ADD HANDSNET'S HEADLINE NEWS TO YOUR WEB SITE - Need fresh daily content
on a broad range of human services and low-income issues? HandsNet now makes
its popular daily news service available at no cost to nonprofit web sites.
A simple line of JavaScript on your site makes it easy to add Headlines.
Visit http://www.handsnet.org/addheadl.htm
to learn how.
HOW CAN WE HAVE HOMELAND SECURITY WHEN MILLIONS DON’T HAVE HOMES OR JOBS?
Center for Community Change
Deadline Extended to December 1, 2002
We're alarmed
by the Administration's single-minded focus on declaring war on Iraq and the
lack of media coverage of those with serious questions about this policy.
We ask you to join us in taking out a full-page sign-on ad in the NY Times
in early November to give voice to our concerns. We are aiming for at least
400 names of individuals and organizations on the ad. The more, the better.
http://64.95.130.47/webx?50@61.sMC5aifHbmA.4@.1dce8afe
**Children, Youth & Families
Healthy Start Program Shows Positive Outcomes for High-Risk
Mothers and Babies
A new addition to the Promising Practice Network details a program description
to learn how this program helps to reduce infant mortality and increase birth
weights of babies born to at-risk mothers. The Healthy Start
program combines strong case management with efforts to increase public
awareness in high-risk communities to achieve significant improvements in
maternal and infant health.
http://www.promisingpractices.net/program.asp?programid=118
National Study
Finds Adults Score Low When it Comes to Interacting with Kids
According to a new national study conducted by
Search Institute American adults and teens have more in common than some might
imagine—at least in terms of their attitudes about how adults and young people
should connect. While both adults and youth from all demographic groups
seem to agree on what kids need from adults, most adults don’t act on their
own beliefs. The study finds that, “Just one in 20 adults consistently relates
to kids in a positive way”
PDF: http://www.search-institute.org/norms/2002GGIIpressrelease.pdf
Teen Sex to Linked to Early Friendships, Steady Dating
Researchers at Ohio State University find that the nature of preteen friendships
can play a key role in determining whether or not a child will engage in sexual
activity early in adolescence. The study found that boys who had mostly female
friends when they were preteens were more likely to have had sex by age 16
than were other boys. However, the same wasn't true for girls who as preteens
had mostly male friends. Results also showed that preteens with friends in
higher grades were more likely to have sex in early adolescence. Going steady
in early adolescence was also linked to having sex as a young teen.
http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/researchnews/archive/yungluv.htm
Child Support: An Important but Often Overlooked Issue for Low-Income
Clients
A report from the Center for Law and Social Policy finds that many
legal services programs assist neither custodial nor noncustodial parents
in basic child support matters. Since the many local child support enforcement
agencies that are left with this work struggle to provide adequate and timely
service, a good argument can be made for more legal services program involvement
in this area. This article describes the child support enforcement system
and highlights two public-benefit-related topics: child support assignment
and cooperation requirements for families receiving public assistance and
distribution of collected support.
PDF: http://www.clasp.org/DMS/Documents/1037221063.49/child%2520support.pdf
Access to Income Supports for Working
Families in Chicago
A report from the Center for Impact Research discusses barriers to income
support programs that face working families in Chicago, with recommendations
for improving outreach and expanding community-based application assistance.
The report finds that a large number of eligible working families in Chicago
do not participate in income support programs such as Food Stamps, the Child
Care Subsidy, Medicaid, and KidCare. Participation rates in Medicaid and Food
Stamps have declined since TANF reauthorization in 1996 as many former TANF
recipients no longer receive the benefits they had before and to which they
are still entitled. Low take-up rates for income supports mean that many
low-income working families in Chicago are unable to provide the basic necessities
for their families.
PDF: http://www.impactresearch.org/documents/incomesupportaccess.pdf
Family Caregiver
Alliance Issues Three New Reports
on Critical Caregiving Topics
Family Caregiver Alliance's National Center on Caregiving has published new
monographs that explore critical issues in long-term caregiving. "Insuring
Your Future: What Caregivers Need to Know About Long-Term Care Insurance"
provides an objective summary of the benefits, costs and limitations of private
long-term care insurance (LTCI). Two additional monographs are designed for
program developers and health and social service professionals who work with
caregiving families. "The State of the Art: Caregiver Assessment in
Practice Settings" summarizes the history and background of caregiver
assessment-the means by which basic caregiver characteristics such as demographics,
health and more are catalogued-and explores existing assessment criteria and
tools. "Selected Caregiver Assessment Measures: A Resource Inventory
for Practitioners," is a companion piece to the "Caregiver Assessment"
monograph.
http://www.caregiver.org/national_center/monographs.html
Countywide
Evaluation of the LTFSS Plan
A report from the RAND Corporation
analyzes how a results-based accountability framework was used to devise Long-Term
Family Self-Sufficiency programs for low-income families. The researchers
concluded that the framework is a useful planning tool for the county, but
that its use in implementation and evaluation is more complicated.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1563/
**Civil Society
Unprecedented
Voter Research Project on Voter Attitudes and Political Media Influences
The Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy (CSED) at Brigham Young
University conducted national survey tracking voter attitudes leading up to
and including Election Day. The national project measured the influences
on voter attitudes of "political media" such as news coverage, television
and radio ads, mailings, auto-calls, etc. It provides comprehensive data
on voter attitudes before and after they cast their votes on Election Day
across the nation and in four critical Senate and House races.
