Urban Institute: Children and Youth

Bringing Promise to Washington, DC : The DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The U.S. Department of Education's Promise Neighborhood Initiative is one of the Obama administration's major antipoverty initiatives and a core strategy of the White House's Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative. It is intended to improve educational outcomes by creating a continuum of school readiness, academic services, and family and community support for children from early childhood through college. The DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative (DCPNI) received one of the U.S. Department of Education's 21 Promise Neighborhood planning grants in October 2010. This policy brief summarizes DCPNI's planning year and how DCPNI intends to improve the educational outcomes of youth in the years to come.

Opportunity Still Has Racial Hue

paffairs@urban.org ( Margaret Simms ) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Children are more likely to succeed if they have a stable home environment, adequate nutrition and the opportunity to get a good education. Unfortunately, nearly 50 years after the march on Washington, opportunity still has a racial dimension, argues Institute fellow Margaret Simms in this commentary for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Recent Trends in Childhood Asthma-Related Outcomes and Parental Asthma Management Training

paffairs@urban.org ( Genevieve M. Kenney, Adela Luque, Christine Coyer ) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions among children in the United States, affecting nearly 10 percent of children in 2008. Medicaid and CHIP are covering a growing number of asthmatic children; by 2008, two-thirds of low-income asthmatic children were covered by Medicaid/CHIP. Our findings suggest that over the last decade, there has been a trend towards improvement in asthma-related outcomes and receipt of parental asthma management training for asthmatic children with Medicaid/CHIP coverage. Further expansions in health insurance coverage could lead to reductions in negative asthma outcomes and their associated costs, but other changes to the service delivery system would be needed as well.

How Human Services Programs and Their Clients Can Benefit from National Health Reform Legislation

paffairs@urban.org ( Stan Dorn ) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Human services programs-the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, subsidized child care, etc.-and their clients can benefit from national health reform. Millions of low-income health coverage applicants can be connected with human services programs, as the latter programs: (a) help health programs efficiently reach eligible consumers; (b) access unprecedented, time-limited federal funding for modernizing eligibility computer systems while limiting risks to current funding; (c) keep social services offices available as an avenue for seeking health coverage; and (d) use a forthcoming Medicaid expansion to accomplish core human services goals related to employment and child development.

New York Initiative Helps Fathers Increase Their Earnings and Child Support

paffairs@urban.org ( Elaine Sorensen ) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

New York launched a pilot employment program to help parents behind in their child support in four communities between 2006 and 2009. The program was part of the state's Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers Initiative. Our evaluation found that the program's combination of employment assistance, case management, and other support services substantially increased the earnings and child support payments of disadvantaged parents who were not meeting their child support obligations.

Work-Oriented Programs in Child Support

paffairs@urban.org ( Elaine Sorensen ) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

This PowerPoint presentation describes lessons learned from past efforts to provide work-oriented programs for low-income parents behind in their child support payments. The presentation describes a New York state pilot program that substantially increased the earnings and child support payments of disadvantaged parents not meeting their child support obligations. The presentation was given at "The Child Support Connection: Giving Children a Brighter Future" conference hosted by the New York City Office of Child Support Enforcement on October 20, 2011 at the City University of New York Graduate School.

Implementing Best Start LA: Momentum Grows in Metro LA

paffairs@urban.org ( Ian Hill, Sarah Benatar ) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

This second case study of the implementation of Best Start LA finds that the place-based investmentdesigned to improve the well-being, development and care experienced by children ages five and underhas made good progress during its second year, gaining momentum as it has become more firmly established in the downtown Metro LA pilot community. Welcome Baby! home visiting appears to be a high-quality service that could serve as a model throughout Los Angeles County. Community strategies have been funded through a series of "first step" contracts with various local agencies. And systems-level efforts appear to be laying the groundwork for important changes that could make Los Angeles communities more family-friendly for parents with young children.

