Human Services
Community Building
Digest

The Health Improvement Report -- part of Population Connection's biennial Kid Friendly Cities Report Card series shows a snap shot of kids' health in 165 American cities over an eight-year period and suggests that the work to tackle problems as teen pregnancy is having a huge positive impact on the quality of children's lives. http://www.populationconnection.org/Communications/Health/HImedia.htm

Teen Pregnancy: Trends and Lessons Learned

The Alan Guttmacher Institute as part of an “Issues in Brief” series finds that during the 1990s, teenage pregnancy rates and birthrates declined to record low levels. Even with this progress, however, the U.S. teen birthrate is one of the highest in the developed world. Research on what is behind the U.S. declines and why rates nonetheless are lower in other countries may help in crafting responses to the problem.

http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/ib_1-02.html

A Group of Religious Leaders Support Sex Education that Includes Abstinence and Contraception

While sex education is often framed as a "morals versus public health" argument, a group of religious leaders are supporting comprehensive sexuality education programs and opposing abstinence-only programs. Stating that "scriptural and theological commitment to telling the truth calls for full and honest education about sexual and reproductive health, the stance has been developed at a colloquium of theologians sponsored by the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing.

http://www.religiousinstitute.org/declaration.html

Teen Friendships More Racially Segregated at Moderately Diverse Schools

An analysis from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's Adolescent Health Study shows that teens are more likely to choose friends from within their own racial group in moderately racially mixed schools, with this likelihood greatest in schools where diversity is moderately high.  However, the analysis also found that in schools with the highest levels of diversity, the likelihood of choosing friends from one's own racial group decreases, and students are more likely to form friendships with people in other groups. The study also points the way for schools to take the steps that make it easier for children from different groups to get to know each other.  

http://www.omhrc.gov/omhrc/pressreleases/2002press0528a.htm

**Community Development

Advocates' Guide to Housing and Community Development Policy.

The National Low Income Housing Coalition has made available the 2002 edition of the Advocates' Guide to Housing and Community Development Policy. Designed as a briefing book for advocates seeking to influence federal government programs and legislation, the Guide outlines the Coalition's agenda, the National Housing Trust Fund Campaign, and 42 other programs and issues such as Thrifty Production Vouchers, HOPE VI, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, and the Consolidated Plan. It includes a directory of organizations, a glossary, and a list of abbreviations and acronyms, as well as a guide to data sources. 

http://www.nlihc.org/advocates/index.htm

Can the American Dream Leave No Family Behind?

The current issue of the Urban Research Monitor from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development highlights two articles that find that despite recent increases in homeownership opportunities, not all Americans can afford to buy homes. Low- income families may lack adequate income, savings, or both to qualify for even the most flexible, innovative financing.  One report uses mathematical simulation to demonstrate the impact of different financing strategies on homebuying capacity for different groups of renters.  The other examines income and wealth constraints as key barriers to homeownership and recommends different financing strategies for different groups of prospective homebuyers.

http://www.huduser.org/periodicals/urm/urm_04_2002/urm1.html

“Dirty Bomber” Illustrates Link Between Terrorism And Poverty
The Community Action Partnership is concerned that poor communities are a breeding ground for terrorist recruiters. These communities are vulnerable and lacking access to information on terrorism, thus making them an easy target for violence. The Partnership wants to end this destruction by empowering communities to become stronger and less susceptible to ruthless individuals preying on their residents, while at the same time forging a heightened sense of awareness.  “We need to mobilize low-income Americans to be on high alert and help them comprehend the President’s recommendations,” said Derrick Len Span, national executive director of the Partnership. “They need to be cautious and cognizant of suspicious or unusual occurrences just like the rest of the country.”

http://www.communityactionpartnership.com/news.asp?id=105

**Economic Security

The House Proposal to Make Marriage Penalty Relief Provisions Permanent

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that last year's tax cut included several provisions targeted towards married couples and the House is now considering legislation that would make those provisions permanent.  While the idea of “marriage penalty relief” sounds appealing, an analysis finds the proposal is problematic.

http://www.cbpp.org/6-13-02tax.htm

The Senate Rejects a Permanent Repeal of the Estate Tax

OMB Watch reports that the Senate rejected the final vote for permanent repeal of the estate tax.  Votes on the two Democratic reform amendments showed that there is a lot of support for reform, and means that there is now a need to move forward to discuss what fair and reasonable reform should include.

http://www.ombwatch.org/estatetax

**Health

Men of Color Face Health Crisis

A report from Community Voices, “HealthCare for the Underserved,” finds that because men from racial and ethnic minority populations face such a high risk of heart disease, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and other conditions and often lack access to basic care, they are now experiencing a health care crisis.  There is a growing urgency to recognize and to stem this crisis as the diversity of our nation continues to expand.  Unless action is taken soon, the crisis, and attendant financial implications related to treating large numbers of men living in poverty, will grow.

http://www.communityvoices.org/Articles/Article.asp?ID=189

Report on Health Finds a Good News/Bad News Story for Americans Age 50+

A report from the AARP finds that there is good news and bad news about the health security of Americans over 50.  The report finds that Americans age 50+ are healthier and living longer overall, but their long-term health security remains at risk. http://www.aarp.org/press/2002/nr052102.html

California Approved HIFA Demonstration

The Department of Health and Human Services approved California's plan to expand health coverage to 300,000 uninsured Californians - primarily parents whose children are covered under California's Medicaid program or State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).  California's waiver under the new, more flexible Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability (HIFA) Initiative designed to make it easier for states to expand coverage to people without health insurance through the Medicaid and SCHIP programs.  California is the second state to receive a HIFA waiver. Arizona last month received the first HIFA waiver to cover an estimated 25,000 uninsured parents.

http://www.hcfa.gov/medicaid/hifa/capr1242.htm

New Tools to Gauge Public Health Services at Local and State Levels

The National Public Health Performance Standards Program has made available final drafts of local, state and governance instruments that officials can use to compile and evaluate data on the services provided through their public health systems.  The evaluation instruments are the work of a partnership between American Public Health Association, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Association of County and City Health Officials, National Association of Local Boards of Health and Public Health Foundation.

