CFK Update: August 6

Bringing you relevant news, research and policy updates
affecting children, youth and families.

biweekly
August 6, 2008

In This Issue

New on CFK [1]

Youth Voices: Photo of the Month [2]

Health and Well-Being [3]

Higher Education News [4]

Education News [5]

Juvenile Justice News [6]

Foster Care and Child Welfare [7]

Toosl for Your Work [8]

Grants and Funds [9]

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[10]

Quick Links

Connect for Kids [11]

Forum for Youth Investment [12]

Youth Policy Action Center [13]

Editor's Note

We all know the pressure to clear things off your desk before traveling! Well, Congress can cross one item off of its list before it heads out for the August recess (which starts August 9 for the Senate and August 11 for the House): last week, lawmakers reauthorized the Higher Education Act with new provisions that have some advocates cheering. We've got reactions and early analyses and will track them as they come.

A new federal report offers a snapshot of America's children in 2008 and how they're faring when it comes to health, education, family income and housing and risk-taking. The news is mixed.

Consider the paradox of girls in the juvenile justice system -- they are on average less likely to pose serious public safety risks than boys, but more likely to be committed to residential programs for misdemeanors. When it comes to foster care, states are trying new things to improve the system: Michigan and Texas are in the spotlight this week.

With back to school just around the corner, there's also a new look at how nine rural schools are supporting teacher quality and Public School Insights has an interview (it includes audio) with Teacher of the Year Micheal Geisen.

The CFK Update will be on vacation on August 20, but we'll be back in full force in September.

Enjoy the rest of the summer and keep up all the good work!
Caitlin Johnson
weekly@connectforkids.org [14]

New on Connectforkids.org CFK

[15]

"I Knew I Had to Be a Better Parent" - True Stories of Local Supports [16]
Here's a personal glimpse at the importance of local programs for children and families, as three stressed-out parents share how they found help and education in support groups. The California-based Children's Advocate reports.

Correction: The Missing Link
Seems the bad link elves got a hold of our new content last issue. Here are the correct links to these pieces:

What works? The Need to Evaluate Programs Targeting Out-of-School Youth - A CFK Summary [17] speakers

[18]
Graduation rates are near 50 percent in large U.S. cities -- of those who graduate, too few are ready for college, work and life. A July 18 Working for Change forum sponsored by the Community Service Society of New York and the Coalition on Human Needs looked at the existing research on programs designed to improve these numbers. Maria Allen has this summary.

Spreading the Early Childhood Message: An Advocacy Q&A [19] PAT Banner

With school out and election campaigns gaining momentum, it's a great time to consider the importance of early childhood and the need to support parents as children's first teachers. The Parents as Teachers National Center has some easy-to-use information about getting the early childhood message out.

Youth Voices

Critical Exposure's Photo of the Month

[20]"Daycare: A Place Before School"
Marines & Nathalie (11th Grade)
Alexandria Youth Council, VA

Early in the morning on her way to school, a teen mother drops her child off at the Early Head Start program located at T.C. Williams High School.

Quote from a Teen Father in 9th Grade:
"We wake up and get ready for school and drop her at the daycare by 7:30 by catching the Metro. [Then] we catch the bus to school, go to school all day and stay after whenever we can. My girlfriend goes to work at 5:00-ish at McDonald's, so I just take care of [the baby] until she gets back. [I] mostly spend time with my daughter and girlfriend, but when I can, I visit my brothers and sisters and my whole family."

About the photo and project: In Virginia, members of the Alexandria Youth Council documented the issue of teen pregnancy by interviewing and photographing teen parents, researching the local and national impact of the issue and creating tools to increase awareness among policymakers and their peers.

The students also created a powerful YouTube video [21] using photographs, music and audio clips from their interviews.

Critical Exposure, a DC-based nonprofit, trains students to develop skills as documentary photographers and advocates in order to advocate more effectively for excellence and equity in public education. To learn more about Critical Exposure's work, check out the photo gallery and sign up for the Photos of the Month, visit their Website [22].