Children of Immigrants: Growing National and State Diversity

paffairs@urban.org ( Karina Fortuny, Ajay Chaudry ) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

Growth in the number of children in immigrant families during the 2000s offset the decline in children with native-born parents. Between 2000 and 2009, the minority share of U.S. children under age 18 increased from 38 to 44 percent, driven by growth in the number of Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian children and a decline in non-Hispanic white children. While the increase in minority children included children with foreign-and native-born parents, children of immigrants accounted for most of the growth. This brief highlights important trends in the changing demographics of the U.S. child population nationally and across states.

Children of Immigrants: The Changing Face of Metropolitan America

paffairs@urban.org ( Ajay Chaudry, Karina Fortuny ) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

The majority (84 percent) of the 17 million children of immigrants in the United States live in the 100 largest metropolitan areas. Children of immigrants drove the growth in the child population under age 18 nationally and in the largest metros: if it was not for them, the child population in the top 100 metros overall and in many metros would have declined in the last decade. Driven by immigration and population momentum, the child minority share across the top 100 metros reached 51 percent in 2009 and many of the largest metros became "majority minority" metros.

Today's Children, Tomorrow's America: Six Experts Face the Facts

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

Urban Institute scholars from diverse disciplines tackle a simple-to-state, hard-to-answer question: How can solutions to our national and state budget crises fit the facts about children in the United States? In their responses, the contributors wrestle with recent and approaching economic and demographic challenges in different ways and bring very different experiences to bear.

Profile of Virginia's Uninsured 2010

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This report provides detailed demographic information on Virginia's uninsured population in 2009, including data on their income, employment status, race, ethnicity, age and citizenship, and region of residence. Between 2008 and 2009, 47,000 nonelderly adults in Virginia became newly uninsured, though there was no significant change in the number of uninsured children, due in part to increased coverage through Medicaid and CHIP. Overall, 13.2 percent of Virginians (889,000 total) under the age of 65 lacked health insurance in 2009. The majority of Virginia's uninsured are US citizens and live in working families, but most are in low-income families.

A Good Start for Best Start in Metro LA: Focus Group Insights from Parents, Home Visitors, and Community Stakeholders

paffairs@urban.org ( Ian Hill, Fiona Adams ) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

Best Start LA is a place-based community investment in Los Angeles County designed to improve the well-being, development, and care experienced in children ages five and under. Focus groups with parents, home visitors, and community members -reveal that the investment is off to a good start. Mothers receiving "Welcome Baby!" home visiting were very satisfied with the education and support the service provides. Home visitors described the close bonds they form with their clients, but also feel that the program's model doesn't always meet families' extensive needs. Stakeholders involved in community mobilization efforts were excited about their early progress and shared vision for parents as the leaders.

The CCDF Policies Database Book of Tables: Key Cross-State Variations in CCDF Policies as of October 1, 2009

paffairs@urban.org ( Sarah Minton, Christin Durham, Linda Giannarelli ) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

The CCDF Policies Database Book of Tables provides tables containing key Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) policies for each state as of October 1, 2009.The tables are based on information in the CCDF Policies Database, a database tracking state child care subsidy policies over time and across the States, Territories, and the District of Columbia.The Book of Tables summarizes a subset of the information available in the database, and includes information about eligibility requirements for families; application, redetermination, priority, and waiting list policies; family co-payments; provider policies and reimbursement rates; and select administration and quality development information.

Implementing Best Start LA in Metro LA - Slow but Steady Progress for the Place-Based Community Initiative

paffairs@urban.org ( Ian Hill, Sarah Benatar, Fiona Adams, Heather Sandstrom ) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

A case study of the initial implementation of Best Start LA-a place-based community investment in Los Angeles County designed to improve the well-being, development, and care experienced by children ages five and under-finds mostly positive results, thus far.At the family level, home visiting for pregnant and parenting mothers is off to a strong start, rendering services to nearly 750 families by the end of 2010.Community-level efforts to mobilize community members and develop family-support strategies have been slower to develop.Systems-level investments to develop family-friendly policies and services across the county are proceeding on schedule.

