Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Weblinks, Kids & Politics

The Measure of America

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:00:40 -0500

This book marks the first time a human development approach to measuring well-being has
been applied to an industrialized nation. Published by the Social Science Research
Council and Columbia University Press, it ranks states and congressional districts

New York City to Implement New Poverty Measure

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:56:31 -0500

Mayor Bloomberg has a new plan and it's the first time any local government has put in
place an alternative to the country's 40-year- old standard for measuring poverty, the
National Academies repo

Children's Budget 2008

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:30:13 -0500

This report from First Focus is a road map for the Children's
Budget Bill in Congress (as of July 2008). Only one penny of every new, non-defense
dollar spent by the federal government has gone to children and children's programs.

Children's Budget Act in Congress: A Simple Way to Find Out if Our Money's Where Our Mouth Is

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:23:05 -0500

When it comes to the federal budget, not much is a simple. But a bill in Congress has
potential. The "Children's Budget" legislation -- introduced in Congress in July 2008
by Senator Menendez (D-NJ) and several co-sponsors -- would require future Presidents

Run to Vote: High School Students Leading a 48 State Voting Drive

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:57:05 -0500

Run to Vote combines the sport of track and field with your pledge to vote in 2008.

Congress' Spending Priorities out of Whack, Says Poll

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:05:31 -0500

Voters feel Congress is out of touch when it comes to funding education—that's according to a new national poll from the National School Boards Association (NSBA). Of 1,200 respondents, 74 percent said Congress does not do a good job of setting priorities for the federal budget and spending—and needs to change these priorities.

Guide to the 2007 Budget: What's at Stake for Human Needs

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:48:39 -0500

In March 2006, the Coalition on Human Needs released a helpful guide to the 2007 budget plans—a much easier read than the hundreds of pages of the actual budgets!

Solid Footing for State Finances: Fiscal Year 2005 Tax Revenue Summary

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:47:43 -0500

What does a state's revenue have to do with kids? Everything. From funds for classrooms and after-school programs to public health coverage and housing assistance, state revenues matter. This Rockefeller Institute of Government policy brief has some useful information for anyone concerned about families and community programs. According to the report, 2005 marked the second year of revenue growth for states—their general fund tax revenue grew 10.7 percent from fiscal year 2004 to fiscal year 2005. Still, federal budget cuts will continue to challenge state resources.

Congressional Scorecard on Children's Issues

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:37:09 -0500

Did our elected officials live up to their campaign promises in 2005? Check out the latest Congressional Scorecard from the Children's Defense Fund to see how your members of Congress voted on key legislation affecting children and families.

Medicaid and the 2006 Federal Budget Bill

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 08:34:14 -0500

The 2006 federal budget, passed in February 2006, includes net cuts to Medicaid of $4.8 billion over the next five years and $26.1 billion over the next ten years. This six-page Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured brief looks at what areas of Medicaid will be cut and how families and states may be affected—including the introduction of co-payments and cost-sharing for low-wage families.

Federal Spending Bill for '06 Passes

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:51:54 -0500

On February 1, 2006, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the budget bill by a vote of 216 to 214. (All Democrats, one Independent and 13 Republicans voted against it.) The bill cuts $38.8 billion from the federal budget, slashing federal funds for programs like college aid, child support, Medicaid, and child welfare. What with the cuts mean for programs serving families in your state? For an easy-to-understand overview, we recommend the Coalition on Human Needs' state fact sheets.

Welfare Reauthorization 2006

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:51:10 -0500

On February 1, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the budget bill by a vote of 216 to 214. It included provisions reauthorizing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for five more years, with stiffer work rules for families: states must engage 50 percent of single-parent families and 90 percent of two-parent families in approved work activities, or face penalties. As a result, the Congressional Budget Office projects that states may lose a collective $23 million in funds over five years. In addition, child care funds fall far short of what's needed to meet these new work mandates. The Center for Law and Social Policy has several analyses of the new rules.

Policymakers in Seven States Walk a Mile in the Shoes of Low-Wage Workers

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:46:32 -0500

60 policymakers and numerous low-income constituents in Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, Washington, and West Virginia are spending a month together "walking a mile" in each other's shoes to learn from one another about poverty, public policies and politics. It's part of the national Walk a Mile (WAM) project based in Seattle. Among the object lessons: policymakers will try to feed their family on the amount of money they would receive in food stamps for their family size.

Poverty Tops Public Agenda, Poll Finds

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 11:38:52 -0600

In the wake of Hurrican Katrina, a majority of the 1,035 respondents to a New California Media poll believe that fighting poverty is now more important than fighting terrorism or establishing democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan. When it came to the role of racism in the Katrina catastrophe, most African Americans blamed racial discrimination but a majority of whites said it was not a factor. Hispanics and Asians were evenly divided.

Dangerous Choices: Administration's Budget Proposals Threaten Real and Lasting Harm to Millions of Americans

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:49:38 -0500

The Coalition on Human Needs has analyzed the impact of the President's proposed budget on low-wage parents, and those of moderate income. They conclude that the public services and supports these families rely on to help pay for heat, child care, after-school supervision, medical care or food -- already stretched too thin to reach every eligible family -- will become less and less available over the next several years . CHN also finds the cuts won't have a meaningful impact on the burgeoning deficit.