CFK Weekly December 12

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Bringing you the most up-to-date and relevant news, research and policy developments affecting children, youth and families.

December 12, 2007

In This Issue

New on ConnectforKids.org [2]

Foster Care Resources [3]

Juvenile Justice Tools [4]

Health and Health Care [5]

Hunger and Nutrition [6]

Education News [7]

Campaigns for Kids and Families [8]

Tools for Your Work [9]

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Quick Links

Connect for Kids [11]

Forum for Youth Investment [12]

Youth Policy Action Center [13]

Editor's Note

This week, CFK and Child Advocacy 360 bring you a new column about the real math of child poverty, and what that means for communicators.

Speaking of math, the latest government numbers are in on high school dropout rates, which have remained stable between school years 2002-03 and 2004-05.

The big news on the health front is that, unfortunately, teen birth rates are inching upward (by 3 percent) for the first time in 14 years. Also, as Congress wraps up its session, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) may get a one-year extension with an increase in funds.

Check out the foster care resources, tools for your work and the round-up of new national campaigns with a child and family focus.

The Weekly will be on holiday break next week through the new year. We'll return in full on January 9.

Happy and safe holidays, everyone!
Caitlin Johnson
weekly@connectforkids.org [14]

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[15]To read PDF files, download the free Adobe Reader [16].

New on ConnectforKids.org

The Real Math of Child Poverty In America [17] CA360

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In this column, Child Advocacy360 publisher and CFK Editor-at-Large Hershel Sarbin looks at the numbers that grab attention -- and where the stories of good news and engagement can be found.

I was somewhat surprised when I recently came across the following paragraph on the Voices for America's Children Website: "As a society we pay a steep price for allowing one in five of our nation's children to live in poverty..."

[19]Creativity, Spirituality and Youth Work: Claiming the Territory [20]
In her December Youth Today column, Karen Pittman examines the connections between two seemingly divergent articles -- and offers this recommendation to the youth development field:

"Seize the day. Let's claim powerful words like 'creativity' and 'spirituality' and make them our own. Let's define them in ways that reflect and respect diversity and capture the essence of what makes us human: the desire to find the spark, the spirit, the connection to something bigger than ourselves or something deep within ourselves. Let's acknowledge the central role that youth workers can play and are playing to help young people find themselves."

Foster Care Resources

save date

[21]Supporting Kinship Families: What State Policymakers Can Do (December 17) [22]
This National Governors Association webcast will bring together experts to discuss the benefits of kinship care and how states are supporting kinship families. The webcast will also give participants the opportunity to hear directly from a caregiver.

Child Welfare and Child Well-Being: Bridging Research, Policy and Practice [23]
If you missed this recent Chapin Hall panel, you can access the audio and PowerPoint online. The event brought together a panel of experts and the authors of a new book -- Child Protection: Using Research to Improve Policy and Practice -- to discuss how research can shape effective policies and programs. It centered on two themes: interventions for vulnerable infants and young children, and evidence-based parenting programs for families in the child welfare system.

Examination of Intensive Family Preservation Services [24] NFPN logo

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Are Intensive Family Preservation and Reunification Services effective in strengthening families and keeping children in the home when safe and appropriate? A new National Family Preservation Network report finds substantial progress on several domains of family functioning, including the families' environment, parental capabilities, family interactions, family safety and child well-being. It also looks at race (disproportionality), substance abuse, type of referring problem (abuse vs. neglect), differences between intact and reunifying families, and follow-up services.

Juvenile Justice Tools

Casey publication

[26]Beyond Detention: System Transformation Through [27]Juvenile Detention Reform [28]
The latest edition of the Casey Foundation's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) Pathways series documents the ways in which detention reforms in general -- and JDAI's comprehensive reform model in particular -- stimulate and support a broad array of other juvenile justice system improvements.

Developing Safe Schools Partnerships: Spotlight on Juvenile Justice [29]
The federal Safe Schools/Healthy Students program has a resource guide outlining how juvenile justice can work in effective partnership with school and other partners to support youth. (It's the fourth bullet at the top of the National Center for Mental Health Promotion and Youth Violence Prevention Resource Page; you'll find other great tools here as well.)

Health and Health Care

Teen Birth Rate Rises for First Time in 14 Years [30]
The teen birth rate in the United States rose in 2006 for the first time since 1991, and unmarried childbearing also rose significantly, according to preliminary birth statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate rose from 40.5 births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 in 2005 to 41.9 births per 1,000 in 2006 -- a 3 percent increase.