Workshop on State Poverty Measurement Using the American Community Survey

paffairs@urban.org ( David Betson, Linda Giannarelli, Sheila R. Zedlewski ) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

This workshop discussed issues surrounding the potential development of a Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) at the state level using the American Community Survey (ACS).Academics and researchers from around the country participated, including experts that have implemented the SPM for eight different areas. The discussion summarized recent experiences and challenges in implementing the SPM on the ACS and geographic adjustments to the poverty thresholds. The summary highlights the key issues and ideas for next steps.

How Do States' Safety Net Policies Affect Poverty?

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

Safety net policies can dramatically reduce poverty.A full assessment requires use of a Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) that adds near-cash benefits and tax credits to cash income, deducts necessary expenses, and uses up-to-date, geographically-sensitive poverty thresholds.This analysis implements the SPM in Georgia, Illinois, and Massachusetts to examine the effects of the key safety net programs on poverty.The results show that safety net policies in these three states have substantially different effects on poverty, but federal programs narrow the differences across the states.

Poverty in the United States

paffairs@urban.org ( Austin Nichols ) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

The U.S. Census Bureau has announced that the poverty rate jumped to 15.1 percent in 2010, up from 14.3 percent in 2009 and 13.2 percent in 2008. This 18-year high still understates the dire straits of many Americans today. The devastation of poverty grows more severe over time as individuals exhaust private resources and temporary benefits.

Unemployment and Poverty

paffairs@urban.org ( Austin Nichols, Thomas Callan ) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

Poverty is higher among the unemployed. In 2010, 30 percent of the long-termunemployed were poor,and 66 percentof single parents unemployed more than 26 weeks were poor.

Is Poverty Incompatible with Asset Accumulation?

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

Is poverty incompatible with asset accumulation? We examine whether the poor can and do save and whether they are able to build up assets over time. Data are presented from household surveys, as well as from programs targeted at helping families accumulate assets. Presenting and evaluating the state of knowledge provides a new lens on whether the current income-based safety net could better serve poor families by having an asset building component. Conventional thinking is that families that are income poor cannot save. This chapter shows that this thinking is inaccurate; poverty does not have to be incompatible with asset accumulation.

The Effects of the Safety Net on Child Poverty in Three States

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

In 2008, safety net programs cut child poverty in half in Georgia, Illinois, and Massachusetts. Federal programs that provide the same benefit across the country reduce poverty more in lower housing cost states such as Georgia than in higher cost states such as Massachusetts. Massachusetts's generous TANF policy has a greater impact on child poverty than the TANF policies in the other two states. Estimates are produced using the Supplemental Poverty Measure.

Kids' Share 2011: Data Appendix

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EST

Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2010, a fifth annual report, looks comprehensively at trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. This appendix details our data sources, the programs we include, and the methodology used to estimate the percentage of all expenditures that went to children.

Kids' Share 2011

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST

Kids' Share 2011: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2010, a fifth annual report, looks comprehensively at trends over the past 50 years in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Key findings suggest that the size and composition of expenditures on children have changed considerably, but children have not been a budget priority. Federal expenditures on children in 2010, were 11 percent of the federal budget, slightly higher than in 2009.This increase is temporary, however, with the children's share of the budget expected to shrink to less than 8 percent by the end of the next decade.

Head Start and the Changing Demographics of Today's Young Children

paffairs@urban.org ( Olivia Golden ) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EST

The increasing diversity of America's young children has important implications for Head Start and Early Head Start programs. This paper summarizes recent changes in the racial and ethnic composition of young children, particularly increases in Hispanic and Asian children, as well as shifts in where young children live, with some northeastern and Midwestern states losing children while southern and southwestern states are rapidly gaining. Based on these trends and recent Urban Institute research, the paper makes four recommendations about how local Head Start practitioners can best meet the needs of today's young children and their families.

