Human Services
Community Building
Digest

The Office of Justice Programs' Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), has recently released the following publications to enhance efforts of law enforcement, families, and community members engaged in the protection of children.

Protecting Children in Cyberspace

This bulletin addresses the emerging online threat to children and teenagers and the efforts of OJJDP's Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force Program to enhance the response of state and local law enforcement to child pornography and enticement offenses. The ICAC Program provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute child sexual exploitation cases, provide technical assistance to other law enforcement agencies, and educate the public on Internet safety.

PDF: http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/191213.pdf

 The Criminal Justice System's Response to Parental Abduction

This bulletin discusses an OJJDP-funded study of whether and how the criminal justice system intervenes in incidences when parents abduct their children. The study examined all facets of the criminal justice system's response to parental abduction, including the reporting of the incident, investigation of the case, location and recovery of the child, and the criminal prosecution of the
abductor(s).

http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/jjbul2001_12_4/contents.html

This bulletin discusses an OJJDP-funded study that identified barriers to resolving cases of international abductions of children by a parent. This study is one of the first attempts to develop extensive research findings about the experiences of left-behind parents, practices of the Hague Convention Central Authorities, and strategies that can be used by attorneys, judges, law enforcement personnel, and other professionals to assist in recovering abducted children quickly and safely.

PDF: http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/190105.pdf

The Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act

This bulletin describes the Uniform Child-Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, the most recent in a series of laws designed to deter interstate parental kidnapping and promote uniform jurisdiction and enforcement provisions in interstate child-custody and visitation cases. The Act has been proposed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.

http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/jjbul2001_12_2/contents.html

A Family Resource Guide on International Parental Kidnapping

This guide reflects the practical wisdom and lessons learned from a group of left-behind and searching parents. It provides descriptions and realistic assessments of the civil and criminal remedies available in international parental kidnapping cases, explains applicable laws and identifies possible public and private
resources related to international abduction.

PDF: http://www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/ojjdp/190448.pdf

Drug and Alcohol Treatment in Juvenile Correctional Facilities

HTML: http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/oas.html

PDF: http://www.samhsa.gov/oas/2k2/YouthJusticeTX/YouthJusticeTX.pdf

**Community Development

A new publication from the National Housing Conference (NHC) outlines key issues and common themes regarding the nation's affordable housing crisis, and highlights steps currently being taken to address it.  The study synthesizes the output from a series of roundtables which brought together local housing practitioners, community and business leaders and local public officials to discuss the most pressing housing needs in their communities, and seeks to uncover common themes and solutions

PDF: http://www.nhc.org/nhcimages/fourwindowsfinal.pdf

A recent report issued by the National Governor's Association provides a brief analysis of the variety of strategies used by states to increase the supply of affordable housing for low-income families.  It discusses use of TANF and state MOE funds for housing, as well as approaches using state general funds, tax credits and other tax incentives, trust funds, and Individual Development Accounts and other homeownership strategies.

PDF: http://www.nga.org/center/divisions/1,1188,C_ISSUE_BRIEF%5eD_3551,00.html

**Education

Grades Still Pending on Vouchers and Charter Schools

Public debates and court rulings continue to weigh the merits and demerits of school vouchers and charter schools, but neither the hopes of supporters nor the fears of opponents can currently be confirmed regarding these programs.  In the most comprehensive examination of the nation's experience with these efforts to date, a RAND team has evaluated the evidence on vouchers and charters in terms of their effects on five major policy goals: academic achievement, choice, access, integration, and civic socialization.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/rr.04.02/news.html#vouchers

Another RAND analysis evaluates state testing programs, new forms of educational assessment, the validity of scores and gains on high-stakes tests.  Now that the president has signed the No Child Left Behind Act, every state must develop a plan to begin testing all students in reading and math in grades 3 through 8 and in high school. Cash and other rewards could be conferred upon districts and schools with high scores, and tough sanctions will be imposed on the schools with persistently low scores. However, there is no guarantee that the strict accountability provisions of the new law will promote student achievement or improve poor schools. In fact, it is quite possible that the new accountability systems may produce some negative results. Therefore, it is important for states to design their accountability systems to prevent any unintended, negative results.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/rr.04.02/theory.html

**Faith Based Initiatives

Collaborations Catalogue: A Report on Charitable Choice Implementation

PDF: http://www.hudsonfaithincommunities.org/articles/FinalExecSummBroch.pdf

Barriers to Medicaid Enrollment for Seniors

The Kaiser Family Foundation sponsored a set of ten focus groups with low-income seniors to better understand barriers to those that are eligible for the program but are not enrolled and learn about the seniors who are enrolled in Medicaid to see how the program is working for them.

