CFK Update (Special Short Edition): June 17, 2009

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

June 17, 2009

In This Issue

New on CFK [1]

Policies to Nourish Children [2]

What's Moving in Washington [3]

Youth Voices: Global Essay Contest [4]

Recovery Act Funding Resources [5]

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[6]

Quick Links

Connect for Kids [7]

Forum for Youth Investment [8]

Youth Policy Action Center [9]

Editor's Note

Try as we might, we just can't seem to put the Update on vacation. This week, we're bringing you a shortened version with a new CFK multimedia article and some time-sensitive alerts to help you get involved or find funding to sustain your work.

Don't miss the rapidly approaching deadline for federal funds to build nonprofit capacity!

Enjoy the first official weekend of summer, everyone,
The Connect for Kids team

CFK gathers, synthesizes and promotes the best news, research, and stories from the child and youth field. To suggest content, email weekly@connectforkids.org [10]

[11]New on CFK

CFK Banner

[12]New! Witness to Hunger -- A CFK Multimedia Story [13]
Numbers only get you so far. The real story of fighting hunger in America is best told by families themselves. Check out this CFK video on an intimate and moving new project to "keep children at the center of policy debates."

[14]Policies to Nourish Children

In our last Update, we brought you news that a growing share of kids under age 5 are on the brink of hunger and new findings that missing even occasional nutritious meals can have a big impact on children's health:

Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2005 - 2007 [15]

Even Very Low Levels of Food Insecurity Found to Harm Children's Health [16]

As we head into summer, a gentle reminder that some important policies will soon be moving in Congress. It's not to late to make your voice heard:

[17]School Meals and Nutrition [18]

As Congress readies to reauthorize child nutrition programs, the School Nutrition Association encourages advocates to email key leaders in Congress and the Administration about adequate funding for school meals and national school nutrition standards.

States and After-School Suppers for Kids [19]

Currently, only 10 states support serving supper in after-school programs -- but that could change in new legislation, according to the Food Research and Action Center.

What's Moving in Washington

LIHEAP Coalition Sign-on Letter to Congress
Your organization can sign on to a letter asking the House and Senate Appropriations' Committees to support $5.1 billion for the regular Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in fiscal year 2010.

View the letter [20] (from the National Consumer Law Center)

More on LIHEAP and families [21] (from ACF)

School Connectedness, Culture and Climate: CFK Coverage
Next week, the Search Institute and the National Collaboration for Youth are hosting a Congressional briefing on school connectedness, climate and culture that focuses on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's new report, School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth [22]. Connect for Kids will be there and will bring you a multimedia recap of the event.

Home Visitation and Early Intervention -- a Congressional Hearing, a New Bill
This month, a bipartisan bill introduced in the House, the Early Support for Families Act, would give grants to states in order to provide early childhood home visitation programs. How would this affect early childhood learning and parent-child relationships? On June 9, Chapin Hall researcher Deborah Daro testified before the House of Representatives Income Security and Family Support Subcommittee about what the research says.

You can read a transcript of the hearing and testimony [23].

Read the Chapin Hall report, Home Visitation: Assessing Progress, Managing Expectations [24]

The National Assembly has more on the bill [25].

Health Care Reform -- House Debate Kicks off Today
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee has released its health reform proposal and should begin debating the bill in committee today, June 17.

The Coalition on Human Needs [26] has the scoop.

Health care reform matters for all families, says the National Council of La Raza [27], citing data that roughly 40 percent of all uninsured children are Latino.

On June 25, Health Care for America Now [28] is holding a health care reform rally in DC and online; Edie Falco is a spokeswoman.

Your Turn! What other major policies are you tracking in Congress or your state? Let us know by emailing policy@connectforkids.org [29].