Where Kids Go: The Foreclosure Crisis and Mobility In Washington, D.C.

paffairs@urban.org ( Jennifer Comey, Michel Grosz ) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 EST

The ripple effects of the foreclosure crisis have created increased instability for children and families. In this brief we focus on two such sources of instability in the lives of public school students in Washington, D.C.: moving homes and switching schools. We find high rates of residential and school mobility for students in general, and even higher rates associated with students who lived in buildings that entered the foreclosure process. These mobile students tended to stay in the same neighborhood or move to areas that were similarly poor and high-crime. In this policy brief, we make a series of low-cost recommendations to school districts and nonprofit housing counseling agencies in order to minimize the harm of additional instability on children.

Addressing Coverage Challenges for Children Under the Affordable Care Act

paffairs@urban.org ( Stacey McMorrow, Genevieve M. Kenney, Christine Coyer ) — Tue, 31 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Maximizing insurance coverage for children under the Affordable Care Act will require considering how the new system and its rules will apply to children facing complex coverage scenarios. The purpose of this brief is to explore several scenarios in which children may face particular challenges in accessing health insurance coverage.We find that roughly 20 million children live in situations that create particular challenges in accessing insurance coverage due to within-family variation in eligibility for different types of coverage and that nearly 28 million children live apart from at least one of their parents, creating additional complexities in accessing coverage.

Implementing National Health Reform: A Five-Part Strategy for Reaching the Eligible Uninsured

paffairs@urban.org ( Stan Dorn ) — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Health programs often fall short of their coverage goals. Even the Children's Health Insurance Program, now quite successful in reaching uninsured children, suffered low enrollment during its early years. By contrast, other programs rapidly achieved high participation by using reliable data to identify eligible consumers and qualify them for assistance. Federal policymakers implementing the Affordable Care Act could thus pursue a strategy with five parts:

A proactive national campaign to identify and enroll the uninsured via the tax system;
Basing eligibility on reliable data;
Providing hands-on application assistance;
Consumer-friendly enrollment systems; and
Effective interagency coordination.

When Blame Isn't Enough: Troubled Child Welfare Systems

paffairs@urban.org ( Olivia Golden ) — Thu, 05 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Sweeping policy changes and scapegoating caseworkers after high-profile cases of child abuse are not the best ways to enhance the safety of young people, says child welfare expert Olivia Golden. Taking lessons from the airline industry and elsewhere, Golden lays out why clear-headed, evidence-driven examination of the resources, conditions, and communication that guide workplace decisionmaking should be the center of attention.

A Reference Manual for Child Tax Benefits

paffairs@urban.org ( Elaine Maag, Stephanie Rennane, C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

The individual income tax contains multiple provisions that favor families with children. They range from credits targeted towards low-income families to deductions that favor higher income families. Some provisions benefit a family by virtue of the family having children, others try to incentivize behavior such as work and going to school. This paper describes the various child-related provisions and shows the distribution of who benefits from the provisions. Benefits can be substantial. For example, a single parent with two children could receive a tax subsidy worth almost $9,000. The rules governing the provisions are complex and ripe for reform.

Young Children of Immigrants and the Path to Educational Success : Key Themes from an Urban Institute Roundtable

paffairs@urban.org ( Olivia Golden, Karina Fortuny ) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

The growing presence of young children of immigrants is changing the demographic makeup of classrooms, yet debates about early education and school reform often do not mention them. As high-quality education for all becomes a prominent policy and political goal, key questions remain unanswered about whether schools and early childhood programs are addressing their needs. This paper summarizes the Urban Institute's 2010 roundtable "Young Children of Immigrants and the Path to Educational Success" discussion, which focused on the specific needs of young children of immigrants.

