Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Parenting

Evaluation Exchange: Building the Future of Family Involvement

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:41:55 -0500

The Spring 2008 issue of Evaluation Exchange from the Harvard Family Research Project looks at promising practices in family involvement.

KIDS COUNT 2008: A CFK Overview

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:47:35 -0500

To make positive change for kids, you need to know where things stand, what’s working and what needs to be improved. The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book offers both data and context for 10 indicators of child well-being—and drills down to a state and local level. This year’s essay offers a “roadmap for reform” in juvenile justice. CFK summer intern Maria Allen attended the June 2008 launch event in DC and has this overview.

"We are Speaking Up" - Parent Voices Activists Push for More Child Care Funding

Wed, 28 May 2008 14:19:52 -0500

Quality child care matters for kids and parents—just ask single mother Marla Campos, who spends $900 a month for child care. Although her two daughters are eligible for state-subsidized child care, they are among the more than 360,000 kids nationally who are stuck on state waiting lists because there isn’t enough funding. In California, the parent-led activist organization Parent Voices is working to change this.

Parent Involvement Matters

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:35:49 -0600

Parent Involvement Matters.Org provides free resources and information to schools, parents, and trainers working to increase parent involvement in education.

A“Ticket to Work” for Transitioning Youth – and Those Working With Them

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:12:55 -0600

If you work with teens with disabilities, you’ll want to know about the Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work (TTW) program. Its Youth Transition portion offers funds for organizations that help students receiving Social Security disability benefits find employment. Is it right for you? Melody Goodspeed, Youth Transition Specialist for TTW answers some common questions about the funding.

ParentingTeensOnline

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:08:06 -0500

ParentingTeensOnline is a free monthly e-magazine for parents of teens ages 12-19. It offers practical, expert-guided advice and support on teen health, media and technology, drugs/alcohol, education, volunteering, sports, social issues, babysitting, sexuality ...

Choosing Care for a Child with Special Needs

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:00:00 -0500

Finding quality, affordable child care can be difficult for any parent. For those with a special needs child, it can also be a very confusing and emotional experience. Rebecca Freshour looks at what the law says, and what parents need to know to find care for their children.

Marriage as Anti-Child-Poverty Program

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 14:15:09 -0500

Congress recently allocated $750 million over five years to promote marriage and fatherhood initiatives among low-income groups. As a result, federally-funded marriage promotion programs are springing up around the country, including in Washington, DC. Roshin Mathew, an Emerson Hunger Fellow working with Connect for Kids this year, wondered about the connection between marriage promotion and better lives for low-income children. Here are her findings, and her thoughts.

Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2006

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 07:02:05 -0500

The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics released its latest annual report, America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-being 2006 on July 14th. The report is a compendium of statistics from 21 federal agencies with the latest available data on 26 key indicators related to children's economic security, health, behavior and social environment, and education and on 9 background measures related to population and family characteristics.

Violent and Explicit Video Games: Informing Parents and Protecting Children

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 15:01:37 -0500

CFK Reports From: Violent and Explicit Video Games: Informing Parents and Protecting Children
Event: Hearing
Organized By: Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection
Where/When: June 14, 2006; 2123 Rayburn House Office Building

When it was revealed last year that a popular video game �Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas� contained a hidden graphic sex scene unlocked by downloadable software, members of Congress waged a war against graphic content in video games.

The Downside of Girl Power?

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:10:22 -0500

By many measures, girls are on a roll. In terms of academic achievement, college attendance and completion, and the opportunities that are open to them, girls are poised for success. But some experts see worrying signs that girls are also facing new pressures—and responding with violent behavior usually associated with boys. Andrea Grazzini Walstrom takes a look at the issue.

How Does Family Well-Being Vary Across Different Types of Neighborhoods?

Wed, 31 May 2006 07:28:10 -0500

White picket fences, brownstones, housing projects; racially diverse or isolated�what impact does a family�s neighborhood really have on the well-being and opportunities for young people? How much is correlated, and how much is causal? According to this report �rigorous research indicates that neighborhood isolation and distress can contribute to or exacerbate individual and family distress.� This report examines what�s known about poverty, economic security, access to services, and child and family well-being to better understand the neighborhood-family connection.

Electronic Media in the Lives of Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers and Their Parents

Fri, 21 Jul 2006 12:39:51 -0500

CFK Reports From: Electronic Media in the Lives of Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers and Their Parents
Event: Panel
Organized By: Kaiser Family Foundation-Program for the Study of Entertainment and Health
Where/When: May 24, 2006; Barbara Jordan Conference Center

The debate on the impact of electronic media�television, computers, DVD, etc.�on children and their development was the focus of this panel and the subject of a new Kaiser report that showed how parents use children�s media to help them cope.

Parental Power

Mon, 15 May 2006 13:49:19 -0500

CFK Reports From: Parental Power: TV Indecency, the FCC, and the Media's Response
Event: Policy forum
Organized By: Cato Institute Center for Constitutional Studies
Where/When: Cato Institute, Washington, DC, Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Jack Valenti, one of the key architects of the much-maligned but much-relied-on movie rating system, argued at this Cato Institute event that despite concerns about violence, language, sex and general crudeness on broadcast, cable and satellite TV programs, technology already gives parents near-total control of the TV content that comes into their homes.

Returning Soldiers Bring Joy, Stress to Families

Tue, 16 May 2006 11:31:58 -0500

It�s a perennial struggle for military families, but one that is hitting home for more and more of them as soldiers rotate back to the home front from Iraq and Afghanistan: the sometimes painful adjustments that come with the return of a long-absent parent. Rebecca Freshour looks at some of the issues.