http://www.byu.edu/news/releases/archive02/Nov/Campaign2002.htm
Full Report: http://cid.byu.edu/magleby/docs/CSEDReport.pdf
Election 2002
DNet Traffic Surpasses 2000 Election
The League of Women Voters announced that despite Election 2002 being an
off-year election, millions of America's voters were online and looking for
information on the candidates and issues right up until the moments they cast
their ballots. DemocracyNet (http://www.dnet.org)
saw a considerable spike in traffic in the days leading up to the election,
which speaks to the continued demand from voters for reliable and nonpartisan
election information.
http://interactive.lwv.org/News/News.cfm?ID=478&c=1
Black Voter Turnout in 2002 Elections
The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation has produced preliminary
estimates of black voter turnout is based on anecdotal evidence gathered from
its Operation Big Vote and Black Youth Vote field sites in 60 cities and 27
states. The coalition believes that when the numbers are finally in, black
turnout will be on a par with the overall turnout rate of 39.3 percent estimated
by the Committee for the Study of the American Electorate (up from 37.5 percent
in 1998). Though modest, the turnout is consistent with non-presidential
elections. The coalition finds that the black vote was the deciding factor
in several closely contested races in the South and Midwest.
http://www.bigvote.org/content2002/black_voter_turnout/black_voter_turnout_projections.htm
Civil Rights and National Security: Must We Choose?
A report from the Century Foundation examines the state of civil rights in
America in the wake of September 11th. The report finds that the
intelligence-gathering and law enforcement powers of the federal government
have grown exponentially since September 11. The Enemy Within reviews the
principal changes, many of which are not widely known. It also assesses the
need for the new federal powers, their combined effects, and the dangers they
may pose. Many of these new powers are not limited to terrorism cases
and often these new powers can be exercised unilaterally, without the
supervisory control, judicial oversight, and public scrutiny.
http://www.tcf.org/Publications/Detail.asp?ItemID=167
Executive Summary – PDF: http://www.tcf.org/Publications/schulhofer/exec_summary_long.pdf
I Want My Digital Government
Despite hard economic times, states are continuing to invest resources to
increase government's capacity to deliver services online. But how effectively
can digital government engage citizens who are often marginalized from, if
not entirely left out of, civic participation, especially young people? Findings
from an informative UK study provide useful insights for states to consider
in their digital growth.
http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/1189/1/77/
**Community Development
HUD Seeking Comment on FY 2003-2008 Strategic Plan
The
Department of Housing and Urban Development is in the process of developing
its FY 2003-2008 Strategic Plan. The draft Strategic Plan is now available
for public comment. This Strategic Plan will define the Department’s long-term
mission and priorities and identify the measures the Department will use to
track progress toward meeting its objectives. As part of the Strategic Planning
process, HUD has consulted with stakeholders, partners and members of Congress
on the long-term mission and priorities of the Department is requesting comments
from additional partners and stakeholders. Comments will be accepted until
December 13th.
http://www.hud.gov/news/releasedocs/strategicannounce.cfm
NAR Launches
Housing Opportunity Program
The National Association of Realtors today launched a program designed to
empower and encourage the nation's 800,000 realtors to become advocates for
the creation of new affordable housing opportunities in their own communities.
The Housing Opportunity Program will equip realtors with tools they can use,
including training, research, communications activities and opportunities
to promote the construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing projects
in their communities.
http://www.realtor.org/housopp.nsf?OpenDatabase
Sustainability of Community-Based Initiatives
In a publication from earlier this year the Cornerstone
Consulting Group tackles the issue of sustainability of community-based initiatives.
End Games, The Challenge of Sustainability, finds that there is no magic answer
and that maybe there is not one.
PDF: http://www.aecf.org/publications/data/endgames.pdf
**Economic Security
New House Unemployment Insurance
Proposal Is Extraordinarily Limited
An analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities finds that 1.8 million jobless workers in need of aid are left
out altogether by the Leadership proposal.
http://www.cbpp.org/11-14-02ui.htm
The State Tax Cuts of the 1990s,
the Current Revenue Crisis, and Implications for State Services
A report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
finds that large tax cuts enacted in the 1990s are costing states more than
$40 billion per year, a cost that no longer seems affordable now that states
are cutting back on services.
http://www.cbpp.org/11-14-02sfp.htm
**Education
Research Suggests that School Recess Improves Children's
Health and Development
A new addition to the Promising Practice Network finds that in response to
growing concerns about liability and safety on the playground, as well as
an increased emphasis on accountability for academic performance, many schools
have eliminated one or all recess periods from the school day. This is thought
to compromise outcomes related to children's health, learning, and social
development. Relevant research is reviewed in "Recess
in Elementary School: What Does the Research Say?"
