CFK Update: September 23

This is the year of big problems and potentially big solutions (we hope!).

First, the economy. Although the Fed says we're starting to rebound, the recession continues to strain families and states. In August, the percentage of the population with a job fell to its lowest level since 1984, according to the Center on Budget & Policy Priorities. Local food banks across the country say they're forced to turn away clients for lack of supplies.

And then there's health care. Amid the increasingly heated debates about how to move forward, there is now considerable agreement that our patchwork system for paying for health care is unfair and too expensive. The costs of maintaining insurance coverage are increasing far faster than wages, pricing many families and small businesses out of the insurance market.

Will the fact that more people are experiencing or fearing hard times make it possible to talk about -- and address -- poverty in this country? Some advocates think it just might. (See the Recession section [13], below.)

Perhaps the most promising news of the week is that the House of Representatives passed SAFRA (Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act) [14], a comprehensive student loan reform which promises to make college more affordable and allow low-income students to graduate with less debt. The bill eliminates federal subsidies to banks for administering federal loans, however, and that means it will face opposition in the Senate.

Heads Up: Children's Budget. Those who think we already spend too much on low-income families and children might be surprised to learn that the children's share of the federal budget has declined [15] since the war on poverty of the 1960s. First Focus will release the latest "children's budget" [16] on September 30 and it's not too early to order your copy now.

Read on for information and resources to help you be a part of the changes we need! Also, the next Update (October 7) will cover new thinking on charter schools, a pivotal moment in juvenile justice, and more.

Jan Richter, editor emeritus
jan@connectforkids.org

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CFK gathers, synthesizes and promotes the best news, research, and stories from the child and youth field. To suggest content, email weekly@connectforkids.org [17].

[18]Reconnecting Youth

The Corps Network's Green Pathways to Postsecondary Success Project [19]
The Corps Network's white paper examines pathways, strategies and models that help low-income young people re-connect and persist in getting the education and skills they need for the emerging green economy. If you would like to share or recommend a Promising Practice, please contact Candace Hollingsworth [20].

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[21]The New, Longer Road to Adulthood Schooling, Work, and Idleness among Rural Youth [22]

In many rural communities young people with higher educational and career aspirations often head for cities, leaving behind a population with less formal education. The Carsey Institute reports that rural communities need to find ways to improve supports and opportunities for young people -- if they want to boost the prospects for those young people who stay and encourage college-bound students to return.

[23]Youth Voices
Activism: Education [24]

Y-Press demonstrates youth activism in action in this article about how young people are becoming more effective and engaged in shaping programs and policies that affect them directly, from volunteering to serving on nonprofit boards to participating in the political process. The Forum for Youth Investment's (and CFK's director) Thaddeus Ferber and Nicole Yohalem are quoted.

[25]Movies (and Lit) that Matter

T [26]h [27]e Providence Effect [28]
Coming to a theater near you? Go see it; it tells the real-life story of a successful full-learning school in a "notorious" area of Chicago that now sends all of its graduates to college.

Finding Inspiration in Literature & Movies [29]

[30]Want to engage young people? Try talking about the movies and books they're interested in, with the help of Heartland Truly Moving Pictures' F.I.L.M. (Finding Inspiration in Literature and Movies) project, a curricula program that promotes activity-based learning and service.

Making College Affordable

Student Loan Reforms Promise Cheaper Loans and More Aid for Higher Education [31]

[32]September 17 was an historic day for higher education, says the U.S. Student Association (USSA); the House of Representatives passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, or SAFRA (H.R. 3221). It eliminates federal subsidies to private banks and invests the near $100 billion dollars of savings into need-based aid programs. USSA says the net federal investment in loans and aid to college students will surpass the GI Bill. SAFRA has a good chance of passing in the Senate, as well.

Get the highlights of the bill from the "What's in it for you" fact sheet [33]posted by the House Education and Labor Committee.

For more on the Senate vote, see the At Work in Washington, DC [34] section below.

Implementing the Obama Administration's UI-Pell Grant Initiative (Podcast) [35]
[36]In May, the Obama administration announced an initiative to allow more workers receiving unemployment insurance (UI) and Pell grants for education and training to help rebuild the economy. This Workforce Alliance podcast looks at what's happening as states begin to implement this initiative.

Helping Middle Class Students [37] [38]
College has become out of reach not just for low-income students but for many in higher-earning families as well. A White House Task Force on making college more affordable for middle class families reported on simplifying the application process for federal student loans and other measures.

Is Dual Enrollment for You? [39]

If you're heading toward college, you might want to consider dual enrollment, which allows you to earn college credits while attending high school. Check out the pros and cons on this website www.MyCollegeOptions.com, administered by National Research Center for College & University Admissions (NRCCUA).