PDF: http://www.kff.org/content/2002/4029/Barriers.pdf

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine finds that African American and Latino HIV/AIDS patients are far less likely than whites to participate in research trials or get experimental drugs, even though these minority groups account for nearly half of HIV/AIDS patients. These are the latest findings from the RAND HIV Cost and Services Utilization Study, the only nationally representative study of adults in care for HIV/AIDS.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/346/18/1373

A report issued by Families USA, documents that private health plans serving seniors are very costly, are unevenly available from place to place, and have diminished in value over time.  According to the report, the proposal currently under discussion in the House of Representatives to induce private insurance companies to offer coverage for seniors' prescription drugs - which the insurance industry has said they do not want to offer - is likely to fail seniors.  The report goes further to say that unlike the Medicare program, private insurance companies' experiences in providing health care for seniors show that they are an unreliable source of prescription drug coverage.

PDF: http://www.familiesusa.org/M%2BCspecialreport.pdf

Following up on the Fact Sheet cited in last weeks Digest Families USA has issued a report on the proposal to enact tax credits to help the uninsured purchase health insurance in the private market.  The report finds that this proposal would not expand health care coverage for America’s uninsured.

PDF:  http://www.familiesusa.org/taxcreditsreport2002update.pdf

**Housing

Connection Between Federal Housing and Welfare Policies

On May 1, 2002, the Senate Subcommittee on Housing and Transportation held a hearing to examine the connection between federal housing and welfare policies. Of particular interest to the Subcommittee was the effectiveness of federal housing programs in supporting families that move from welfare to work Testimony from hearing is available online in the text and audio versions.

http://banking.senate.gov/02_05hrg/050102a/index.htm

**Hunger

The Food and Nutrition Service of the US Department of Agriculture has announced a competitive grant opportunity to improve Food Stamp Program access through the use of new technology and partnerships.  Any interested non-food stamp governmental authority (e.g., State/local school district, public health clinics, veterans organizations), foundations and other non-profit organizations (e.g., local and national organizations, faith-based organizations, food banks, community groups, chambers of commerce), and/or, institutions of higher education can apply for these grants..

http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsp/GRANTS/2002/research_grants.htm

**Philanthropy

 New Research on Religious Organizations and Government

The Nonprofit Sector Strategy Group of The Aspen Institute recently published two new pamphlets examining the relationship between religious organizations and government and the role of government in encouraging giving and volunteering.  The pamphlets, which examine the Bush Administration's proposed "Faith-Based Initiative" as well as develop basic principles to help steer future nonprofit-government interaction, are the result of extensive discussion between leading nonprofit, corporate and government officials.

“Religious Organizations and Government"  

PDF: http://www.aspeninstitute.org/nssg/pdfs/religion.pdf

"The Nonprofit Sector and Government: Clarifying the Relationship"

PDF: http://www.aspeninstitute.org/nssg/pdfs/government.pdf

**Substance Abuse

Find a Substance Abuse Treatment Facility.

The National Directory of Drug and Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs 2001 is based on an annual survey conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.   The Locator includes more than 11,000 addiction treatment programs, including residential treatment centers, outpatient treatment programs, and hospital inpatient programs for drug addiction and alcoholism. Listings include treatment programs for marijuana, cocaine, and heroin addiction, as well as drug and alcohol treatment programs for adolescents, and adults.

http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/

Effectively Serving TANF Clients with Substance Abuse Problems: Making a Difference on the Frontline

This report from the Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families describes a workshop of the Welfare Technical Assistance Network.  The workshop explored how TANF agencies and treatment providers can work together to better serve clients and showcase the New Jersey Substance Abuse Research Demonstration program.

http://www.calib.com/peerta/pdf/seminar2.pdf

Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment and Welfare Reform: Bringing the Systems Together

This report draws the connection between alcohol/substance abuse and welfare dependency, and describes how the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services operating in a collaborative policy and program environment has contributed to welfare reform in New York State.