Health and Well-Being

Americas children

America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2008 [23]
Here's a cross-cutting look at indicators of health and well-being, from the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. They found math and reading scores are up among fourth and eighth graders, childhood deaths from injuries are down, as is the share of eighth graders who smoke daily. However, the teen birth rate is rising for the first time in 15 years and the proportion of U.S. infants born at low birth weight is also increasing. The report includes indicators on child poverty, health care, housing and at-risk behavior.

Webinar: Encouraging Adolescents' Use of Recommended Health Care Services (August 28) [24]
Nearly 25 percent of children and teens do not receive their recommended annual preventive health care visit -- teens are more likely than younger children to miss these important check-ups. This webinar from the National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation will examine current health plan efforts and what more can be done to tap social marketing and mobile technology to promote healthy behaviors among teens. Register by Wednesday August 27.

Higher Education News

Higher Education Act Reauthorized
Last week, Congress passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, which aims to simplify the federal student aid process, require new data from colleges on student loan policies, tuition increases and textbook costs, make Pell Grants available year-round and enable loan forgiveness for certain professions.

Here's a look at some initial reactions in the field, and we'll keep tracking analyses as they come in:

Early childhood. The bill is "great news" says the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), citing the Early Childhood Educator Provisions that offer loan forgiveness and degree incentives for early childhood professionals as well as grants to states to create professional development systems for early childhood educators. Materials will be posted online soon, at www.naeyc.org [25]

Child welfare. The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) says a new provision will allow up to $2,000 in loan forgiveness for each year a social worker remains with a public or private agency, up to a maximum of five years and $10,000. Read this section of the CWLA Children's Monitor [26].

Disconnected youth. The Council for Opportunity in Education says the bill expands program eligibility for veterans and disconnected youth. Click here for more info. [27]

Concerns over arrest records. The youth-led group Students for Sensible Drug Policy has come out against the bill because lawmakers did not remove a provision that the group says strips financial aid from college students with drug convictions. Take Action here. [28]

Industry reaction. Inside Higher Ed has a look at the range of new requirements and the reaction from some college and university associations here. [29]

Save date

College-Ready Students, Student-Ready Colleges (August 12, Washington, DC) [30]
America has been dropping in the rankings of college attainment among young adults aged 25 to 34 from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Center for American Progress will present two research papers and a policy agenda to enhance the effectiveness of the post-secondary education system -- and what needs to happen to ensure young people enter college ready to learn and succeed. Register online [31].

Education News

IECS

Preparing Teachers to Teach in Rural Schools [32]
The "Central Region" states -- North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and Missouri -- have greater percentages of rural students and schools than the U.S. average. These schools often face challenges in ensuring a highly qualified and trained faculty. This Institute of Education Sciences report describes how nine teacher preparation programs prepare their graduates to teach in rural settings in the region.

Interview: Teacher of the Year Michael Geisen Urges Standards without Standardization [33]
National Teacher of the Year Michael Geisen has earned high praise for a teaching style that combines a passion for science, careful attention to students' individual needs and a bit of classroom "craziness." In a new interview with Public School Insights, he describes how his focus on students' diverse interests, backgrounds and needs helps them reach high expectations for success.

Wisconsin to Test Inclusive Science and Technology Project [34]
Wisconsin will be one of the first states in a national project to attract more girls, students of color and students with disabilities to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, reports the Daily Kenoshan. The project was developed by the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation, with funding from the National Science Foundation.

Revitalizing Arts Education Through Community-Wide Coordination [35] Arts Ed book

[36]
For more than 30 years, arts education has been a low priority in the nation's public schools. This new RAND study investigated the revitalization efforts in six urban U.S. communities and found progress in access to arts learning. This progress is fragile, however, and will require committed and sustained leadership, supportive policy and sufficient resources in order to be sustainable and weather cutbacks. (Book: $18, PDF is free.)

Juvenile Justice News

CJJ

Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Strong Juvenile Justice Legislation [37]
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (S. 3155). The bill expands prevention efforts for youth who are at-risk for involvement in the justice system, calls on states to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in their systems and phase out incarceration of status offenders. In addition, it strengthens the provisions in current law regarding the protection of incarcerated youth and reduction of the number of youth in jail.

