CFK Weekly - March 13, 2006

NEW ON CONNECTFORKIDS.ORG

Stepping Up to the Plate: Helping Kids with Severe Food Allergies
With a sharp increase in the number of kids with severe, even life-threatening, food allergies, schools and other facilities are trying to develop workable policies to keep children safe. Carole Moore reports on the problem, and on proposed federal legislation that could help.

Children of Immigrants: What Does the Future Hold?
Immigration is a hot-button issue right now. In Congress, the House has passed legislation to impose new controls and tougher penalties for illegal immigrants, and the Senate is wrestling with the issue. Meanwhile 14 western-state governors have endorsed President Bush’s plan for guest-worker visas. Often lost in the discussion: the question of whether and how to integrate the children of long-term illegal immigrants fully into U.S. society – for many of them, the only society they have ever known. Connect for Kids offers some resources to put this issue into perspective.

Talktime: DREAM Act
On March 22 Connect for Kids will host a Talktime Live! online chat with experts on education issues faced by immigrants and a student who will speak from experience. Our topic will be the “DREAM Act,” and the opportunities this legislation may provide.

KIDS & POLITICS

Congressional Scorecard on Children's Issues
Did our elected officials live up to their campaign promises in 2005? Check out the latest Congressional Scorecard from the Children's Defense Fund to see how your members of Congress voted on key legislation affecting children and families.

Federal 2007 Budget Moves
In February, President Bush released his proposal for the 2007 federal budget, which would cut education, housing and many other domestic programs (excluding homeland security) by $183 billion over five years -- and includes another $65 billion in cuts Medicaid, Medicare, food stamps, and other programs over 5 years. This Coalition on Human Needs report identifies the cuts, and potential impact on families and communities.

Last week, the Senate Budget Committee approved its budget proposal, which includes many of the President’s proposed cuts – including what the National Education Association says is the “largest cut to education funding in the 26-year history of the Education Department.” The bill is expected to come to the Senate floor this week for a vote.

The Senate Committee plan did not include the President’s proposed Medicaid and Medicare cuts or expansion of health savings accounts, as the Kaiser Family Foundation reports.

Jan’s Blog – Budget Action Steps
“Now is the time to make sure there’s room in the federal budget plan for programs that serve children and youth,” says Jan Richter, Connect for Kids’ advocacy director. This week, Action Central offers a round-up of action alerts, sign-on letters, events, and analysis to help you understand the budget and speak up to urge Capitol Hill to make the right choices for youth.

Don’t forget to check out Jan’s blog for more information and reaction to the 2007 budget plan.

FAMILY ECONOMIC NEWS

The Best Value in the Subprime Market: State Predatory Lending Reforms
Predatory mortgage lending in the subprime market (for those with bad or no credit, who cannot qualify for prime interest rate loans) is a serious problem for low- and moderate-income families. Twenty-eight states have passed comprehensive reforms or enacted regulations to curb specific predatory practices. This report from the Center for Responsible Lending finds that state reforms not only cut down on abusive practices, but also increase access to loans for people who need it most.

Housing Affordability Report
Despite the emphasis on homeownership, one-third of all U.S. households rent. That’s nearly 36 million households. This report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition offers a state-by-state and community comparison of the hourly wage someone must earn to be able to afford rent and utilities in local housing markets.

TAX TIME FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES

A Hand Up: How State Earned Income Tax Credits Help Working Families Escape Poverty in 2006
Tax time is upon us – for some low- and moderate-income families, it can bring major relief. State and federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) programs remove tax burdens for these working families, and are available even to those with incomes too low to be taxed. States that enact EITCs can reduce child poverty, increase effective wages, and cut taxes for families struggling to make ends meet, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).

Two new reports from the Brookings Institution, covered in previous editions of the CFK Weekly, also examine how the tax code affects low-income families, and the help the EITC has provided throughout its 30-year history.

Solid Footing for State Finances: Fiscal Year 2005 Tax Revenue Summary
So the title isn’t riveting, we admit it – but this Rockefeller Institute of Government policy brief has some useful information for anyone concerned about kids, families, and community programs (like schools!). According to the report, 2005 marked the second year of revenue growth for states – their general fund tax revenue grew 10.7 percent from fiscal year 2004 to fiscal year 2005. Still, cuts to federal programs will continue to challenge state resources.

CBPP Calls Claim that Federal Tax Cuts “Pay for Themselves” too Good to be True
Contrary to assertions from the President, the Vice President, and Congressional leaders, the recent federal tax cuts benefiting primarily the wealthiest Americans aren’t “paying for themselves,” according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Recent economic growth and revenue growth have not been particularly strong, and revenues remain lower than was predicted before the tax cuts were enacted.

Tax Advice for Low-Income Families Who Can’t Afford an Accountant
Advocacy Director Jan Richter points the way to toolkits and efforts to make sure low-wage families can get the tax benefits they’re entitled to.

HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE

Administration's Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Likely to Jeopardize SCHIP Coverage for Low-Income Children
The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) connects 4 million kids with health insurance – but more than 200,000 of these children would likely have to go without coverage under the Bush Administration’s 2007 budget proposal, which fails to fully fund states’ SCHIP programs. In this brief, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities examines the proposal and its impact.

Making Public Programs Work for Communities of Color: An Action Kit
People of color comprise one-third of the U.S. population. These Americans are less likely to have health insurance, adequate housing and access to preventive care and routine services. Families USA created this action kit to give community leaders information, tools, and resources for health advocacy in their communities. The kit includes a look at Medicaid and SCHIP and their impact on racial and ethnic health disparities.

Census Health Status, Health Insurance, and Health Services Utilization: 2001
Hispanics saw a doctor the least frequently of all racial/ethnic groups -- 43 percent did not see a doctor in a year. By comparison, 33.5 percent of Asian/Pacific Islanders, 33 percent of African Americans and 22 percent of Whites did not see a doctor in a year. That is one of the many findings of this new Census report, which examines the overall health status of Americans in 2001 and rates of health insurance coverage, doctor and dental visits, hospital stays, and use of prescriptions.

Meth Use Increases Among Rural Teenagers
This March 6, 2006 article is the first in a four-part series run by the Olney (IL) Daily Mail, detailing the scourge of methamphetamine use that is especially rampant among young people in rural areas.

SPOTLIGHT ON EDUCATION

State Education Officials Argue Study Is “Skewed"
Last week, we profiled an Education Trust study, Primary Progress, Secondary Challenge, that offered evidence that students fare better on state standards-based assessments than the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test. According to this article in the Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, West Virginia education officials dispute the study’s approach, saying state and federal test scores doesn’t take all factors into account, and that each state defines “proficient.” The nonprofit Education Trust says it offers its analysis in order to raise questions, and encourages states to evaluate this information.

People, Places and Possibilities: Integrating Mentoring and After-School
A once-a-week adult-student mentoring meeting does not an after-school program make, according to this brief from the Forum for Youth Investment. But perhaps, with a little help, it could. The question is not which makes more sense -- mentoring or after-school -- but how can we utilize both strategies to increase the likelihood that young people have the supports they need to thrive. The 8-page brief offers some ideas.

“Teacher Pay Reform Challenges States”
One of the many new school reforms ties teacher salaries to student performance. This Stateline.org article looks at opposition among teachers’ unions for this pay-for-performance plan, particularly when based on standardized test scores.

HIGHER ED

Inventing Hispanic-Serving Institutions
Schools wherein Hispanic students make up at least 25 percent of undergraduate enrollment account for only about 6 percent of colleges and universities in the United States, but they enroll almost half of Latino college students. The number of such schools is growing. Still, there’s little research on these schools and their students. This new report by Excelencia in Education offers background, history, and context, and examines what it means to have so few schools teaching so many of our nation’s Latino students.

Short fact sheets are also available.

RECONNECTING YOUTH

Engaging At-Risk Students Broadcast (March 21)
The Department of Education’s next broadcast will be held March 21, 8:00-9:00 ET, and will explore the Helping America's Youth (HAY) Initiative, led by First Lady Laura Bush. The broadcast will focus on what schools can do to help engage children in their studies, promote healthy behaviors, and prepare students for successful lives after graduation. (An archived web cast will be available after the meeting.)

Community-Based Learning: Engaging Students for Success and Citizenship
Studies show that as many as 60 percent of students are “chronically disengaged” from learning. This report from the Coalition for Community Schools offers evidence that community-based learning – which integrates different strategies, including service learning, place-based education, environmental and civic education, and work and community service -- can help re-engage students using real-world content and issues. The community-based approach is linked with higher attendance rates, improved academic performance, and on-time graduation.

