Not
a subscriber?
|
|
Editor's
Note
This week, foster care and child welfare grab the
spotlight with a turbulent experiment in New York City
and a comprehensive reform plan in Mississippi. Also,
in Alabama, the numbers make the case that investing
in abuse and neglect prevention and family services
saves taxpayer dollars.
"Immigration raids" are making headlines across
the country, but how do the children left behind fare?
The Urban Institute has some answers.
Also this week: a new National Center for Children in
Poverty study confirms that most low-income parents
are working, and a Mott article looks at how families
approaching the five-year time limit on public assistance
are searching for a next step. Read on for education
news, tools for your work, and more.
Caitlin Johnson
weekly@connectforkids.org
 To
read PDF files, download the free Adobe
Reader.
|
CFK
and Child Advocacy 360 Media Round-Up
In
Mississippi: A Sweeping Legal Victory for Kids
Mississippi plans a serious overhaul of its child welfare
system to do more to protect the approximately 3,400 abused
and neglected children in its care. Last week, the state
settled a class action lawsuit spearheaded by the advocacy
group Children's Rights by enacting a truly comprehensive
reform plan. Connect for Kids has the details -- and will
track the progress of the reforms on our site.
A
History of Neglect: Thoughtful Questions and Answers
Last week on our Web site, Connect for Kids and Child
Advocacy 360 featured the important New
York Times series, "A History of Neglect,"
that investigated New York City's minority-run foster
care system. It is a story the Times
calls "as much of trouble as triumph":
two agencies were banished from foster care, three others
were closed for financial and contractual improprieties,
but several others have shown improvement.
Now on the Times site
are four
sets of Q&A, in which writers Benjamin Weiser
and Leslie Kaufman, along with a panel of experts, answered
readers' thoughtful questions. Among the questions:
- What is the foster care rate of minorities compared
with white children?
- Are any statistics kept on how foster care kids
turn out?
- Is there not a federal law that requires states
to establish [a program of volunteer advocates for
children in foster care]?
- What is gained by minority-run agencies?
- What happens to foster children when they are old
enough to leave the system?
To that last point, Weiser writes, "One expert who
has studied this issue is Mark Courtney, former director
of the Chapin Hall Center For Children at the University
of Chicago, and who is now at the University of Washington.
'The analogy I use,' he told me, 'is that
any parent we know who said to their kid for their 18th
birthday 'You're on your own,' I would consider
an irresponsible parent.'"
Let us know, please, if you post a question: send the
link to weekly@connectforkids.org.
|
More
Foster Care News
The
Costs of Child Abuse vs. Child Abuse Prevention: Alabama's
Experience
A 2007 study from the Center for Business and Economic
Research of the University of Alabama finds that child
abuse and neglect costs more than $520 million per year
in direct and indirect expenses. The authors argue that
increasing funds for prevention -- including prenatal
classes and parent education -- could result in better
outcomes for children and families and greater savings
for taxpayers.
In Congress: the Kinship
Caregiver Support Act
Generations United and other child welfare leaders are
urging organizations to sign a letter of support for the
Kinship Caregiver Support Act (H.R. 2188/S. 661). The
bill would provide assistance to relatives who become
the legal guardians of children in foster care. For more
information, contact Terence Kane at Generations United:
tkane@gu.org.
Generations United has an online summary
of the Act. |
Resources
for Reconnecting
Youth
 Engaging
Youth ... On Their Turf: Creative Approaches to Connecting
Youth through Community
The publication from the Healthy Teen Network offers professionals
new approaches to engaging teens. It highlights six examples
of programs that reach out to youth in non-traditional
communities,
The
4-H Study of Positive Youth Development
Here's more evidence that quality youth programs can
benefit young people and communities alike. When communities,
families and schools give young people access to development
programs and opportunities for adult interaction and mentoring,
youth succeed -- that's the main finding of a national
longitudinal study released by the National 4-H Council.
A
Place to Call Home Act
As we approach Thanksgiving, our thoughts turn to those
less fortunate than ourselves. This includes the 3 million
young people in the United States who lack safe places
to live. The National Network for Youth is championing
legislation to prevent and end youth homelessness. The
Network has an action alert on the Youth Policy Action
Center asking concerned adults to contact elected officials
with the message that every young American needs a place
to call home.
First
Annual "Feed A Teen" Thanksgiving Day Dinner
(Chicago)
This Thanksgiving, Kids Off the Block (KOB) will feed
hundreds of youth from across Chicago during its first
annual "Feed a Teen" dinner. KOB is a nonprofit
that gives youth positive alternatives to gangs, drugs,
violence, truancy and the juvenile justice system. In
addition to providing food and all the fixin's, the
dinner will promote higher education and non-violence.
For more information or to donate, contact Diane Latiker
at (773) 995-9077.
|
Families
in Flux
 The
Future of the Hispanic Family (November 15, Washington,
D.C.)
