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Surgeon
General Issues National Call to Action on Underage Drinking
In its first Call to Action
against underage drinking, the U.S. Surgeon General's Office appealed today
to Americans to do more to stop America's 11 million current underage drinkers
from using alcohol, and to keep other young people from starting. Although
there has been a significant decline in tobacco and illicit drug use among
teens, underage drinking has remained at consistently high levels.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/surgeon_general_2.php
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**Community Development
HUD
Announces $2.4 Billion Available Through 38 Grant Programs
The Department of Housing
and Urban Development published HUD's Fiscal Year 2007 "SuperNOFA," a notice that makes available approximately
$2.4 billion in funding through 38 individual grant programs. In launching
this year's grant application season, HUD Secretary Alphonso
Jackson strongly encouraged prospective applicants to read the general and
program-specific sections of their funding notices thoroughly and to follow
the registration information available in HUD's step-by-step registration
guide.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/hud_announces_2.php
**Economic Security
Where
the Funds Are: The Use of FSET Funds for Workforce Training Programs
Funding for workforce training
programs is limited. Many of the traditional funding streams used to cover
the costs of these programs have been cut, leaving administrators to think
creatively about alternative funding sources. According to the Center for Law and Social Policy, one possibility
is the Food Stamp Employment and Training program (FSET), which supports employment
and training services for food stamp participants.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/where_the_funds_1.php
Staying
in Jobs and Out of the Underground: Child Support Policies that Encourage
Legitimate Work
According to the Center
for Law and Social Policy, over 670,000 people were released from prison
into the community in 2004. Fathers typically enter prison with a $10,000
child support debt and leave owing $20,000 or more. High levels of child support
debt accumulating during incarceration can create an untenable financial situation
for fathers in low-wage jobs. Many fathers released from prison will respond
to child support enforcement pressures by reentering the underground economy
and resuming their old way of life.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/staying_in_jobs.php
Implementation
and First-Year Impacts of the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA)
Demonstration
This report from MDRC
presents findings on the implementation and early effects of Britain's Employment Retention and Advancement
(ERA) demonstration. Aimed at helping low-income individuals sustain employment
and progress in work, ERA offers a combination of job coaching and financial
incentives to participants once they are working. Across various types of
people and places, it increased the receipt of services and training for working
customers, increased participants' average earnings, and produced some reductions
in their benefit receipt.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/implementation_1.php
Responsive
Workplaces: The Business Case for Employment that Values Fairness and Families
According to the Center
for Law and Social Policy, more and more, working parents have dual --
and dueling -- responsibilities on the job and at home. Some employers have
adapted and made their workplaces responsive to working parents. Flexible
scheduling that considers employee preference and paid time off, for example,
have helped those who constantly juggle work and home. Often, such measures
have benefited the employers, too, demonstrating that businesses can do well
by doing good.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/responsive_work.php
**Education
Report
Explores Successes and Challenges of Preschool Program
This report from Chapin Hall shares findings from the first year of the
implementation of the Early Childhood Cluster Initiative (ECCI), a full-day
pre-kindergarten program in twenty classrooms based on the design of the High/Scope
Perry Preschool model in ten elementary schools in Palm Beach County. In
addition to the High/Scope curriculum, a highly regarded educational model
that has shown positive outcomes for children, the initiative is characterized
by low teacher-child ratios, the use of trained and certified teachers, and
an intensive program of activities to strengthen parent involvement.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/report_explores.php
An
Early Look at Restructuring Results in California
California educators face an uphill battle to
improve schools in restructuring -- the No Child Left Behind
Act's ultimate sanction for struggling schools according to a new study from
the Washington, D.C. based Center on Education Policy.