http://www.oasas.state.ny.us/progops/vocserv/welfref_execsum_613.htm

**Technology

Sharing technology-training expertise in the nonprofit community got easier with the launch of TrainingPoint. Nonprofit trainers looking for up-to-date training manuals on Excel, FileMaker, and other software programs and tech topics can now download these curricula from others for free. TrainingPoint offers users the ability to download complete training materials in the following major topic areas: Basic Computer Skills, Computer Applications, the Internet, Specialized Software, and Technology Management/Planning. Plus, if you have resources in these areas, you can upload your own curricula to share

http://www.trainingpoint.org

Nationwide Digital Empowerment Campaign Launched

More than 100 national and local organizations, including the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), CTCNet, the National Urban League, the National Congress of American Indians, and the American Council of the Blind, have come together to launch the Digital Empowerment Campaign, a nationwide grassroots effort to preserve and strengthen the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP) and the Community Technology Centers program (CTC).   As part of the launch, the national leaders of the campaign delivered a letter to Congress urging full funding for these modest, but critically important, community technology programs.  A new campaign Website will play a central role in educating the public about the programs and coordinating the campaign. The site features state-by-state breakdowns of federal support along with real life testimonials from beneficiaries of the programs.

http://www.digitalempowerment.org/

 Case Studies Requested – Internet Use in Small Communities

The National Center for Small Communities (NCSC) recently received a grant from the AOL Time Warner Foundation to update and reissue Getting Online: a guide to the Internet for small town leaders.  The original Getting Online, released in September 1999, used plain English to demonstrate the power, organization and tools of the Internet.  NCSC is seeking brief (1-page, 500 words max.) small community (less than 15,000 pop.) case studies to incorporate into the new Getting Online.  If you are interested in preparing a brief case study, please contact Nancy Stark, NCSC’s Director of Community and Economic Development, nstark@handsnet.org.  All case studies must be submitted by June 10.

http://www.natat.org/ncsc/

**Welfare Reform

Children and Welfare Reform: Issues and Ideas

The most recent issue of The Future of Children focuses on the impact of Welfare Reform on Children.  In the five years since passage of the federal welfare reform law, more than two million families left the welfare rolls. Helped by a strong economy and various income support policies, low-income families and their children have fared fairly well under reform. But many families are still struggling economically, and many remaining on the rolls face serious barriers to employment. As the economy slows, the future of low-income children becomes even less certain.

http://www.futureofchildren.org/pubs-info2845/pubs-info.htm?doc_id=102673

Children of Current and Former Welfare Recipients: Similarly at Risk

A brief from Child Trends compares survey data for children of welfare leavers and current welfare recipients on several outcome indicators in three key areas – health, school engagement and social behavior.

PDF: http://www.childtrends.org/PDF/leaversRB302.pdf

Unfinished Business of Welfare Reform: Improving Prospects for Poor Children and Youth

Another report from Child Trends that is  periodically updated analyses national trend data and rigorous experimental studies to inform the debate of how to ensure positive prospects for children as the original welfare reform legislation evolves.

PDF:  http://www.childtrends.org/PDF/UnfinishedBusinessofWR.pdf

Welfare to Work: Does It Work for Kids? Research On Work and Income Welfare Experiments

A report from the National Association of Child Advocates analyses central tenets of welfare reform legislation – that work was the best way to improve the lives of single parents and their children and that parents at work would set a good example for their children, as role models of self sufficiency.  The research evidence shows that  school-age children benefit when their parents are in programs that increase both employment and income.

PDF: http://www.childadvocacy.org/welfaretowork.pdf

States are Already Cutting Childcare and TANF Funded Programs

A report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities finds that several states have implemented or proposed spending reductions in programs that are largely supported by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant.  The cuts generally target either programs that aid cash assistance recipients in overcoming barriers to work or programs that provide work supports, like childcare, for low-income families that do not receive cash assistance.

PDF: http://www.cbpp.org/5-16-02wel.pdf

House Passes TANF Reauthorization

On Thursday, May 16th, the House of Representatives passed its version of TANF reauthorization legislation by a vote of 229 to 197.  The bill, (H.R. 4737 in its final form), contains restrictions on education and training, and increases work requirements and work participation rates. An analysis of this bill (not final) is available from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.  The action now shifts to the Senate.

http://www.cbpp.org/5-8-02tanf.htm