Improving the Lives of Young Children: Meeting Parents' Health and Mental Health Needs through Medicaid and CHIP So Children Can Thrive

paffairs@urban.org ( Olivia Golden, Karina Fortuny ) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

Many young children have developmental or behavioral problems that could be addressed or prevented with the right early response but that are not identified or treated, compromising children's ability to perform up to their potential in school and leading to more costly interventions later. Because the quality of parenting is so critical to children's development, parental or family difficulties-including maternal depression-can endanger childrens development. Yet, parents often do not receive needed medical or mental health care.This brief discusses state Medicaid and CHIP choices that can enhance delivery of medical, mental health, and related services to parents.

Home Visiting and Maternal Depression: Seizing the Opportunities to Help Mothers and Young Children

paffairs@urban.org ( Olivia Golden, Amelia Hawkins, William Beardslee ) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

This guide offers practical insights about how home visiting programs can better serve depressed mothers and their young children. Results reveal no single source of help, formal or informal, is universally trusted by mothers, who look for someone with whom they have a trusting relationship over time. Home visiting programs have great potential to help these families. However, programs need strong mental health connections, staff training, and capacity to transition depressed mothers to follow-up treatment, among other enhancements. The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation funded this research as part of an Urban Institute project identifying effective service approaches for depressed mothers.

Assessing the Evidence about Work Support Benefits and Low-Income Families

paffairs@urban.org ( Gregory B. Mills, Jessica F. Compton, Olivia Golden ) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

For low-income working parents, benefits received through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid, and child care subsidies provide vital work support. Access to these programs has been restricted, however, by barriers relating to federal and state funding, program policy, and administrative process, complicating program enrollment and benefit retention. As a result, many low-income working families do not receive the multi-program benefits for which they are eligible. This paper provides a strong rationale for the Work Support Strategies demonstration, enabling selected states to design, implement, and evaluate modernization strategies to dramatically improve families' access to a package of work support benefits.

Nine States Chosen to be Laboratories Testing Inventive Ways to Streamline Services for Low-Income Working Families

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

In a major effort to tap and foster state capital ingenuity, the Urban Institute has selected nine states to receive $250,000 each in planning grants as part of a five-year initiative with lead funding from the Ford Foundation. Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and South Carolina were chosen for first-year grants to test inventive ways to streamline services for low-income working families.

Thirteen Ways of Looking at Poverty

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

This factsheet presents a quick overview of recent cross-cutting Urban Institute research on poverty, including 13 key points on poverty's effects on immigration, health care, children, infants with depressed mothers, employment, assets, and neighborhoods. One in an occasional series of "Thirteen Ways" factsheets.

Improving the Lives of Young Children : Increasing Referrals and Follow-Up Treatment in Medicaid and CHIP

paffairs@urban.org ( Jennifer Pelletier, Genevieve M. Kenney ) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Many young children have developmental or behavioral problems that could be addressed with appropriate services but are not identified or treated before entering kindergarten, compromising a child's ability to perform up to full potential in school and leading to costly special education and health care interventions later. The patchwork of public programs that finances services creates barriers in access to follow-up services for children identified by diagnostic assessments as having developmental delays or behavioral problems that would benefit from intervention. This brief discusses referrals to services to address developmental delays and behavioral and physical health problems.

Effects from Living in Mixed-Income Communities for Low-Income Families : A Review of the Literature

paffairs@urban.org ( Diane K. Levy, Zach McDade, Kassie Dumlao Bertumen ) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

There continues to be considerable interest in the potential of mixed-income housing and neighborhoods to alleviate poverty, desegregate neighborhoods in terms of household income, and revitalize neighborhoods. This annotated literature review, prepared with support from the Casey Foundation, surveys the research on mixed-income housing that focuses on the impact on low-income children and adults. The review examines definitions of mixed-income, hypothesized benefits for low-income families, evidence of benefits, and viability of mixed-income areas over time. It concludes by identifying research gaps that foundations might consider addressing through the support for future work.

