Medicaid
Categorical Eligibility Rules are Proving a Major Obstacle To
Getting Health Coverage to Impoverished Katrina Victims in Louisiana
According to the Center
on Budget and Policy Priorities new information from Louisiana demonstrates that substantial gaps in health care coverage are emerging
among impoverished Hurricane Katrina survivors in that state. The information,
gathered by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals and presented
below, shows that as a result of restrictions in federal law and policy, the
state is being forced to deny Medicaid coverage to many indigent Katrina survivors
solely because they do not fit into one of Medicaid’s eligibility categories.
http://www.cbpp.org/9-26-05health.htm
**Children, Youth &
Families
Unwed Mothers are Less
Likely to Marry
According to a Cornell University study, unwed mothers are significantly less likely to marry;
when they do marry, they are less likely to improve their socioeconomic status
through marriage than their childless counterparts. The results have implications
for marriage promotion policies.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-09/cuns-uma092705.php
Study Finds Mixed Results
on Teen Sexual Behavior from Abstinence-Only Intervention
Abstinence-only education
can influence teen sexual behavior and beliefs, according to a study from
Case Western Reserve University. This community-based evaluation
reveals that abstinence-only intervention can influence knowledge, beliefs
and intentions, and among sexually experienced students, may reduce the prevalence
of casual sex.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-09/cwru-sfm090205.php
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Youth at Risk: SIECUS
Attacks Abstinence, Says Abstinence Clearinghouse
At the annual Sexuality
Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) "Back to School"
briefing, the pro-contraceptive sex education organization will once again
spread distortions and deceptions about abstinence education, says the Abstinence
Clearinghouse. This effort to slander abstinence education is proof of SIECUS'
desperation to cover up their own heinous brand of graphic sex promotion to
under-aged children.
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=54050
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Get more information on
these issues at http://www.ecommunityissues.com.
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**Civic Engagement
Report Details Growth
in Illegal Migration
The number of new illegal
immigrants to the United States surpasses the number of authorized immigrants from 1999 through
at least last year, according to a study based on government statistics that
was released today by the Pew Hispanic Center.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/27/AR2005092700735.html?nav=rss_nation
**Community Development
Violent Crime in US Stays
at Historic Low
Reuters - Reports of violent
crime in the United States in 2004 stayed at the lowest level since the government began
compiling statistics 32 years ago, but males, youths and those of more than
one race were victimized at higher rates than others, the Justice Department
said on Sunday.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http:/news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050925/ts_nm/crime_usa_dc
Gang Injunctions Give
Communities Short-Term Relief
In the first study examining
how civil gang injunctions affect community members, researchers at UC Irvine
and the University of Southern California
have found that injunctions provide short-term benefits, such as reducing
residents' fear of run-ins with gang members. The findings also suggest that
more significant changes in the community take root slowly over time, and
that additional efforts by officials and community members in the wake of
an injunction could significantly increase the positive effects.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-09/uoc--gig092605.php
Returning Home Illinois Policy Brief: Health and Prisoner
Reentry
A research brief from The
Urban Institute discusses the health challenges faced by male prisoners
being released to Chicago, Illinois. Three out of ten survey respondents reported having a chronic
physical or mental health condition, but it is likely that even higher shares
have health problems, given that many diseases can remain undetected in the
absence of routine screening and medical care. Study participants had high
expectations for maintaining good health after release, but few means of doing
so: fewer than 10% reported a referral to health care from prison and over
80% were uninsured.
http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&NavMenuID=3&Template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=9393
Returning Home Illinois Policy Brief: Prisoner Reentry and
Residential Mobility
According to The
Urban Institute, the growth in the number of persons released from incarceration
and returning to communities has sparked great interest in the topic of prisoner
reentry, and specifically in strategies to increase the successful reintegration
of formerly incarcerated persons.
http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&NavMenuID=3&Template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=9394
Returning Home Illinois Policy Brief: Employment and Prisoner
Reentry
According to The
Urban Institute, finding employment is one of the most important reintegration
challenges ex-prisoners face after release, and one that can have a significant
impact on their chances of remaining crime-free. Prior research shows that
finding and maintaining a legitimate job after release can reduce the chances
of reoffending following release from prison, especially for older offenders.