SCHIP Extension May be Proposed This Week [31]
Since Congress could not agree on comprehensive legislation to renew the successful bipartisan State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Democrats are poised to propose a one-year extension that includes $800 million in additional funds to maintain 2008 projected enrollment levels and help states facing budgetary shortfalls avoid making program cuts, as the Kaiser Network reports.

Election 08: Newspapers Examine Presidential Candidates' Health Care Proposals [32]
Also from Kaiser, summaries and links to recent articles examining the presidential candidates' health care proposals.

Hunger and Nutrition

MPR

[33]Are Food Stamps Reaching Those in Need? State Participation Rates [34]
Food Stamps, the largest federal nutrition assistance program, served 26 million people in an average month in fiscal year 2007. This policy brief from Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., looks at participation in 2005 and found that about 65 percent of eligible people in the United States received food stamp benefits. Only 57 percent of the eligible working poor participated in the program. Rates varied widely from state to state for both groups.

CalorieKing Mobile [35]
Here's a potential tool in the fight against obesity -- a free database for mobile phones that offers calorie and nutritional information on more than 50,000 fast food items (there's a Web version [36] too). Please check with your mobile phone service provider to be sure fees will not apply.

CFK Childhood Obesity Resource Toolkit [37]
Connect for Kids offers a comprehensive collection of resources to help Americans understand and take action on this tough issue.

Education News grad rates

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Numbers and Rates of Public High School Dropouts: School Year 2004-05 [39]
The National Center for Education Statistics does the math on public school students who dropped out in school years 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05, using data from the CCD State-Level Public Use Data File on Public School Dropouts for these years. The report includes high school dropout rates by state, region, school district size and several student characteristics.

Reports Reveal Online Learning's Successes, Needs [40]
Online learning continues to grow at a rapid pace, with 30 states -- six more than last year -- now offering state-led programs or initiatives, according to the latest report from the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL). But the group warns in this Eschool News article that more oversight of online learning programs is needed to ensure growth and equal accessibility.

Campaigns for Kids and Families

[41]New Campaign: America Forward [42]
December 11 marked the official launch of America Forward, a coalition of more than 60 organizations involved in health, education, poverty and economic mobility, workforce and other issues. Its aim is "to introduce the presidential campaigns to the work of social entrepreneurs and encourage them to ... support policies that encourage new approaches to difficult social problems," writes the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Visit the America Forward Website: http://americaforward.org/ [43]

State & Community Policy Roundup: Progress on Infant-Toddler Issues Across the Country [44]
Every six months, ZERO TO THREE provides a synopsis of innovative policy activities that support the healthy development of infants, toddlers and their families. The December 2007 edition covers everything from early learning guidelines and quality rating systems to the unionization of home-based child care providers and increases in state funding for infant-toddler services.

Spotlight on Poverty [45]
We thought a gentle reminder of this great new site might be in order. As we head into the 2008 election, 36 million Americans live in poverty, earning less than $20,650 for a family of four in 2007. Another one in six Americans struggle to make ends meet. This nonpartisan effort aims to turn poverty and hunger into key campaign issues and promote effective action in 2008 and beyond.

Tools for Your Work action alert

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Health Policy Communications - Tutorial [47]
Looking to effectively communicate with the media? Check out this narrated slide tutorial from the Kaiser Family Foundation. It offers information and suggestions for framing key messages for print, broadcast and radio settings as well as policy audiences. (It's the Featured Tutorial.)

Network for Good - Fundraising and Communications Help [48]
How to Tell Your Story, 5 Elements of a Good Story, Search Engine Marketing 101 -- just a few of the free resources for nonprofits on this site.

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Babies and the Budget: Opportunities for Action [49]
Decisions made by the federal government have a direct impact on how services are provided to infants, toddlers and their families in local communities. The next federal budget process begins in January. This ZERO TO THREE Policy Network advocacy tool can help concerned adults understand the budget process and seize opportunities for action.

Finance Project

[50]Youth Programs Resource Center and Clearinghouse [51]
To help smaller youth programs, the Finance Project and its partners (including the Forum for Youth Investment) have created a clearninghouse of information and resources related to supporting and sustaining youth programs, initiatives and policies. Here, you'll find data, tools, financing and funding strategies, policy guides and technical assistance.

Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus Ferber
Connect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment