Family Strengthening News is a monthly e-newsletter produced by the Family Strengthening Policy Center, an initiative of the National Human Services Assembly funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Family Strengthening: A deliberate and sustained effort to ensure that parents have the necessary opportunities, relationships, networks and supports to raise their children successfully, which includes involving parents as decision-makers in how their communities meet family needs.  - Annie E. Casey Foundation

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Family Economic Success

More Unemployed Workers, Fewer Job Openings

Each month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes unemployment statistics, including the number of unemployed workers and the unemployment rate. The Economic Policy Institute recently highlighted the growing gap between jobs and workers. In December 2006, there were 1.6 job seekers for every job, but by July that number had jumped to 2.6. This brief shows that the number of job openings is an important measure of employment and often gets overlooked. The number of job seekers per opening is now firmly in recessionary territory according to EPI, to read more click here.

Policy Options to Promote Savings and Asset Ownership by Low- and Moderate-Income Americans

The New America Foundation recently released The Assets Agenda, the purpose of this report is to outline a federal public policy agenda to broaden savings and asset ownership opportunities for lower-income Americans who have limited resources at their disposal. The agenda includes calls for new structures and policies at the federal level, as well as changes to existing tax systems, government programs, and financial products. Some of these policies are well developed, others need more seasoning, but all of them have the potential to contribute to the economic well-being of millions of American families. This edition of New America's Assets Agenda is the most comprehensive to date, with 84 innovative asset-building ideas. Click here.

Supporting Parents' Employment and Children's Development

Parents in low-wage jobs lack both the time and resources needed to fill their dual roles of worker and parent.  In this essay from the Urban Institute, the authors outline a “family security” approach that would help parents fulfill their roles effectively.  They suggest policies for enabling parents to improve prospects for their children and combine work with child rearing.  Among the recommendations are flexible and paid leave policies for working parents, guaranteed child care, and expansion of the Early Head program. Click here.

Pathways to Economic Mobility

The assumption that anyone can get ahead based on capability and effort is central to the idea of the American Dream. This report from the Economic Mobility Project provides an overview of the factors that seem to most affect the likelihood that someone will move up, or down, the economic ladder in the United States. The report presents the primary indicators that influences one’s path to economic mobility and classifies them into three distinct categories: social capital, human capital and financial capital. While a broader set of indicators is identified, the report finds that educational attainment, family structure and savings are the strongest determinants of whether Americans move up or down the economic ladder. Click here.

Family Support Systems

Food Stamps, Federalism, and Working Families

Food stamp benefits can provide an important supplement to the income of working families (families with children under 18 and earnings), who now make up nearly 40% of program participants. States can take advantage of Food Stamp Program policy options that increase eligibility and benefits. Seven policy options are particularly important for working families: more liberal vehicle rules, expanded categorical eligibility, transitional benefits for families leaving cash assistance, outreach, longer certification periods, reduced reporting requirements, and waivers of the required face-to-face interviews at recertification. To read more of this new report from the Urban Institute click here.

Historic Child Welfare Legislation Moves to Senate

The Senate is scheduled to meet September 22, with the possibility it will give final approval to the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (H.R. 6893) and send the legislation to President Bush, who is expected to sign it into law this week. The legislation represents the most significant reform of child welfare in more than a decade, since Congress enacted the Adoption and Safe Families Act. Some of the changes, such as the adoption delink and extension of foster care to 21, will be phased in, but all provisions will help address significant challenges in child welfare when state and local programs have had an opportunity to implement them over the next few years. To read a more detailed analysis click here

House Subcommittee Examines Issue of Youth Serving Life Without Parole
The House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security held a hearing September 11 on H.R. 4300, the "Juvenile Justice Accountability and Improvement Act." This legislation seeks to end the practice of sentencing youth younger than 18 at the time of their offenses to life without parole (LWOP). A 2008 report by Human Rights Watch found the United States is unique in this practice, with more than 2,484 youth serving LWOP in U.S. prisons. To read report click here.

