Human Services
Community Building
Digest

According to an analysis by the Children's Defense Fund of U.S. Census Bureau data, the overwhelming majority of newly poor Americans are children.  The data show a one-year increase of nearly three quarters of a million children living in poverty, bringing the total number of poor children to 12.9 million. This is a significant increase from the 12.1 million children living in poverty in 2002. The total number of people living in poverty rose by 1.3 million to 35.9 million.

http://www.childrensdefense.org/pressreleases/040827.asp

CBPP Perspective on Census Data

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities issued a statement on the release of poverty data from the Census Bureau: data released today show that the number and percentage of Americans living below the poverty line increased for the third consecutive year in 2003, and the number and percentage of people without health insurance also climbed for the third straight year, leaving 45 million Americans uninsured in 2003 — the largest number on record, with the data going back to 1987.  Median household income stood at $43,318 in 2003, compared with $43,381 in 2002, not a statistically significant change.  Since 2000 — the last year before unemployment began to rise — the number of people in poverty has risen by 4.3 million, median income has fallen by $1,535, after adjustment for inflation, and the number of people with no health insurance has increased by 5.2 million.

http://www.cbpp.org/8-26-04pov-stmt.htm

Center for Community Change Statement on U.S. Census Income and Poverty Data

The Center for Community Change released the a response to the U.S. Census Income and Poverty Data report:  Today's release of the U.S. Census Bureau's 2003 income and poverty data showing 35.9 million -- 12.5 percent of the population -- living in "poverty" does not fully measure the real struggles facing America today. In fact, the picture is much worse.  The poverty line is an inadequate measure that relies on outdated thresholds, such as food costs, and fails to account for societal changes, like the cost of housing as the major portion of families' budgets. While the debate will continue about how to measure poverty in America, the real discussion needs to be about new policies, not new measures of wealth and hardship.

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=35229

Backgrounder on Poverty Data:  http://www.communitychange.org/alerts/alert.asp?art=331#1

**Action Alerts

Comments Due: Proposed Fair Market Rents - Section 8 Agencies and Owners, Preservation Groups, Developers and Agencies Using HOME Funds, and Advocates

From: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities 

On August 6, 2004, HUD published the 2005 Proposed Fair Market Rents (FMRs), which are due to take effect on October 1, 2004.  In many areas, the proposed FMRs vary dramatically from the current FMRs due to changes based on the 2000 Census.  Comments on the proposed FMRs are due to HUD by September 7, 2004.  Housing agencies and others with concerns should submit comments to HUD by September 7, even if the comments are preliminary.  Housing agencies may also want to consider contacting their Congressional representatives if they are facing dramatic programmatic changes.

http://www.cbpp.org/fmr.htm

**Children, Youth & Families

Experts at Columbia University Advise Parents to Add Mental Health Check-Up to Teens' Back-To-School List

The Carmel Hill Center for the Early Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Illness at Columbia University recommends that parents add a mental health check-up to the annual ritual of getting their teens equipped for the new school year. Today an estimated 525,000 teens suffer from undiagnosed depression. If not detected, depression can lead to poor academic performance, drug and alcohol abuse, violence and possibly a suicide attempt. Each year more than 500,000 teens make a suicide attempt requiring medical attention and suicide is now the third leading cause of death for teens.

http://www.teenscreen.org/newsroom/010.html

National Women's Equality Day Puts Focus on Child Care Needs

In recognition of National Women's Equality Day 2004, the Children's Defense Fund is highlighting the child care crisis that so many American families currently face. For moderate- and low-income mothers, juggling work and paying for child care can be prohibitively expensive, which is why it is imperative that our nation ensure the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is fully funded and all eligible children are served. The CCDBG offers relief to women and families who are working hard but struggling to make ends meet by providing the affordable, dependable, quality child care assistance they need.

http://www.childrensdefense.org/pressreleases/040825.asp

Internet Gives Teenage Bullies Weapons to Wound From Afar

An article in the New York Times highlights the bullying is no longer confined to school grounds or daytime hours, "cyberbullies" are pursuing their quarries into their own bedrooms. Tools like e-mail messages and Web logs enable the harassment to be both less obvious to adults and more publicly humiliating, as gossip, put-downs and embarrassing pictures are circulated among a wide audience of peers with a few clicks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/26/education/26bully.html?ex=1251259200&en=07f2079f51ccb5b1&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt

**Civic Engagement

$4 Million in Grants across U.S. to Encourage and Support Community Activism Among Low-Income Families

The Marguerite Casey Foundation announced more than $4 million in grants to 24 organizations working to promote activism among low-income families and communities throughout the United States. Nearly three-quarters of the Foundation's grants were made to groups advocating for social change in the Deep South and Southwestern United States.  The Marguerite Casey Foundation grants are intended to strengthen the ability of organizations helping low-income families advocate for improvements of public and private systems, including many serving communities of color and immigrant populations.

http://www.caseygrants.org/resources/press_release_august_26_04.htm

**Education

Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, School Improvement in the Spotlight

Among the findings in this, the 36th edition of the Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, sixty-seven percent of poll respondents reject the idea that a single statewide test can give a fair picture of a school; 80 percent would prefer to have help given to students in a school in need of improvement in lieu of the choice option that the No Child Left Behind Act offers.  Fifty two percent oppose the separation and reporting of test data by students' race and ethnicity, disability status, English- speaking ability, and poverty level, despite the fact that reporting data by groups is generally regarded as essential to closing the achievement gap.

Press Release: http://www.pdkintl.org/news/040824pr_gallup.htm

The Poll: http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k0409pol.htm

National Survey Gauges High School Students' Engagement

New survey results from Indiana University Bloomington complement standardized test scores by providing data on the experiences that influence high school students' academic performance. The High School Survey of Student Engagement identifies student behaviors and school characteristics that can be changed to enhance student learning. On the survey, for example, Twenty-four percent of students reported never having a serious conversation with a student of a different race or ethnicity. However, 44 percent reported they frequently had such conversations.

http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/1608.html

Year-Round Schools Rate Higher in Academic Achievement, Duke Expert Says

According to the director of Duke University's program in education, students who attend year-round schools may give up a few days at the pool, but they gain a small advantage over their counterparts who take a 10- to 12-week break for the summer.  The researcher reviewed three dozen studies on student achievement and found that students in year-round programs rate slightly higher in retaining learned material. The difference is even larger for students who are struggling in school or come from low-wealth families, he said.

http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/news/boost_0804.html

**Health

HHS Awards $24.1 Million to Help Women, Children and Families Obtain HIV/AIDS Care and Services

The Department of Health and Human Services announced 35 new grants totaling $24.1 million to help America's children, youth and women with HIV/AIDS and their affected families obtain comprehensive HIV/AIDS care and services.  The grants are awarded under Title IV of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act. Title IV programs specifically address the needs of women, children, youth and families by providing care that deals with the entire family. This includes primary and specialty medical care, psychosocial services, logistical support and coordination, and outreach and case management. Programs also are designed to increase access to clinical trials and research.

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040825.html

**Welfare & Welfare Reform

HHS Announces TANF Caseloads Declined in 2003

The Department of Health and Human Services announced that caseloads in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program dropped 3 percent for individuals and 1.8 percent for families during 2003.  Nearly 149,000 fewer people were relying on TANF benefits at the end of 2003 than at the end of 2002.  The welfare reform law was enacted on Aug. 22, 1996. During that month, 12,242,125 individuals and 4,408,508 families were receiving welfare assistance. Since then, welfare rolls have dropped 60.3 percent for individuals and 54.4 percent for families.

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040823.html

TANF Stats by State: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/TANF_data.htm