information for practice
news & new scholarship from around the world 11.23.09information for practice July 2008 archives
July 25, 2008
The victims’ testimonies included in the Report are meant to be representative only and do not include all forms of trafficking that occur. Any of these stories could unfortunately take place almost anywhere in the world. They are provided to illustrate the many forms of trafficking and the wide variety of places in which they occur. No country is immune. All names of victims that appear in this Report are fictional. The photographs on this Report’s cover and most uncaptioned photographs in the Report are not images of confirmed trafficking victims, but are provided to show the myriad forms of exploitation that help define trafficking and the variety of cultures in which trafficking victims are found.
Includes links to State-specific agencies, organizations, and universities providing training and/or continuing education for the child welfare workforce.
In preparing this report, we conducted interviews with state staff and program managers and advocates, conducted focus groups and surveys of consumers and case management staff. We reviewed program documents, including program manuals, Medicaid State Plan amendments and waiver documents as well as previous HHSC reports. Additionally, we reviewed case management‐specific expenditure and utilization data, when available. In this report we provide a summary of each HHS program providing case management services and our findings related to key features of these programs. The report also includes a summary of the major themes that emerged during focus groups with case managers and consumers. We also include results and analysis of the focus groups in the Stakeholder Involvement Report.
This project followed up a cohort of 113 children, removed from their parents’ care by the courts because of child protection concerns, who were then placed with members of their extended families or social networks. This form of care is known as family and friends or kinship care. The placements were all those known to be made in the course of care proceedings, brought by two local authorities, which completed between 1995 and 2001. The cases were followed up during 2004/5.
Since 1965, the Head Start program has served low-income 3- and 4-year-old children and their families with comprehensive early education and support services. Programs provide services focused on the “whole child,” including early education addressing cognitive, developmental, and socio-emotional needs; medical and dental screenings and referrals; nutritional services; parental involvement activities and referrals to social service providers for the entire family; and mental health services. In 1994, the federal Early Head Start program was created to address the comprehensive needs of low-income children under age 3 and pregnant women. All Head Start programs are required to complete the Program Information Report (PIR) on an annual basis. Based on information reported through the PIR, this fact sheet describes the characteristics of Head Start children and families (including children in Early Head Start, the Head Start preschool program, and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start) and the services provided to them during the 2005-2006 program year.
Optimization efforts are to include:
• Making case management more efficient and cost-effective
• Ensuring quality consumer services
• Optimizing Federal and state funding sources
• Enhancing r replacing case management programs not meeting cost or quality targets with proven programs or enhancements
• Assessing the feasibility of a Medicaid waiver combining case management, care coordination, utilization management and other quality and cost control measures and, if feasible, developing the waiver
This is a short history of the NHS to celebrate its 60th birthday. It is based on the experiences of staff who have worked for the NHS over decades, as well as patients whose lives have been transformed through treatment.
July 24, 2008
This guide is intended for an audience of local authorities and their partners. It is particularly aimed at commissioners of housing-related support, adult services, health, and probation projects. It will also be relevant to corporate procurement teams, voluntary, user, and community groups and providers of housing-related support for information. This guide describes the cycles of needs analysis, commissioning, and procurement when applied to housing-related support, and links to the processes used in social care and health commissioning. It is not intended to be a guide to the law as it relates to any of the subjects discussed.
This best practice guidance sets out the background, purpose, and development of the Competence Framework for Support, Time and Recovery (STR) workers employed across health and social care sectors of mental health. It supports the original STR guidance of 2003 and the STR handbook of 2007.
As with all children in care, the goal is to provide the highest level of care and consideration to the children from the Yearning for Zion (YFZ) Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS) compound. Every effort must be made to understand, respect, and incorporate their religious beliefs and social practices as much as possible, as the children are gradually introduced into mainstream culture. According to news reports (AP, CNN), child psychiatrist and state witness Bruce Perry, M.D. states that if the children are allowed to remain in state custody, "there have to be exceptional elements in place for these children and their families.” In addition, although gradual integration is a consideration, it is important to be mindful that some of the children may eventually be reunited with their parents. It is critical that these children not be exposed into mainstream culture too quickly or in ways that would hinder their success should they reunite with family.
Children who are abused, neglected, or abandoned by their parents or children whose parents’ personal problems prevent them from providing adequate care, may enter the foster care system. The State of South Carolina currently has over 5,400 children in foster care. Each case represents tragedy in various forms – but mostly to the children who are torn from their normal surrounds, suddenly separated from their birth parents, and sent to live in foreign circumstances while the adults and courts spend months or years deciding where these children should be. These children often experience emotional, behavioral, and health problems that are reflective of their dysfunctional home life. Systemic barriers must be minimized or eliminated to speed up the process for children to be returned home or find permanence in an adoptive placement. Currently, the average number of months from the time a child enters foster care until an adoption is finalized is 40.7 months, whereas the Federal and State goal is 24 months. DSS must reduce the number of months in foster care until the finalization of adoption to provide permanency for children.
In 1994, the federal Early Head Start program was created to address the comprehensive needs of low-income children under age 3 and pregnant women. Since 1965, the Head Start program has served low-income 3- and 4-year-old children and their families with comprehensive early education and support services. Programs provide services focused on the “whole child,” including early education addressing cognitive, developmental, and socio-emotional needs; medical and dental screenings and referrals; nutritional services; parental involvement activities and referrals to social service providers for the entire family; and mental health services. All Head Start programs are required to complete the Program Information Report (PIR) on an annual basis. Based on information reported through the PIR, this fact sheet describes the characteristics of Early Head Start children and families and the services provided to them during the 2005-2006 program year.
The paper is concerned with the high levels of infant and child illness and death amongst poor urban slum communities in Rajasthan, a state with one of the highest infant mortality rates in India. Urban poverty is significant in Rajasthan with a fifth of the urban population living below the poverty line and in slums (UHRC 2006). Increasing numbers of poor migrants in search of employment contribute to the rising levels of urban poverty in cities such as Jaipur, where the present study is based. The research presented in this paper specifically focuses on the positive and negative roles of migration for the survival prospects of children in Rajasthan. While migration is an increasing feature which defines the lives of the rural and urban poor in India, few studies have considered its effects on the health of migrants and their families. A key point we make in the paper is that many poor people are forced to move on a regular and chronic basis and that this movement has both negative and positive consequences for their health and nutritional status.
The Urban Institute partnered with local research organizations in three sites to learn more about children of incarcerated parents through the merging and analysis of local and state level criminal justice and human services data. The purpose of the project was to better understand the experiences and needs of children of incarcerated parents in each locality and to explore the involvement of affected families with the criminal justice, child welfare, and social welfare systems. This report presents findings from the sites and lessons learned regarding the merging and analysis of administrative data on this population.
July 23, 2008
A report examining the impact of the smokefree law, one year on since it was introduced in England on 1 July 2007. Research amongst businesses and consumers clearly suggests that the nation has quickly adapted to, is benefiting from, and is showing growing support for the smokefree law in England.
This research aimed to find out what level of income people think is needed to afford a socially acceptable standard of living in Britain today, and to participate in society. The study compiled household budgets to calculate the first-ever minimum income standard (MIS) for Britain. Combining expert knowledge with in-depth consultation with members of the public, the MIS standard provides a new benchmark to inform future poverty debates and public policy decisions affecting the incomes of those worst off.
This teleconference on rural child welfare issues was hosted for state foster care and adoption managers.