Youth Voices: Global Essay Contest

Youth Speak Out: Engaging in Democracy and Grasping Opportunity [30] WYMD banner

[31]
The World Youth Movement for Democracy has launched its 6th annual Global Essay Contest! If you or someone you know is between the ages of 18 and 30, why not make your voice heard. Questions include: What democratic spaces exist for young people in your society? Why is youth involvement in democracy important and how can it connect diverse cultures? Fifteen regional winners will participate in the 6th Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in Jakarta, Indonesia. Deadline: September 15.

Recovery Act Funding Resources

The Strengthening Communities Fund [32]
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, $50 million was approved to help nonprofit organizations build their capacity. Deadline: July 7.

Education Reform [33]
The U.S. Department of Education has issued a guide, "Using ARRA Funds to Drive School Reform and Improvement."

ACSD has a round-up of recovery funds [34] related to professional development, Healthy School Communities and Whole Child education.

Early Learning & Professional Development [35]
The National Association for the Education of Young Children has a review of relevant grants and how to use recovery funds for professional development.

Pre-K Now also has a great round-up [36].

Youth Today's Stimulus Page [37]
Resources from across the field on funds in the recovery and stimulus package.

Janis Richter and Thaddeus Ferber
Connect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment

Source URL:
http://www.connectforkids.org/node/6967

Links:
[1] http://www.connectforkids.org/node/6967/print#121efa097570fd14_LETTER.BLOCK12
[2] http://www.connectforkids.org/node/6967/print#121efa097570fd14_LETTER.BLOCK21
[3] http://www.connectforkids.org/node/6967/print#121efa097570fd14_LETTER.BLOCK8
[4] http://www.connectforkids.org/node/6967/print#121efa097570fd14_LETTER.BLOCK27
[5] http://www.connectforkids.org/node/6967/print#121efa097570fd14_LETTER.BLOCK10
[6] http://visitor.constantcontact.com/email.jsp?m=1101389959199&id=preview
[7] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.connectforkids.org%2F&id=preview
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[10] http://www.connectforkids.org/mailto:weekly@connectforkids.org
[11] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.connectforkids.org%2F&id=preview
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[14] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedingamerica.org%2Four-network%2Fthe-studies%2Fchild-food-insecurity.aspx&id=preview
[15] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedingamerica.org%2Four-network%2Fthe-studies%2Fchild-food-insecurity.aspx&id=preview
[16] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.childrenshealthwatch.org%2Fupload%2Fresource%2Fchwbrief_FI.pdf&id=preview
[17] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fcapwiz.com%2Fasfsa%2Fissues%2Falert%2F%3Falertid%3D12722621%26PROCESS%3DTake%2BAction&id=preview
[18] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fcapwiz.com%2Fasfsa%2Fissues%2Falert%2F%3Falertid%3D12722621%26PROCESS%3DTake%2BAction&id=preview
[19] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Forg2.democracyinaction.org%2Fo%2F5118%2Ft%2F1472%2Fcampaign.jsp%3Fcampaign_KEY%3D1580&id=preview
[20] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nclc.org%2Fliheap%2F&id=preview
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[22] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2FFeatures%2FConnectToSchool%2F&id=preview
[23] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwaysandmeans.house.gov%2Fhearings.asp%3Fformmode%3Ddetail%26hearing%3D682&id=preview
[24] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chapinhall.org%2Fresearch%2Freport%2Fhome-visitation&id=preview
[25] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nydic.org%2Fnassembly%2F&id=preview
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[27] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nclr.org&id=preview
[28] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthcareforamericanow.org%2F&id=preview
[29] http://www.connectforkids.org/mailto:policy@connectforkids.org
[30] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wymd.org%2Fcontests.html&id=preview
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[34] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ascd.org%2Fprograms%2FARRA_resources.aspx&id=preview
[35] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.naeyc.org%2Fpolicy%2Farra%2F&id=preview
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[37] http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=byauo7cab.0.0.4aek4xbab.0&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youthtoday.org%2Fpublication%2Farticle.cfm%3Farticle_id%3D2740&id=preview