Impacts of Early Childhood Programs

From neuroscientists to economists, a range of researchers have focused attention on the critical importance of children’s early years. At the same time, business, education, and political leaders have underscored the goal of ensuring that young children enter school “ready to learn,” so that they can succeed in school and as the next generation of workers and citizens. As a result, there have been increasing calls on federal and state policy-makers to expand public investments in early childhood education. The goal of this new set of research briefs from the Brookings Institution is to provide policy-makers with a user-friendly summary of up-to-date, high-quality evidence on several early childhood interventions and their impact on children and families. For example recent studies demonstrate that state pre-K programs have had positive effects on children’s readiness to learn, with large impacts in some states. Click here.

Thriving and Nurturing Communities

Preserving Safe, High Quality Public Housing Should Be a Priority

This report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, based on significant new research, examines the state of public housing in the U.S. today and discusses federal policy changes that have greatly improved public housing over the past decade, as well as the deteriorating funding situation that is undermining this progress. It then outlines several policy recommendations that could further strengthen public housing and preserve most developments for the future. For example, the federal government should reverse its recent policy of underfunding public housing’s operating costs and provide housing agencies with the full amount of funding they need for adequate upkeep and operation of developments. To read more click here.

Serve America Act: Investing in U.S. Communities

On September 12th, Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) introduced a major piece of legislation in the Senate. Building on the success of existing national service programs like AmeriCorps, The Serve America Act (S. 3487) would recruit Americans of all ages to help tackle a wide range of national challenges, such as strengthening schools, improving health care for low-income communities, cleaning up parks, and aiding efforts to boost energy efficiency. The legislation would also expand the volunteer pool by establishing a "Volunteer Generation Fund" that would match, dollar for dollar, money provided by private sources to help nonprofit, faith-based, and civic groups recruit, train, and manage more volunteers as well as to develop innovative social programs. To attract highly qualified people over age 50 to make a large commitment to work in the nonprofit or public sector, the bill would establish an "Encore Fellows" program that would provide individuals with both a stipend and education award that they could transfer to their children or grandchildren. The new programs would cost $5 billion over five years-costs expected to be offset by cuts in other areas or new revenue from other sources. For a summary of the bill, click here

To read about the ServiceNation Summit, a gathering of more than 700 leaders of all ages and from every sector-civic, corporate, and political-of American society to celebrate the power and potential of service, and lay out a bold policy blueprint for addressing challenges facing our society through expanded opportunities for community and national service click here

Building Sustainable Communities for 21st Century America: A Public Policy Framework

To address any number of national priorities successfully, public policies should build on local efforts to help low-income communities to become truly sustainable. This new report from The Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) looks at economic prosperity; health; transportation; crime and public safety; housing; energy, the environment and climate change; poverty; and education as central to building sustainable communities. The report also states that policy makers should expand the current generation of proven policies already helping to revive low-income communities. To read more…

Towards a Fair, Responsible and Transparent Market for Sustainable Home Loans

Today’s foreclosure epidemic resulted from the legal mass marketing of dangerous loan products and systematic overcharging of vulnerable consumers.  Unfortunately, the consequences are hurting everyone, as massive foreclosures reverse previous gains that had been made in homeownership.  Even worse, the housing crisis has set the entire country back as we deal with the spillover effects of reduced property values, lost jobs, and devastated communities.  Learn more about the Subprime Market Meltdown and find out about common sense solutions to respond to it, from the Center for Responsible Lending.