This international report is the fourth from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study, a WHO collaborative cross-national study, and the most comprehensive. It presents the key findings on patterns of health among young people aged 11, 13 and 15 years in 41 countries and regions across the WHO European Region and North America in 2005/2006. Its theme is health inequalities: quantifying the gender, age, geographic and socioeconomic dimensions of health differentials. Its aim is to highlight where these inequalities exist, to inform and influence policy and practice and to help improve health for all young people. The report clearly shows that, while the health and well-being of many young people give cause for celebration, sizeable minorities are experiencing real and worrying problems related to overweight and obesity, self-esteem, life satisfaction, substance misuse and bullying. The report provides reliable data that health systems in Member States can use to support and encourage sectors such as education, social inclusion and housing, to achieve their primary goals and, in so doing, benefit young people’s health. Policy-makers and professionals in the participating countries should listen closely to the voices of their young people and ensure that these drive their efforts to put in place the circumstances – social, economic, health and educational – within which young people can thrive and prosper.
An estimated 905,000 children were victims of child abuse or neglect in 2006 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). While physical injuries may or may not be immediately visible, abuse and neglect can have consequences for children, families, and society that last lifetimes, if not generations. The impact of child abuse and neglect is often discussed in terms of physical, psychological, behavioral, and societal consequences.
To fulfill this requirement, Navigant Consulting performed a literature search that included case management organizations’ websites, Federal and state reports and websites as well as relevant journals. We also relied on our experience and interviews with state representatives to prepare this report. We have also highlighted Texas case management programs viewed as best practices. A more detailed description of Texas case management programs may be found in our report entitled, Analysis of Current Case Management System. In trying to identify “best practices” in case management, we have found that the literature describing case management programs focuses on new and emerging practices that support general philosophies in the delivery of services. Recent trends emphasizing client empowerment, self-determination and person-centered care strategies that shift the decision-making balance in favor of the client and his/her family take center stage in many of these best practices.
This guide is designed to encourage retailers to partner with local law enforcement to prevent vandalism occurring in and around their properties. The guide walks readers through the process of understanding the nature of their local vandalism problem, collecting and analyzing data, identifying potential strategies to reduce vandalism, and measuring the impact of those strategies. Promising strategies to reduce vandalism are described, including: monitoring vandalism prone areas; using graffiti resistant paint; and applying protective film to glass surfaces to minimize acid damage. This guide is one in a series of six crime prevention publications that describe how public/private partnerships can reduce crime.
July 22, 2008
This guide is designed to help merchants and retailers partner with local law enforcement to assess their auto theft, car break-in, and vehicle vandalism problems and to develop strategies to address them. The guide walks readers through the process of understanding their car crime problem; collecting crime data; identifying potential strategies; and measuring the impact of those strategies. While each jurisdiction's problems will be different, effective strategies may include: introducing bike patrols; improving lighting; restricting pedestrian traffic; and requiring tickets to both enter and exit parking facilities. This guide is one in a series of six crime prevention publications that focus on employing public/private partnerships to address crime.
This is a one person review of how illicit drugs get into prisons and what can be done about it. Drugs get in:
• With visitors
• ‘Over the wall’
• In the post and parcels
• Brought in by prisoners
• Through corrupt staff
Disrupting one route raises the use of the others; Rehabilitation and detoxification schemes are undermined by illicit drugs; Prison drug strategies should cover both disruption and Rehabilitation, and be managed by a nominated Governor.
The research outlined in this report had two aims at the outset. These were: firstly, describing the experience of using self-evaluation indicators to evaluate and improve practice in relation to the education of looked after children and young people; and secondly, examining the extent to which the use of the indicators is related to improved outcomes for looked after children and young people in the study population. As the research developed, a broader approach emerged as being more appropriate: to study the arrangements for supporting looked after children in schools, including the transfer of information between social work and education, knowledge of the children, the awareness of key staff of the appropriate school and care environments, and the role of the designated senior manager with responsibility for looked after children. The research employed a case study approach, based on one ‘learning community’ (i.e. a local cluster of schools) within the City of Glasgow, Scotland. The learning community comprised a secondary school, four primary schools, two nursery schools and a pre-school children’s centre. The research approach involved interviews with key informants and more informal contact, both in person and by email. Other important elements in the project included completion of a comprehensive data sheet for each young person and provision of mentoring support for the learning community via informal advice, passing on information, and by the provision of a training course for teachers and carers.
Kids' Share 2008, a second annual report, looks comprehensively at trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Key findings suggest that historically children have not been a budget priority. In 2007, this trend continued, as children's spending did not keep pace with GDP growth. Absent a policy change, children's spending will continue to be squeezed in the next decade.
A good father is critical to the optimal development and well-being of a child. Fathers roles in children’s lives effect their healthy child development, gender identity, responsible sexuality, emotional and social commitment, and financial security. While research shows father involvement benefits children’s well-being, the child welfare system seems to contradict this in it’s practice at all levels of the continuum – child protective services, foster care, kinship care, adoption, and family preservation.
Living in overcrowded accommodation can have a devastating effect on families. If a home is overcrowded it can affect health and educational attainment and can impact negatively on life chances. In December 2007 the Government outlined its strategy to tackle overcrowding. This self-assessment toolkit is intended to support housing providers by offering practical tips on how to develop their own strategy and action plan to assist those households worst affected by overcrowding.
July 21, 2008
This guide is designed to equip local merchants and retailers with problem solving strategies aimed at reducing panhandling in and around their properties. Focusing heavily on the value of partnerships with law enforcement, the guide walks readers through the process of understanding their panhandling problem; collecting crime data; identifying potential strategies; and measuring the impact of those strategies. Several promising strategies to reduce panhandling are described, including: providing informational brochures about available social services to panhandlers; requiring all vendors to have permits; initiating civilian patrols to monitor and discourage activity; and prohibiting the sale of single servings of alcohol through a city ordinance. This guide is one in a series of six crime prevention publications that focus on utilizing public/private partnerships to prevent crime.
The key points from the latest release are:
- In 2006/07, there were 190,385 full-time first degree graduates whose destinations were known, compared to 188,330 in 2005/06. In 2006/07, 64% (121,340) were in employment only, the same as in 2005/06; 9% (16,565) were in a combination of work and study, 8% in 2005/06; 16% (30,995) were involved in further study only, the same as in 2005/06; and 6% (11,020) were assumed to be unemployed, the same as in 2005/06.
- Of those first degree graduates (both full-time and part-time) reported as being in full-time paid employment in the UK in 2006/07, 51% disclosed their salary. The median salary reported (to the nearest £500) was £19,000, (£18,000 in 2005/06). The lower quartile was £15,000 and the upper quartile £23,000. The mean salary was £20,000 (£19,500 in 2005/06).
The Scottish Government has launched a campaign that tackles negative perceptions of older people. It will highlight the positive and valuable contributions that older people make to life in Scotland today. It also looks at the similar negative perceptions faced by younger people. See the person not the age will raise awareness of age through national television, radio, online and press advertising, and also locally to raise awareness of the nearby opportunities that exist for older people.
The number of food insecure people in the 70 lower income countries covered in this report rose between 2006 and 2007, from 849 million to 982 million. Food insecure people are those consuming less than the nutritional target of 2,100 calories per day. The food security situation of these countries is projected to deteriorate over the next decade. The distribution gap—an indicator of food access—is projected to rise from 44 million tons in 2007 to more than 57 million tons in 2017. This is more than seven times the amount of food aid received by these countries in 2006. Sub-Saharan Africa, already the most vulnerable region with the lowest calorie intake levels, will suffer the greatest deterioration in food security.
The State Fact Sheets provide descriptive information on the condition of vulnerable children in all fifty states and the District of Columbia, using indicators of child protection, health, child care, education, and income support.
GAO estimates that at least 2.4 million young adults aged 18 through 26—or 6.5 percent of the non-institutionalized young adults in that age range— had a serious mental illness in 2006, and they had lower levels of education on average than other young adults. The actual number is likely to be higher than 2.4 million because homeless, institutionalized, and incarcerated persons were not included in this estimate—groups with potentially high rates of mental illness. Among those with serious mental illness, nearly 90 percent had more than one mental disorder, and they had significantly lower rates of high school graduation and postsecondary education. GAO also found that about 186,000 young adults received SSA disability benefits in 2006 because of a mental illness that prevented them from engaging in substantial, gainful activity.
The front-line delivery of benefits, tax credits and employment services has changed significantly in the past decade. While many people have found new services less complicated, problems have emerged for disadvantaged users. This review looks at recent evidence of service delivery problems and proposes potential solutions.
July 18, 2008
The World Drug Report presents comprehensive information on the illicit drug situation. It provides detailed estimates and trends on production, trafficking and consumption in the opium/heroin, coca/cocaine, cannabis and amphetamine-type stimulants markets. The drug problem is being contained but there are warning signs that the stabilisation which has occurred over the last few years could be in danger. Notable amongst these is the increase in both opium poppy and coca cultivation in 2007,some growth in consumption in developing countries and some development of new trafficking patterns. There have also been encouraging contractions in some of the main consumer markets. This year, almost one hundred years since the Shanghai Opium Commission in 1909, the Report presents an historical review of the development of the international drug control system.
The paper is presented in two parts. Part 1 is for non-scientists and explains what epidemiology is and how it can be used by practitioners, administrators, and policy makers. Part 1 also presents highlights from past epidemiological studies of co-occurring disorders and introduces three major national studies that are regularly used as sources for information on the nature and extent of co-occurring disorders in the United States. Part 2 presents detailed technical information on these three studies and is for audiences who are familiar with epidemiological methods.
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.
The World Economic and Social Survey (WESS) provides objective analysis of pressing long-term social and economic development issues, and discusses the positive and negative impact of corresponding policies. The analyses are supported by analytical research and data included in the annex.
This guide provides guidance to merchants and their law enforcement partners in developing strategies to prevent public disorder problems, such as public intoxication, vandalism, and loitering. The guide walks readers through the process of understanding the root causes of public disorders, identifying potential strategies, and measuring the impact of those strategies. While public disorder problems vary based on local context, promising strategies to address them include: broadcasting classical music; improving lighting in parking facilities and building exteriors; securing perimeters to limit pedestrian access; and establishing policies and sanctions regarding acceptable public behavior. This guide is one in a series of six crime prevention publications that focus on the use of public/private partnerships to address crime.
Scotland faces an important choice with regard to how it uses imprisonment. Its rapidly growing and overcrowded prisons are making it more difficult to secure public safety and respond effectively to serious crime. Imprisonment can have harmful consequences for prisoners and the communities to which they return. The Scottish Prisons Commission was convened to take stock of the problems and develop solutions. The principles guiding its efforts were: punishment must be visible, swift and fair; communities should be at the heart of penal reform and action; prison populations must be controlled to achieve Scotland’s wider strategic objectives; Scotland can be an international model. The Commission’s view was that gaining control over prison numbers is the necessary first step to limit its damaging effects and to focus efforts on more effective punishments.
Kids' Share 2008, a second annual report, looks comprehensively at trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Key findings suggest that historically children have not been a budget priority. In 2007, this trend continued, as children's spending did not keep pace with GDP growth. Absent a policy change, children's spending will continue to be squeezed in the next decade.
Cigarette use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States (1). A national health objective for 2010 is to reduce the prevalence of current cigarette use among high school students to 16% or less (27-2b) (1). To examine changes in cigarette use among high school students in the United States during 1991--2007, CDC analyzed data from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that the prevalence of lifetime cigarette use was stable during 1991--1999 and then declined from 70.4% in 1999 to 50.3% in 2007. The prevalence of current cigarette use increased from 27.5% in 1991 to 36.4% in 1997, declined to 21.9% in 2003, and remained stable from 2003 to 2007. The prevalence of current frequent cigarette use increased from 12.7% in 1991 to 16.8% in 1999 and then declined to 8.1% in 2007. To resume the declines observed in current cigarette use during 1997--2003 and achieve the 2010 objective, communitywide comprehensive tobacco-control programs that use coordinated evidence-based strategies should be implemented and revitalized.
July 17, 2008
Recognizing the context created by existing research on these subjects, and following the focus and method of Jim Silver’s work on Aboriginal voting in Winnipeg, we conducted personal interviews and focus group sessions with a broad sampling of Indigenous youth from a variety of urban and community contexts. These interviews sought out youths’ perceptions of political identity, citizenship and political activism, while also exploring their relationship with the state and its electoral processes. The main questions posed to the youth were these:
• What is “politics”?
• What does citizenship mean?
• Which political activities are important and which do you participate in?
This guide is designed to provide merchants and retailers with a framework for understanding the underlying causes of their shoplifting problems and developing effective strategies to reduce shoplifting. It describes ways in which data on shoplifting can be collected and analyzed; helps readers identify and close off opportunities for shoplifting; and provides guidance on measuring the impact of those strategies. The guide offers an array of shoplifting prevention strategies that may prove effective, including: conducting employee bag checks at the end of each shift; partnering with local schools on anti-truancy efforts; increasing visible security guard presence during after-school hours; and tightening inventory control protocols. This guide is one in a series of six crime prevention publications that prescribe public/private problem solving partnerships to prevent crime.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a wide range of benefits and services to eligible veterans, members of their families, and survivors of deceased veterans. VA programs include disability compensation and pensions, readjustment benefits, and health care programs. The VA also provides life insurance, burial benefits, housing and other loan guaranty programs, and special counseling and outreach programs. While eligibility for specific benefits varies, veterans generally must meet requirements related to discharge type and length of active duty military service. This report provides an overview of major VA benefits and the VA budget. It will be updated as events warrant.
Highlights include the following:
- About 1.6% of inmates (12,100, nationwide) reported an incident involving another inmate, and 2.0% (15,200) reported an incident involving staff.
- Inmate-on-inmate victimization occurred most often in the victim’s cell (56%); staff-on-inmate victimization occurred in a closet, office, or other locked room (47%).
- An estimated 5.1% of female inmates, compared to 2.9% of male inmates, said they had experienced one or more incidents of sexual victimization.
This paper extrapolates from data from the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finance to project household wealth, by wealth quintile, for the cohort that will be between the ages of 45-54 in 2009 under three alternative scenarios. The first scenario assumes that real house prices fall no further than their level as of March 2008. The second scenario assumes that real house prices fall an additional 10 percent as a 2009 average. The third scenario assumes that real house prices fall an additional 20 percent for a 2009 average. (Real house prices are currently falling at the rate of approximately 1.5 percent a month.)
Four years is a long time in a child’s life. Much can happen that will touch the rest of their lives for good or for ill. Some children may live their lives in situations of peace and security. For countless others war continues to be all too real. Over this aspect of the adult world they have little say and no control. Four years is sufficient for substantial developments in the life of a global movement. The last Global Report was published by the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers (Coalition) in November 2004; since then the movement to end the use of child soldiers has seen continued progress towards a universal consensus against their use in hostilities, witnessed by the fact that over three-quarters of states have now signed, ratified or acceded to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict.
Adopting a stepchild is the most common form of adoption. A stepparent who adopts agrees to be fully responsible for his or her spouse's child. After the stepparent adoption occurs, the noncustodial parent (the parent not living with the child) no longer has any rights or responsibilities for the child, including child support.
