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UPDATE: CHILD NUTRITION REAUTHORIZATION UNANIMOUSLY
PASSES BOTH CHAMBERS
From: Food Research and Action Center
On June 22 and June 23, respectively, the Senate and House
each unanimously passed identical child nutrition reauthorization bills, S.
2507 and H.R. 3873. The legislation will expand the availability of nutritious
meals and snacks to more children in school, in outside school hours programs,
and in child care; and will improve the quality of food in schools.
http://www.frac.org/html/news/Press_06.24.04.html
UPDATE:
CLEAN 3-MONTH EXTENSION OF TANF PASSED IN HOUSE
A clean 3-month extension of TANF, introduced by the chair
of the Human Resources subcommittee of the Ways and Means committee, passed the
House of Representatives by a voice vote on Tuesday, June 22nd. The bill (H.R. 4589) is expected to pass the
Senate, before the Congress breaks for the July 4th recess on Friday, June
25th. Once passed by the Senate, the
extension will expire on September 30th.
http://66.36.240.156/alerts/default.asp#3
UPDATE:
INTRODUCTION OF THE HEALTHY FAMILIES ACT
From: The National Partnership for Women and Families
On June 15th, the Healthy Families Act (S. 2520) was
introduced in the Senate by Senator Kennedy (R-MA). This bill would provide full-time workers
with seven paid sick days a year to be used for their own medical needs or
those of a close family member. In
addition, part-time employees would receive a pro-rata share. This legislation is crucial to the more than
59 million Americans who do not have even one paid sick day to care for
themselves or a sick family member.
http://66.36.240.156/alerts/default.asp#4
UPDATE:
CIVIL LIBERTIES RESTORATION ACT INTRODUCED
From: The
Rights Working Group:
The Civil
Liberties Restoration Act of 2004 (S. 2528) was introduced on June 16th. The CLRA would guarantee every person a fair
trial to providing equal protection under the law, through provisions to: end
secret hearings, ensure due process for detained individuals, establish an
independent immigrant court, limit secret seizures of records, ensure access to
evidence, as well as several other provisions.
This important legislation would move the United States forward at this important time by
demonstrating to the world that this country takes seriously the rights of
people it detains. Local organizations
interested in supporting the CLRA can contact the National Immigration Forum
http://66.36.240.156/alerts/default.asp#5
**Children, Youth &
Families
Research
Reveals Positive Long-term Impact of YouthBuild Program
A study
conducted by researchers at Brandeis and Temple Universities of 900 graduates
of YouthBuild, a youth and community development program funded primarily by
the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, found that disconnected
young people who completed YouthBuild became optimistic about their future
prospects and were doing well by many measures.
In YouthBuild programs young people ages 16 to 24 work toward their GED
or high school diploma while learning job skills through building affordable
homes for low-income and homeless people in their communities.
http://www.youthbuild.org/gradresearch.html
Electronic
Game Use is Associated with Childhood Obesity
A new study from The Children's Hospital
of Philadelphia adds to the
evidence that sedentary behaviors are linked to childhood obesity and sheds
light on the world-wide dimension of the problem. Researchers from the hospital
and the University Hospital Zurich found a strong association between playing
electronic video games and childhood obesity in school-aged Swiss children.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=159681&TICK=CHOP&STORY=/www/story/06-30-2004/0002202624&EDATE=Jun+30,+2004
Depression,
Substance Abuse, and Domestic Violence: Co-Occurance and Combined Effects on
Low-Income Families
The National Center
for Children in Poverty analyses the societal costs of depression, domestic
violence, and substance abuse which are often considered individual problems. Either alone or in combination, these risk
factors not only impair the ability to work, they also affect parenting
processes, which can hinder children's development. The report summarizes recent research and
finds that there is a need for more information on two-generation approaches.
PDF: http://lift.nccp.org/media/dsd04-text.pdf
**Community Development
Poll Shows
Most Americans See Homeownership as Sound Investment for Families, Communities
According to a recent poll of 1000 adults commissioned by
the Homeownership Alliance, a majority of Americans believe owning their own
home leads to personal financial security, improved school performance for
their children and greater community involvement. The poll also finds that homeowners as a
whole are more likely to vote.
http://www.homeownershipalliance.com/press/releases/2004/063004.php
Sierra
Club Report Details Impact of Bush Administration Environmental Policies on
Latinos
The Sierra Club's 2004 Latino Communities at Risk Report
details the cumulative impact of the Bush administration's environmental
actions on Hispanic communities throughout the country. The report looks behind
the policy and the numbers to tell the stories of 12 individuals and families
whose health and livelihoods have been directly affected by the Bush
administration's devastating environmental policies.
http://www.sierraclub.org/comunidades/ingles/
**Economic Security
The Enrollment Gap
A study, funded by the Casey Foundation, looks at the
reasons for under-enrollment in family support programs, and strategies to
improve the enrollment numbers. The
report outlines innovative strategies to enroll low-income families in food
stamps, Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Child
Care and Development Block Grant.
