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NATIONAL HOUSING
TRUST UPDATE
The National Housing Trust Fund
Campaign had two major back-to-back victories in the House committee before
opponents were able to knock the National Housing Trust Fund amendment out of
the omnibus housing legislation being considered-but even that defeat resulted
in an amendment that would provide several hundred million dollars a year for
affordable housing. Action should continue in the House when Congress returns
in September.
http://64.95.130.47/webx?13@@.1dce37ec
**Children, Youth & Families
Teens Directly Affected by September 11th Attacks
A new comprehensive national survey of young Americans ages
13 to 19 provides new insights into what teens across the country say affect
their lives and futures. Peter Hart, President of Peter D. Hart Research,
finds in analysis of the survey that "today's high school students have
been profoundly affected by the events of the past year, but they are reacting
in ways that show them to be both pragmatic and optimistic about the future.
They are responding to September 11 by looking for ways to help, and looking
ahead to graduation with a combination of apprehension and excitement."
http://www.horatioalger.org/geninf/PressRel/Html/state02.htm
The
Health of Latino Children: Urgent Priorities, Unanswered Questions, and a
Research Agenda
Research from the RAND Corporation finds that Latino
children are at high risk for school dropout, environmental hazards, diabetes
mellitus, and asthma, among others. This article
suggests areas in which more research is needed and ways to improve research
and care of Latino children.
http://www.rand.org/cgi-bin/Abstracts/ordi/getabbydoc.pl?doc=LRP-200207-02
Study
Finds Surprising Increases in Low Birth Weight Rates in Suburbs Across United
States
A new report, Healthy Cities, Healthy Suburbs: Progress in
Meeting Healthy People Goals for the Nation's 100 Largest Cities and Their
Suburbs, finds that low birth weight rates have risen sharply in many urban
areas across the country, with suburbs surprisingly outpacing cities. The
average rate of increase in suburbs was nearly three times that for cities.
According to the most recent data available, none of the nation's 100 largest
cities and only two of their suburbs had met the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services' Healthy People 2000 goal for low birth weight.
http://www.downstate.edu/urbansoc_healthdata/
**Disabilities
People with Disabilities Need Assistive Technology
The National Council on Disability (NCD) released its 2001
annual National Disability Policy: A Progress Report, on July 26, 2002. The report addresses several important issues related to people with disabilities. The
report highlights the need for assistive technology and telecommunications,
including access to both and the status of statutory and regulatory provisions
designed to advance their utilization by people with disabilities.
http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/progressreport_07-26-02
HHS Urges States to Continue to Expand Home and Community
Based Care
for the Disabled
The Department of Health and Human Services is urging America's
governors to make continued efforts to overcome the institutional bias in
Medicaid programs by providing benefits outside of nursing homes to Americans
with disabilities. HHS noted that states already have many affordable
community-based options for serving people with disabilities and highlighted a
new Website from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services identifying
promising practices.
http://www.cms.gov/promisingpractices.
**Education
Education Groups Identify Questions Parents Should Ask
The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS),
along with 34 partner organizations, have developed five questions for parents
to ask as a more substantial way of assessing the quality of a child's
education. The questions were designed for parents of school-age children
attending public or private schools as an alternative to top ten lists and
rankings based on test scores.
http://www.isadvocacy.org/questions
What Has Been Learned About Class Size Reduction in California?
In a report from the RAND Corporation evaluating the
California K-3 Class Size Reduction Initiative, the authors summarize what has
been learned since the beginning of their evaluation of CSR in 1997. Although
achievement scores have risen significantly in California's elementary schools
in the last 6 years, it's not clear if the popular program played a significant
role in this rise. Researchers in the CSR Research Consortium believe that
class size reduction is likely to remain a priority in the state.
The press release is available http://www.rand.org/hot/press.02/csr.062702.html
The full report PDF: http://www.classize.org/techreport/CSR_Capstone_prepub.pdf
**Health
Program Seeks to Increase Diversity Among Health Professionals
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced a $3.6 million program
to develop new approaches for increasing the diversity of America's health
professions workforce. Joining Kellogg in the effort will be Duke University,
Community Catalyst, and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of
Sciences. "Today, minorities comprise about 25 percent of the U.S.
population, yet only 6 percent of the practicing physicians are Latinos,
African Americans, and Native Americans," said William C. Richardson,
Kellogg Foundation president and CEO. "And, we're seeing a link between
the shortage of minority health professionals and the higher levels of death
and disease that afflict minority populations."
http://www.wkkf.org
**HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS Passes Epidemic Stage in Certain Areas of NYC
A report released by the United Way of New York City reveals
that HIV/AIDS has padded the epidemic stage among minority woman and children
in certain areas of New York City, creating an urgent need for health and human
services to address their unique living conditions and improve their quality of
life. HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in women 25-34 and the
second-leading cause of death for women ages 34-44 in NYC.
http://www.uwnyc.org/640/
**Hunger and Nutrition
Food Stamp Participation Increases in May 2002
Participation in the Food Stamp Program in May 2002 (the
latest data available) increased by 152,831 persons from the previous month, to
19,325,272 persons, according to Food Research and Action Center's analysis of
preliminary data from USDA. The May 2002 level of Food Stamp Program
participation represented a rise of more than 2 million persons compared to the
May 2001 level, and of 2.3 million compared to May, 2000, but was more than 3
million persons lower than the level five years earlier, in May 1997, just as
much of the 1996 welfare law began to be implemented and when the economy still
had two years of substantial growth ahead. Participation has risen in every
month in the last year except April, and in 19 of the last 22 months.
http://www.frac.org/html/news/fsp/02may.html
**Welfare Reform
ONE STEP FORWARD OR TWO STEPS BACK?
Why the Bipartisan Senate Finance Bill Reflects a Better Approach to TANF
Reauthorization than the House Bill
A
joint Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Center for Law and Social
Policy report discusses thirteen major ways in which the TANF reauthorization
bill passed recently by the Senate Finance Committee reflects a better approach
to welfare reform than a TANF bill passed by the House.
http://www.cbpp.org/8-9-02tanf.htm
Summary
Comparison of TANF Reauthorization Provisions: Bills Passed by Senate Finance
Committee and the House of Representatives, and Related Proposals
A
report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides a summary comparison
of key provisions in various TANF reauthorization bills and proposals and has
been updated to reflect the text of the bill recently passed by the Senate
Finance Committee.
http://www.cbpp.org/7-2-02tanf.pdf
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