Child obesity poses short- and long-term health risks and may have negative social and economic consequences in adulthood. This study uses data on 8,000 children followed from kindergarten through third grade as part of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class to examine predictors of persistent childhood overweight and associated academic and socioemotional outcomes. Results show that socioeconomic status, gender, race, and behavioral and environmental factors influence risk of persistent overweight. The odds of children being overweight increased 3 percent for each additional hour of television that they watched per week and 9 percent for each family meal per week that they did not experience. Overweight children progressed less than their nonoverweight peers did in reading and math achievement, with overweight appearing to precede academic difficulties, and were rated lower on academic and socioemotional factors by their teachers and themselves. Academic and social costs should be considered in assessing costs of childhood overweight and potential benefits of overweight prevention.
July 15, 2008
This toolkit features helpful resources, event ideas, suggestions, and samples on how to reach local media, fact sheets for key constituency groups and special audiences, and more. All of the materials can help you convey the 2008 observance theme: Join the Voices for Recovery: Real People, Real Recovery.
This brief discusses the possible role that progressive reductions in scheduled benefits would play in Social Security reform. A progressive reduction in scheduled benefits would have high earners bear a relatively larger share of the burden of the adjustments needed to make Social Security permanently solvent, while workers with low earnings would be relatively shielded from the impact of benefit reductions. Under such a change, the reduction in scheduled benefits expressed as a share of wages while working would be higher for high-wage workers than it is for low-wage workers. While there is considerable disagreement about the precise nature and timing of the reforms that will ultimately make Social Security solvent, there is broad agreement that progressive benefit adjustments will be a key component of those reforms. Indeed, most proposed reforms to move Social Security toward permanent solvency call for benefit changes of this type.
This guide is tailored toward private businesses interested in new approaches to the prevention of retail burglary. Designed to encourage partnerships between businesses and local law enforcement, the guide walks readers through the process of understanding retail burglary, collecting crime data, identifying potential strategies, and measuring the impact of those strategies. Several promising strategies for preventing retail burglary are highlighted, including: removing obstructions from windows to provide a clear line of sight into stores from the street and parking lot; improving lighting around doorways and other entry points; launching a public awareness campaign to inform would-be burglars of legal repercussions of burglarizing; and limiting inventory on-hand. This guide is one in a series of six crime prevention publications focused on utilizing public/private partnerships to address crime.
In 2008, CDC conducted an analysis of trends in diagnoses of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the 33 states* that have had confidential, name-based HIV case reporting since at least 2001. This report summarizes the results of that analysis, which indicated that the number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses among MSM overall during 2001--2006 increased 8.6% (estimated annual percentage change [EAPC] = 1.5). During 2001--2006, an estimated 214,379 persons had HIV/AIDS diagnosed in the 33 states. Of these diagnoses, 46% were in MSM, and 4% were in MSM who engaged in illicit injection-drug use (IDU) (i.e., MSM and IDU). To reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS in the United States, HIV prevention services that aim to reduce the risk for acquiring and transmitting infection among MSM and link infected MSM to treatment must be expanded.
Deaths of individuals with developmental disabilities due to poor quality of care have been highlighted in the media. Prior GAO work has raised concerns about inadequate safeguards for such individuals receiving care through state Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) waivers. CMS approves and oversees these waivers. Safeguards include the review of, and follow-up action to, critical incidents—events that harm or have the potential to harm waiver beneficiaries. GAO was asked to examine the extent to which states (1) include, as a critical incident, deaths among individuals with developmental disabilities in waiver programs; (2) have basic components in place to review such deaths; and (3) have adopted additional components to review death
The Middle East today is a very youthful region, due to the consequences of the demographic transition. As mortality declined and life spans rose, youthful cohorts are now marrying later in life. Delayed marriage has become the norm, particularly for men who may not marry until their late twenties or thirties. The political and economic context of delayed marriage is causing debate and controversy in the Muslim world, since early and universal marriage had been the norm and sexuality had been linked to marriage. The consequences and meaning of the youth bulge in the region, however, can only be fully comprehended if we examine the political economy of youth through the lens of the “marriage imperative.” It is not only the demographic transition, the greater participation of women in the labor force and education, changing gender norms, or globalization which has delayed marriage. The financial costs surrounding marriage (housing, dower, jewelry, celebrations, furniture and furnishings) themselves may be the source of delayed marriage as young people and their families wait years before they can accumulate the massive sums needed to marry. Through statistical, economic, political, and anthropological data, this paper first highlights the financial pressures that marriage places on young people and their families. The paper argues that we must conceptualize the political economy of youth through the lens of the “marriage imperative” because the financial investment in marriage takes years to accumulate and influences other key transitions of adolescence, including schooling, employment, education, and identity formation.
This report presents findings from the 2002 to 2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health (NSDUHs) on the use of alcohol by persons aged 12 to 20, that is, those who are under the minimum legal age for alcohol use. NSDUH is an annual survey of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States aged 12 or older and is conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This report examines trends in alcohol use from 2002 to 2006 among underage persons and variations in underage drinking and alcohol use disorders across demographic groups and geographic areas.
Government policies for community engagement have been high profile, as have community cohesion agendas – but these have been developed in parallel. This study explores the challenges of bringing them together. It examines ways of enabling new arrivals to become involved, promoting solidarity and cohesion rather than competition and conflict between newer and more established communities.
Homeownership has long been considered a rite of passage to the economic middle class. Accordingly, a great deal of legislation and academic attention has focused on policies that promote homeownership and lower the barriers to purchasing a first home. However, insufficient attention has been paid to policies that would affect the ability of families to keep their homes in times of economic stress. In particular, scholars have not yet addressed how homeownership policies affect families with children at home in the event of a financial downturn. This paper--drawing on data from the Consumer Bankruptcy Project--focuses on the responses of these families to economic crisis. It provides empirical evidence that parents with children at home are more likely to fight to retain their homes and more likely to have filed for bankruptcy in order to do so. The paper demonstrates that having children plays a role in the decision to continue making mortgage payments on an expensive home, and in the decision to file for bankruptcy to try to retain that home. The data illustrate the powerful impact of housing policy on families with children and raise important questions about whether foreclosure policies should directly account for the presence of children.
July 14, 2008
This publication presents results from the 2006-07 Family Characteristics and Transitions Survey (FCTS) and compares them to results from the 2003 and 1997 Family Characteristics Surveys (FCS), providing information about changing patterns of family and household composition in contemporary Australia. Information on family transitions such as relationship history, relationship expectations, children born and fertility expectations is also presented in this publication. Information is presented for the Australian population living in private dwellings, excluding very remote parts of Australia.
Employment is among the best predictors of successful substance abuse treatment. It is also considered an important measure of success in substance abuse treatment: “increased employment” is one of the desired outcomes in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Outcome Measures (NOMs) framework. Thus, employment status is relevant both to substance abuse treatment outcomes and policymaking. The employment status of admissions to substance abuse treatment can be examined with the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), an annual compilation of data on the demographic characteristics and substance abuse problems of those admitted to substance abuse treatment, primarily at facilities that receive some public funding.
The purpose of the Drug-Free Workplace Kit is to provide public and private workplaces, from small to large and from local to global, with credible, authoritative, evidence-based information, resources, and tools for producing and maintaining drug-free workplace policies and programs. The Kit was assembled by the Division of Workplace Programs (DWP), in the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse And Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. DWP has unique and nationally important regulatory, knowledge development, and technical assistance roles and responsibilities for Federal and non-Federal workplaces, with respect to their drug-free workplace policies and programs.
