The National Women's Law Center reports that unemployment among women who maintain families -- who have no other income to fall back on and are especially vulnerable -- jumped to 11.7 percent, an increase of 17 percent in three months.

Today's college graduates are saddled with high debts and poor job prospects, but legislation enacted in 2007 is taking effect just in time to help. Thanks to the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, federal student-loan payments can be adjusted for income, those in public-service jobs can have their loans forgiven after 10 years of payments and Pell Grants will rise to $5,350 this fall, reports the Washington Times, featuring the work of Mobilize.org and other advocacy groups.

New hires often lack the basic skills they need to do the job and efforts on the job to help them fill the gaps are only moderately successful. This report from Corporate Voices for Working Families argues that corporate America needs to strengthen partnerships with community colleges to prepare entrants before they enter the workforce.

First passed in 1998, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) is up for reauthorization. Jobs for the Future has specific recommendations to strengthen a modernized workforce development system. This system should be powerful enough to build and maintain a 21st century workforce, multifunctional to meet the needs of youth, workers, employers and communities, and flexible enough to adapt to a dynamic, competitive global economy.

On July 10, 2009 the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education ("Labor-H") appropriations subcommittee voted on Chairman Obey's plan. The full committee markup is scheduled for this week.

The Coalition on Human Needs says that if Congress is considering health care reform proposals that scale back benefits or eligibility, it is because Congress is hearing from special interests and not enough from constituents. Ultimately, getting health care reform right depends on raising revenues in a way that spreads the burden fairly. You can tell your Senators and Representatives to do health care right, with CHN's online letter campaign.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that proposals being considered by the Senate Finance Committee to change subsidies that help low and moderate-income families afford health insurance could push more poor families out of the system.

The National Immigration Law Center warns that, so far, there are no proposals as part of health care reform to remove the five year waiting period and other barriers to Medicaid for most legal immigrants, including children.

The Harvard Family Research Project reports on how out-of-school complementary learning, particularly for children in low-income families, is a key component to help students gain the skills necessary for success in the 21st century.

You have an effective program, so how do others repeat it more broadly? Public/Private Ventures shares its long experience in this guide to a systematic approach to program replication, including when in a program's life to replicate, where the replication should take place and the staff resources needed.