An Overview of Alternative Education: Helping Disconnect Youth Succeed
Current estimates put the number of youth who are not in school, do not have a diploma, and not working at 3.8 million. For these young people, labor market prospects are often gloomy. This Urban Institute report looks at policies and funding streams that could help states and communities replicate and expand alternative learning opportunities for out-of-school youth.

SUPPORTING YOUTH LEADERS

New Website for Youth as City Leaders
The National League of Cities is “meeting young people where they are” – online! This site helps active youth leaders connect with others and share ideas on how to improve their communities. It includes online discussion forums, blogs by young activists, and a list of upcoming events.

Grants for Youth-Led Community Projects
To encourage and promote crime prevention, community service, and civic responsibility, the National Crime Prevention Council is offering grants of up to $500 for young people’s service learning projects in their schools and communities. Deadlines for spring and summer programs are April 1 and June 1, respectively.

JUVENILE JUSTICE NEWS

How the Justice System Responds to Juvenile Victims: A Comprehensive Model
Unlike the more familiar juvenile offender justice system, it’s not always clear how the juvenile victim justice system works, and how the many agencies serving young victims of crime – from police and courts to child protective services and mental health agencies – interact. This bulletin looks at how cases move through the system and the typical processes in the juvenile victim justice system.

Issue Brief: Focusing Juvenile Justice on Positive Youth Development
Although encouraging positive youth development is increasingly taking hold in many sectors of child advocacy, the juvenile justice system tends to rely on a traditional detention and punishment approach. This Chapin Hall issue brief examines current practices for youthful offenders and evidence that drawing on positive youth development strategies can improve services and outcomes for young offenders. (Free registration required.)

THINGS TO DO, PLACES TO GO

Childhood Obesity Forum (March 14)
Since the 1970s, the share of overweight or obese kids has doubled to nearly 30 percent. To launch the release of the latest Future of Children volume on Childhood Obesity, this panel will meet on March 14 from 9:00-11:30 am ET at Brookings in Washington, DC, to examine federal, state, and local initiatives addressing childhood obesity. Please RSVP by calling the Brookings Office of Communications, 202/797-6105, or register online.

Check out Connect for Kids’ online Obesity Resource.

Phone Conference - Promoting Quality Pre-Kindergarten: Insights from the Health and Early Childhood Fields (March 17)
Docs For Tots invites interested adults to participate in this nationwide phone-in conference on the New York Universal Pre-Kindergarten Support Project, to be held Friday, March 17 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET. Attendance is limited; RSVP to Rachel Zukrow (rzukrow@docsfortots.org) to reserve one of the available spaces and receive dial-in information and other materials that are not available online.

National Inhalants and Poisons Awareness Week (March 19-25)
This weeklong event is designed to increase public awareness about the dangers of inhalants. Check out local happenings, and how you can get involved.

National Poison Prevention Week (March 19-25)
Each year, approximately 2.4 million people - more than half under age 6 - swallow or have contact with a poisonous substance. The American Academy of Pediatrics has information on what to do, and where to go to learn more.

Integrating Mentoring and After-School (March 21)
On March 21 from 1:30-2:30 pm ET, the Forum for Youth Investment will host a free audio conference focusing on the relationship between mentoring and after-school, two fields that have garnered significant policy attention and momentum over the past several years. How can we utilize both strategies to increase the likelihood that young people have the supports they need to thrive? To register, send your name and contact information to Diana Yu at dianayu@forumforyouthinvestment.org or by phone at 202.207.3713.

Here’s the report that accompanies the call

Heads Up: National Conference on Juvenile Justice (March 26-29)
On March 26-29, 2006, in Denver, CO, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges and the National District Attorneys Association will sponsor the National Conference on Juvenile Justice.

Encourage Policymakers to “Walk a Mile” in the Shoes of Low-Income Families (RFP deadline April 7)
The national Walk A Mile program is looking for organizations and groups working in anti-poverty, anti-hunger or social justice programs to coordinate Walk A Mile projects in their communities, which help policymakers learn about the real lives of their low-income constituents. Programs can be coordinated in any state. Visit the site to download an application. Deadline: Friday, April 7. For more information, email Natasha Grossman at natasha@walkamile.org.

Keep us posted on your work!
Caitlin

Caitlin Johnson, sr. writer, and the Connect for Kids team