Although a precious asset for the present and future, girls in developing countries are in trouble. Girls and young women are generally less educated, less healthy, and less free than their male peers. They face systematic disadvantages over a wide range of welfare indicators, including health, education, nutrition, labor force participation, and the burden of household tasks. Because of deprivation and discriminatory cultural norms, many poor girls are forced to marry at very young ages and are extraordinarily vulnerable to HIV, sexual violence, and physical exploitation. Lacking a full range of economic opportunities and devalued because of gender bias, many girls are seen as unworthy of investment or protection by their families. Isolated and unsupported, these girls have little voice to demand their rights.
India has creditable achievements to trumpet on a number of counts. These include high rates of economic growth lasting over a decade, reduction in infant mortality rates and increase in life expectancy at birth. But her position in terms of taking proper care of her children is, however, nothing to write home about.2 Actually, India has the highest proportion of undernourished children in the world along with Nepal, Ethiopia and Bangladesh.3 The number of Indian children below the age of three who are underweight is a mind-boggling one of 37 million. This is despite official claims that the well-being of children has been a priority and an integral part of the country’s development planning since 1951 [Planning Commission 2002b]. A recent study of malnourished children in India by Gragnolati et al (2006) is of the view that without a major shake up in policy and an improvement in the effectiveness of its implementation, the attainment of the MDGs in this regard by India looks extremely unlikely.
This study estimates the effect of a £10 per week child support disregard (known as the child maintenance premium) that was introduced into the income support system in 2003. It also investigates the likely effects of making the £10 a week disregard larger.
July 11, 2008
This compendium of interventions is designed for public health practitioners and community-based organizations, to help them address the problem of falls among older adults. It describes 14 scientifically tested and proven interventions, and provides relevant details about these interventions for organizations who want to implement fall prevention programs.
In response to the recent Midwest floods, FEMA has compiled a short list of resources to assist recovery as well mitigation efforts.
Advances in using census data now make it possible to identify households where couples are parenting across ethnic categories. Despite parenting across racial, ethnic and religious boundaries being increasingly common, it is portrayed as though fraught with difficulties. The notion of 'culture clash' is frequently used to explain its problematic nature, with assertions that children are subject to identity confusion. Limited attention has been paid to mixed-family parenting in Britain. This exploratory research analysed census data and looked at how 35 couples from different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds sought to give their children a sense of belonging and identity. The term 'mixed' is used to encompass a range of racial, ethnic and faith differences.
Over the past decade, state and federal welfare policies have increasingly emphasized moving welfare recipients into jobs, and over this time period large numbers of recipients have gone to work. As welfare recipients enter the labor market they join other groups of disadvantaged and less-skilled workers seeking jobs, including ex-offenders, high-school drop-outs, less-educated young black men, and single mothers who are not receiving welfare. These workers all face similar challenges in the labor market: finding jobs that offer benefits and relatively high wages, retaining jobs once found, and finding opportunities for advancement. Most past research in this area has focused on the workers themselves—the supply side of the labor market—and what individual characteristics are associated with better jobs and advancement. This is only half the equation. Understanding the hiring practices, job requirements, and workplace policies of employers—the demand side—can provide considerable information to policy makers interested in promoting work and advancement among welfare recipients and other less-skilled workers. To this end, in 2007 we fielded a nationally representative survey of private-sector employers to provide information about employers’ practices and workplace policies relevant for less-skilled workers. We gathered information on employer characteristics, job requirements, wages and benefits, hiring practices, and potential for advancement. The survey focuses on employers’ most recently filled jobs that require no more education than a high school degree or GED; we refer to these jobs as noncollege jobs. This group of jobs includes both entry-level jobs—those requiring minimal skills and experience—as well as “next-level” jobs—noncollege jobs demanding higher skill and experience and potentially offering higher wages and benefits.
Why does an education system fail to provide its students with quality education? Schools are one of the first places to look for the answers. They represent a vital element in any successful effort to improve the quality of learning. Yet, policies and programmes aiming to achieve this goal are typically limited by the lack of reliable information on how schools function. The study presented in this report seeks to contribute to the understanding of the role of schools across a range of education systems.
The ATHENA (Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise & Nutrition Alternatives) program uses a school-based, team-centered format that aims to reduce disordered eating habits and deter use of body-shaping substances among middle and high school female athletes. The intervention includes a balanced presentation concerning the consequences of substance use and other unhealthy behaviors and the beneficial effects of appropriate sport nutrition and effective exercise training. In addition to its learning goals related to nutrition, ATHENA incorporates cognitive restructuring appropriate to a sport team setting to address mood-related risk factors for diet pill use. The ATHENA program is delivered using scripted lessons in small learning clusters, each led by one coach-designated athlete squad leader. The intervention includes eight 45-minute classroom sessions integrated into a team's usual practice activities. Each participant receives a workbook and a pocket-sized sport nutrition and training guide.
Although much is known about how to help unemployed welfare recipients find jobs, little is known about how to help them and other low-wage workers keep jobs or advance in the labor market. This report presents an assessment of the implementation and effects at the one-year fol-low-up point of a program in Salem, Oregon, that aimed to promote better initial job placements, employment retention, and advancement among applicants to the Temporary Assistance for Nee-dy Families (TANF) program who were unemployed. The program is part of the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) project, which is testing 16 models across the country. The ERA project is being conducted by MDRC, under contract to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, with additional funding from the U.S. Department of Labor. The Salem ERA program began operating in May 2002. Called VISION, it was jointly operated by staff from the local welfare agency and a local community college, and it was located at a One-Stop Career Center. The program provided TANF applicants with job search and placement ser-vices, including workshops that focused on future job retention and career paths. Then, once clients secured employment, VISION was to continue with postemployment services to promote job retention and career advancement. VISION is being evaluated using a random assignment research design whereby eligible individuals were assigned, through a lottery-like process, either to a program group, whose members participated in VISION, or to a control group, whose mem-bers participated in Oregon’s standard welfare-to-work program (known as JOBS).
Although there has been adoption legislation in the UK since 1926, it was not until 1975 that adopted adults were given the right to apply for their original birth certificate – and the chance to find out more about their birth family. The creation of the Adoption Contact Register in 1991 was the first opportunity for adopted adults and their adult birth relatives formally to register their wish for contact with each other. This leaflet describes the rights of adopted adults and their adult birth relatives to trace and establish contact with each other. It also contains links to support agencies for further information or advice.
July 10, 2008
This interim statement identifies the key issues for the workforce as set out in Putting People First and goes on to develop these into broader, strategic priorities for the workforce. It is intended to provide all stakeholders, whether public service or private and voluntary sector, with a high-level overview of strategy development prior to finalisation of the full Adult Social Care Workforce Strategy for launch in October this year.
One of the most controversial features of the 1990s welfare reforms was the imposition of time limits on benefit receipt. Time limits became a central feature of federal policy in the landmark 1996 welfare law, which created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The law prohibits states from using federal TANF funds to assist most families for more than 60 months. Under contract to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Lewin Group and MDRC have conducted a comprehensive review of what has been learned about time limits. The review, which updates a 2002 study, includes analysis of administrative data reported by states to ACF, visits to several states, and a literature review. The update is timely because most states now have several years’ experience with time limits. Federal law affords states great flexibility in setting time-limit policies. The federal 60-month limit does not apply to state-funded benefits; also, states may use federal TANF funds to support up to 20 percent of the caseload beyond 60 months. Thus, states may set a 60-month time limit, a shorter limit, or no time limit, and they may choose to exempt families from time limits. Not surprisingly, time-limit policies vary dramatically from state to state.
