**Children, Youth & Families
Every Kid Counts in the District of Columbia
The 14th annual Fact Book is a comprehensive data source
for indicators of child well-being in the District of Columbia.
Over 50 data indicators are tracked over time. This publication provides
a broad perspective on the status of children and youth in the District. The
Urban
Institute seeks
to inform and educate our readers about the issues affecting children and
their families in the District.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/every-kid-count.php
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Children Who Have an Active Father
Figure have Fewer Psychological and Behavioral Problems
Active father figures have a key role to play in reducing
behavior problems in boys and psychological problems in young women, according
to a review published in the February issue of Acta
Paediatrica. Swedish researchers also found that
regular positive contact reduces criminal behavior among children in low-income
families and enhances cognitive skills like intelligence, reasoning and language
development. Children who lived with both a mother and father figure also
had less behavioral problems than those who just lived with their mother.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/children-who-ha.php
Genes and Environment Interact in First
Graders to Predict Physical but Not Social Aggression
Physical aggression in children comes from their genes
and the environment in which they grow up. Social aggression, such as spreading
rumors or ignoring other children, has less to do with genetic factors and
more with environmental factors. One important environmental influence on
children is friends. But while past studies have shown an association between
physically aggressive friends and increased physical aggression in children
and teens, few studies have looked at how socially aggressive friends affect
children's social aggression, nor have they considered possible gene-environment
transactions in these behaviors.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/genes-and-envir.php
The Future Pediatrician: Promoting
Children's Health and Development
The Commonwealth Fund addresses the question, are there
more efficient ways to deliver well-child care? Fund vice president Edward
Schor believes there are. His recent commentary in the Journal
of Pediatrics offers recommendations on making office visits more productive
for children, parents, and providers. These changes, combined with the recognition
that social and physical environments play an important role in lifelong health
and social competence, have brought increasing focus on the preventive care
available to children and their families.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/the-future-pedi.php
Quality Schooling has Little Impact
on Teenage Sexual Activity
A report published in the online open access journal,
BMC Public Health, shows that socio-economic situation and the local high
school catchment area have a more powerful influence
on reported sexual experience among 15 and 16 year olds than classroom discipline
or the quality of relationships within schools. This is the first study to
attempt to look beyond the formal sex education curriculum and assess whether
the way in which schools are run, in terms of their organization and social
relationships, can affect levels of sexual activity amongst pupils.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/quality-schooli.php
A Dangerous Transition: High school
to the First Year of College
Increases in young women's drinking during the transition
from high school through the first year of college can have dangerous physical,
sexual and psychological implications, according to a report out of the University
at Buffalo's Research
Institute on Addictions. The good news is that during the first year of college,
when many young women increase their drinking, the majority (78 percent) of
the 870 incoming freshmen women who participated in the study did not experience
any victimization.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/a-dangerous-tra.php
**Civic Engagement
Low-Income Americans Denied Voter Registration
Opportunities as States Neglect Federal Voting Law
As the nation prepares for the 2008 election, a new
study reveals that many states are routinely failing to offer low-income Americans
an opportunity to register to vote as required by the federal National Voter
Registration Act (NVRA). "Unequal Access: Neglecting the National Voter
Registration Act, 1995-2007," published this week by the non-partisan
voting rights groups Demos and Project Vote, shows that 12 years after the
NVRA's requirements went into effect, voter registrations
from public agencies that provide services to low-income Americans have declined
dramatically.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/lowincome-ameri.php
Discrimination Against
Blacks Linked to Dehumanization
Crude historical depictions of African Americans as
ape-like may have disappeared from mainstream U.S.
culture, but research presented in a new paper by psychologists at Stanford, Pennsylvania
State University and the University of California-Berkeley reveals that many
Americans subconsciously associate blacks with apes. In addition, the findings
show that society is more likely to condone violence against black criminal
suspects as a result of its broader inability to accept African Americans
as fully human, according to the researchers.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/discrimination.php
**Community Development
HUD Names Three Local Housing Developments
Recipients of 2007 Best in American Living Award
Three local housing developments in Blacksburg, Virginia; Palm Desert, California; and
Denton
Texas
are the recipients of the 2007 Best in American Living Award for their design
excellence and innovative approaches in affordable homeownership. Each of
the distinctive developments is the product of a cooperative public/private
venture to expand homeownership opportunities for underserved American families.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/jackson-names-t.php
Lower-Income Neighborhoods Associated
with Higher Obesity Rates
A new study appearing in the journal Nutrition Reviews
reveals that characteristics of neighborhoods, including the area's income
level, the built environment, and access to healthy food, contribute to the
continuing obesity epidemic. Researchers critically reviewed ninety studies
published between 1997 through 2007 on neighborhood determinants of obesity.
