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**Children,
Youth & Families
The Evaluation Exchange on
Family Involvement
Harvard Family Research
Project has just released the Winter 2004/2005 issue of their "The
Evaluation Exchange" periodical. The latest issue's topic is evaluating
programs that promote families' involvement in children's learning and
development. The new issue compiles the current knowledge base on family
support and involvement programs and provides a continuous perspective on
family processes surrounding children's learning and development, from a
child's early years through adolescence.
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/eval/issue28/
Tufts Researchers Changing
Way Americans Define Success for Adolescents
In the first longitudinal
study of 'Positive Youth Development,' Tufts researchers have data showing that,
when active in their community, school and family, adolescents can be happy,
productive and valuable 'assets' to their neighborhoods, and not 'problems to
be managed'.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-01/tu-trc011905.php
Adult Moms More
Affectionate with their Infants
A new study of maternal
behavior from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research finds that mothers who
are more mature tend to display more affection towards their infants whereas
teenage mothers often focus on instrumental behavior like fixing their infant's
clothes.
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/050117-877.asp
Fact Sheet: CDC
Report Finds Refugee Children at High Risk for Lead Exposure
According to a new Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, although blood lead levels
(BLL) in children aged 1 to 5 years are decreasing in the United States, the
risk for elevated BLL remains high for certain populations such as refugees.
http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/fs050120b.htm
**Civic Engagement
Coalition to Release Black
Contract with America on Moral Value Issues on Feb. 1
A national evangelical
Christian leader, launched a new national nonprofit organization
today called the High-Impact Leadership Coalition. The new grassroots nonprofit
organization's mission is to help educate and empower church, community and
political leaders in urban communities across America regarding moral value issues important to us all,
especially among African Americans.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=41758
**Community Development
HUD Honors 20 State and
Local Governments with "Doorknocker Award" for Outstanding Work in
Affordable Housing
The Department of Housing and
Urban Development announced that its is recognizing 20 state and local
governments around the country with the first national HOME Doorknocker Award
for their outstanding work in providing affordable housing to low-income and
underserved people. From building decent homes for migrant farm workers to
providing rental assistance to young people aging out of foster care, each
community represents a model for developing innovative housing solutions to
meet the specific needs in their areas.
http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr05-004.cfm
**Economic Security
Low-Income Families in the States:
Results from the Family Resource Simulator
Using the Family Resource
Simulator, the National Center for Children in Poverty has charted the resources and
expenses of two hypothetical Alabama families. The Simulator illustrates the state’s
public policies and whether they reward and encourage employment.
http://www.nccp.org/pub_frs05g.html
ACORN Tells Working
Families: Don't Get 'RAL-Roaded’
This tax season ACORN wants
low and moderate-income people to know that they don't have to get a Refund
Anticipation Loan (RAL) to receive their refund fast. The community group says
that many working people, who are eager to get their refund, are steered into
taking out a costly RAL.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=41859
**Education
A Matter of Class -
Educational Achievement Reflects Family Background More Than Ethnicity or
Immigration
This report from RAND
examines student reading and math scores in light of race, ethnicity, immigrant
status and socioeconomic factors, such as parent education levels, neighborhood
poverty, parental occupational status and family income. The report's findings are followed by policy
recommendations.
http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/fall2004/class.html
How Much Does an Arizona Public School Education Cost? Report Brings Transparency to
Education Finance
A new analysis of Arizona public school financing shows average total spending
for an Arizona public school student is between $8,500 and $9,000.
The report, co-published by the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation and the
Goldwater Institute, presents information from the Arizona Department of
Education's multiple accounting systems in a clear, straightforward way that is
readily accessible to parents, taxpayers, and policymakers.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=41868
**Health
A Proverb a Day May Make
you Healthier
In a paper published in the Journal
of Epidemiology and Community Health, a professor from the University of Toronto it's time to add to our store of proverbs with new phrases that teach
us how to be healthier. We need to
create new science-based proverbs that reflect current information about
healthy living.
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/050117-874.asp
Assessing Health Care
Experts' Views on Policy Priorities
The first in a new Commonwealth
Fund series of online surveys of health care experts finds broad consensus that
covering the uninsured and improving quality and safety of care should be
Congress' top two health care priorities over the next five years. The survey,
conducted by Harris Interactive, is designed to provide an ongoing measure of
expert views of health policy priorities and options for addressing key issues.
http://www.cmwf.org/surveys/surveys_show.htm?doc_id=254281
HHS Reallocates
SCHIP Funds, No State Will Fall Short
The Department of Health and
Human Services announced a redistribution of $643 million dollars in unspent
State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) funds to help states avoid
funding shortfalls in 2005. In all, 28
states will be getting supplemental funds under today's announcement. Without
the redistribution, five of the states, including Arizona, Minnesota,
Mississippi, New Jersey
and Rhode Island, would have run out of federal funding for their SCHIP
programs.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2005pres/20050119a.html
Study Shows Strengths, Gaps
in Quality of Care for Kids in California's Public Mental Health Clinics
A UCLA-led study of
children's patient records at California's public mental health clinics identifies strengths
and gaps in quality of care. For example, nearly three-quarters of patient
records of children receiving psychoactive medication did not document adequate
safety monitoring through vital signs or laboratory studies. The study examines
safety and appropriateness of care for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), conduct disorder and major depression in the public clinics.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-01/uoc--sss011805.php
**Hunger & Nutrition
Local School Wellness Policies Briefing
The Child Nutrition and WIC
Reauthorization Act of 2004 includes a local school wellness policy provision
that is an important new tool to address obesity and promote healthy eating and
physical activity through changes in school environments. On January 12, 2005, the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity
(NANA) and Child Nutrition Forum convened a Stake Holders Briefing on School
Wellness Policies at the American Federation of Teachers headquarters in Washington, DC. Over 150 people attended, from a broad range of
organizations and several states.
http://www.frac.org/html/federal_food_programs/cnreauthor/wellness_briefing.htm
**Substance Abuse
Teen Drug Use
Declines 2003-2004
According to the Department
of Health and Human Services, results from the annual Monitoring the Future
(MTF) survey indicate an almost 7 percent decline of any illicit drug use in
the past month by 8th, 10th, and 12th graders combined from 2003 to 2004. Trend
analysis from 2001 to 2004 revealed a 17 percent cumulative decline in drug
use, and an 18 percent cumulative drop in marijuana past month use.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20041221.html
The Partnership for a
Healthy Mississippi Honored as National Leader in Protecting Kids from
Tobacco
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free
Kids today honored The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi as a national
leader in protecting kids from tobacco, presenting The Partnership with the
Campaign's first ever "Keeping the Promise" Award for its success.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=122-01182005&site=rss
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