Research also shows that the higher the wages, the less likely persons released
from prison will return to crime.
http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?Section=Home&NavMenuID=3&Template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=9396
**Disabilities
HHS Gives Grants to 17
States to Help Persons with Disabilities Live in Their Communities
The Department of Health
and Human Services announced $28.5 million in grants to 17 states to help
people of all ages with disabilities or long-term illnesses live in their
homes and participate fully in community life. These Real Choices Systems
Change grants will help those with disabilities exercise meaningful choices
about how and where to live their lives. The grants are part of The New Freedom
Initiative, which promotes the goal of community living for individuals with
disabilities and long-term illnesses:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2005pres/20050926.html
Department of Labor Selects
Human Service Agencies in Five States for Training/Technical Assistance for
People with Disabilities
Human service agencies in
Maryland, District of Columbia, Illinois, Georgia, and North Dakota have been selected to take part in training and technical
assistance programs for people with disabilities, the U.S. Labor Department's
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) announced. The agreements with
these five states will help build effective partnerships between employers
and employment service providers that will result in better jobs and career
advancement opportunities for people with disabilities.
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/odep20051804.htm
**Economic Security
Child Care Assistance
Policies 2005: States Fail to Make Up Lost Ground, Families Continue to Lack
Critical Supports
From 2001 to 2005, it became
more difficult for low-income families to get needed child care assistance,
according to two new reports released by the National Women’s Law Center. An examination
of child care policies in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and interviews with parents and providers
about access to child care reveal that most states took steps backward on
child care assistance. As a result, many low-income parents struggling to
work and support their children are being denied needed child care help.
Child Care Assistance Policies
2005: States Fail to Make Up Lost Ground, Families Continue to Lack Critical
Supports
PDF: http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/ChildCareSubsidyReport_September2005.pdf.
In their own voices: Parents
and Providers Struggling with Child Care Cuts.
PDF: http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/ChildCareVOICESReport_September2005.pdf.
HUD Announces $45.5 Million
to Help Families across the US get Job Training and Employment
The Department of Housing
and Urban Development announced $45,543,764 in funding to public housing agencies
in 48 states across the country, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The funding is used to help low-income people get job training,
employment and homeownership counseling. HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Family
Self-Sufficiency (HCV/FSS) program provides funds to public housing agencies
to hire FSS program coordinators. FSS coordinators link adults who receive
rental assistance through the HCV program to local organizations that provide
job training, childcare, counseling, transportation and job placement.
http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr05-134.cfm
HHS Awards $49 Million
from Compassion Capital Fund
The U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services announced awards totaling $49 million through the Compassion
Capital Fund (CCF). The awards are designed to help grass roots, faith-based
and community organizations enhance their ability to provide a wide range
of social services to those in need including the homeless, at-risk youth,
rural communities, the elderly and families transitioning from welfare to
work.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2005pres/20050929.html
**Education
As Test Scores Jump,
Raleigh Credits Integration by Income
Wake County's effort to integrate schools economically has led to drastically
improved test scores, officials and parents say. Over the last decade, black
and Hispanic students here in Wake
County have made such dramatic strides in
standardized reading and math tests that it has caught the attention of education
experts around the country.
Since 2000, school officials
have used income as a prime factor in assigning students to schools, with
the goal of limiting the proportion of low-income students in any school to
no more than 40 percent.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/25/education/25raleigh.html?ex=1285300800&en=ffa8752b9998590a&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
295 U.S. Schools Named No Child Left Behind
Blue Ribbon Schools
Two hundred and ninety-five
schools in the nation have been named No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools
for 2005, by the U.S. Department of Education. In recognition of the progress
these schools have made under No Child Left Behind, each school will receive
an award certificate as part of the Blue Ribbon Schools program.