They found that neighborhoods with decreased economic and social resources
have higher rates of obesity. They also found that residents in low-income
urban areas are more likely to report greater neighborhood barriers to physical
activity, such as limited opportunities for daily walking or physical activity
and reduced access to stores that sell healthy foods, especially large supermarkets.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/lowerincome-nei.php
**Economic Security
As Economy Weakens, Bush Budget Request
Leaves Low-Income Individuals, Laid-Off Workers, and Disconnected Youth Behind
According to the Center for Law and Social Policy, the administration's Career Advancement
Account (CAA) proposal to consolidate core employment and training programs
is a smokescreen for deep budget cuts. Instead of addressing our country's
pressing need for investment in workforce education and training programs,
the Bush administration, in its FY 2009 budget, is once again proposing deep
cuts to critical employment and training programs that help many Americans
find work and build the skills necessary to secure good jobs. These cuts
come at a time when workers and their families are already struggling in a
softening labor market, and employers have growing needs for a skilled workforce
in order to compete in the global economy.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/as-economy-weak.php
**Education
Report Offers New Solutions to School
Readiness Challenge
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation engaged the brainpower of
the design firm IDEO to help them navigate a complex challenge: envision tangible
steps toward transforming early education to ensure success for the next generation.
In turn, the IDEO team immersed itself in the world of early childhood education,
conducting observations in classrooms and the homes of parents as well as
connecting to experts within and outside of the WKKF network. They also drew
on the ideas and extensive expertise of the directors involved in WKKF's
SPARK initiative.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/wk-kellogg-foun.php
CORAL Publication Series Released
In 2004, P/PV began work with The James Irvine Foundation’s
Communities Organizing Resources to Advance Learning (CORAL) initiative. This
$58 million effort to improve student achievement in five California cities
had been in operation since 1999. After disappointing outcomes were identified
in a midpoint review, the Foundation asked P/PV to help reorient the initiative’s
focus by integrating literacy instruction into the CORAL sites' existing after-school
enrichment programs—and to evaluate the results.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/coral-publicati.php
Education Competition on Post-Katrina
New Orleans
MBA students from around the country will develop solutions
for rebuilding the post-Katrina New Orleans public
school system during a two-day Educational Leadership Case Competition at
the University
of California,
Berkeley's
Haas School of Business. The competition will feature 13 teams from prestigious
MBA programs at schools including Northwestern
University's
Kellogg School of Management, Duke's Fuqua School of Business, and the Stanford
Graduate School of Business.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/education-compe.php
Wellesley
College Increases Financial Aid; Boosts Grants, Reduces or Eliminates Loans
Wellesley College announced
a new initiative in its financial aid policies, replacing loans with grants
for students from families who have calculated annual incomes below $60,000
and reducing loans by one-third for those with incomes between $60,000 and
$100,000. Nine years ago, Wellesley was
the first liberal arts college to respond to concerns about high debt burdens
by reducing loan levels to a four-year maximum of $12,825 and by increasing
grants.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/wellesley-colle.php
Education Secretary Announces Teaching
Ambassador Fellowship
The US Department of Education announced the creation
of Teaching Ambassador Fellowship (TAF) positions at the U.S. Department of
Education, which will offer highly motivated, innovative public school teachers
the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and experience to the national
dialogue on public education.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/education-secre.php
A Strong Step for Students: House Higher
Education Bill Promotes Innovation and Student Success
According to the Center for Law and Social Policy the House of Representatives passed
the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. This legislation,
moves Congress one step closer to the long-awaited reauthorization of the
Higher Education Act of 1965, which governs federal student financial aid
and other programs that promote access for low-income and underrepresented
students.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/a-strong-step-f.php
**Health
Access is Not
Enough: What it Will Take to Transform Health Care in the United States
The Aspen Institute Health Stewardship Project will
announce comprehensive health care reform principles that will enrich the
health care reform debate and questions to help evaluate the proposed policies
as candidates and policymakers begin to craft reform proposals. Consistent
with the Institute's history and ideals, the project has convened a bipartisan
group of thought leaders to inform the nation's efforts to transform health
care.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/access-is-not-e.php
Sept. 11 Terrorism Continues to Impact
Mental Health of Americans
A study, led by a professor of epidemiology in psychiatry,
measured the effect of larger, macro-level sociological stressors -- rather
than personal or micro-level events, such as a death in the family or financial
difficulties -- on mental health. The terrorist events of Sept. 11 signaled
a significant change in the socio-political outlook of many Americans and
in their feelings of safety and well-being. The events of Sept. 11 have been
associated with feelings of distress and anxiety, and these feelings have
led to problematic drinking.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/sept-11-terrori.php
Body Image is Stronger Predictor of
Health than Obesity
In a study to examine the impact of desired body weight
on the number of unhealthy days subjects report over one month, researchers
at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health found that the desire
to weigh less was a more accurate predictor of physically and mentally unhealthy
days, than body mass index (BMI). The data suggest that some of the obesity
epidemic may be partially attributable to social constructs that surround
ideal body types. Younger persons, Whites, and women are disproportionately
affected by negative body image concerns, and these groups unduly suffer from
BMI-associated morbidity and mortality."
