CFK Update: Nov 5
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Bringing you relevant news, research and policy updates
affecting children, youth and families.
November 5, 2009
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Editor's Note
When we set out to change the world for children and youth, we find that kids' champions get connected to each other pretty quickly, if only in cyberspace.
In this edition of the Update, we link to information about the work of individuals and organizations who have become familiar to many of us -- an educator remembers Ted Sizer, Ray Schultz looks at the Journalism Center for Children and Families, and Isabel Sawhill and Ron Haskins offer a bold new idea to tackle poverty.
As adults we don't live in a silo. Neither do kids. Children's experiences of the world and their prospects for the future are affected by what they eat, where they live, what's happening to their parents, or whether their family has health insurance. It all matters.
This week, we learn that a very high percentage of U.S. babies are born pre-term, and (in separate news) that half of American children will depend on food stamps at some point before they turn 20. But we also know more about what works to help young people graduate ready for college and success, and that despite its major budget woes, California is posed to make serious progress in pre-K.
There's movement afoot to better protect those who are at the greatest risk, and young leaders of organizations like Rock the Vote and Y.I. Want Change saying there is some progress and much potential in Washington's work this year.
And of course, you'll find find funding opportunities to help keep effective youth programs and community efforts going!
Keep making connections, everyone,
Jan
Jan Richter, editor emeritus
Coming soon: CFK is merging with the Youth Policy Action Center and National Youth Development Information Center to bring you SparkAction: for children, for youth, for change this fall.
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CFK gathers, synthesizes and promotes news, research, and stories from the child and youth field. To suggest content, email weekly@connectforkids.org.
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 New on Connect for Kids
The Good-News Challenge: How the Journalism Center for Children & Families Covers An Important Beat
By Ray Schultz, Child Advocacy 360
B ehind the news with the the only journalism nonprofit
that focuses exclusively on children, youth and families at risk. What do its leaders think about the state of mainstream media, the power of "good news" and what comes next?
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Youth Voices
 One Year Later: is Washington Delivering on its Promises of Change?
A year after an election that drew record numbers
of young people to the polls, how do youth feel about Congress and the
administration? During a November 3 press call, members of several youth-led organizations identified areas of progress but cautioned that we've got a long way to go. Rock the Vote has the full report.
CFK was in on the November 3 call. As the young activists spoke, they also used Twitter to share their main points. Here's what they "tweeted":
- Health care: Must pass [healthcare] w/public option, subsidies, no discrim, no 'insurance in name only'
- Climate/Energy:Meaningful climate legislation is still possible in '09 and we can lead in Copenhagen
- Higher education: Obama/House put students over banks w/SAFRA,
Senate must pass SAFRA & Congress must pass Dream Act
- Gay rights: Historic LGBT legislation & policies=good start, but ENDA, DADT, lots more to do
- Veterans: DC delivers VA reform, mental health, stop loss; need more on homeless, jobs, female health care
- Immigration: Immigration reform undone, need pathway to citizenship & DREAM Act, civil rights struggle of our time
- Jobs/economy: Youth unemployment nearly 2x nat'l avg, stimulus was start but need jobs bill for youth
On Capitol Hill: America's Youth Councils Network
 During
a two-day trip to Washington, DC, that culminated in an October 26
briefing in the Hart Senate Office building, members of Youth Councils
from across the country shared ideas and strategies and made their
voices heard about the issues that matter to them. Several met with
Members of Congress and their staff.
- National Public Radio's DC station, WAMU, covered the event on its Power Breakfast segment (listen).
- What is a Youth Council? The Forum for Youth Investment's Youth Councils Network page has the answer.
- America's Youth Councils Network has a Facebook page. (Do you? Even if you don't, you can see this.)
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More Families Struggle with Poverty
 Half of U.S. Children Will Use Food Stamps
In an indication of how widespread hard times are for our children, a new analysis of Food Stamp data finds that half will be receiving Food Stamps at some point in their childhood, with rates among black children near 90 percent. The recession is likely to push these rates even higher. This USA Today story quotes the Food Research and Action Center.
The study appears in the November 2009 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Improving Access to Affordable Cars for Low-Income Families
There's one thing that can stop a low-wage parent in her tracks -- a broken car. The Annie E. Casey Foundation reports on a new effort to create a "car field" akin to what emerged decades ago as a "housing field." This time the focus is on policies and programs to assure reliable, affordable cars to get to and from work.
5 Myths about our Land of Opportunity - and a Daring Proposal
Isabel Sawhill and Ron Haskins team up to debunk key myths about poverty in America: "it's an immigrant problem" or "generate federal funds by cutting waste." In the Washington Post, they offer a daring proposal -- open up more opportunity and improve the productivity and prosperity of the next generation by gradually reallocating public resources that now go to the more affluent elderly.