The State Public Health System Performance Assessment Instrument is online:

PDF: http://www.apha.org/ppp/phipmain/statefinal.pdf

The Local Public Health System Performance Assessment Instrument is at:

PDF: http://www.apha.org/ppp/phip main/localfinal.pdf

Funding Available for Mental Health Demonstration Projects

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) has announced the availability of fiscal year 2002 funds for up to four grants to develop, implement, document, and evaluate training programs designed to enhance the ability of mental health providers to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services to racial and ethnic minorities. By implementing this program, CMHS plans to identify effective ``workforce training'' models that improve the capacity of the mental health workforce and the mental health system to engage, treat, and support racial and ethnic minority persons with mental illnesses or serious emotional disturbance.  The deadline is June 19, 2002 

http://www.omhrc.gov/wwwroot/OMH/WhatsNew/2pgwhatsnew/funding236.htm

**Reproductive Health

Decrease in the Number of Abortions

In 1969, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began abortion surveillance to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions, to monitor unintended pregnancy, and to assist efforts to identify and reduce preventable causes of morbidity and mortality associated with abortions.  In 1998, 884,273 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC, representing a 2% from the figure in 1997. The abortion ratio, defined as the number of abortions per 1,000 live births, was 264, compared with 274 in 1997.

http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/fs020606b.htm

**Substance Abuse

Effort to Enlist Corporate America in Youth Drug Prevention

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has teamed up with Safeway, the country's third-largest grocery store chain, to deliver youth drug prevention information to millions of parents. In a broad partnership with ONDCP's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, Safeway has launched an anti-drug advertising and communications campaign for parents in its U.S. stores.  The partnership is part of a larger effort launched by the Media Campaign last fall to enlist corporate America in youth drug prevention

http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press02/053102.html

**Violence Prevention

Best Practices of Youth Violence Prevention: A Sourcebook for Community Action

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has  announced the release of a community-oriented sourcebook that describes strategies for successfully implementing proven or promising interventions to prevent youth violence.  "Violence is a public health issue because of its tremendous impact on the health and well-being of our youth. Violent injury and death disproportionately affect children, adolescents, and young adults in the United States, " said the CDC Director.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/bestpractices/PressRelease-BP.htm

**Welfare Reform

"The Evaluation of Welfare Reform in Iowa." Thomas Fraker, Christine Ross,

A report from Mathematica Policy Research details how welfare reform in Iowa succeeded in getting welfare recipients into training and then into jobs. However, the reforms did not always succeed in raising family income and may have reduced it for some families.  Furthermore, researchers noted negative impacts on some measures of family and child well being, including less marriage among those who started receiving welfare after the reforms started. 

Full report:

http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/PDFs/redirect.asp?strSite=iowawelreport.pdf

Executive summary:

http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/PDFs/redirect.asp?strSite=iowawelsumm.pdf

True Faces of Welfare Reform; Welfare Recipients Share Personal Viewpoints, Experiences Regarding Welfare to Work

The Alliance for Children and Families has published "Faces of Change," a qualitative study that highlights the stories of more than 200 people who are moving from welfare to work. It provides first-hand insights into the successes and failures experienced since welfare reform began in 1996.  "Long-term welfare reform will only succeed if America's resources are focused on eliminating the barriers that stand in the way of struggling families," says the president and CEO of the Alliance for Children and Families, which conducted the study with assistance from the Community Service Society of New York. "To succeed we must create effective pathways out of poverty, including access to job training, health care, child care, and adequate transportation."

http://www.alliance1.org/Research/Facesofchange.asp

Side-by-Side Comparison of Child Care and Early Education Provisions in Key Senate, House, and Administration Bills and Proposals

The Center for Law and Social Policy has produced a document that summarizes selected child care and early education provisions in current law, the Administration’s TANF proposal and Early Education Initiative, the final reauthorization bill (H.R. 4737) passed by the House, and Senate bills and proposals regarding TANF and CCDBG. This side-by-side chart is part of a joint effort with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

http://www.clasp.org/pubs/childcare/Senate_ECE_side-by-side_6-12.htm

Spending Too Much, Accomplishing Too Little: An Analysis of the Family Formation Provisions of H.R. 4737 and Recommendations for Change

Another paper from the Center for Law and Social Policy provides an in-depth analysis of the various provisions in the TANF reauthorization bill passed by the House in May regarding: (1) program purposes and maintenance of effort clauses, (2) the provision of TANF benefits to two-parent families, (3) the establishment of marriage performance goals, and (4) funding for marriage and fatherhood activities.  In each section, the authors offer recommendations for the Senate to consider as it takes up TANF reauthorization

http://www.clasp.org/pubs/familyformation/HR_4737_family_form_analysis_061102.htm

Making Ends Meet: Six Programs That Help Working Families and Employers. A Guide for Business Leaders and Policymakers

A third report from CLASP developed for a meeting cosponsored by the Welfare to Work Partnership, provides information on six work support programs: the Earned Income Tax Credit, child care, Food Stamps, health care, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and child support.  It explains how each program promotes financial security for low-income families, as well as employment retention, which benefits both working families and their employers. 

PDF:  http://www.clasp.org/pubs/jobseducation/Making_Ends_Meet.pdf