http://www.ericeece.org/pubs/digests/2002/jarrett02.html
Inventing Schools
to Create a Culture of Citizen Participation in Indonesia
The Changemakers Website reports on an innovative
educational program, schools in Indonesia that are open to all and encourage
critical thinking and social activism. Students at an unusual junior and
senior high school in are learning to debate and think critically, taking
the knowledge they gain back home to poor rural villages where they participate
in awareness-building and community development activities.
http://www.changemakers.net/journal/02november/suanda.cfm
**Health
Community Health
Centers Face Growing Challenges in Serving the Uninsured
According to new research supported by The Commonwealth Fund and published
in the journal Health Affairs uninsured patients who get their care at Community
Health Centers (CHC’s) are less likely than insured CHC patients to get needed
diagnostic, specialty, and behavioral health care services such as mammograms,
cardiology, and psychiatric care. The authors note that the Bush administration's
plan to double the number of CHC’s by the year 2006 will provided needed expansion
of primary care to uninsured Americans, but they warn that without a substantial
increase in their budgets CHC’s will not be able to address the limitations
they face in providing additional services.
http://www.cmwf.org/media/releases/gusmano_safetynet_release11122002.asp
Medicaid and the Prescription Drug Benefit
A policy brief from the Kaiser Family Foundation includes background information
on Medicaid and its drug benefit, provides examples of how states are using
the cost containment mechanisms at their disposal and addresses issues surrounding
beneficiary access to outpatient drugs.
PDF: http://www.kff.org/content/2002/4063/4063.pdf
HHS Launches National Nursing Home Quality Initiative
The Department of Health and Human Services launched the national Nursing
Home Quality Initiative to further improve the quality of care given to the
millions of Americans who live in nursing homes. The initiative combines new
information for consumers about the quality of care provided in individual
nursing homes with important resources available to nursing homes to improve
the quality of care in their facilities. The national launch follows a six-state
pilot project, which involved nursing homes serving Medicare and Medicaid
beneficiaries in Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington.
The pilot project launched in April 2002.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2002pres/20021112.html
GAO Report Calls Online Nursing Home Quality Project 'Premature'
One day after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched a guide detailing the quality of care at all 17,000
nursing homes nationwide, the General Accounting
Office released a report labeling the guide "premature" and
saying that its information might be "confusing and inaccurate."
The guide will include information regarding deficiencies discovered in annual
inspections and data on complaint investigations. Such information is based
on data collected routinely by nursing homes as a requirement to participate
in Medicare. While the guide has "admirable goals," CMS "rushed
it into use," and the data "creates ample opportunity for the public
to be confused," the GAO report says.
PDF: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03187.pdf
Handbook Explains How to Integrate Quality of Life Into
Health Care, Education, Social Service Programs
A new handbook published by the American Association on Mental Retardation
finds that until now the concept of quality of life remains poorly understood
and has eluded scientific measurement and evaluation. The handbook seeks
to simplify this nebulous concept into eight factors that can be applied,
measured, and evaluated in the following areas of human service -- education;
physical health; mental and behavioral health; mental retardation and intellectual
disabilities; aging; and family services. The result is a quality of life
model that professionals can use, not only to develop services that enhance
lives of consumers, but also evaluate outcomes of these services.
http://www.aamr.org/Bookstore/QUAL/handbook.shtml
**Hunger
The WIC Program: Background, Trends, and Issues
The Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture reports that
the mission of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants,
and Children (WIC) is to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants,
and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk. WIC provides nutritious
foods to supplement diets, nutrition education, and referrals to health care
and other social services. This report describes the WIC program—how it works,
its history, program trends, and the characteristics of the population it
serves. It also examines issues related to program outcomes and administration.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/fanrr27/
U.S. Food Insecurity
and Hunger Increased Markedly from 1999 to 2001; Hunger Still Too Evident
in Nation and in All States
The Food Research and Action Center reports that a new U.S. Department of
Agriculture analysis based on Census Bureau surveys shows that 33.642 million
people lived in households experiencing food insecurity in 2001, compared
to 31.015 million in 1999. This represents an increase of more than 2.6 million
individuals (8.5 percent) since 1999, an increase made up of two million adults
and 600,000 children.
http://www.frac.org/html/news/alert111302.htm
Food Stamp Participation
Increases in August 2002; Is 2.7 Million Persons Higher Than in August 2000
The Food Research and Action Center reports that participation in the Food
Stamp Program in August 2002 jumped by 353,483 persons from the previous month,
to 19,696,785 persons. The August 2002 level of Food Stamp Program participation
represented a rise of more than 1.9 million persons compared to the August
2001 level, and of about 2.7 million persons compared to August, 2000.
http://www.frac.org/html/news/fsp/02aug.html
**Substance Abuse
Smoking Cessation
During the Transition from Adolescence to Young Adulthood
Results from a study from the RAND Corporation suggest that smoking cessation
programs should continue to target parental and peer influences, as well as
skills at resisting social influences to smoke, through late adolescence,
but do not indicate that such programs need to be adapted to the special needs
of male and female smokers.
http://www.rand.org/publications/RB/RB4518.1/