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/body-image-is-s.php
Sleep Duration May Play Important Role
in Childhood Obesity
Less sleep can increase a child's risk of being overweight
or obese, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health. Analysis of the data shows a clear association between
sleep duration and the risk for overweight or obesity in children. Desirable
sleep behavior may be an important low cost means for preventing childhood
obesity and should be considered in future intervention studies.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/sleep-duration.php
**Nutrition and Healthy Living
New Farm Bill Proposal Cuts Nutrition
Programs
Bread for the World reports that the
House Agriculture Committee Chairman and Ranking Member sent the first proposal
to the Senate to move the Farm Bill forward.
Their outline proposes changes in the commodity title to pay for needs
in other parts of the Farm Bill. Yet, significant cuts were made to the nutrition
title which provides funding for the Food Stamp Program-our first line of
defense against hunger. "The proposal significantly cuts back the $11.5
billion increase for nutrition programs over ten years passed by the full
House in July 2007.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/new-farm-bill-p.php
When it comes to Physical Activity,
One Size Does Not Fit All
A landmark University of
Alberta study,
analyzing a sample of over 275,000 individuals, has found that when it comes
to participation in physical activity, one size does not fit all. The study
uncovered some definite trends and preferences when deciding how and if a
person wants to be physically active. It is clear that different genders,
ethnicities and income levels have very diverse influences and choices when
it comes to being physically active. It also examined the impact of government
spending on parks and recreation on an individual's decision to participate
in physical activity and sports.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/study-when-it-c.php
**Seniors
Elderly More Likely to Deny Smoking
When Asked
More elderly adults are lighting up cigarettes and not
reporting their nicotine habits to doctors and others, according to findings
from one of the first studies to examine the accuracy of self-reported smoking
habits by age, race and gender of adults 18 years and older by researchers
at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and other
university collaborators. The findings bring into question the validity of
using self-reported tobacco use when conducting research projects, reporting
tobacco use by the general public or caring for individuals with chronic diseases
related to smoking, according to researchers of the study, "Age and Race/Ethnicity-Gender
Predictors of Denying Smoking, United States."
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/elderly-more-li.php
**Substance Abuse
OSI Offers $10 Million for 'Closing
the Addiction Treatment Gap'
George Soros' Open Society
Institute (OSI) has announced the availability of $10 million in grants to
communities seeking systemic changes to provide treatment on demand for individuals
with alcohol and other drug problems. The Closing the Addiction Treatment
Gap initiative "is designed to create an awareness of -- and increase
resources to close -- an alarming treatment gap: currently, four out of five
Americans who need drug and alcohol addiction treatment are unable to get
it," according to OSI.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/osi-offers-10-m.php
Community Advocates From Across the
Country to Rally on Capitol Hill for Increased Funding for Drug and Alcohol
Prevention
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America today released
the following media advisory. More than 1,000 community leaders from across
the country will rallied on Capitol Hill on Feb. 12, 2008 to stress the importance
of substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery programs, and to urge
Congress to fund key prevention initiatives. This annual gathering of 3,000
community prevention leaders and concerned citizens is the largest substance
abuse conference of its kind.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/2008/02/community-advoc.php