This fact sheet points out the main challenges former jail and prison inmates have in returning to society. The consequences of their employment problems and recidivism are experienced not just by the former inmates but also by their families, which are predominantly low-income and include over 3 million children.
The U.S. government measures poverty by a narrow income standard that does not include other aspects of economic status, such as material hardship (for example, living in substandard housing) or debt, nor does it consider financial assets (including savings or property). The official poverty measure is a specific dollar amount that varies by family size but is the same across the continental U.S. According to the guidelines, the poverty level in 2008 is $21,200 a year for a family of four and $17,600 for a family of three (see table).1 The poverty guidelines are used to determine eligibility for public programs. A similar but more complex measure is used for calculating poverty rates.
The Adolescent Coping With Depression (CWD-A) course is a cognitive behavioral group intervention that targets specific problems typically experienced by depressed adolescents. These problems include discomfort and anxiety, irrational/negative thoughts, poor social skills, and limited experiences of pleasant activities. CWD-A consists of 16 2-hour sessions conducted over an 8-week period for mixed-gender groups of up to 10 adolescents. Each participant receives a workbook that provides structured learning tasks, short quizzes, and homework forms. To encourage generalization of skills to everyday situations, adolescents are given homework assignments that are reviewed at the beginning of the subsequent session.
This briefing focuses on the experiences of children and young people (under the age of 18 years) of domestic violence between those adults who have, or previously held a parental role towards them. It includes both biological parents and non-related adults significant to the young people, but does not include the perpetration of violence by children and young people towards those in a parental role. While recognising the existence of a variety of models of the family, this briefing generally refers to currently or previously married or cohabiting adults, including lone, two-parent and step families.
The key points from the latest release are:
- There were 8,680 permanent exclusions from primary, secondary and all special schools in 2006/07, which represents 0.12 per cent of the number of pupils in schools (12 pupils in every 10,000).
- In 2006/07 there were 363,270 fixed period exclusions from state funded secondary schools, 45,730 fixed period exclusions from primary schools and 16,600 fixed period exclusions from special schools.
July 9, 2008
The report presents the results of the latest study in the Maternity Rights Survey series, which has been monitoring take-up of maternity benefits and mothers’ post-birth employment decisions since the late 1970s. Earlier surveys in the series monitored mothers’ employment behaviour at a time of unprecedented increase in maternal employment. For this study, just under 2,000 face-to-face interviews were conducted with mothers whose children were aged between 12 and 18 months and who had worked at some point in the 12 months before the baby’s birth.
With the initiation in 2003 of OJJDP’s Gang Reduction Program (GRP), millions of dollars have been invested in working in communities with large and growing youth gangs. Experience
has shown us that gangs are, in part, a response to community dysfunction. Thus, a primary focus of OJJDP’s anti-gang initiatives is to support community efforts to provide their citizens, especially their young people, with a safe and prosocial environment in which to live and grow. Gangs often lure youth with the promise of safety, belonging, economic opportunity, and a sense of identity. OJJDP is dedicated to helping communities replace this false promise with real opportunities for our Nation’s youth.
SCIE aims to improve the experience of people who use social care by developing and promoting knowledge about good practice. Using knowledge gathered from diverse sources and a broad range of people and organisations, we develop resources that we share freely, supporting those working in social care and empowering service users. At the request of the Department of Health, we have produced this practice guide to the 2004 Act. It is easy to use and translates what is known from research and policy into recommendations for practice (practice points) and gives examples (ideas from practice). The guide is designed to answer any questions on the implementation of the Act, as well as provide food for thought.
Work–life conflict is defined as a form of inter-role conflict in which work and family demands are mutually incompatible so that meeting demands in one domain makes it difficult to meet demands in the other (Edwards & Rothbard, 2000; Greenhaus & Beutell 1985). This definition implies a multi-directional relationship where work can affect family and vice versa (Frone,2002). When work and family are in conflict, obtaining rewards in one domain requires foregoing rewards in the other (Edwards and Rothbard, 2000). Work–life conflict can be considered to have two major components: the practical aspects associated with time crunches and scheduling conflicts (i.e. an employee cannot be in two different places at the same time), and the perceptual aspect of feeling overwhelmed, overloaded or stressed by the pressures of multiple roles. In our research, we conceptualize work–life conflict broadly.
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. These are primarily based on nationally recommended indicators or on state initiatives. 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. The challenge for states’ ECCS leadership is to select an indicator set that is both comprehensive enough to monitor system developments and specific and limited enough to be useful and manageable. This Short Take 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.
The Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (A-CRA) to alcohol and substance use treatment is a behavioral intervention that seeks to replace environmental contingencies that have supported alcohol or drug use with prosocial activities and behaviors that support recovery. This outpatient program targets youth 12 to 22 years old with DSM-IV cannabis, alcohol, and/or other substance use disorders. A-CRA includes guidelines for three types of sessions: adolescents alone, parents/caregivers alone, and adolescents and parents/caregivers together. According to the adolescent's needs and self-assessment of happiness in multiple areas of functioning, therapists choose from among 17 A-CRA procedures that address, for example, problem-solving skills to cope with day-to-day stressors, communication skills, and active participation in prosocial activities with the goal of improving life satisfaction and eliminating alcohol and substance use problems. Role-playing/behavioral rehearsal is a critical component of the skills training used in A-CRA, particularly for the acquisition of better communication and relapse prevention skills. Homework between sessions consists of practicing skills learned during sessions and participating in prosocial leisure activities.
All Stars is a multiyear school-based program for middle school students (11 to 14 years old) designed to prevent and delay the onset of high-risk behaviors such as drug use, violence, and premature sexual activity. The program focuses on five topics important to preventing high-risk behaviors: (1) developing positive ideals that do not fit with high-risk behavior; (2) creating a belief in conventional norms; (3) building strong personal commitments; (4) bonding with school, prosocial institutions, and family; and (5) increasing positive parental attentiveness. The All Stars curriculum includes highly interactive group activities, games and art projects, small group discussions, one-on-one sessions, a parent component, and a celebration ceremony. The All Stars Core program consists of 13 45-minute class sessions delivered on a weekly basis by teachers, prevention specialists, or social workers. The All Stars Booster program is designed to be delivered 1 year after the core program and includes nine 45-minute sessions reinforcing lessons learned in the previous year. Multiple program packages are available to support implementation by either regular teachers or prevention specialists.
July 8, 2008
This work was commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Health and was carried out in two phases. Phase One looked at 18 countries and collected data on women’s prison populations in relation to the general prison population, and the arrangements made to house women prisoners. Sources were mainly governmental statistics and descriptive reports on the design and appearance of women’s prisons where available. Phase Two examined eight countries in more detail and looked to establish how far these countries were providing a prison service based on the needs of women, taking into account that in most countries women make up a small minority of the prison population. Sources in Phase Two were governmental policy documents, other external evaluations and commentaries.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires the Department of Labor to collect and compile accurate statistics on the extent of occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the United States. Employers are also required to keep accurate records of workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths. Top officials at the Department of Labor (DOL) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) often cite declining injury, illness and fatality numbers to demonstrate the effectiveness of their programs and to fight off criticism that OSHA has abandoned its original mission of setting and enforcing workplace safety and health standards. But extensive evidence from academic studies, media reports and worker testimony shows that work-related injuries and illnesses in the United States are chronically and even grossly underreported. As much as 69 percent of injuries and illnesses may never make it into the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), the nation’s annual workplace safety and health “report card” generated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). If these estimates are accurate, the nation’s workers may be suffering three times as many injuries and illnesses as official reports indicate. Despite these reports, OSHA has failed to address the problem, relying on ineffective audits to argue that the numbers are accurate.
