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Trouble viewing this? Read the Weekly online. Editor's Note
This week, the focus is on family income and equity. Congress and state legislatures have been tackling important issues like the minimum wage, paid leave and sick time, as well as job training and workforce development and other bills to help workers balance their job and family responsibilities. From a youth perspective, check out Karen Pittman's column on why six in 10 black youth say they have a hard time getting ahead, and the lessons of a Chicago study on engaging employers in youth work readiness programs. Also this week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gives some schools low marks when it comes to preparing a future workforce, KIDS COUNT looks at children in immigrant families, and there's a new campaign devoted to helping kids and adults get serious about play time -- 60 minutes a day, no ands, ifs, or buts. "If I don't see you moving around and having fun for a solid hour..." Next week, we'll be bringing you a shorter Weekly, as we turn our eyes to the CFK Website. But fear not, we'll keep tracking state and federal developments in health insurance for kids, child care, education, and much more - and bring you a full Weekly again on March 21. Keep us posted on your work everyone! Caitlin Johnson weekly@connectforkids.org To read PDF files, download the free Adobe Reader. |
Resources for Reconnecting Youth
 Evidence of a Darker Reality: The Black Youth Project
Six in 10 African-American youth believe "it is hard for young black people to get ahead because they face so much discrimination," according to a University of Chicago report released in February. The Forum for Youth Investment's Karen Pittman analyzes the results of this study and others in her latest Youth Today column.
Making Connections: Engaging Employers In Preparing Chicago's Youth for the Workforce
Engaging employers in youth job training and employment programs is important -- but it's not always easy. Using 58 interviews with youth program providers, employers, and policymakers, this Chapin Hall report gauges how well youth and employers are prepared to interact with each other, how race and culture influence the experience, and whether program and policy efforts to increase employer engagement are in scale with youth program demand. The study finds significant disconnects between program providers and employers.
 Dropout Recovery: What Cities Can Do to Get Students Back on Track (March 22)
City efforts to stem the dropout crisis will be the focus of a free, hour-long audio conference on March 22, at 2 p.m. Eastern, sponsored by the YEF Institute. It will feature municipal leaders who are working to reconnect high school dropouts to education and support services. Local officials who are concerned about their city's dropout rate will not want to miss this call! Free registration. Send name, title and organization, address, phone, fax, and email to iyef@nlc.org by March 20.
Expanding Services for Youth with Mental Health Needs Conference Call (April 4)
The transition from adolescence to adulthood -- leaving home, going to school, finding a job and housing, starting a family -- can be challenging for the more than 3 million young adults with serious mental health conditions who face aging out of public supports beginning at age 18. Continued Medicaid coverage can help. To learn more, join Chris Koyangi of the Bazelon Center and state leaders of the Partnerships for Youth Transition for this call, sponsored by SAMHSA. Time: 2 p.m. Eastern. Moderated by Jan Richter. RSVP to Cecilia Garcia, at cecilia_garcia1@comcast.net. |
Communications Tools for Youth Advocacy
 Tips for Communicating Youth Issues
What's the most effective way to craft a message, reach your audience, and spur them to learn more or take action? Many youth advocates struggle with communications -- which is why the Forum for Youth Investment, Voices for America's Children, and KIDS COUNT got together to host a call with communications experts and youth advocates, to share their own expertise on how to communicate youth issues.
Webinar: Successful Online Advocacy Strategies, Tools and Techniques (March 14)
There is both an art and science in organizing and implementing an effective online advocacy campaign -- get online and learn how to master this important organizing technique in this Webinar hosted by the Youth Policy Action Center. It will focus on the basics of posting and promoting action alerts on the Youth Policy Action Center. Learn from successful viral experts about how to run a professional online campaign! Time 2-3 p.m. Eastern. To register, email Nalini@forumfyi.org. |
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Families, Work, and Poverty
 New Campaign: Americans for Fairness in Lending
Yesterday (March 6), Americans for Fairness in Lending kicked off a new campaign to raise awareness of unregulated and abusive credit practices that can leave working families trapped in a "revolving door" of debt and fees. Get the facts, get tools to take action or contact Congress, find out when the indie documentary Maxed Out is showing near you, and more -- all on the new site.
From the Archives: CFK Features on Family Income and Predatory Lending
In a two-part series of articles, CFK looked at payday advances, check cashing, and predatory mortgage loans and how two families got trapped -- and got out from under heavy debt, to become advocates. See, "Nickels, Dimes and Big Bucks" (Part 1) and "The High Cost of the American Dream" (Part 2).
