Bill Promoting Early Learning Passes House
Last week the House of Representatives passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009, H.R. 3221. Title IV of the legislation includes the Early Learning Challenge Fund. The goal of the Fund is better coordination and greater funding between Head Start, child care, and state pre-K programs. (Open Congress). Click here.
The Baucus Health Care “Compromise”
As has been widely reported, Sen. Max Baucus and the Senate Finance Committee have put forth a bill on health insurance reform. The bill, which, among other things, eschews a public option, can be found here.
Community Schools Legislation Introduced
On September 9, 2009 House Majority Leader Representative Steny Hoyer and Senator Ben Nelson re-introduced the Full-Service Community Schools Act of 2009, HR 3545. The Department of Education’s new Title I opens up a new funding stream for community schools. (Coalition for Community Schools). Click here to learn more.
New Poverty Data Paints Grim Picture
On September 10, the U.S. Census Bureau released new data on poverty and insurance coverage in the United States. Here are some highlights:
- In 2008, the number of Americans living in poverty increased by nearly 2.6 million to 39.8 million.
- The poverty rate increased for children under age 18 to 19% in 2008, up from 18% in 2007.
- Real median household income fell 3.6% between 2007 and 2008, from $52,163 to $50,303.
- The number of uninsured individuals rose to 46.3 million.
- The number of uninsured children declined from 8 million in 2007 to 7 million in 2008. Click here. Also check out Poverty Rose, Median Income Declined, and Job-Based Health Insurance Continued to Weaken in 2008 and Private Health Coverage Declined, Became Less Secure In 2008
Racial Inequalities Cost U.S. Health System Billions
Racial inequalities in health care access and quality added more than $50 billion a year in direct U.S. health care costs over a four-year period according to a study by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Eliminating these inequalities would have saved the U.S. economy $1.24 trillion dollars. The two biggest contributors to these disparities are a lack of access to insurance and a lack of access to care. Click here.
Funding Shortfalls Cause Cuts in Housing Vouchers
As a result of a shortfall in funding for the Housing Choice Voucher Program for 2009, an estimated 400 state and local housing agencies across the country will be forced to reduce or eliminate rental assistance for a significant number of the 500,000 low-income families they serve. (CBPP). Click here.
Unemployment Rate Increases in August
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently released the most recent unemployment numbers. In August, the number of unemployed persons increased by 466,000, bringing the total to 14.9 million. The national unemployment rate increased to 9.7%, up from 9.4% in July. Click here.
Dropout Prevention Requires Holistic Approach
Preventing youth from dropping out requires a comprehensive approach that deals with the myriad issues students face at home, at school and in the community. This brief outlines 5 broad strategies for reducing the dropout rate, one of which is enhancing the holding power of schools, with an intensive focus on 9th grade. (KidsCount). Click here.Family-Friendly Policies Benefit Rural Working Mothers
This brief from the Carsey Institute presents an analysis of differences in access to family-friendly policies between rural and urban mothers. Rural Americans are disadvantaged in income, education, and employment and are less likely to have access to family-friendly policies. These policies are important because they protect workers and their families from job loss, wage loss, and health and economic crises. Click here.
Stimulus Keeping 6 Million Americans Out Of Poverty
The stimulus plan Congress enacted earlier this year has had an important secondary effect of significantly ameliorating the recession’s impact on poverty. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities examines 7 of the recovery act’s provisions - 2 improvements in unemployment insurance, 3 tax credits for working families, an increase in food stamps, and a one-time payment for retirees, veterans, and people with disabilities - and finds that they alone are preventing more than 6 million Americans from falling below the poverty line. Click here.
Families Ill- Prepared for Financial Emergencies
Data from the 2007 Survey of Consumer Finances shows that even prior to the current recession, many families did not have enough assets to see them through a modest spell of unemployment or another financial emergency. Low-income, young, and nonemployed families are more vulnerable to economic emergencies. (Urban). Click here.
Early Intervention Services Key to Child Well-Being
Research shows that only a fraction of children eligible for the Early Intervention Program for Infant and Toddlers with Disabilities receive services. This brief outlines how states have leveraged different policy choices to support the integration of social-emotional developmental strategies into early intervention services. (NCCP). Click here. . Also check out Social and Emotional Development in Early Childhood: What Every Policymaker Should Know.
Disability a Cause and Consequence of Income Poverty
A new CEPR report shows that the share of people experiencing income poverty who have disabilities is far larger than conventionally understood. The income-poverty rate for persons with disabilities is between 2 to 3 times the rate for persons without disabilities. The report argues that disability must be taken into account in anti-poverty policy. Click here.
Health Screenings Benefit Medicaid Recipients
A new GAO report stresses the need for States to make a more concerted effort to ensure that Medicaid beneficiaries receive services to which they are entitled. Children under 21 who receive Medicaid are entitled under federal law to a comprehensive health exam. GAO found that on average, only 58% of Medicaid children received at least one well-child checkup. Click here.
Recommended Reading List
Listed below are books of relevance to the nonprofit human service sector that come highly recommended by colleagues. Those that you are interested in can be purchased through Amazon.com.
Hold your computer mouse over the book cover to learn more about that title.
Click on the image to be directed to Amazon.com where you can read more about the book, including price and reviews, as well as purchase the title.