Efforts to reduce poverty and improve food security in developing countries are hampered by declining support for strong agricultural growth, long considered a hallmark of successful poverty reduction strategies, according to the 2008 Trends in Sustainable Development report published by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The report highlights recent trends in agriculture, rural development, land, desertification and drought – five of the six themes being considered by the Commission on Sustainable Development at its 16th and 17th sessions (2008-2009). Strong agricultural growth is four times more effective than growth in other sectors in benefiting the poorest half of the population, the report finds. However, while many developing countries have posted gains in agricultural production, distribution and exports, people living in areas of high inequality and in isolation from the broader economy typically benefit little from them.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among American Indians 15 to 24 years old, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The estimated rate of completed suicides among American Indians in this age group is about three times higher than among comparably aged U.S. youth overall (37.4 vs. 11.4 per 100,000, respectively). American Indian Life Skills Development (the currently available version of the former Zuni Life Skills Development program) is a school-based suicide prevention curriculum designed to address this problem by reducing suicide risk and improving protective factors among American Indian adolescents 14 to 19 years old. The curriculum includes anywhere from 28 to 56 lesson plans covering topics such as building self-esteem, identifying emotions and stress, increasing communication and problem-solving skills, recognizing and eliminating self-destructive behavior, learning about suicide, role-playing around suicide prevention, and setting personal and community goals. The curriculum typically is delivered over 30 weeks during the school year, with students participating in lessons 3 times per week. Lessons are interactive and incorporate situations and experiences relevant to American Indian adolescent life, such as dating, rejection, divorce, separation, unemployment, and problems with health and the law. Most of the lessons include brief, scripted scenarios that provide a chance for students to employ problem solving and apply the suicide-related knowledge they have learned.
A Woman's Path to Recovery is a clinician-led program for women with substance use disorders. The model uses chapters from "A Woman's Addiction Workbook: Your Guide to In-Depth Healing" as the basis for 12 90-minute sessions conducted by clinicians over 8 weeks. The workbook is divided into two main sections: exploration and healing. The "exploration" section helps women look at their lives in relation to gender and addiction issues. It provides background information on the relationship between gender and addiction, differences between women and men in addiction and recovery, historical barriers to treatment faced by women, and subgroups of women at risk for addiction. It then encourages women to identify their life themes in five key areas relevant to women and addiction: body and sexuality, stress, relationships, trauma and violence, and thrill-seeking. They can also evaluate their addiction and co-occurring mental disorders. The "healing" section of the book guides women through methods of recovery. It is organized into four domains--relationships, beliefs, actions, and feelings--and includes a series of exercises for each domain. The book conveys a supportive tone for the journey to healing and provides specific recovery resources. Overall, the model addresses social and emotional problems unique to women. Difficult areas in a woman's life are explored through the psychology that underlies female addictive behavior.
Over the past decade, charter schools have been among the fastest-growing segments of the K–12 education sector in Chicago and across the country. This report addresses several key issues related to charter schools using student-level data provided by Chicago Public Schools. Students leaving traditional public schools for charter schools in Chicago tend to look much like the peers they left behind, in both demographic characteristics and student achievement. Transfers to charter schools tend to slightly reduce racial stratification across the schools. Achievement trajectories suggest that, on average, charter schools' performance in raising student achievement is approximately on par with traditional public schools — except that charter schools do not do well in raising student achievement in their first year of operation. Chicago's charter high schools may produce substantial positive effects on ACT scores, the probability of graduating, and the probability of enrolling in college — but these positive effects are solidly evident only in the multi-grade charter high schools (those that include middle-school grades). The large, positive attainment results in Chicago suggest remarkable promise for (at least) multi-grade charter high schools and demonstrate that evaluations limited to test scores may fail to capture important benefits of charter schools. If charter schools (or other multi-grade high schools) have positive effects on graduation and college entry, they may make a substantial, long-term difference in the life prospects of their students.
Athletes Training and Learning To Avoid Steroids (ATLAS) is a school-based drug prevention program. ATLAS was designed for male high school athletes to deter drug use and promote healthy nutrition and exercise as alternatives to drugs. The curriculum consists of 10 45-minute interactive classroom sessions and 3 exercise training sessions facilitated by peer educators, coaches, and strength trainers. Program content includes (1) discussion of sports nutrition; (2) exercise alternatives to anabolic steroids and sports supplements; and (3) the effects of substance abuse in sports, drug refusal role-playing, and the creation of health promotion messages.
July 3, 2008
Canada is a multi-cultural society comprised of many social, cultural, religious and linguistic groups. According to 2006 Census data, over 5 million Canadians or 16% of the population, reported being members of a visible minority group, up by 27% since 2001 (Statistics Canada, 2008). The number of same-sex couples has also increased, up by 33% between 2001 and 2006 (Statistics Canada, 2007). Canada’s religious composition is also changing, with some of the largest increases between 1991 and 2001 in Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist religious denominations (Statistics Canada, 2003). With such diversity, the potential arises for acts of discrimination or conflict between individuals and groups, some of which are recognized as hate crimes. Hate crimes refer to criminal offences that are motivated by hate towards an identifiable group. The incident may target race, national or ethnic origin, language, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation or any other similar factor, such as profession or political beliefs. These types of offences are unique in that they not only affect those who may be specifically targeted by the perpetrator, but they often indirectly impact entire communities. Currently, there are more than 30 countries in North America and Europe that recognize the distinctiveness of hate crimes and have consequently adopted hate crime legislation (McClintock and LeGendre, 2007b). In Canada, the crimes of advocating genocide, public incitement of hatred and mischief in relation to religious property have been incorporated into the Criminal Code as distinct hate crime offences. In addition, sentencing provisions allow for increased penalties when hate is determined to be an aggravating circumstance in any criminal offence.
Nearly one quarter of low-income families do not have a checking or savings account, more than one-third do not own cars, 60 percent do not own a home, and 90 percent have no retirement account. In contrast, the typical middle-income family has checking or savings accounts, retirement accounts, owns a car and a home. This brief synthesizes current research on the assets and liabilities of low-income families into a variety of portraits and provides suggestions for future research and policy.
This report has been prepared for UNDP-UNEP under the Poverty & Environment Initiative. It is targeted to policy-makers working with poverty and environment issues in Africa. The report aims to explain technical aspects in using and developing Poverty & Environment indicators, providing a toolbox that will enable readers to use indicators to mainstream environment into poverty reduction strategies. An effort has been made to use language not overly academic and to include examples based on the reality of countries. However, some unavoidable technical language remains and for this reason it is important to see the report as part of a capacity-building strategy in which complementary training might be needed for those not conversant with some methodological and statistical aspects.
As the nation grows older, it's time to find a better way to care for those who need help as they age. The financial, emotional, and physical costs of providing long-term care often overwhelm families. Unpaid family members supply most of it, struggling to balance these duties with work and other responsibilities. A year's stay in a nursing home averaged $78,000 in 2007, and public assistance is not generally available until residents have exhausted almost all of their financial resources. Policymakers should encourage Americans to prepare for their own long-term care needs or create a larger role for government financing.
Each year, the Government decides how much to raise benefits and tax allowances. The basis for these upratings is rarely debated, yet has major long-term consequences for the relative living standards of different groups and for public finances. This research considers the implications of present uprating policies, and aims to stimulate debate on this hidden area of policy-making.
These statistics include data on the numbers of three and four year old children benefiting from some free early years education. The statistics show a rise in the number of children who benefit.