The number of California schools in NCLB restructuring nearly
doubled in the last year, increasing from 401 schools in 2005-06 to 701 in
2006-07, or roughly 8% of California schools.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/an_early_look_a.php
**Health
Food
Stamps' Positive Impact on Children's Health
In testimony before Congress,
the Food Research and Action
Center emphasized how the Food Stamp program is essential to the basic
well-being of millions of Americans, including the nutrition and health of
children, but needs to be strengthened further. For many low-income people,
food stamps are the critical lifeline -- a source of basic income as fundamentally
important as Social Security is to seniors.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/food_stamps_pos.php
When
Kids Get Sick, Insurance Matters
According to Families USA, extensive research has
documented the positive effects that health insurance has on a child's physical,
developmental, social, and emotional health. Children who have health insurance
are more likely to have a relationship with the same doctor over time, receive
regular well-child checkups, and have their medical, dental, vision, and other
health care needs met.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/when_kids_get_s.php
CDF
Unveils Fictional Presidential Campaign to Address Child Health Crisis
There are more than nine
million children in the United States who are currently without health insurance,
and the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) believes some of our elected officials
are not doing enough to solve the problem. As a result, CDF is announcing
the launch of "Elect Susie," an integrated marketing campaign designed
to build awareness for its legislative plan to provide all children in America with health insurance.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/cdf_unveils_fic.php
The
State Children's Health Insurance Program: Past, Present, and Future
The Commonwealth Fund
discusses how reauthorization provides a chance to improve SCHIP, strategies
for reining in health spending, and more. Reauthorization---which has historically
been a chance to review, refine, and revamp programs---along with general
concerns about the health system have put policy affecting children's health
coverage at the top of the list of legislative priorities for the 110th Congress.
This report reviews the program's history and design, describes its present
challenges and successes, assesses issues Congress is likely to consider during
reauthorization, and explores future policy options including potential changes
in eligibility and financing.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/the_state_child_1.php
**Homelessness
National
Award for Campaign to End Homelessness in Michigan
At the Second Annual National
Summit for Jurisdictional Leaders, the United States Interagency Council on
Homelessness (USICH) recognized Governor Jennifer M. Granholm with the "Every American Deserves A Home" award for her encouragement and leadership for
Michigan's statewide Campaign to End Homelessness.
The Summit, themed The Pursuit of Solutions,
was inspired by the recent hit movie "The Pursuit of Happyness"
starring Will Smith portraying the true life story of Chris Gardner.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/national_award.php
HUD
Releases Landmark Homeless Study
For the first time since
1984, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is releasing a
report on the scope of homelessness in America. HUD's first-ever Annual Homeless
Assessment Report to Congress concludes that an estimated 754,000 persons
are homeless on any given night. HUD's assessment also measures homelessness
over time, allowing researchers to expand their body of knowledge beyond the
more limited "point-in-time" estimates of the past.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/hud_releases_la.php
HHS
Releases Strategic Action Plan on Homelessness
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt
announced his vision for helping America's homeless through improving their
access to health insurance and health services and by encouraging continued
collaboration among other committed federal agencies. HHS' Departmental Strategic
Action Plan on Homelessness details HHS strategies toward preventing homelessness
by ensuring the provision of services to eligible individuals and families,
empowering states and community partners to improve their response to homelessness,
and tracking Departmental progress in reaching these goals.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/hhs_releases_st.php
**Substance Abuse
Substance
Abuse Interventions for Young Offenders
Juvenile justice systems
do not often provide an effective response to substance abuse problems among
young offenders. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched Reclaiming Futures,
a ten-community demonstration project, to improve substance abuse interventions
for justice-involved youth. The initiative relies on inter-organizational
collaboration, shared performance management, enhanced treatment quality,
strengthened leadership, and community partnerships to improve systems and
services.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/substance_abuse_1.php
'Responsible
Alcohol Use' Group Launches First Community Project
The Foundation for Alcohol
Responsibility (FAR), an alcohol-industry supported group that advocates for
responsible use of alcohol and seeks to "prevent intoxication, drunk
driving and other alcohol-related problems," has launched its first community-based
project in Harrisonburg, Va. FAR will conduct alcohol-education
outreach to local community members and leaders "while arming them with
the information to both consume and serve alcohol responsibly and to intervene
in instances of intoxication."
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/responsible_alc.php
Mass.
Risks Loss of Federal Block Grant Funding, Advocates Say
Rising sales of tobacco
products to underage users could lead to the loss of federal addiction block-grant
funds in Massachusetts, local officials warn. "It's
time to restore the trust, reinvest in tobacco prevention and cessation and
protect our kids," Diane Pickles, executive director of Framingham-based
Tobacco Free Mass Coalition, told state legislators this week.
http://webclipper.handsnet.org/mt-static/archives/2007/03/mass_risks_loss.php