Improving the Lives of Young Children: : Opportunities for Care Coordination and Case Management for Children Receiving Services for Developmental Delay

paffairs@urban.org ( Carrie Hanlon ) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

Services that support healthy development in the years before starting school can reduce the incidence of disorders that have high costs and long-term consequences for children's health, education, and well-being. State policy choices can affect the extent to which Medicaid- and CHIP-eligible children receive developmental screenings and follow-up treatment. Unfortunately, access to follow-up care, such as Early Intervention services, continues to be a challenge. This brief examines states' Medicaid and CHIP policy choices that will be available under health reform and other federal legislation to develop a well-coordinated system of care for children receiving early intervention and other ongoing services.

Every Kid Counts in the District of Columbia: 17th Annual Fact Book 2010

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

The 17th annual Fact Book is a comprehensive data source for indicators of child well-being in the District of Columbia. It tracks the progression of child well-being over time, as well as differences in child well-being across wards and races/ethnicities. It is organized to reflect the six citywide goals for children and youth in DC: children are ready for school; children and youth succeed in school; children and youth are healthy and practice healthy behaviors; children and youth engage in meaningful activities; children and youth live in healthy, stable, and supportive families; and all youth make a successful transition to adulthood.

Child Care Instability: Definitions, Context, and Policy Implications

paffairs@urban.org ( Gina Adams, Monica Rohacek ) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Child care instability affects children's development, parent's employment, and family stability. This paper describes why it matters, discusses definitional and measurement challenges, provides a framework to examine links between instability in child care and family domains, and examines the causes of instability (including child care subsidy policy and practice). Findings suggest that policies supporting stability in child care could interrupt the cascading effect of instability in other domains. Policy strategies to improve the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)/Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), such as funding, voucher flexibility, eligibility, quality of care, and referral systems, are examined.

Child Support Plays an Increasingly Important Role for Poor Custodial Families

paffairs@urban.org ( Elaine Sorensen ) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

The child support program has become a critical public program for children, serving 17 million children, representing nearly one in four children in the United States. Among social welfare programs, only the Medicaid program serves more children. It is also an important source of income for poor families, lifting a million people from poverty in 2008. This brief describes the role of child support in reducing poverty and shows how poor custodial families have become more reliant upon child support.

Children of Immigrants: Economic Well-Being

paffairs@urban.org ( Ajay Chaudry, Karina Fortuny ) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

This data brief is the fourth in a series that profiles children of immigrants using up-to-date census data and other sources. The first brief highlighted the fast growth of the immigrant population and important demographic trends. The second described the family circumstances of children of immigrants, and the third highlighted the circumstances of young children age 0 to 8. The current brief focuses on immigrant families' incomes, economic well-being, food insecurity, and use of public benefits.

A New Vision to Increase the Academic Achievement for English Language Learners and Immigrant Students

paffairs@urban.org ( Kathleen Leos, Lisa Saavedra ) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

This paper analyzes the challenges and opportunities posed by today's education reform debate for the early education and language learning of immigrant, limited English proficient, and English language learner students 3 to 8 years old. Because of the close connections between the preschool and early elementary years, the paper addresses children who attend early childhood and kindergarten-through-3rd-grade education programs throughout the United States. The analysis focuses on provisions in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (reauthorized as the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001), and other relevant legislation and Supreme Court decisions.

Experts Say Cross-Disciplinary Research and Interventions are Needed to Better Care for Children of Incarcerated Parents

paffairs@urban.org ( Urban Institute ) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

More than 1.7 million American children are separated from an imprisoned parent. Millions more have parents in jail. For these children, the risk of behavioral problems, attachment insecurity, poverty, cognitive delays, and other negative outcomes is elevated. But by how much? How many are able to overcome these challenges? And what public policies give them the best chance of persevering? The scholars contributing to Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Handbook for Researchers and Practitioners, published today by the Urban Institute Press, say it has taken decades to accumulate a body of scientific knowledge about these children, because most practitioners and researchers who gather this information work in isolation.