"For most Latinos, families are made and broken amid
transformations in culture, economic footing, civic status,
and identity," according to the Brookings Institution.
Brookings' Center on Children and Families and the
Annie E. Casey Foundation are hosting a forum to discuss
trends in marriage and childbearing in the Hispanic community
and address what actions policymakers and practitioners
can take to strengthen Hispanic families and improve the
well-being of children in these families.
What
Happens to Children After Immigration Raids?
This issue affects families of all ethnic backgrounds,
but Latinos are hit particularly hard, as they make up
the largest share of immigrants. A new Urban Institute
report and Thursday's Child forum examine (1) the
impact of Immigration Custom and Enforcement's workplace
raids on families, (2) who is responsible for protecting
affected children and (3) what policies and procedures
could alleviate the negative consequences on young people.
|
|
Child
Well-Being and Family Income
New
from the National Center for Children in Poverty
Several great new resources on the impact of family income,
poverty and work supports on child well-being:
- Most
Low-Income Parents are Employed (Fact Sheet):
Despite high levels of employment, average household
income has declined and the number of children living
in low-income families keeps rising. Programs that
provide work supports can help children and families.
- Re-designed
Family Resource
Simulator: It's a great tool for graphing
the impact of work supports on a family's budget
and how family resources and expenses change as earnings
increase. And it's now easier to use than ever.
Searching
for a New Safety Net
Sondra Jackson, a 40-year-old mother of three in Wheeling,
West Virginia, has played by the rules of the 1996 welfare
reform: she has worked -- but without more education,
she'll be stuck in low-paying jobs. "With the
clock ticking on the federal five-year time limit on her
benefits, Jackson said she has had to fight officials
in her state to be allowed to attend community college
while receiving assistance," according to this Mott
Foundation article.
Seeking
Financial Stability: City Strategies to Help Families
Save and Build Assets (November 15)
Local initiatives to help families that are living paycheck
to paycheck save and achieve financial stability will
be the focus of this free National League of Cities audioconference.
It will take place at 12:30 p.m. Eastern. Register by
emailing full contact information to iyef@nlc.org.
|
Education
News
 No
Child Left Inside
Citing evidence that environmental education programs
engage students, improve standardized test scores and
help prepare young people to "live in a world confronting
growing environmental challenges," the No Child Left
Inside Coalition is pushing Congress to boost funds for
outdoor learning in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reauthorization.
 Why
Rural Matters 2007
Rural school enrollment is growing, but states' focus
on rural issues isn't keeping pace. The Rural School
and Community Trust notes that overall enrollment in rural
schools is up by 15 percent -- reversing years of declines
-- and there has been a 55 percent increase in rural minority
students, with some states experiencing increases of more
than 100 percent.
Alaska
Program gives Future Teachers Rural Experience
A University of Alaska Anchorage program is giving future
teachers a hands-on understanding of how to teach students
from urban and rural areas, as the NBC affiliate KTUU
in Anchorage reports.
Toyota
Family Literacy Teacher of the Year Award: Nominations
Wanted
The National Center for Family Literacy and Toyota are
accepting applications for this award. The winner will
receive a cash prize for his/her program and a free trip
to the 2008 National Conference on Family Literacy in
Louisville, Kentucky. Apply online. The
deadline to submit nominations is December 5. |
 Tools
for Your Work
William
T. Grant Distinguished Fellows Program
To increase the supply of, demand for and use of high-quality
research in the service of improved youth outcomes and
well-being, the William T. Grant Foundation gives researchers
the opportunity to immerse themselves in practice or policy
settings. Fellows receive up to $175,000 for the total
duration of the Fellowship, which may range from six months
to two years.
The
Parenting Imperative: Investing in Parents So Children
and Youth Succeed
Parents and caregivers are one of the most important influences
in positive child and youth development. The latest Family
Strengthening Brief from the National Human Services Assembly
explains what a "parenting success" strategy
looks like and how it can strengthen families and communities.
It offers best practices for community groups, agencies,
funders and policymakers.
Teacher
Professional Development Sourcebook: What Works
The publisher of Education
Week has launched an exclusive new resource guide
on teacher professional development to help teachers:
the Teacher Professional
Development Sourcebook. The debut issue focuses
on the expanding role of teacher collaborative work.
Hands-on
Approaches to Helping Children Heal from Traumatic Events
This new book from the International Center to Heal Our
Children provides concrete examples of expressive strategies
to use with children following traumatic events. It is
designed for parents, school teachers, health and mental
health providers, and other adults. (Cost:
$35.95 for one, bulk orders discounted.)
Seeking Your Must Reads
What book have you read that influenced your thinking
about management, leadership or the issues of the day?
The National Human Services Assembly is compiling a list
of "must reads" for people in the Human Services
sector. Send your recommendations to adam@nassembly.org.
|
|
| |
Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus Ferber
Connect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment
|
|
|
Subscribe to