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2005/09/09232005.html
**Health
High Blood Pressure has
Stronger Effect on Mental Function in Blacks
Not only does high blood
pressure adversely affect mental functioning, but the correlation appears
to be stronger among African-Americans than among whites, researchers report
in the current issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-09/cfta-hbp092205.php
Key Resources on Health
Coverage and the Uninsured
The U.S. Census Bureau's
released its annual update on health insurance coverage and the number of
uninsured Americans on August 30, 2005. Access a wide range of Kaiser Family Foundation reports
and analyses on health insurance coverage.
http://www.kff.org/uninsured/resources.cfm
Many Have Trouble Staying
Insured
A new Commonwealth Fund
analysis finds that 22 percent of the U.S. population experienced at least one spell without any
health coverage over a two-year period—in addition to the 9 percent who were
uninsured for the full two years. Young adults, Hispanics, the less educated,
those who transition into and out of poverty, and those with private, nongroup
insurance were the groups most likely to have unstable coverage.
http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=300283
New Report Finds Medicare
Drug Prices are 58.2 Percent Higher than VA Prices
A new report found that
seniors using Medicare drug discount cards are paying considerably more for
49 of the top-50 most frequently prescribed drugs than they would through
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The median price difference for the
50 drugs was $220.44. The report, released by the consumer health organization
Families USA, found that, for half of the top-50 drugs, the lowest Medicare
discount card price is at least 58.2 percent higher than the best available
VA price.
http://www.familiesusa.org/resources/newsroom/press-releases/new-report-shows-medicare-drug-prices-are-more-than-58-percent-higher-than-va-prices.html
**Homelessness
Estimating the Scope
of Services and Cost to End Homelessness in LA
A power point presentation
is a primer on the number of homeless persons in LA County, types and costs
of services needed, resources of homeless persons, and their housing needs.
Information is given on: housing (supportive, affordable, family subsidized),
emergency outreach centers, mental health & substance abuse treatment,
medical care, education, food, clothing, demographics of homeless persons,
and more.
http://www.economicrt.org/download/estimated_cost_to_end_homelessness.html
**Hunger and Nutrition
US Cities Get Food Stamp
Benefits to More Needy People but Still Leave Many Eligible Families Un-served.
According to The Food Research
and Action Center, the Food Stamp Program is a critically important but very
underutilized resource for urban America. The FRAC report analyzes food stamp usage and the incidence of hunger
and poverty in 25 of America’s largest cities, spread out over
20 states and the District
of Columbia. The
FRAC report identified a number of strategies that can increase urban participation.
These include outreach, application assistance, documentation receipts, caseworker
training, and links with other work supports.
http://www.frac.org/Press_Release/09.27.05.html
College Students Provide
Fresh Fruits, Vegetables for WIC Participants
At 7
a.m. on Tuesday mornings, 14 first-year students at Hampshire College begin harvesting fresh organic produce on the college farm,
which they then box and deliver to Greenfield, a town about 20 miles from campus, for distribution through the regional
office of the WIC Program. The students are enrolled in a course on "Agriculture,
Food and Human Health." WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program
for Women, Infants, and Children) is a federal program that safeguards the
health of women, infants and children up to age five who are at nutritional
risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, as well as nutrition
counseling and referrals to health care.
http://www.ascribe.org/cgi-bin/behold.pl?ascribeid=20050923.131143&time=14%2040%20PDT&year=2005&public=1
**Substance Abuse
Children Whose Parents
Smoked are Twice as Likely to Begin Smoking between 13 and 21
According to a new study
from the University of Washington, twelve-year-olds whose parents smoked were more than twice
as likely to begin smoking cigarettes on a daily basis between the ages of
13 and 21 as were children whose parents didn't use tobacco.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-09/uow-cwp092805.php
Virginia Tobacco Settlement
Foundation Prevention Grants
Up to $9.6 million over
three years is available to tobacco-prevention programs through the Virginia
Tobacco Settlement Foundation.
http://www.jointogether.org/saredirect/?Object_ID=578324&ID=saFunding