Education and Achievement A Focus on Latino "Immigrant" Children

paffairs@urban.org ( Eugene Garcia ) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

The high number of English language learners (ELLs) has brought a change in the demographics of public schools and a need to account for the educational experiences of these students, both linguistically and academically. A comprehensive English language development program that facilitates English language acquisition has never been comprehensively articulated and evaluated. This paper argues that robust and rigorous research could be highly useful for policy and education practice modifications. The expanded utilization of dual-language programs is a hopeful sign of that possibility as they offer an alternative with solid empirical evidence for success in selected populations and specific conditions.

Simplicity: Considerations in Designing a Unified Child Credit

paffairs@urban.org ( Elaine Maag ) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 EST

Complexity plagues the tax code for low-income families, particularly with regard to child related credits. Many analysts advocate separating out the essential functions of these credits: subsidizing work, subsidizing children, and subsidizing specifi c activities such as child care. This paper analyzes design considerations in creating a unifi ed child credit and offers options for reforms that range from a complete overhaul of the child and work incentives to a more minor consolidation of highly related tax incentives. Either could form the foundation for reform efforts aimed at simplifying and rationalizing the federal income tax code with respect to children.

From Awareness to Action: A Case Study of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption's Philanthropic Strategy

paffairs@urban.org ( Francie Ostrower ) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption was created in 1992 to increase adoptions from foster care in North America. A decade later, the Foundation concluded that it needed to change its philanthropic approach to achieve that goal. In response, the Foundation launched the Wendy's Wonderful Kids initiative, in partnership with Wendy's, to implement and evaluate an alternative method to finding families for hard-to-place children. This case study examines the Foundation's philanthropic strategy to enhancing its effectiveness, identifies lessons that may help other foundations, and draws implications for the respective roles of private and public initiative in addressing major social issues.

Universal Purchasing of Childhood Vaccines in New York State: A Feasibility Assessment

paffairs@urban.org ( Sarah Benatar, Embry M. Howell, Randall R. Bovbjerg ) — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

This report assesses the administrative, fiscal, and political feasibility of implementing a universal childhood vaccine purchasing program in New York State. Program benefits, stakeholder impacts, and implementation challenges were considered through interviews with key stakeholders, program managers in states with universal vaccine purchasing programs, and independent experts. Costs were estimated from population data, immunization schedules, and a range of possible purchase prices. Findings illustrate that a universal vaccine purchasing program is feasible in New York and could result in benefits for children and primary care providers, but ought to build upon existing infrastructure and incorporate lessons from other states' experiences.

Emergency Food Assistance Helps Many Low-Income Hispanic Children

paffairs@urban.org ( Michael Martinez-Schiferl, Sheila R. Zedlewski ) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

In 2009, nearly 1 in every 5 children in the United States lived in families that used emergency food assistance through Feeding America, the nation's largest organization of emergency food providers. Higher shares of Hispanic and black children used emergency food assistance than white children, reflecting their higher rates of poverty. While the majority of families using emergency food assistance also accessed at least one of the federal nutrition assistance programs, only one in four received food stamps. The high demand for private food assistance demonstrates the extreme need in 2009 caused by high unemployment and poverty.

Low-Income Hispanic Children Need both Private and Public Food Assistance

paffairs@urban.org ( Michael Martinez-Schiferl, Sheila R. Zedlewski ) — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EST

Families that use emergency food assistance often also get help from federal nutrition programs. Hispanic families less often receive help through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called food stamps) than families of other racial/ethnic groups placing them at greater nutritional risk. Families that do not receive SNAP benefits often think that their income, assets or citizenship status makes them ineligible. The broad use of food banks and pantries among low-income families with children demonstrates unmet nutritional needs and confirms that enhancements to the federal nutrition safety net are needed.

Policy Context for CDAs over the Next 20 Years

paffairs@urban.org ( C. Eugene Steuerle ) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EST

The United States is on the brink of a paradigmatic change, forced in part by extraordinary budget pressures. Its current budget increasingly de-emphasizes children, investment, and mobility, yet within inevitable budget reform lies a real possibility of a renewed focus on opportunity, of which child development accounts provide an example.