PDF: http://66.36.240.156/publications/cultureofno/EnrollGapFULL.pdf
Low-Income Families in Pennsylvania:
The Cost of Higher Earnings
The National Center
for Children in Poverty reports that about 85 percent of low-income children
have parents who work, and most have at least one parent working full-time,
year-round. Nonetheless, many of these parents are unable to afford basic
necessities for their families, such as food, housing, and stable child
care. The Family Resource Simulator
illustrates how this happens. This web-based tool allows users to chart a
hypothetical family’s progress in the workforce and to see how public policies
reward and encourage employment—and sometimes discourage parents from earning
more
http://lift.nccp.org/pub_frs04c.html
Budget Cuts Disproportionately Hurt African-American
Families
The National Urban League analyzed the impact of proposed
federal budget cuts to entitlement programs on African-American and Hispanic
families. The analysis illustrates that although African-Americans and
Hispanics comprise just over one-quarter of all U.S.
households, they are more likely to be harmed by budget cuts to entitlement
programs. African-American families, for example, represent roughly 13 percent
of all American families, yet they comprise 40 percent of the households that
would be hurt by budget cuts in public housing assistance programs. Meanwhile,
Hispanic children comprise 18 percent of all children in the United
States, yet they are nearly 37 percent of
the children who would be hurt by cuts made to the school lunch program.
PDF: http://www.chn.org/pdf/nulafricanamericanspdf.pdf
Despite
Job Growth, A Record 2 Million Unemployed Have Gone Without Benefits
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reports that even
during recent months of robust job growth, an exceptionally large number of
jobless workers exhausted their regular unemployment benefits and went without
federal aid. This analysis covers recent trends and projections for the next
few months; it includes state data.
http://www.cbpp.org/6-28-04ui.htm
**Health
HHS Awards $23 Million
to Help Communities Provide Early HIV/AIDS Care
The Department
of Health and Human Services announced 45 grants totaling $23 million to help
communities provide outpatient and primary care services for low-income and
medically underserved Americans who are living with HIV/AIDS or are at risk for
contracting the virus. The awards are
competitive continuation grants for existing service areas. The grants help
ensure that early HIV care is targeted to those communities that need it most,
particularly in rural and remote areas and inner cities.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040625.html
Race, Regular Exams Influence Elderly Vaccination Rates
According to a new report in the American Journal of Health
Behavior, older Americans are less likely to get an annual flu vaccination if
they are black or Hispanic or do not receive regular medical checkups.
http://www.cfah.org/hbns/news/vaxrate06-30-04.cfm
Lack
of Insurance Coverage, Cost Cited as Reasons for not Seeking Mental Health
Services
According to a survey commissioned by the American
Psychological Association, insurance coverage problems and costs supplant
stigma as the number one obstacle to accessing mental health services. Americans say it's lack of insurance coverage
(87%) or cost (81%) that most keeps them from seeing a mental health
professional with 65% citing lack of insurance coverage as a very important
reason for not seeking treatment.
http://www.apa.org/releases/insurance.html
New Compendium of Quality Incentive and Reward Programs
"Paying for performance"—providing financial and
other incentives to encourage health professionals to practice better
medicine—is one approach experts are studying as a way to improve the quality
of care. The first public Web-based compendium of these incentive and reward programs
is now available. Developed with support from The Commonwealth Fund and The
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Leapfrog Incentive and Reward Compendium
was designed to help raise awareness among purchasers, health plans, and health
care providers about innovations around the country that are helping to improve
the quality and affordability of health care.
http://www.cmwf.org/../../media/releases/leapfrogircompendium_release06302004.asp
**Hunger and Nutrition
Recent
Trends in Food Stamp Participation among Poor Families with Children
The Urban Institute reports that food stamp caseloads
increased dramatically between October 2000 and October 2003. This study
examines whether new program rules and procedures increased participation rates
for families with children. The results show that families recently on welfare
were substantially more likely to participate in the Food Stamp program in 2002
than in 1997 or 1999. In contrast, participation rates for families with no
cash welfare experience, the largest share of poor families with children,
remained quite low throughout the period.
http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&NavMenuID=3&Template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=8916
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