 Home Visitation: Improving the Lives of Poor Families
In the United States, 42 percent of children under 6, a total of 10.2 million children, live in poverty. This Society for Research in Child Development report says home visitation - sending individuals into homes to match needs with services - is a good way to reach these families. Policymakers' renewed interest in home visitation could signal a new era for this approach to early intervention.
Webinar: Tax Credit Outreach (Webinar - Nov. 10)
A
National Women's Law Center Webinar on November 10 will cover how
service providers and advocates can reach out to families eligible for
tax credits. If you missed the last NWLC webinar on what working families need to know about tax credits, you can hear a recording onlne.
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Education News
 Remembering Ted Sizer
Education lost one of its great champions in October. A former student remembers Ted Sizer, reform advocate and founder of the Coalition of Essential Schools, and his ideas about fostering positive relationships and valuing trust (until abused) and decency in schools.
EdWeek Hails New Haven Teachers' Contract as National Model
It may seem rare that a teachers union and school leaders agree -- but that's what's happening in New Haven, CT, where a proposed teachers' contract is being hailed as a potential national model, reports EdWeek. The contract addresses teacher concerns and the need for flexibility through a committee system (a reform committee and a separate teacher-evaluation committee) made up of union officials, district representatives and parents.
 Small Graduation Gains Not Good Enough for Texas
In its latest study, the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) finds the high school attrition rate in Texas is down only slightly and the attrition gap between White students and students of color is higher than 24 years ago. IDRA has an resources and recommendations for action.
States Involved in a Race to the Bottom?
Education Secretary Duncan says reports show states are setting the standards bar too low. According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), most states' proficiency standards fall in only the basic achievement level of national NAEP standards.
NCY Updates Education Policy Recommendations
The National Collaboration for Youth (NCY) recommends that the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization emphasize services that support successful completion of high school, including integrated student support services, family engagement, afterschool and supplemental education services programs, mentoring, service-learning, anti-bullying enhancement, increasing student attendance, physical education and dropout recovery and prevention & multiple pathways to graduation.
Ways to Foster Science Education Outside the Classroom
A lot of science learning takes place in museums and after-school programs and through TV programs, books, and online activities. The National Academies Press "Surrounded by Science" guide helps museum professionals, media specialists, and educators foster science learning. Pre-orders get a discount.
A Look at What's Working
Success at Every Step - How 23 Programs Support Youth on the Way to College and Beyond
The American Youth Policy Forum identifies school-wide reforms, community-based after-school services, work-based learning opportunities, and college access programs that have been successful, along with identifying elements common to successful efforts and key outcomes for evaluation.
Academic Debate Programs in Chicago Public Schools Boost Student Achievement
The National Association for Urban Debate Leagues reports that peer-reviewed research shows participating in an academic debate program boosts graduation rates and test scores.
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| Improving Services for Babies and Toddlers
Newsflashes
U.S. and International Infant Mortality Rates: Behind the Rankings
One in 8 births in the United States are preterm -- higher than all of Europe and most developed countries, according to a new data brief (number 29) from the National Center for Health Statistics.
 The Health and Cognitive Growth of Latino Toddlers: At Risk or Immigrant Paradox?
Children of Hispanic immigrants tend to be born healthy and start
life on an intellectual par with other American children, but by the
age of 2 they begin to lag in linguistic and cognitive skills,
according to research based on a nationwide tracking study, reported in the Maternal and Child Health Journal.
What's Working in the States
Inspiring Innovations: Creative State Financing Structures for Infant-Toddler Services
Zero to Three and an Ounce of Prevention report on how Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma have developed innovative financing structures to support services for at-risk infants and toddlers that provide lessons for other states. Key recommendations include making infant/toddler care part of a full birth-to-five system and emphasizing quality and accountability.
On the Cusp in California: How PreK-3rd Strategies Could Improve Education
The Center on Law and Social Policy (CLASP) has a new tool for policy makers to systematically assess and improve early care subsidy policies in their state. What's more, CLASP's Rachel Schumacher rschumacher@clasp.org is ready to help with using this tool. Note: this is a Word document in the Highlights box on the right side of the page.
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Help for Children and Youth Who are Most at Risk
We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in the U.S.
The preventable deaths of at least 10,000 children in a seven-year period demand the attention of policy makers and elected officials at all levels, argues Every Child Matters in its report. The day to day efforts of local and state child protection agencies, law enforcement, and courts across the country to protect children could be greatly strengthened by expanding federal planning, coordination, and funding aimed at reducing child deaths.