July 2, 2008
Although night-time care forms a significant part of care home provision, little research has focused on this. Night staff are a vulnerable group, receiving less training, supervision and support than day staff, but with high levels of responsibility. This report examines the perspectives of residents, relatives, staff and care home inspectors. It identifies areas of good and poor practice, and recommends ways to make improvements through a series of interventions.
This report is divided into two parts. Part one provides the findings from our inspections and begins with a review of current policy and practice developments – chapter 1. The findings are organised to each address one of the above study questions – chapters 2 to 4. Positive practice is highlighted throughout the report and given special attention in chapter 5. The final chapter presents conclusions about the way that care is delivered and its impact on the well-being of people. Part two describes our use of SOFI as part of CSCI’s approach to regulation. We present three example analyses of SOFI scores – how people spend their time, levels of well-being, and communication. It is important to note that these examples of analysis are derived only from SOFI observations and not inspectors’ judgements of services overall, which are based on a number of sources of evidence.
Retirement will be different for the generation who are just starting to retire than it is for the generation well into retirement. This study provides one of the best measures currently availableon the differences between what retirement will be like for adults age 45 to 65, who are now moving into their retirement years (20% are already retired), as compared to the retirement experience of their parents. The survey indicates that the generation on the cusp of retirement will have:
–Higher lifestyle needs. Even though their parents are doing pretty well in retirement, the next wave of retirees would not be as satisfied with that lifestyle. They expect a higher standard of living than their parents currently have.
–A different philosophy to money management in retirement.With half saying their attitudes will not be the same as their parents, there will be more interest in de-accumulation strategies. At the same time, many also want to make sure their nest egg lasts for a longer period of time than has been the case for their parents.
–Higher risk tolerance.Middle age adults want to invest more aggressively than their parents have done in retirement. They even tend to feel that they, rather than theirparents, are investing too cautiously right now.
–Greater receptivity to using new types of financial vehicles.Those who differ from their parents expect to be more willing to use new types of financial products.
–Higher spending on leisure activities and travel, but lower spending on children/grandchildren and charity.There are areas where adult children wish their parents would spend more money that differ from the areas where people now in their seventies wish they could spend more.
Some general statewide trends for the first half of 2007 are listed below.
The three most frequently occurring drugs found in decedents were Ethyl Alcohol (1,902), all Benzodiazepines (1,167), and Cocaine (1,008).
The drugs that caused the most deaths were Cocaine (398), Methadone (392), all Benzodiazepines (353 – includes 260 deaths caused by Alprazolam), Oxycodone (323), Ethyl Alcohol (224), Hydrocodone (134), and Morphine (122).
The four drugs that were the most lethal (more than 50% of the deaths, in which these drugs were found, were caused by the drug) were Heroin (84.4%), Methadone (73.5%), Oxycodone (56.9%) and Fentanyl (55.3%).
While more than 50% of the deaths from Freon, Nitrous Oxide, other Inhalants and PCP were caused by the drug, the sample size is small for each drug. The other Inhalants reported were 1,1-Difluoroethane.
Excluding Ethyl Alcohol, prescription drugs account for 69% of all drug occurrences in this report. Prescription drugs (76%) are found to dominate at lethal levels when compared to illicit drugs (24%). Prescription drugs are also found to be the majority of non-lethal occurrences at 64% in contrast to illicit drugs at 36%. The prescription drugs tracked in this report are: all Benzodiazepines, Carisoprodol/Meprobamate, and all Opioids except Heroin.
One way to achieve an ownership society is to endow all children with savings accounts starting at birth. This report shows that specific design features of a children's savings account program will impact the distribution of wealth. For example, non-taxability of account earnings distributes significantly more benefits to higher-income groups than to lower-income groups. Also, because many families experience mobility over their lifetimes, a significant portion of benefits conditioned on low annual income will accrue to middle- and higher-income families. Regardless, these accounts could be important in getting children banked and teaching them the value of saving and compound interest.
This new, non-statutory practice guidance is aimed at practitioners working with adopted adults and birth relatives who wish to find out about an adoption, and may wish to trace and establish contact with their birth relatives through the provision of intermediary services (introduced by the Adoption and Children Act 2002) in adoptions that took place before 30 December 2005. The guidance has been written in collaboration with a group of practitioners working in this area, including representatives from Adoption UK and from local authorities, voluntary adoption agencies and adoption support agencies.
July 1, 2008
This Local Authority Circular sets out the resources available for the year 2008-2009 for the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and provisional figures for 2009-2010 and 2010 - 2011.
Action: NHS Chief Executives and social care directors will need to take note of these resources and ensure they are used both to support the Act's wider successful implementation and to deliver their own organisation's statutory responsibilities.
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) recognises that different strategies may be required to encourage different segments of individuals to participate in adult learning. To this end, DIUS has developed a ten group segmentation which divides up the adult population according to their attitudes to learning and the range of obstacles that they feel deter them from taking part. These ten segments can be portrayed on an axis from the most positive to the most negative. At one extreme are individuals who need no prompts to further learning during their lives. This segment fully recognises the need for lifetime learning and has found its own solutions. At the other extreme are two segments which have considerable learning needs, but which will be very difficult to encourage into adult learning. There are also two segments of predominantly older individuals who feel that learning is not appropriate for them at their late stage in life.
Restrictive asset limits in means-tested programs may unintentionally discourage families from saving. This brief presents an empirical analysis of how asset tests affect families' asset holdings. The findings suggest that more lenient asset tests and more generous IDA program rules can lead families to increase their asset holdings. Relaxed vehicle asset limits, for example, are associated with increased vehicle ownership. Since people often need a reliable car to get to work, this finding suggests that exempting at least one vehicle in all states may increase employment and job stability among low-income families. The findings also suggest that restrictions on withdrawals and incentives built into restricted asset accounts and IDA programs may provide families with motivation to build assets.
This searchable directory of drug and alcohol treatment programs shows the location of facilities around the country that treat alcoholism, alcohol abuse and drug abuse problems. The Locator includes more than 11,000 addiction treatment programs, including residential treatment centers, outpatient treatment programs, and hospital inpatient programs for drug addiction and alcoholism. Listings include treatment programs for marijuana, cocaine, and heroin addiction, as well as drug and alcohol treatment programs for adolescents, and adults.
Despite decades of significant tax subsidies for pensions and retirement accounts, most Americans retire with little or no pension saving. This paper suggests that it is possible to create a "Super Simple" saving plan that would provide a basic, low-cost, easily administrable plan with the potential to increase significantly the retirement assets available to moderate- and middle-income individuals. This plan follows the lead of a new system about to be implemented in the United Kingdom, which features automatic contribution for employees who do not opt out, a significant government match, and simplification of existing rules amongst other elements.
This paper contributes to conflicting evidence on the link between poverty and risky sexual behaviour by examining the effect of wealth status on age at first sex, condom use, and multiple partners using nationally representative adolescents’ data from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, and Uganda. The results show that the wealthiest girls in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Malawi had later sexual debut compared with their poorer counterparts but this association was not significant for Uganda. Wealth status was weaker among males and significant only in Malawi, where those in the middle quintile had earlier sexual debut. Wealthier adolescents were most likely to use condoms at the last sexual act, but wealth status was not associated with number of sexual partners. Although the link between wealth status and sexual behaviour is not consistent, there is evidence that poor females are vulnerable to infection because of earlier sexual debut and non-use of condoms.
This guidance note summarises the lessons learned so far from five Communities and Local Government-funded pilot schemes to address overcrowding in London. It highlights good practice and provides practical support to local authorities and registered social landlords to assist efforts to tackle overcrowding where the problems are most acute.