Helping Students Navigate the Path to College: What High Schools Can Do [40]
This practical guide says ninth grade is not too early for schools to give hands-on help to students in order to prepare for college.

The National League of Cities' Institute for Youth, Education and Families is hosting a webinar October 22, 12:30 p.m. ET on "Opening Doors: New Municipal Strategies to Put College Education Within Reach." [41]

Step Up for Kids

[42]Step Up for Kids Week (October 5-9) [43]
It's the second annual Step Up for Kids Day, a time to remind officials that although they can't vote, the needs of babies, kids, and teens shouldn't be left out of policy conversations.

Speaking of young people and policy, watch for the Children's Budget [44] from First Focus, coming September 30!

Recession Continues to Strain Families

Census Says Poverty Rates, Uninsurance Rising [45]
It isn't a pretty picture -- declining wages, deepening poverty and more people losing their health coverage.

A worthy reminder: the latest Kids Count Data Book [46], released in July, racks child poverty rates and other measures of well-being state by state.

[47]Increasing Low-Income Access to Opportunity [48]
After decades of relative invisibility in the political arena, the Center on Law and Social Policy's Jodie Levin-Epstein says the costs of high rates of poverty are helping to push poverty into the limelight again, especially in New England. Measures like increasing the minimum wage, earned income tax credits and child care subsidies could cut poverty rates significantly.

States Impose Cuts That Hurt Vulnerable Residents [49]
Many states are forced to raise taxes and cut staff and services for health care, Pre-K through higher education and other essential services, just when families need them the most. Federal dollars from the recovery package are softening the blow, but the situation is still very serious, reports the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Budget cuts not only hurt families, they also slow economic recovery for states.

[50]Food Banks Have to Turn Away Families [51]
The current recession and rising unemployment sent many more families to their local food banks last year, but more than half of the food banks had to turn families away because their supplies were depleted by the increased demand. Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest) urges everyone to take at least one action during this Hunger Action Month.

Protecting Toddlers' Health and Safety

Children at Risk in the Child Welfare System: Collaborations to Promote School Readiness
[52]A new research report finds that very young children in the child welfare system can be helped to overcome early trauma and acquire skills necessary for success in school, if they get early assessment and appropriate interventions. Read the:

Children's Express summary [53]

Full report [54] from the Catherine E. Cutler Institute for Child and Family Policy at the University of Southern Maine.

Embedding Home Visitation Services within a System of Early Childhood Services [55]
Over the past 20 years, home visitation has emerged as the flagship program through which many states and communities are reaching out to vulnerable new parents. This Chapin Hall issue brief explores the opportunity to extend high-quality programs to more children and families presented by pending federal legislation and the mandate to invest in continuous program development through better evaluation methods. The brief highlights the need for a system of early intervention services, of which home visitation is a critical component.

Leadership for Healthy Communities Action Strategies Toolkit [56]
This Leadership for Healthy Communities Action Strategies Toolkit has collected current best approaches in providing for more physical activity, improving school food options, supporting local food networks, and other ways communities and schools can change to help reduce rising rates of childhood obesity and related health risks.

At Work in Washington, DC

[57]Senate to Take Up SAFRA [58]

The House of Representatives bill [59] transforming the student loan program -- making college financing easier to apply for, less expensive to pay back and more available for low-income students, including increases in Pell Grants -- has a good chance to pass the Senate. The House bill included the Early Learning Challenge Fund [60], which could help finance early learning facilities.

The Workforce Alliance says it's time to send your Senators a letter! [61]

The Senate Finance Committee Takes Up Health Reform [62]
The Coalition on Human needs reports that: "At last, the Senate Finance Committee has put forth its health proposal and began marking up and debating the proposal on September 22."

Families USA Urges Calls to Congress on Health Care Reform [63]
You can record your own personal message about why we need health reform to urge Congress to keep working until they succeed in crafting a good health care reform bill. You can read Families USA's message to Congress to get started.

Full Service Community Schools

Full-service community schools can serve as hubs for low-income and distressed communities, providing vital services for families and supports for students. On September 9, 2009 House Majority Leader Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) joined forces to re-introduce the Full-Service Community Schools Act of 2009 [64], HR 3545. Community Schools urges you to share the press release [65]with your local, state, and national policymakers, media contacts, networks, listservs and colleagues.

Tools for Funding

There are a lot of funding opportunities on the horizon for large organizations and smaller community groups serving children and youth. Check out CFK's funding toolkit [66] for new grant opportunities in literacy, community service, sports, nutrition, and more.

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