Thanks to treatment improvements, the life expectancies of HIV-infected parents continue to grow. This means more children are living with HIV-infected parents. RAND researchers examined the issues these children face, including concerns about transmission, misconceptions about transmitting HIV, fear of discrimination, family disruptions and lack of planning for their future care.
Children of Incarcerated Parents: An Action Plan for Federal Policymakers
On any given day more than 7 million children may have a parent in prison or jail, or under parole or probation supervision. This Council of State Governments Justice Center report looks at the impact on children across a range of areas, examines promising practices in states across the country, and makes specific policy recommendations to protect children from unintended harm.
School Counselors Needed Now More than Ever
During hard times, children and teens are more likely to be abused or to suffer from economic insecurity. Wiretap author Ninoy Brown talks about the problems and urges authorities not to cut back on school counselors when they are needed most.
November is National Adoption Month
There are some 130,000 children in foster care waiting to be adopted. This year's National Adoption Month campaign focuses on getting parents for children of color, older children and teens and sibling groups that need to be placed together.
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Families and Communities: Connecting the Dots
Improving Urban Services Systems for Children and Families (Webinar - Nov. 19)
This Urban Institute/Chapin Hall webcast on November 19 will address the challenges to improving services for vulnerable families and the necessary steps, partnerships, and strategies to foster success.
The State of City Leadership for Children and Families
From "cultural passports" for preschoolers to supporting summer jobs programs, the National League of Cities reports on new and old ways cities are addressing the needs of families.
Supporting Learning: How Do Families Matter?
Everyone seems to agree that engaging low-income parents
in their young children's education can boost learning, but limited
research has not clearly identified the most effective approaches to
parent engagement. In this annual report the Foundation for Child
Development suggests connecting the increased educational attainment of
parents through postsecondary and workforce development programs with
their children's achievement may offer promising results.
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News from Washington
Congress Votes This Week, Maybe
After months of negotiating, it comes down to some key details - and counting the votes - to determine if Speaker Pelosi will bring the House health care reform bill up for a vote this week, as early as November 5. With unemployment rates still high, the House has already passed an extension of unemployment benefits. The Senate voted late Wednesday (Nov. 4) to extend unemployment benefits.
 Obama's Zone Offense
The Obama administration has pledged $10 million in planning grants for up to 20 cities to replicate the "idiosyncratic" and successful Harlem Children's Zone. As leaders from across the country prepare to meet in New York City, Youth Today's latest cover story looks at what it will take to bring this program national. (Subscribe or use the free trial option to read the full story.)
Push Pesticides away from Kids
Earthjustice's action alert urges the government to set safety standards protecting rural children from the harmful effects of pesticide drift and to immediately adopt no-spray buffer zones around homes, schools, parks and daycare centers for the most dangerous and drift-prone pesticides.
Education Stimulus Money
ARRA funds have helped stabilize state education budgets, retaining an estimated 250,000 jobs, according to the Education Department. Discretionary funds are still coming down the pipeline.
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 Ideas for Funding
That Pesky Evaluation Section in Grant-writing
Evaluation -- measuring and keeping track -- is often the hardest grant application section to write, but it is the most important section for grantors. Get some advice on what federal reviewers look for in this GrantStation summary.
Global Youth Justice Resource Directory
Advocate Scott Peterson has done it again -- the master of the comprehensive, Scott has posted a comprehensive catalog of organizations and links helpful to anyone wanting to find funding, relevant information, media contacts or potential organizational partners in working to improve youth outcomes. This is cool!
Celebrating Solutions in Ending Violence
The Mary Byron Foundation has about four grants of $10,000 each, for showcasing innovations that break the cycle of violence. Deadline: Nov. 17.
Education Dept. Student Support Services Grants
The deadline has been extended to Dec. 14 for these funds to help disadvantaged low-income students, first generation students, and students with disabilities successfully complete college.
Do Something Awards
Nominations of young people and their projects are due December 15.
Big Green - Children and Teens
Nickelodeon is offering grants for
environmentally friendly projects that encourage children and teens to
take care of the environment, be active, live healthier and engage in
community service.
Deadline: Dec. 31.
Robert Wood Johnson/Pew Grants in Health
States, tribes, local agencies and nonprofits can apply now for funds to encourage the use of Health Impact Assessments to guide policy decisions to improve health outcomes.
But Wait, There's More...
Looking for more alerts and tips on applying for funding? Check out the CFK Funding Toolkit, updated regularly!
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Jan Richter - writer
Caitlin Johnson and Thaddeus Ferber, eds.
Connect for Kids and the Forum for Youth Investment
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