"Opportunity '08" Tools from Brookings
The nonpartisan Brookings Institution is gearing up for the next election, and developing resources to help the public and presidential candidates learn more about key policy issues. Here are some papers on family poverty and income equality:
Making Low-Wage Jobs Family Friendly: An Oxymoron or Cutting Edge? (March 9 and April 6)
Tune in to this two-part audio conference to learn more about how some stores are making their low-wage service jobs more family friendly, and what the impact is on child care, stress, absenteeism, and productivity. Also, learn more about what "one major employer" has done to help workers at all incomes meet work obligations and family responsibilities. Register online (free). |
Spotlight on Immigrant Families and Children
 KIDS COUNT Snapshot: Immigrant Families
The fourth KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot highlights the 15.7 million children in immigrant families living in the United States. Although 80 percent of these children were born here and are entitled to the same support other citizen children receive, "linguistic isolation and lack of economic resources put children in immigrant families at greater risk of growing up without the opportunities they need to succeed." See how your state rates, and learn more, in this online brief. To order a print copy from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, contact Carol Rickel at crickel@aecf.org.
In related news, the Kaiser Network has the scoop on why Washington state is suing the feds over the Medicaid Proof-of-Citizenship Rule for Newborns -- a new hurdle that advocates say can delay health care for eligible babies. |
Child Welfare
Funding for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment to Promote Safety, Permanence, and Well-Being for Children: Q&A
This spring, there will be federal grants under the Child and Family Services Improvement Act of 2006 for services for children and youth involved or at risk of becoming involved with the child welfare system because of caregivers' substance abuse. This Q&A aims to help organizations and agencies form regional partnerships to apply. It was produced by a coalition of well-recognized national organizations, including the American Public Human Services Association, CLASP, Child Welfare League of America, and Children's Defense Fund (for the full list, see the site).
Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities: Statistics and Interventions
How many children are abused and neglected in the United States? And what works to prevent injuries and death? Largely because of differences in state reporting, it's unclear exactly how many children are affected, but young children are particularly at risk, and perpetrators are most often parents. Community child fatality review teams are one of the most promising strategies to count, assist, and prevent child abuse and neglect. Learn more with this fact sheet, online.
 In Their Own Words: Youth Sound off on Foster Care in Represent
In the latest issue of Represent, published by Youth Communication, foster teens write about how being in care and racially different from their surroundings can have a major impact on their lives.
State Spotlight: "Child Welfare System Improves" (New Jersey)
"New Jersey's long-troubled child welfare system is showing signs of improvement, according to the federal monitor appointed to track the state's progress," yet more work remains, as this February 27 Philadelphia Inquirer article reports. |
Kinship Care
Kinship Care Legal Resource Center Launches!
More than 6 million children -- approximately one in 12 -- grow up in households headed by grandparents (4.5 million children) or other relatives (1.5 million children). This new site, from the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, is designed for these caregivers and those working with them. It's packed with information on financial assistance for kinship care providers, many of whom don't access traditional child welfare supports, legal information about relative placement, and a guide to state policies on medical consent, educational consent, school enrollment, and licensing. |
Education News
Leaders and Laggards: A State-by-State Report Card on Educational Effectiveness
America's K-12 schools need to do a better job delivering and monitoring quality education to prepare youth for adulthood, or our nation's competitiveness and the futures of our children will be undermined, according to this U.S. Chamber of Commerce state-by-state report card on educational effectiveness. The report grades all 50 states and Washington, D.C., on nine broad categories including: data quality ("the lack of reliable and available data on state performance is alarming"), academic achievement, return on investment, truth in advertising, and rigor of standards.
Brookings' Take on "Assuring Student Achievement"
The paper, part of the Opportunity '08 series profiled above, examines strategies for boosting academic performance in underperforming schools.
Heads up: The Future of Children
The March issue of The Future of Children journal will focus on teacher quality. We'll be sure to bring you the link when it's published.
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Health In (and Out of) Schools
 It's School Breakfast Week (March 5 to 9)
This year's National School Breakfast Week theme is "A World of School Breakfasts," designed to feature international foods to help students and adults understand the link between healthy breakfast and academic performance. More than 9.6 million children benefit from the School Breakfast Program every day, according to the School Nutrition Association. Check out their resources for fun activities this week.
Partnership for Play Every Day Launches!
Here's a to-do that's fun to do! A new collaboration is urging all children to spend at least 60 minutes of play every day -- that's right, play. (And at least half of it should take place at school.) To kick off this new campaign, the YMCA and the National Recreation and Park Association have released the most comprehensive study to date, done by Stanford University, on the barriers to and benefits of exercise. Sedentary time with media and technology is part of the problem, as is lack of physical play areas -- but so is a poor understanding of the link between play and obesity, and the attitudes and self-efficacy to get moving. Learn more.
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From the Field: Youth Leaders, and Race to Stop the Silence
Nominate a Young Leader for the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
The Barron Prize honors young people ages 8 to 18 who have shown leadership and courage in public service to people and our planet. Each year, 10 national winners each receive $2,000 to support their service work or higher education. Nomination deadline is April 30.
Race to Stop the Silence (April 14)
The fourth annual international 10K race is dedicated to raising awareness about child sexual abuse. Not a runner? There's also a 2.25 mile walk. You can watch the public service ad and register for the race online. It takes place in Washington, D.C., at 8 a.m. |
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Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus Ferber
Connect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment
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