|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
|
||||||||
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fast Links |
To subscribe, submit the form in the left column of this e-newsletter or visit www.nassembly.org. HSN: Human Service Newsbytes July 7 , 2008 Human Service Newsbytes is the biweekly e-newsletter of the National Human Services Assembly that contains information for and about the nonprofit health and human services sector. Please pass this timely information along to your network.
In the spirit of the holiday just past, and recognizing that many are on vacation, this edition of Newsbytes issues a “Declaration of Independence”…from e-mail! Is e-mail a tool for you or is it running your life? One of our members, Tom Plake, Chief Experience Officer, who, with Janet Wakefield, Chief Exploration Officer, directs Leadership & Renewal Outfitters (http://renewal.typepad.com/), penned the following useful guidance.
States Differ Widely in Child Care Use by Low-Income Families Low-income children are less likely to participate in non-parental child care than children from higher income families, according to a new Child Trends research brief. This brief includes state-by-state data on the use of non-parental child care for children ages 0-4 among low-income families. The brief also describes differences in the types of child care used, and parents' experiences with child care problems that interfere with their work schedules across states. Findings include: Among children in any type of child care arrangement, low-income children were more likely to be in a home-based arrangement rather than a center-based arrangement; and lower rates of child care participation among low-income children (38 to 50 percent) occurred in states primarily located in the western and north central regions of the country. Click here Official Poverty Measure Undercounts the Nation's Poor In a few weeks, the U.S. Census Bureau will report on the 2007 poverty rate in America. Whatever the outcome, one thing is for sure: the official measure will represent a significant undercount of the nation's poor. A more accurate measure would reveal that millions more persons face material deprivation. The chart from the Economic Policy Institute shows the official measure alongside a more accurate, alternative poverty measure taken from recent research. Click here. How Children Fare in the Federal Budget A new report from the Urban Institute tracks federal spending on children from 1960 through 2018 based on actual budget outlays and projections of spending under current policies. The report charts the relative changes - and therefore, the shifting national emphases - between children’s spending and spending on other priorities. It also examines changes in spending among different types of children’s programs. Click here. Facing Deficits, Many States are Imposing Cuts That Hurt Vulnerable Residents As a new fiscal year begins in most states, budget difficulties are leading some 20 states to reduce services to their residents, including some of their most vulnerable families and individuals. Examples of enacted and proposed cuts to state services include: 13 states have implemented or proposed cuts that will affect eligibility for health insurance programs and/or access to health care services; six states have cut medical, rehabilitative, home care, or other services needed by low-income people who are elderly or have disabilities, or significantly increased the amounts that such people must pay for the services. To read more of this report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities click here. State Indicators for Early Childhood Not Consistent Across the US Virtually all State Early Childhood Comprehensive System Initiatives have adopted or identified indicators for monitoring program performance and child outcomes related to early childhood systems. However, although a functional set of indicators is needed to monitor progress of ECCS initiatives across the states, there is no one overarching set of indicators consistently being used. This report from the National Center for Children in Poverty reviews the characteristics of good indicators and proposes 36 indicators, based on a review of the literature, an analysis of key national indicator sets, and a comparative review of indicators set out in State ECCS reports and plans. Click here. Partnering with the Private and Philanthropic Sectors The National Governor’s Association released a report aimed at helping governors engage the private and philanthropic sectors in furthering early childhood programs and services in their states and promoting the healthy development and school readiness of children from birth to age five. Click here.. The Housing Crash and the Retirement Prospects of Late Baby Boomers A new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research shows that, due to the collapse of the housing bubble, the vast majority of near retirees have accumulated little or no wealth. This means that they will be almost completely reliant on Social Security and Medicare to support them in their retirement years. The projections also show that a large number of families in these age cohorts will have little or no equity in their homes in 2009. Finally, the projections show that the renters within the same wealth quintiles in 2004 will have more wealth in 2009 than homeowners in all three scenarios. Click here. Supreme Court's Decision Strikes Down Handgun Ban Critical to Protecting Children & Teens Laws such as the D.C. ban not only provide reasonable restrictions, but also are critical to protecting children and teens who are extremely vulnerable to gun violence as highlighted by Children's Defense Fund's recently released gun report, Protect Children, Not Guns. To read more about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down D.C.'s handgun ban click here. Click here to view a map of firearm deaths of children and teens in 2005 National Disability Status and Program Performance Indicators The number of people with disabilities in the U.S. is large and growing: 49.7 million noninstitutionalized individuals have disabilities, and about 21.5 million of them are working age. This report from the National Council on Disability describes what we know about the status of these individuals. It also assesses the extent to which current data meaningfully measure their well-being. It includes a set of statistical social indicators to measure progress in important areas over time. Click here. States Reduce Medicaid Costs with New Technology The chokehold of Medicaid is tightening on state budgets. The joint federal/state program accounts for 22 percent of total state spending, according to the National Governors Association. Medicaid spending was projected to grow by more than 7 percent in 2007, the NGA said, driven largely by recent changes in prescription drug coverage. And health-care costs will continue rising at an average annual rate of about 8 percent over the next 10 years, according to Congressional Budget Office projections. Emerging state IT projects show how agencies can use technology to cut Medicaid costs, and quantifying the various cost drivers is often the first step. That measurement process is helping states identify and remedy the inappropriate service usage, late diagnoses and fraud partially responsible for surging Medicaid expenses. Click here. Other News... Long-Term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect This factsheet provides an overview of some of the most common physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences of child abuse and neglect. (Child Welfare Information Gateway). Click here. SENIORS4KIDS Releases Kentucky Report On June 26 Generations United’s Seniors4Kids initiative released a groundbreaking report which highlights why older adults in Kentucky care about quality pre-K for all children and what they are doing to support investing in children. To read the report, go to http://www.seniors4kids.org/ National Assembly CEO Writes on Workforce, Sector Challenges - In “Generational Dynamics in the Workplace,” published in Together, the magazine of Generations United, NHSA CEO, Irv Katz, observes that the issues of recruiting and developing entry workers and executive level workers are inseparable. Both need to be integrated in comprehensive talent development strategies. Click here. - The Nonprofit Times, June 1, 2008 edition, includes an essay on “Reinventing, Re-imagining Voluntarism and the Voluntary Sector,” in which Katz observes that the nonprofit sector sells itself short by not using clear language about what it is, how complex it is, and how essential it is to society. He asserts that language is a part of the solution, opting for terms like civic sector and civic enterprise over nonprofit sector and charity. Other strategies are suggested, including competing for talent. Click here. New Resources... The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2008 Kids Count Data Book is now available! The annual Data Book is a national and state-by-state profile of the well-being of America’s children that seeks to enrich discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all kids. The Data Book ranks states on 10 key measures and provides data on the economic, health, education, and social conditions of America’s children and families. This year, the Kids Count Data Book essay, “A Road Map for Juvenile Justice Reform,” looks at the nearly 100,000 children confined to juvenile facilities on any given night in the United States, and what can be done to reduce unnecessary and inappropriate detention and incarceration and increase opportunities for positive youth development and community safety. Click here to access it . Permanency Planning Resources - The National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning (NRCFCPPP) offers a wealth of resources on permanency planning for youth. Click here Family Search and Engagement Steps In recent years, child welfare professionals have increasingly focused on the importance of permanent connections for older youth who might otherwise age out of foster care into an uncertain adulthood. A new guide outlines the steps to identifying, locating, and engaging family members who may offer permanency to youth in foster care. Click here. Multi-Faith Resource for Child Advocacy Now Available The Children’s Defense Fund has just released the latest edition of the National Observance of Children's Sabbaths Manual - a multi-faith resource for year-round child advocacy. Click here. Got Jobs? Members and friends of the National Assembly can post positions on the National Assembly's web site. Click the link. Create your own password, and post the job. Got Conferences, Events? Post events that are open to the broad human service sector (i.e., not just your own members). Click the link. Click on "Add Your Own Event," and follow the instructions. Got News? Email your news and grant announcement suggestions to newsletters@nassembly.org. Grants, Notices & Awards (listed in chronological order by deadline) Community Improvement Project Assistance from Lowe's The Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) funds community improvement projects and home safety initiatives, including building repair and renovation, community clean-up, landscaping and painting projects, construction and trades related initiatives and playground enhancements. Applications are awarded on an ongoing basis. Click here for more info. $5 Million in Grants Available for Student Service and Service-Learning Projects More than $5 million in Learn and Serve America grant funding will be available to support community service and service-learning through three new grant competitions: the 2008 College Student Social Media Initiative, School-Based Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Curriculum (STEM), and the Indian Tribes Drug Abuse Prevention Initiative. For more info.. Three national housing organizations—HomeFree-USA, National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC), and NeighborWorks America—have announced new financial support in response to the homeownership financing needs of existing and prospective homeowners. The Homeownership Helps initiative, being funded with a two-year total of $2 million, will help households looking to purchase a home and those struggling with their current mortgage. For more info.. Literacy, Youth Leadership and Volunteerism Grants – Deadline: Rolling. The Comcast Foundation supports organizations that make communities stronger through literacy, youth leadership development and community service programs. Award amounts range from $1,000 to $570,000. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status that operate within a Comcast service area.
11th National Child Welfare Data and Technology Conference Bold Ideas for Making Work Work – Free Webinar August 19th from 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm ET Innovations in “how, when, and where works gets done” are making organizations more effective and successful, while supporting the needs of employees, including working parents and caregivers. President and Co-Founder of Families and Work Institute Ellen Galinsky, will discuss providing effective workplaces for our paid and volunteer staff. This free webinar will be open to all Assembly members, their affiliates, and select other national nonprofit human services organizations. For more information please contact Natalie Thompson nthompson@nassembly.org 2008 Nonprofit Human Resources Conference: Advancing Mission Through People The 2008 Nonprofit Human Resources Conference is the first of a series of planned annual events designed to bring together nonprofit human resources practitioners, executives, thought leaders, and researchers to not only discuss human resources issues of critical importance to the nonprofit sector, but also to identify resources – human, financial, and programmatic – that will advance the missions and organizational effectiveness of individual organizations and position the sector more effectively for the future. National Assembly members will receive a discount on registration. Click here to register. September 28-29, 2008 Washington, DC The Magic of Connections National Mentoring Summit The purpose of the summit is to invigorate and mobilize the mentoring community, while motivating and inspiring business and civic leaders to increase their support for mentoring efforts. Click here to register September 18 - 19, 2008 Disneyland Resort National Leaders’ Summit: Mission Driven from the Inside Out Opening Reception and Essence of Leadership Awards: September 25, 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. EST Leaders’ Summit: September 26, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST All events will be held at the national headquarters of the American Red Cross in Washington DC. Contact April Goldstein at agoldstein@nassembly.org for more details. 2008 BoardSource Leadership Forum Washington, DC October 29-31 Advanced Volunteer Management Conference For information on more events and to post events click here
|
|
About e-mail filters:
| ||