Announcements & Additional Resources

NCY ANNOUNCES NATIONAL CHILDREN & YOUTH POLICY AGENDA

The National Collaboration for Youth (NCY), a 40 year old coalition of youth-serving nonprofits, has proposed a national children and youth policy agenda, “Toward a Brighter Future: An Essential Agenda for America’s Young People”. The agenda and policy recommendations within are essential to meeting the needs of America’s children and youth in 2009 and beyond. While most would agree that “children are our greatest asset,” the federal government’s investment in children and youth continues to decline.  According to the First Focus Children’s Budget Book, federal spending on children decreased by 10% in the past five years. The policy agenda, contains an overarching set of recommendations for federal policy changes and investments designed to move this nation toward a brighter future and invest in the needs of our children and youth. View the Agenda at: www.collab4youth.org

Caring Workplaces Practices Catalog offers nonprofit human services organizations with a menu of practical, often low-cost ways your organization can support staff – paid and volunteer- who have family responsibilities.  The catalog can help you bring the family strengthening approach inside your organization, applying the same philosophy you use with clients to your own workforce.  The catalog covers everything from child care and out-of-school time assistance to elder care, flexibility, transportation assistance, workplace culture, paid and unpaid leave, and beyond.  This free resource is downloadable in PDF form from the virtual. Also see NeighborWorks® America: A Caring Workplaces, Committed Employees Case Study. Use this case study of a nonprofit employer to explore your own Caring Workplace strengths and identify opportunities to further help staff members realize their potential at work and manage their family and community responsibilities.

Understanding the State of Knowledge of Youth Engagement Financing and Sustainability

Published by The Finance Project with funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, this report provides critical research and analysis to build the knowledge base on the variety and effectiveness of existing youth engagement approaches and puts forth what is known about the costs, financing, and sustainability of these approaches. This report also profiles several youth engagement programs that have implemented a variety of strategies to finance and sustain their work. Click here.

Supporting the Social-Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers in Foster Care

This information sheet from the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare offers practical strategies to caseworkers and foster parents for supporting the social-emotional development of foster children under the age of five. Click here.

Curriculum for Culturally Sensitive Social Work Practice with Native Americans

A new curriculum by the California Social Work Education Center addresses elements missing from traditional training that are essential for successful implementation of the Indian Child Welfare Act. The training is for child welfare social workers, supervisors, managers, contract agency staff, and other professionals working with Native American youth and communities. The materials and activities focus on trust, relationship-building, the effects of historic and collective trauma on the Native American experience, and culturally sensitive communication and needs assessment. Click here

Conferences & Events

2008 BoardSource Leadership Forum

Washington, DC October 29-31

2008 It's My Life Conference

Casey Family Programs is hosting the 2008 It’s My Life Conference Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 in Hollywood, California

It’s My Life convenes over 700 participants—youth in foster care, alumni of care, caregivers, practitioners, and advocates—who share innovative practices designed to guide preparation for adulthood services for youth aging out of foster care

Healthy Teen Network's 29th Annual Conference: Speaking Many Languages: Respecting Diversity, Believing in Equity

October 29-November 1, 2008 Albuquerque, NM 

Healthy Communities • Healthy Youth Conference
November 5-8, 2008, Minneapolis, Minnesota

10th Social Enterprise Summit

April 15-17, 2009  Intercontinental Hotel, New Orleans

For other conferences and events, click here.

Family Strengthening Policy Center Briefs

In addition to producing this newsletter, the Family Strengthening Policy Center has produced analyses of the following promising practices and policies that advance place-based family strengthening.  We do the research and analysis so you don't have to! Please check them out, and please feel free to reference those you find helpful. Click the titles below to view the briefs in PDF format. We particularly commend to you the most recent and over-arching policy brief: Family Strengthening Writ Large: On Becoming a Nation That Promotes Strong Families and Successful Youth

Integrated Materials:

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For more resources from the National Assembly, please visit our other sites:

National Human Services Assembly
www.nassembly.org
The National Human Services Assembly (National Assembly) is an association of the nation’s leading national nonprofits in the fields of health, human and community development, and human services.   The National Assembly's mission is to engage leaders of the sector in collective efforts to advance the effectiveness of health & human services in the United States.  

National Collaboration for Youth
www.collab4youth.org
The National Collaboration for Youth (NCY), a 30-year old affinity group, is a coalition of National Assembly member organizations that have a significant interest in youth development.  This Web site includes NCY's public policy agenda and issues and information about NCY's F.I.L.M. (Finding Inspiration in Literature and Movies) and juvenile justice projects.