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Editor's Note
Hard times are hardest on kids and the effects can be life-long. Even during economic recoveries, improvements for children lag behind. But the news is especially bad regarding our current economic downturn.
The latest Child Well-being Index finds that young families are likely to emerge from this recession far worse off. The economic gains that young families with children have made in the last 35 years are projected to be completely wiped out.
There are some bright spots -- some communities are pulling together to sustain their summer programs, as USA Today reports. Stimulus dollars should help states and communities refashion and reform educational and other services for children and families.
And even in this current crisis, Medicaid and CHIP are proving effective in shielding children from joining the growing ranks of the uninsured.
But even so, nine million children are currently uninsured. Congressional committees are working this month to put together comprehensive health care reform and advocates are working hard to be sure the results are child and family-friendly.
Let's work hard to bring our kids along with us out of this recession,
Janis Richter, editor emeritus
jan@connecforkids.org
CFK gathers, synthesizes and promotes the best news, research, and stories from the child and youth field. To suggest content, email weekly@connectforkids.org |
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 New on CFK
Taking Risks for Transition-Age Youth
In her latest Youth Today Column, Karen Pittman finds commonalities between juvenile justice and the child welfare systems. Leaders from both systems convened recently to hear about efforts
to strengthen supports for young people.
 Can Social Media Really Spark Social Change?
The advocacy organization Every Child Matters persuaded 10,000 members to congratulate President Obama on his first 100 days and on the "kid-friendly parts" of his budget. How did it mobilize so many? Through e-mail, Facebook and Twitter, among other things. But can children's champions use social media to make a real-world impact? Commentator Ray Schultz talked with Every Child Matters.
 On Capitol Hill, Witnessing the Way Policy Meets Real Families' Lives
On June 2, a group of women gave Capitol Hill staffers a glimpse into their lives and what it takes to feed a family in tight times. Our Clare Krusing was there as the multimedia Witness to Hunger program put a human face on the statistics of hunger and health in America. |
Hard Times for Kids
This Recession Especially Hard on Kids
 There are signs that the economy may be reviving, but the news for children is not so good. According to the latest Child Well-Being Index, the effects of the current recession on children's health and well-being are dramatic. Projections indicate that virtually all the progress made in family economic well-being since 1975 will be wiped out. While recessions are bad for kids, this recession is worse -- greater mobility, a peak in obesity and more isolation. The reversal will be especially severe for low-income children of color. First Focus reports that children who fall into poverty during a recession fare worse in adulthood than their peers who avoided it altogether -- they earn less, achieve lower levels of education and are less likely to be gainfully employed over their lifetimes.
Climate Change Hurts Poor More
Minorities and the poor already breathe dirtier
air than other Americans and are more likely to lack health insurance. As
higher temperatures hasten the chemical interactions that produce smog, they're
going to  feel the most impact. Similarly, poor families spend a greater portion
of their earnings on electricity than wealthier families. This UC Berkeley
report argues that without deliberate attention to disparate effects, climate
change will continue to hurt poor households more than comfortable
households. |
 News from Washington
CongressDaily reports that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has approved a major bill to allow the FDA to regulate tobacco -- to limit marketing and the nicotine content of tobacco products and raise some $5.4 billion in fees from the tobacco industry.
Cindy Mann to Oversee Medicaid and CHIP
Cindy Mann has been appointed Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CSMO), part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CMSO oversees Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program at the federal level. |
 Helping Rural Families
Modernizing Unemployment Insurance (UI) Would Aid Rural Families
Modernizing UI to include part-time workers would significantly benefit rural workers and their families, according to this policy brief from the Carsey Institute.
Bringing Broadband to Rural Communities Broadband connectivity spurs economic growth, supports continuing education, delivers job training, provides job search opportunities and grants the U.S. a competitive advantage in today's global economy. But 19,000 communities across the nation can't access broadband connectivity -- a digital divide that separates rural and urban America. |
Reaching Them Early!
 This U.S. Department of Education newsletter profiles Maryland and Chicago's successful early education programs and describes new efforts by the Obama administration to boost systemic coordination and investments in Pre-K programs and services. The May 6 web conference on Governing for Children and Families, sponsored by Chapin Hall and the NGA Center for Best Practices, explored how states and local municipalities can strengthen the infrastructure to support multiple early childhood services that together promote school readiness and other developmental goals. A recording is now available.
