a patchwork of practices that work for
some is not enough. We need a comprehensive, multifaceted system of interventions that address barriers to learning and teaching
and re-engage disconnected students at every stage from prekindergarten
through postsecondary education.
 What's Working in Indiana? How about Cash...
"Why don't you just give money to the poor rather than support new programs?" is a common question. Andrew Hahn, co-founder of the Center for Youth and Communities, examines on how a promising six-year effort in
Indianapolis -- making emergency cash vouchers available to local
community-based organizations -- is helping disadvantaged young adults pursue their
employment, education, and training goals, Spotlight on Poverty & Opportunity has the article.
Webinar on Building Civic Pathways for Non College Bound Youth (February 9th; 3-4 PM EST)
About half of young Americans have never attended college and are less than half as likely to vote and volunteer as their college-educated peers. Drawing on a white paper published by Philanthropy for Active Civil Engagement (PACE) in October 2009, this Webinar will provide the latest research on what works to engage non-college-bound youth in civic participation. RSVP online.
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Financial Aid for Students: Tools & News
FAFSA Lite
New! Improved! Easier than ever! A new simplified form awaits students applying for federal aid for college.
Universal Application -- One State's Model
Arkansas has a new online universal scholarship application that pulls up all of the 21 student financial aid opportunities (scholarships, grants and loan reimbursement opportunities).
Upromise
Do you or someone you know
need help paying for college? Upromise by Sallie Mae is now accepting
applications for this year's scholarship program, which will award
$2,500 to 100 accomplished college-bound students for the 2010-2011
academic year.
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Funding Tools & Alerts
Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism
This year, citizen journalists and reporters from online-only news sites are eligible to apply for Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism. Deadline: March 5.
Starbucks Shared Planet Youth Action Grants
If you have a Starbucks in your community, send a letter of intent by January 30 to take the first step in the application process.
These grants of up to $5000 support public school programs to
increase parent involvement and build strong community spirit and
school traditions that improve educational opportunities for children. Deadline: February 12, 2010.
Fiskars: Project Orange Thumb
Fiskars Project Orange Thumb grants garden tools and materials such as plants, seeds, mulch, etc. to eligible gardening groups. Eligibility: gardens and/or gardening projects geared toward community involvement, neighborhood beautification, horticultural education, and/or sustainable agriculture. Deadline: February 19, 2010.
National Summer Learning Association: Excellence in Summer Learning
The Excellence in Summer Learning Award recognizes an outstanding summer program that accelerates academic achievement and promotes positive development for young people. Deadline: February 24, 2010.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation - Communities Creating Healthy Environments
This
program supports local efforts to prevent childhood obesity by
increasing access to healthy foods and safe places to play in diverse
communities Awards will be up to $250,000 per site for up to 10
communities nationwide. Deadline: February 25, 2010.
EcoStar Grants
Community park clean-ups, community gardens, conservation and energy-efficiency projects are eligible for up to $5000. Deadline: March 16.
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Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus Ferber
Connect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment
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