Bill Would Ban Detention for Status Offenders [38]
Youth Today reports on amendments that ban detaining juvenile status offenders and add funds for mental health services.

Juvenile System Struggles with Gender Divide (Fla.) [39]
Girls in the juvenile justice are more likely than boys be committed to residential programs for misdemeanors or violations of probation. The 2008 Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book called the juvenile justice system "a default repository for low-risk but high-need children." The Florida Times-Union looks at the challenges facing girls in the state's system.

Related news clip: The National Center for Crime and Delinquency plans to open a National Center for Girls in Jacksonville, Florida. Read more. [40]

Foster Care and Child Welfare
CWLA RADIO

[41]
On the Line with CWLA: Interactive Online Radio [42]
If you haven't tuned in yet, it's worth checking this out. The Child Welfare League's weekly interactive radio program features stories and strategies of interest to child welfare policymakers, providers and practitioners. Listen here [43].

Upcoming shows:

The Multi-Ethnic Placement Act: August 6
Broken Families: The Impact of Immigration Raids on Children: August 13
A Conversation with Louis Henderson: August 20
Youth Communication/Represent Magazine: August 27

IN THE STATES

Electronic Health Records Document Foster Children's Medical Histories [44]
Texas has broken ground as the first state to create electronic medical records for the more than 30,000 children in foster care, although other states may follow, according to Texas Technology Magazine. The state plans to evaluate the program results and may develop a similar system for Medicaid recipients.

Michigan Agrees to Comprehensive Reform of its Child Welfare System [45]
Michigan has settled a lawsuit Childrens Rights

[46]brought in 2006 by the advocacy group Children's Rights, which alleged that the system failed to protect the 19,000 children in foster care and find stable, permanent homes for children removed from parents' custody. The settlement will pump an estimated $200 million into the foster care program and requires the state to establish a Children's Services Administration and show progress on a range of indicators. Compliance will be overseen by a monitor who will report to the federal court.

Michigan Launches Web Resource for Children in Foster Care [47]
ContentBank, a project of the Children's Partnership, has the scoop on a new Website launched by the state of Michigan to provide opportunities and information to foster children who are "aging out" of the child welfare system.

Tools for Your Work ACTION

CFK's Taking Action Resource Page [48]
We're updating our Taking Action section, which has toolkits and links to resources to help organizations and individuals do a better job advocating, communicating, finding funding and working with volunteers and mentors. You can also check out our Action Central link [49] on the homepage for the ABCs of Advocacy and other tools.

Online Training - Youth Impact: Starting and Strengthening Quality Programs [50]
The Corporation for National and Community Service offers online training for new and veteran staff on tutoring, mentoring, out-of-school time and other youth-development programs. And it's free!

Nonprofit Boot Camp: Starting and Running a Strong Nonprofit [51]
Craigslist Foundation offers this boot camp to educate the next generation of nonprofit leaders and social entrepreneurs by connecting them with valuable industry resources, peers and potential supporters. Find information about boot camps in your area online.

Grants and Funds

Public Education Network Funding Newsblast [52]
The Public Education Network has a wealth of information for education related grants. These grants are also featured in their weekly Newsblast, which you can sign up for on the Network's website.

Excellence in Teaching Technology [53]
This award, from the Foundation for Technology Education and Pitsco/Hearlihy & Company, promotes the integration of a quality technology education program within the school curriculum. It offers $2,000 for classroom technology integration. Deadline: December 1.

The Volunteer Impact Fund
The National Human Services Assembly manages this fund, which makes grants to organizations for building the volunteer resource management capacity of the sector. It has issued a Request for Proposals, for a single grant of up to $100,000, to support a national capacity building effort. For more info, email irv@nassembly.org [54]

Pay It Forward Mini-Grants for Youth [55]
These funds go to one-time-only, service-oriented activities that young people would like to perform to benefit their school, neighborhood or greater community. Projects must contain a "pay it forward" focus. They are based on one person doing a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others and so on for exponential results. Eligibility: K-12 youths. Submit applications between August 1 - September 15 for a Fall grant.

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