States and districts can use stimulus funds for early education reforms  to ensure that all students have a solid foundation of math, literacy and social/emotional skills by the end of third grade, argues the New America Foundation. Our Kids Count Campaign 75% of children with un-remediated learning difficulties in Grade 3 will continue to struggle all the way through high school -- more than 31% will dropout before graduation. The National Center for Learning Disabilities has launched a new multi-year campaign to help struggling young learners succeed by prioritizing early identification and intervention. Measuring Quality in Early Childhood SettingsSeveral new Child Trends issue briefs explore what we know and don't know about measuring quality in early education settings, how different measures serve different purposes and the link between quality measurements and outcomes:
 Fighting Fade-Out Through PreK-3rd Reform
New
America Foundation's 7-minute video features Dr. Jerry
Weast, Superintendent of Montgomery County Schools in Maryland, where Pre-K-3rd
reform has closed achievement gaps and improved academic success for all
students in the district. |
Hunger and Health: New Findings
 Even Very Low Levels of Food Insecurity Found to Harm Children's Health
Children's HealthWatch finds that the 2.6 million children under five  living in "marginally food secure" households are at a greater risk for health and developmental problems than previously thought. While officially "food secure," these children are more likely to be in fair or poor health, have been hospitalized since birth and be at risk for developmental delays than children in fully food secure households. Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2005 - 2007An increasing percentage of American children under five are on the  brink of hunger. In 26 states, one in six young children lack reliable access to nutritious food. The situation has gotten dramatically worse since 2005, according to this new state-by-state assessment. In all, some 3.5 million children under the age of five are food insecure.
Make a Difference
This year Congress will once again reauthorize the federal child nutrition programs The School Nutrition Association encourages advocates to send an email to key leaders in Congress and the Administration calling for adequate funding for school meal reimbursements and national school nutrition standards.
Currently, only 10 states allow for serving supper in after-school programs. FRAC says newly proposed federal legislation would expand the Afterschool Meal Program to offer a nutritiuous supper to needy children in all states. |
Improving Child's Play 
Outdoor Play Important for Babies and Toddlers
Many good child care programs provide a safe, stimulating, nurturing environment indoors -- but pay less attention to high-quality outdoor play. In this Zero to Three article, Betsy Thigpen argues that children need daily outdoor play in spaces that allow for vigorous physical activity and active exploration.  Productive playtime and strong parent/child interaction is especially important for infants and toddlers, says Prevent Child Abuse America. They offer suggestions on how to create the best play experience for very young children.
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| The Latest on Health Care Reform
The Hill reports that Senate Democrats have set forth an ambitious plan to begin marking up health care reform legislation by June 16. The Committee hopes to complete its markup by June 25.
 The Last Piece of the Puzzle: Providing High-Quality, Affordable Health Coverage to All Children through National Health Reform
Nine million children are still without health insurance. Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families offers a blueprint for filling in health coverage gaps and building a family-friendly health care system that addresses children's unique needs.
Parents Need Care TooIn the public debate, children's coverage has received particular attention and support, but parents' access to health care is also critical for children's and families' wellbeing, argues the National Center for Children in Poverty. Healthier parents are better able to care for their children and parents with health insurance are better able to avoid financial devastation associated with medical expenses.  Hidden Health Tax: Americans Pay a PremiumAccording to Families USA, insured American families paid an additional $1,017 in premiums last year to help subsidize the uncompensated health care costs of the uninsured.
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Summer: Out of School & into Risk?
Communities Pitch In to Save Summer Programs As counties and towns lack funds to maintain summer facilities and programs, some residents, businesses and even kids, are donating time and money to keep summer activities open, reports USA Today.
Normal sexual curiosity and exploration among teens can have devastating consequences, especially among youth living in communities with high levels of HIV/AIDS. Yet ideological and political constraints often stand in the way of effective HIV, STD and teen pregnancy prevention programs. This issue brief argues that a youth development perspective can engage young people in efforts to provide effective youth programs and services.
 Developing a Tripartite Prevention Program for Impoverished Young WomenWhat do impoverished and homeless young women say about addressing substance use, HIV risk and victimization? Focus groups and interviews highlight the importance of addressing normative information, providing skills training and utilizing a non-confrontational approach when discussing these sensitive issues. The abstract is available online; the article is available for purchase. This MTV series on teen pregnancy begins June 11 at 10 PM EST/PST. Since 1997, the Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV have partnered on a public information campaign on HIV/AIDs, other sexually transmitted diseases and related sexual health issues. Free resources, including an informational guide developed especially for the campaign, are available online.
YouthBuild USA Seeks New President
YouthBuild is seeking a new
President with to work closely with founder and YouthBuild CEO Dorothy Stoneman
and the senior leadership team to lead YouthBuild USA. For more
information, contact Scott Peterson. |
Education News: Eyes on the Future
The 2009 edition of Education Week's Diplomas Count report
explores the national policy debate and state initiatives to prepare
all students for postsecondary education. The findings will be
discussed June 11 from 3 to 4 pm EST.
OST Policy Commentary: "After School Grows Up: Helping Teens Prepare for the Future"
This commentary, published by the Forum for Youth Investment, takes readers on a cross-country tour of after-school
innovation -- from northern and southern California to Chicago, New York
and New Hampshire.
 Career Academies Work
Career Academies, which combine academics with career development
opportunities, have been judged "Top Tier" in Effectiveness by the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy, reports
MDRC. |
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 Grants and Funding Resources
Bikes Belong
The Bikes Belong Grant Program funds projects that increase bicycling in communities across the US. Deadline: August 24.
U.S. Department of Education Teacher Quality Partnership Grants
These grants support professional development and training for early education staff and teachers. There will be two pre-application meetings for prospective applicants on June 8. Intent to apply forms are due June 26 and full applications are due July 23. |
Janis Richter and Thaddeus Ferber
Connect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment
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