Human Services
Community Building
Digest

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